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Photo – Bertrand Fevre

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Interview with
HUGH CORNWELL
(ex THE STRANGLERS)

(12th February 2024)

Interview with Dave Bruce

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Hello, it’s Dave here from Amnplify. I’m about to interview the magnificent Hugh Cornwell eX, the Stranglers, and we’re gonna have a great conversation hopefully. Okay, Hugh, for anyone that doesn’t know you, can you give us a brief rundown of where it all began in the 70s and your transition to your solo career? And when did the songwriting bug hit? 
I started out, I started my professional career as a singer when I was three years old in the back garden. And my first pay packet was a suite from the next door neighbor. That’s how I started out.
And then a few years later, I went to secondary school and I met a guy called Richard Thompson, who ended up becoming a professional musician. And while I was at school, he taught me to play bass. And so I played bass in a band with him. Then he left and I did some studying, got into some serious studying, went to university, learned to play acoustic guitar. Then…
After that, I went to Sweden to try to do a PhD carrying on the studies, but I wasn’t very good at that. But while I was there, I formed a band with some American draft dodgers who were over there at the time, and a couple of those and a couple of Swedish guys called Johnny Sox. And the band didn’t make it in Sweden. We came over to London and then the Americans wanted to go back to America because they were given amnesty by President Carter. So first the drummer left, so we needed a new drummer and Jet Black came in. So Jet Black, the drummer of the Stranglers, was originally the drummer in a band called Johnny Sox from Sweden. And we did a recording session which shows that.
And then the singer and the bass player left, so it was just me and Jet left. So I recruited a guy who drove a paint truck. We were in Guildford called John Burnell and I recruited him to be a bass player. And then the guy from Sweden came over to join the band who was in the band in Sweden.
His name was Hans Warmling. He wrote Strange Little Girl with me, as soon as he got off the boat in the UK. And then after a couple of years of him, he got bored with playing cover versions. We had to play cover versions because nobody knew our songs, you know, and you had to play songs that people knew. So we’d mix up our songs with some cover versions and he got fed up with playing these, so he left. And we advertised and got drafted in a keyboard player, and his name was Dave Greenfield, and then that’s how it all started really. How long did that take? About six minutes? 

With a career spanning almost 50 years, with both The Stranglers and your solo endeavours, how do you navigate the transition between being a bandleader and a solo artist? 
Well, I’m still a bandleader, but there’s no politics involved now. The guys that play for me are very happy to follow instructions.
And when we first started this latest line up, when we first started playing together, and they’re great guys, Winston Drums and Pat on bass, when we first started playing together, after a show, they’d say, was that okay? Is there anything you want us to change? And that would never happen in a band, because there’s too much politics involved, you see? So that’s how I navigated it very well, you know, I enjoyed the transition. It was great, you know, God, no more politics, fantastic. 

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Photo – Robert Kenney

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As the original singer, songwriter and guitarist of the Stranglers, how do you approach performing iconic hits from the band alongside your solo works during live performances? 
Well, that’s a good question because I don’t, by choice, I don’t carry a keyboard with me, keyboard player. I did when I first left because I didn’t quite know what I was doing. I was chasing my tail and I thought, well, if I have a band, I’ve got to have keyboards, haven’t I? And then something dawned upon me, no, you don’t have to have a keyboard just because you had one for 17 years. So I got away from the keyboards. First I had two guitars, base + drums and then I paired it down to one guitar base + drums. And so that’s the trio and It makes for very interesting arrangements of the Stranglers songs. Notably, the earlier the Stranglers songs, the earlier in the career of the Stranglers that we pick, the easier the arrangement is to make. And that is for the simple reason that a lot of the early songs were written as a trio before Dave Greenfield was in the band. And when the three of us, me, Jet and John, were just rehearsing the fuck out of it, excuse my French, in a scout hut outside Guildford. And we were a power trio. And so a lot of the songs came into being in that lineup. So those translate very well to my lineup at the moment. The later ones with the keyboards, well, we pull them apart when we’re working on them and decide which are the most important keyboard pieces that exist in the song. And then either the bass player plays, can incorporate them into what he plays, or I can incorporate them into the guitar part, or we can actually sing them because Pat and Wins have great voices. So we have the voices as well as an extra instrument.
And for example, something like Strange Little Girl is one which I love playing and everybody loves playing that. The bass player, Pat, plays the melody, the keyboard melody on the bass and it’s a great song. So it’s instantly recognizable. So it’s nice to be able to rearrange the songs, you know, and get away with it really. 

