MATTHEW JAY INTERVIEWED BY JAMES WALSH OF STARSAILOR MATTHEW JAY AND JAMES WALSH MET LAST YEAR AT A STARSAILOR GIG IN THE SOCIAL IN NOTTINGHAM. JAMES WAS ALREADY A FAN OF MATTHEW'S MUSIC - HE HAD BOUGHT MATTHEW'S FIRST TWO E.P.'S AND HAD SEEN HIS PERFORMANCE AT GLASTONBURY. THE TWO HAVE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS, AND RECENTLY FOUND THEMSELVES TOURING NORTH AMERICA AT THE SAME TIME. THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE IN A HOTEL BAR IN TORONTO. Q: FIRST, AN OBVIOUS QUESTION, WHAT'S THE BEST AND THE WORST GIG YOU'VE EVER PLAYED? A: I PLAYED ONE GIG WITH MY FAMILY, MY MUM AND DAD AND BROTHER ARE ALL MUSICIANS TOO, AND I PLAYED BASS IN THE FAMILY BAND, AND OUR AGENT BOOKED TO PLAY AT A FOOTBALL CLUB DO. IT TURNED NASTY AND A FEW FIGHTS BROKE OUT AND THERE WAS LOTS OF SWEARING, I REMEMBER SOMEONE CALLED MY DAD A WANKER. IT WAS PRETTY SCARY BECAUSE I WAS ONLY ABOUT THIRTEEN YEARS OLD AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS ALL THESE BIG BLOKES BRAWLING AROUND US. THAT HAS TO BE MY WORST EVER GIG, AS FOR THE BEST, WELL I PLAYED LIVERPOOL LOMAX ON THE LAST TOUR AND THE CROWD THERE WERE JUST SUPERB. EVERYBODY WAS WATCHING AND LISTENING TO THE SONGS, BUT IN BETWEEN SONGS THERE WAS LOTS OF BANTER AND IT WAS A GREAT LAUGH. Q: YOU CALLED YOUR ALBUM 'DRAW', WHY WAS THAT, AND WHAT WERE THE MOST RIDICULOUS SUGGESTIONS THAT FRIENDS CAME UP WITH FOR A TITLE? A: NO ONE ACTUALLY SUGGESTED A TITLE TO ME, BUT I WENT THROUGH AN ALBUM TITLE EVERY DAY. ONE TIME IT WAS GONNA BE CALLED 'CALL ME OLD FASHIONED BUT.......FUCKING HELL' BECAUSE THAT WAS OUR FAVOURITE PHRASE FOR A WHILE, AND WE ALL THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT ALBUM TITLE WHEN WE WERE OFF OUR HEADS AT GLASTONBURY. OF COURSE, WE REALISED THE NEXT DAY THAT IT WAS CRAP. I LIKE THE TITLE 'DRAW' BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS IT MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. FOR INSTANCE A FRIEND IN BROOKLYN THOUGHT OF GUNS, MY MUM THOUGHT ABOUT ME DRAWING PICTURES AS A YOUNG BOY, AND ALL MY DOPE-SMOKING MATES THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT POT. Q: WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST VILLAIN IN ENTERTAINMENT? A: I WOULD HAVE TO SAY FRAN HEALY. I HAVE SPOKE TO HIM AND HE'S A REALLY, REALLY NICE GUY AND I DON'T WANT TO SLAG HIM OFF OR HURT HIS FEELINGS, BUT IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS 'ANTI-MUSIC' THEN IT'S TRAVIS. ALL THAT THEY WANT TO DO IS MAKE SONGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE QUITE LIKE AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BREAK ANY NEW GROUND, THAT'S WHAT FRAN TOLD ME AND IT'S WHAT HE'S SAID IN INTERVIEWS, SO I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING HE HASN'T SAID HIMSELF. HE THINKS ITS SELFISH TO GET TOO OBSESSED WITH YOUR MUSIC, AND THAT SONG 'SING', THE BIT WHERE HE GOES 'SING SING SING', THAT MELODY HAS BEEN USED IN HUNDREDS OF SONGS BEFORE. WHY NOT DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING A