Richard Hawley
Sheffield’s Sinatra talks a new album, time travel, and guitars beyond value.
“MY DAD used to say, ‘Son – stay on the surfboard.’” Ever philosophical, north countr y guitar man Richard Hawley has ridden his wave as a solo artist since 2001, using his smoky croon, melodic potency and steady hand to express the beyondness of the everyday, with full fealty to the romance and roots of rock’n’roll. New album
continues this tradition, with its sweet but sturdy songs of love, dreams and hope. Additionally, his Sheffield-set musical drama Standing At The Sky’s Edge has now opened in the West End. “Great music never disappoints,” he says. “It’s like the tablets from the fucking mountain. It’s the thing I believe in passionately and tr uly…”
Hello, Richard. What are you doing?
I’m trying to learn to sing Fats Domino’s Walking To New Orleans, with conviction, just for my own pleasure. Fats, the way he sings – fuck! Literally reduces me to nothing, like I’m some kind of vapour or something, not even that. It’s good to have these compass points to aim for as a human being. Fats, and Santo & Johnny, those two are just pivotal to the fulcrum in my head, and Little Walter, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Muddy Waters… music resets, it’s like a phone when it’s fucked. You just turn it off and turn it back on again, heheh, and everything is all right! So be the fulcrum, ignore the seesaw, because it’s going to happen anyway.
“Be the fulcrum, ignore the seesaw.” RICHARD HAWLEY
Well, I can reveal something. Scott [Walker]’s family got in touch with me, because I was friends with him. Scott wanted me to use one of his guitars, and a representative of the family flew from Denmark with the guitar to put it in my hand in Sheffield. On the new album, everything that’s a guitar solo [was played on] Scott’s beautiful, very old Telecaster, with love. I also used my dad’s old Gretsch and a guitar that Duane Eddy gave me. The album most definitely is a family affair.
Richard Hawley’s In This City They Call You Love is out on May 31 on BMG. See Standing At The Sky’s Edge at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Drury Lane, London.