With the release of your 10th solo album, how do you feel your music has evolved over the years? What messages or stories do you aim to convey through your songs these days? 
Well the music has evolved and that’s the answer really. The music has evolved. Every time I go in the studio and make an album, I learn something from the process and so that gets carried forward and put into practice the next time I go in. And so it’s a total progression, it’s a path of progression, hopefully in the positive direction to improve the songwriting. That’s what I’m striving to do. And, and the message stays the same, you know, I’m always harping on the same thing most of the time, I’m pointing the finger at the ludicrous things that the human being can get up to, and get itself in a mess about.

Your solo career has produced a diverse range of albums, each with its unique style. Can you share a bit about the overarching themes or personal growth that you believe to find your body of solo work? 
I think I answered that in the last question. 

The press has praised your recent work citing a return to your rock roots. They’ve called your latest album Moments of Madness a modern day masterpiece. Can you elaborate on the influences and inspirations that shaped the sound you’re looking for? 
Well, I mean, the whole of the album is basically a product of COVID. It really is. We got locked down all over the world and it suited some people and other people it didn’t. But as a creative person, it suited me very well. And the isolation and the lack of distraction allowed me to concentrate on writing and recording the album. And the result is moments of madness, really. 

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Can you share some insights into that creative process, the one behind the album and how it differs from your previous solo works? 
Well, as I said earlier, you know, every time you do an album, you learn so much that you carry it forward to the next time you make an album. And so the last album I made was called Monster, and what I learned from recording that, I carried forward into sessions to make this one. And my overriding urge was to simplify, make it simpler, make it simpler, make everything simpler. No clutter, no clutter. And I thought also the positive side of that, apart from just making everything easier, is that it makes it easier to play live, and there’s hardly any overdubs, everything’s been chiseled down to a basic guitar part, a basic bass part, and a basic drum part, you know, and then some vocals added on the top and that’s it. So that’s how it came about. 

You collaborated with punk poet John Cooper Clark on ‘This time it’s personal’, which comprised of your inimitable takes on songs that have shaped your youth. In a lifetime of collaborations, how did that one measure up and do you have any memorable experiences from that collaboration? 
Yeah, it was great. John and I get on very, very, very well. We have a mutual friend that put us together and we found we liked each other’s work and we had great respect for each other. And so we get on great. And so it stands up very well in the list of collaborations that I’ve done with people. We had such a good time making the album that we even had a short list of songs for a second volume of that. But unfortunately, Sony Records who put out the first one didn’t want to go with the second one. So that was a bit unfortunate, but I’m still in touch with John and he’s a lovely fella and long may he write his poetry. He’s a very creative man. And he also has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, rock music, modern music. 

Your Australian tour later in the year promises a mix of iconic stranglist hits and classic solo songs. How do you curate a set list that caters to both long time bands and those discovering your music for the first time? 
Yeah, that’s a good point. Well, we’ve obviously got a player, a selection from the latest album, Moments of Madness. That’s the latest one and we’re trying to promote it. And then alongside that, we try. I’ve made selections from as many of my solo records as I can do at one time. And touching most of them, with either one or two songs selected from them. And then within that, I’ve peppered in some, it’s a bit like cooking, you’ve got the basic flour mix, which is my solo stuff. And then you put in a few nuggets of chunks of Strangler’s classics, a bit of fruit in there to flavor it. So, and obviously we won’t be able to play all the Strangler songs but there’s a fair few in there.

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Photo – Micah

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In your extensive musical journey, could you highlight a specific moment or experience that had a profound impact on your songwriting and musical style?
Every moment of my waking life. 

With all your experience, what piece of advice would you give to an artist starting out today? 
Oh, I’ve been asked that one before today and I’m going to give the same answer. Don’t give up the day job. 