BIT WEIRD? I FIND FRAN'S MUSIC OFFENSIVE EVEN THOUGH AS A MAN HE'S REALLY NICE. HE TOLD ME THAT HE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT RADIOHEAD ARE DOING BECAUSE IT'S TOO OBSESSIVE, BUT I THINK SOME OF THE STUFF ON RADIOHEAD'S LAST TWO ALBUMS HAS BEEN TERRIFIC, REALLY FUCKED UP. HOW CAN YOU MAKE MUSICAL PROGRESS WITHOUT ATTENTION TO DETAIL? THAT'S WHAT IAN MACDONALD SAID IN THE BOOK 'REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD', HE SAID ORIGINAL OUTPUT OFTEN COMES FROM ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND IT'S TRUE. IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE EXCITED BY DOING SOMETHING NEW AND IF YOU JUST WANT TO WRITE A REASONABLY PLEASANT TUNE LIKE 'DRIFTWOOD' THEN.......I QUITE LIKE THAT SONG BUT I HATE QUITE LIKING THINGS. I WANT TO LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM. SORRY FRAN! Q: WHAT WAS THE FIRST SONG THAT YOU TAPED OFF THE RADIO? A: IT WAS 'THE RIGHT STUFF' BY NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, AND I REMEMBER THEY HAD TWO SONGS IN THE TOP TEN, THERE WAS 'HANG TOUGH' AND 'THE RIGHT STUFF' AND I TAPED THEM BOTH. I TAPED 'HANG TOUGH' BECAUSE I LIKED DONNY, WHO'S AN ACTOR NOW I THINK, AND I REMEMBER ASKING MY MUM IF THEY REALLY WERE TOUGH AND SHE SAID "WELL I THINK IT MIGHT ALL BE AN ACT", AND I REMEMBER BEING ABSOLUTELY DISTRAUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY BE TOUGH. Q. WHAT WAS THE LAST ALBUM THAT YOU BOUGHT? A. IT WAS BY A GUY CALLED REDMAN, HE'S A RAPPER, AND THERE'S A MISSY ELLIOTT APPEARANCE ON IT WHICH IS ONE OF THE BEST 16 BAR PIECES OF RAPPING I'VE EVER HEARD. IT'S JUST REALLY FUNNY. SHE SINGS IN IT, SHE RAPS IN IT, SHE KIND OF HALF SINGS AND HALF RAPS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF MELODY TO HER VOICE BECAUSE SHE'S A BEAUTIFUL SOUL SINGER AND SHE'S THIS HARD RAPPER, AND THERE'S ALL THIS SPACE IN BETWEEN. REDMAN IS FUNNY, AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME IN HIP-HOP, TO BE MADE TO LAUGH. Q. DO YOU EVER LISTEN TO YOUR MUM AND DAD'S RECORD COLLECTION? A. YEAH, OF COURSE. THEY USED TO HAVE LOADS OF RECORDS BUT I THINK THEY GAVE A LOT OF THEM AWAY WHEN THEY NEEDED SOME LOFT SPACE, WHICH I CAN'T BELIEVE TO THIS DAY. MY DAD HAD 'PHYSICAL GRAFFITI' BY LED ZEPPELIN AND I REMEMBER OPENING UP THE SLEEVE AND LOOKING AT ALL THE WINDOWS, THE BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK. I WASN'T INTERESTED IN THE RECORD, I WAS ONLY ABOUT 7, I JUST THOUGHT IT LOOKED REALLY GOOD. ANYWAY, WHEN I WAS ABOUT 13 OR 14 I STARTED LISTENING TO LED ZEPPELIN AND I REMEMBERED MY DAD HAD LED ZEPPELIN RECORDS SO I WENT UP TO THE LOFT AND THEY WEREN'T THERE. IT WAS HEARTBREAKING. Q. IF YOU COULD SET UP A 'SUPERGROUP' OF ANY MUSICIANS, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? YOU CAN HAVE 4 OR 5 MEMBERS. A. OKAY, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY OF THE BAND, YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE CONTENT TO SIT BACK AND NOT WANT TO BE THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION. CAN