Michael Head – Premium vinyl record cleaners

Michael Head has been known as Liverpool’s nice misplaced songwriter and a genius.

Speaking to him on the telephone early one spring morning – he’s at dwelling, close to town’s docks – I ask him if he’s pleased with the genius tag.

“Somebody as soon as stated to me, ‘That tune you’ve written is f***ing genius – anybody might’ve accomplished it!’ And I went, ‘Yeah – you’re proper, lad. Good on yer,’” he says.

“I feel genius is when one thing is completed in a selected means that’s completely different to the norm – it’s off-centre. I simply love writing.”

After a 40-year profession that takes in The Pale Fountains, Shack, and The Strands, Head, who’s 60, has simply launched his second album with The Red Elastic Band, and it simply is likely to be the most effective factor he’s ever accomplished.

Dear Scott – the title references creator F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time on the notorious Hollywood resort, The Garden of Allah, when he picked up a postcard on strolling in and addressed it to himself – is a shocking and delightful assortment of story songs.

Comeback single, ‘Kismet’ – written in regards to the kindness of strangers and based mostly on a real-life expertise, when Head discovered himself stranded in the midst of nowhere with a useless telephone – is joyous and jangly guitar pop, ‘Broken Beauty’ has a blue-eyed soul really feel, full with lush, Easy Listening strings and Bacharach trumpet, ‘Fluke’ is a hazy and dream-like journey by L.A, soundtracked by cinematic strings, and ‘Gino and Rico’ is a beautiful jazzy shuffle that will swimsuit Richard Hawley’s velvet croon.

‘Freedom’ is a folky acoustic ballad, and ‘American Kid,’ with horns and a hovering refrain, is written a couple of buddy who was “born in a excessive rise in Kirkby” and is obsessive about Hollywood tradition. It namechecks classic US actors John Garfield and Ida Lupino, in addition to Elvis, Tarantino and De Niro.

The document was produced by Bill Ryder-Jones (The Coral) who offers the songs wealthy, vibrant and imaginative preparations.

“He’s accomplished an incredible job. It’s not a case of him understanding the songs – he simply will get them,” says Head. “We’re on the identical web page and in tune with one another. The songs simply advanced.”

SH: In 2019, you introduced you had been going to place out an album known as New Brighton Rock, however your plans modified as a result of COVID, didn’t they?

MH: Yeah – I’d been writing songs since then. I’m writing on a regular basis. Eighteen months in the past, me and the lads [from The Red Elastic Band] went into the studio with Bill and did about six tracks after which lockdown kicked in. We didn’t see one another for 12 months.

When we bought again collectively, what we’d accomplished previous to lockdown sounded incredible.

Dave Pichilingi [CEO] of [record label] Modern Sky stated, ‘Do you wish to end the album off?’ We had been like, ‘Yeah – positively,’ as a result of we’d financed the primary bit ourselves, with gigs and we’d accomplished some T-shirts.

Initially the album was known as New Brighton Rock as a result of I’d been engaged on a brief story… I’ve been doing brief tales for 20 years, in my spare time. I’m going to do one thing with a writer within the close to future.

I wrote the story New Brighton Rock about 15 years in the past and I liked it a lot… I wrote a tune, but it surely didn’t go on an album.

New Brighton Rock was a working title [for the album]. When I used to be out on my bike, somebody shouted ‘New Brighton Rock’ to me on the street, and I did flip spherical.

But the album ended up being known as Dear Scott…

I’d seen a Jay McInerney documentary about F. Scott Fitzgerald, which fascinated me – his persona, his letters and his sense of humour appealed to me. He was the king, however he’d had a couple of ups and downs.

When all his associates had been attempting to crack the brand new medium in Hollywood, he went there to try to have a go, however when he arrived at his resort, it was the fallacious place for him, as a result of he was sober and all people round him was in an extreme atmosphere. When he bought to the counter on the resort, he wrote a postcard to himself: ‘Dear Scott…’ He didn’t stamp it – he simply put it on his mantelpiece.

One of the songs on the album, ‘Fluke’, was impressed by certainly one of Scott’s brief tales known as The Homes of the Stars.

The album is great – it’s a stunning document.

Thank you, man.

Several of the songs, like ‘Fluke’ and ‘Kismet’, point out journey – it looks like fairly a transient album…

Yeah – that wasn’t intentional however it I suppose there may be a whole lot of motion. I exploit my unconscious rather a lot after I’m writing. Some of my songs are pure reality and a few are pure fiction – I like to combine it up. ‘Fluke’ is a couple of PR lady who will get a possibility to go to L.A. She’s informed that she’s bought to come back again, however she loses her telephone so she will be able to go there. I’m fascinated by Hollywood films, and I’ve tried to encapsulate that – she’s dreaming in L.A.

The strings on ‘Fluke’ sound very cinematic…

That was Bill Ryder-Jones, mate.