What do you find is the best thing about performing to a live audience today? And how has it changed over the years?
It hasn’t really changed. It changed a bit during COVID. People were very worried about going out. They were a bit muted when they started coming back out again, but it’s getting back to the way it was before. And long may it stay like that. There’s nothing that can beat a great, spontaneous live performance where things can go wrong. And you get a unique experience and there’s nothing like that. Nothing can touch that and long may it exist. 

To end up, we’ve got three questions and nine questions. The nine questions are basically, you know, very simple answers. The three questions are also pretty simple answers. It should take no more than about five minutes max. 
Okay. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
This interview. 

I feel very honoured now, I tell you. What’s one topic you can talk about for hours?
Women. 

What’s the thing you like most about yourself?
My indecision…. Indecisiveness.

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It’s very good. Finally, this is it. These are just some very simple questions, just some answers.

Favorite album?
Soft Machine ‘One’. 

Favourite Artist?
Mose Allison. 

Favourite movie?
The Misfits. 

Favourite place to visit?
Mexico. 

So you really like where you are?
Oh, yeah, it’s great. 

Favorite venue to play?
The Roundhouse. 

Favorite food?
Fish. 

Healthy. Favorite drink?
Well, it could be tequila, I guess. 

You’re in the right place. Favourite person in history? Aside from me.
Too difficult a question. Pass. Too many. 

And do you have tattoos?
None at all. 

Really? No tattoos whatsoever. There’s an interview in itself. How did you navigate the music industry all this time and not get a tattoo? 
Well, there’s a song about tattoos on Moments of Madness. It’s called Red Rose.

And? 
Well, it’s just amusing about tattoos. You know, they’re like body ornamentation, aren’t they?

But how did you navigate all that time without getting one, you know, because it’s been 50, 60 years?
I’ve never fancied a tattoo. I’ve never wanted one. I’ve never wanted children either. 

Really?
Yeah, I can’t stand them. I’ve never wanted a dog. I’ve never wanted a pet. 

There’s a book in this.
Do you know what W .C. Fields said when he was asked if he liked children? Did you hear what he said? 

Sure I have heard it, but tell me again.
He said, I couldn’t eat a whole one.

Ha Ha. That’s a great note to finish on. Thanks Hugh, I’m really honored to have had a chat to you today. I really enjoyed it. You gave some great answers. 
Thanks Dave. I hope to see you at a show. And bring “AI”*

I will bring her just to prove the point. Thanks Hugh. Good luck with everything.
Bye.

*(Hugh didn’t believe I had someone research and create the questions, suggesting I got AI to do it. I interview many people over the years. Hugh is a great interview. Very intelligent, personable, great answers, seems in full control. One of my favorites.)

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“His solo work is a joy to listen to, great lyrics and wonderful guitars, and The Stranglers numbers stand the test of time, still sounding great after all this time” (Scottish Music Network)

“Cornwell’s voice is spiky or smooth as required” (Norfolk Rocks)

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Photo – Robert Kenney

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HUGH CORNWELL
August 2024
Australian Tour Dates

Thursday 1st August The Great Club, SYDNEY (Marrickville)
Friday 2nd August Blue Mountains Theatre, BLUE MOUNTAINS (Springwood)
Saturday 3rd August The Croxton, MELBOURNE (Thornbury)
Sunday 4th August Memo Music Hall, ST. KILDA
Thursday 8th August The Triffid, BRISBANE
Friday 9th August The Gov, ADELAIDE
Saturday August 10th Rosemount, PERTH

Tickets

Presale:  Tuesday 13th February, 9am Local time

General Public: Friday 16th February, 9am Local time

From: HERE

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Follow HUGH CORNWELL
Website – Facebook – Twitter – YouTube

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Press Release 9th February 2023 (below) HERE

METROPOLIS TOURING Presentation

HUGH CORNWELL
The Original Singer, Songwriter
and Guitarist with
THE STRANGLERS

HUGH CORNWELL
Australian Tour

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Photo – Bertrand Fevre

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AMNPLIFY – DB