I CHOOSE A PRODUCER AS WELL? OKAY, AS MY PRODUCER I'D HAVE DR DRE. HE'S AS GOOD AS QUINCY JONES, AND HE'S A RAPPER, AND HE LOOKS GREAT, AND HE SIGNED EMINEM, AND HE'S GOT HIS OWN LABEL. SO HE COULD PRODUCE IT, AND....CAN I BE IN THE BAND? I WANT TO BE IN THIS BAND. YES? OKAY, SO I'LL BE THE SINGER, AND I'D HAVE MY BAND'S GUITARIST SAM HEMPTON ON GUITAR. I LIKE HIM AND JOHNNY GREENWOOD (RADIOHEAD). I THINK JOHNNY IS MORE TECHNICAL THAN SAM, BUT SAM IS REALLY IMAGINATIVE. HE PLAYED ON 'REMEMBER THIS FEELING' ON MY ALBUM, HE USED A DRUMSTICK TO COME UP WITH THIS MAD NOISE AND IT'S MY FAVOURITE MOMENT ON THE ALBUM. SO NOW I NEED A DRUMMER, ALTHOUGH DR DRE WOULD PROVIDE THE LOOPS AND SAMPLED DRUMS. I WOULD SAY RINGO STARR JUST FOR HIS PERSONALITY, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH HE WASN'T A REALLY GREAT DRUMMER YOU NEED SOMEONE IN THE BAND TO CLOWN AROUND. NOW WE NEED A BASS PLAYER. RONNIE LANE FROM THE SMALL FACES. HE'S A SONGWRITER AS WELL AND A REALLY MELODIC PLAYER. I LIKE MCCARTNEY AS WELL BUT I DON'T THINK HE AND DR DRE WOULD GET ON. THERE'D BE TOO MUCH BICKERING IN THE STUDIO. AND I'D ALSO HAVE A RAPPER - EMINEM. I WOULD SAY THAT HE'S A GOOD AS BOB DYLAN, HE'S LIKE THE RAP EQUIVALENT. HIS LYRICS ARE AMAZING. Q. DID YOU RIGHT ALL THE SONGS ON 'DRAW' BEFORE YOU WENT INTO THE STUDIO? A. YEAH, I DON'T REALLY LIKE TO WRITE IN THE STUDIO. I HATE TO FEEL RUSHED. Q. WAS THERE ANY TIME WHEN YOU WERE IN THE STUDIO AND YOU HEARD SOMETHING AND YOU JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MAGICAL? A. YEAH, ON 'REMEMBER THIS FEELING', THE BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM. I REALLY LIKE THE BEAT ON IT, IF YOU WANTED YOU COULD RAP OVER IT. I WROTE THE SONG ON ONE NOTE, WITH 'TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS' IN MIND. SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AS A SONGWRITER, AND I CHALLENGED MYSELF TO WRITE THIS SONG ON ONE BASS NOTE. SO IT STARTED WITH THE BASS LINE, AND THEN I ADDED THE GUITARS. I WANTED TO SEE WHAT CHORDS WOULD WORK OVER THIS BASS LINE. THEN I ADDED THE VOCAL AS THE MELODY, AND SOMETIMES USED A REPEAT ON THE VOCAL AND SOMETIMES USED DELAY, SO THERE WERE TWO VOCALS MAKING THE MELODY ON THE TRACK. I LISTEN TO THE SONG NOW AND THINK 'DID I REALLY DO THAT?' Q. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU MAKE THE MUSIC THAT YOU DO? A. I'VE NO IDEA WHAT MAKES ME MAKE THE MUSIC THAT I MAKE. THERE'S SOME STUFF ABOUT MY MUSIC THAT I LIKE AND SOME STUFF THAT I DON'T LIKE. WHAT I DO LIKE ABOUT IT IS THAT IT ISN'T ANY ONE THING. THERE'S THE FOLK THING FROM MY PARENTS, WHICH I'VE REBELLED AGAINST A BIT; THERE'S A POP THING; THERE'S A BIT OF HIP-HOP IN THERE; THERE'S A DANCE THING; AN AMBIENT THING; THERE'S A BEATLES'Y THING; A MELODY THING. I LIKE THAT I'M NOT SNOBBY, FOR INSTANCE I DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RAP. NO ONE SHOULD CRITICISE ME FOR RAPPING, NO JOURNALIST WORTH HIS SALT WOULD SAY 'WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING NOW?' BECAUSE DAVID BOWIE RAPPED, THOM YORKE RAPS IN THAT SONG WHERE HE GOES 'I WANNA BE WANNA BE WANNA BE', WHERE THERE'S NO TUNE TO IT. THERE'S NO REASON WHY YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT. THAT'S WHY RADIOHEAD ARE GOING TO BE REMEMBERED LIKE THE BEATLES ARE REMEMBERED, AND TRAVIS ARE GOING TO BE REMEMBERED LIKE GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS. Q. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING PIGEONHOLED AS A ACOUSTIC SINGER SONGWRITER? A. YEAH AND JUST TO SPITE THESE PEOPLE I'M NOT GOING TO BE LIKE THAT ANYMORE. THE NEXT ALBUM WILL NOT BE ACOUSTIC BASED, OUT OF PRINCIPLE. I'LL ALWAYS USE THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO JUST PUTTING IT DOWN, HAVING MY BAND AROUND ME AND JUST SINGING. Q. HAVE YOU STARTED WRITING WITH YOUR GUITARIST SAM? A. NOT YET, BUT THAT WILL HAPPEN. I'LL WRITE WITH ANYBODY REALLY. I'VE HAD MY MIND TOTALLY BLOWN BY HIP-HOP IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SINCE I MOVED FROM HOME IN ABERGAVENNY TO A MORE COSMOPOLITAN CITY, NOTTINGHAM. MY FLAT-MATE ROGER AND ALL HIS FRIENDS ARE REALLY INTO HIP-HOP AND HE'S ALWAYS PLAYING IT IN THE HOUSE. IN ABEGAVENNY ALL I HAD WAS WOOLWORTHS, AND CARDIFF WAS 45 MINUTES AWAY, SO ALL I GOT INTO WAS PRETTY MAINSTREAM MUSIC. I MEAN, IT WAS GOOD MAINSTREAM; THE WHO, MARVIN GAYE, THE BEATLES, BOWIE. YOU KNOW, CLASSIC STUFF BUT OBVIOUS. I'D NEVER EVEN HEARD OF NICK DRAKE BEFORE I GOT A RECORD DEAL. IT WAS AFTER I RECORDED MY FIRST SONGS THAT SOMEONE SAID THAT I SOUNDED A BIT LIKE NICK DRAKE, AND NOW I'VE HEARD IT I LIKE IT, BUT NICK DRAKE IS NICK DRAKE. IT'S NOT WHAT I'M ABOUT. I LIKE THE GUY OUT OF FAIRPORT CONVENTION'S GUITAR PLAYING, RICHARD THOMPSON. I HIT FOUR RUNS OFF HIM ACTUALLY, LAST YEAR. I PLAYED CRICKET FOR PARLOPHONE AND THE FIRST BALL HE BOWLED I HIT FOUR RUNS OFF HIM. HE DIDN'T DESERVE THAT! Q. WHAT'S THE WORST JOB THAT YOU'VE EVER DONE? A. AFTER I LEFT SCHOOL, AFTER I FINISHED A-LEVELS, I DIDN'T GO TO UNIVERSITY. I STAYED AT HOME WITH MY PARENTS, RECORDING IN MY BEDROOM. BUT THERE WAS NO WAY MY PARENTS WOULD LET ME JUST DO THAT, I HAD TO PAY MY WAY. SO I DID AN AS LEVEL IN MUSIC. MY MUSIC TEACHER WAS REALLY COOL, BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THE EXAMS. I WALKED OUT OF ONE AND FORGOT ABOUT THE OTHER, SO ALL I DID WAS HAND IN MY SONGS, AND HE GAVE ME AN 'A' FOR MY SONGS. AT THE SAME TIME I WORKED IN ARGOS. I WASN'T ON THE SHOP FLOOR, I WAS THE PERSON IN THE WAREHOUSE WHO HAD TO FIND THE CUSTOMER'S ORDERS. MOST OF THE TIME IT WAS LIKE LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK, I'D BE SCRAMBLING AROUND ON THE FLOOR GETTING COVERED IN DIRT. IT WAS A SHIT JOB AND THE MANAGER WAS A LITTLE HITLER TYPE CHARACTER, SO I LEFT THERE AND GOT A JOB IN A SUPERMARKET. THAT WAS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WORKING EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD. I STAYED THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR, DOING EVERY SECTION, AND I LEARNED MORE ABOUT LIFE THERE THAN I HAVE ON THE ROAD.