Why did you resolve to work with him?

I’ve identified him for ages, since he was in The Coral – we’ve performed at a few festivals, and we at all times bought on rather well.

I really like his stuff and he’s a stunning fella.

One of the lads within the band, Nat [Nathaniel Cummins – guitars] works rather a lot with Bill.

One day, earlier than Bill bought concerned, we had been going by the songs – Nat had made a studio in his flat, so we bought the songs into form there. Nat stated, ‘What about Bill producing the album?’ I stated, ‘That’s proper! Let’s ‘ave it – all day!’

That was that – Bill was up for it. It was beautiful making it. He lives in West Kirby, on the Wirral – he has his personal studio there. It’s an excellent atmosphere – when you weren’t within the studio, you would go for a stroll.

For the primary a part of the album, to inform you the reality, I used to be consuming. Then lockdown occurred, and I bought sober and extra targeted – it was good.

The lads within the band are so grounded and so lovely – they’re level-headed and so they’re half my age, however they’re like mates.

I stated to them as soon as, ‘You don’t half get the brand new songs’, and certainly one of them stated, ‘Mick – me ma and me uncle performed us your songs. We grew up with them, so we all know the place you’re going’.

All my life I’ve been actually fortunate with individuals I’ve been in bands with.

Mood-wise, I feel the album is a optimistic one…

It actually is. When me and the lads met again up [after lockdown], we went for a stroll down the seaside and stated, ‘Let’s end the album’. It all opened up once more – it was meant to be.

It’s as if the celebs aligned…

There you go, lad.

On that word, the primary single from the document was ‘Kismet.’ It’s in regards to the kindness of strangers and somebody who helped you once you had been stranded and wanted to cost your telephone up…

In the olden days, earlier than cellphones, when you had been stranded, you both needed to discover a pink phone field or knock on a door. You needed to have cash as effectively, or you would reverse the costs…

A few years in the past, I used to be in the midst of nowhere, with no energy on me telephone – you don’t realise how a lot you want it till it’s gone. I had no cash – I used to be in a little bit of a state of affairs, and it actually was in regards to the kindness of strangers. I noticed someplace – it was like sanctuary and salvation in a means.

I stated to a man, ‘All I would like, mate, is a few minutes cost for one name to avoid wasting meself’.

He was actually good – he was closing the place up, however he charged me telephone up and gave me a bit of plate of meals. And then he turfed me out. He stated, ‘That’s on the home.’ I made the decision and I saved meself.’

‘Broken Beauty’ is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the document. It’s nearly a soul tune. Your vocals remind me of Dr. Robert from The Blow Monkeys. You’re singing in a unique model on it…

He was boss, Dr. Robert. It suited the best way the tune was going to develop, but it surely wasn’t intentional – I simply sing it the best way it must be. I really like the backbeat guitar and the trumpet on it.

Another spotlight for me is ‘American Kid’, which is kind of probably the one tune ever written to say US actor, John Garfield. It’s one other tune that references Hollywood and American tradition…

It’s about two associates rising up – one of many lads is fascinated by Hollywood and he can’t actually discuss anything, though he’s into soccer and all the things else.

As they become old, he turns trans – they’re nonetheless greatest associates, however he finds his different life extra fascinating and fulfilling, in addition to nonetheless going to the match. It’s about real love inside friendship – like road brothers.

When Shack reformed, you had been championed by Noel Gallagher and signed to his label, Sour Mash Records. Did you get pleasure from that interval?

Yeah – it was useless good. It was of the second. In Shack, we at all times had a ball once we had been enjoying festivals with Noel, whether or not it was onstage, backstage, or mooching round. I met a great deal of individuals I wouldn’t have usually met.

You’re a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, however you’ve by no means actually crossed over into the mainstream. Why do you assume that larger success has eluded you? Are you fairly completely happy being a cult artist and doing your individual factor?

I’m completely happy doing my very own factor – I can operate and get on with my life. Sometimes in rehearsals, we are saying, ‘You know what? It’s all in regards to the songs.’

Lately, I’ve loved getting again into writing – new songs and brief tales. What does the mainstream entail? I’m not about supplies and cash. What is it that I’m lacking out on?

Obviously, all of us want cash, but when I received The Lottery, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I had a good suggestion after I was youthful, however that’s one other story.

Who are your songwriting heroes?

Arthur Lee, Bowie – his lyrics are up there for me – and Joni Mitchell.

We talked in regards to the stars aligning for the brand new album.

Shack’s dangerous luck has been well-documented, as have your individual private battles with dependancy. Do you assume you would’ve been larger if issues hadn’t labored in opposition to you, or was it par for the course?

Probably par for the course – it was the local weather of the time. The planets weren’t aligned. There was a whole lot of mayhem within the ‘90s and the 2000s, but it surely was lovely mayhem. I wouldn’t have it another means, however I suppose we might have accomplished issues otherwise typically.