Gruff Rhys
An audience with the Super Furry Animal
FROM alien abductions to tennis dynasties, from Italian revolutionaries to integrated public transport systems, Gruff Rhys has proved he can write a stirring anthem about more or less anything. So it comes as no surprise that, on the morning we speak, he’s putting the finishing touches to “No Profit In Pain”, a song celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NHS, as commissioned by the National Theatre Of Wales. “I couldn’t say no,” he reasons. “I was born in an NHS hospital and every aspect of my life and family has been deeply connected to the NHS. It’s a personal tribute.”
Yet as with many Gruff Rhys songs, its whimsical approach and sunny melody carries a strident political point. As you’d expect from its title – and choice couplets such as
“When Richard Branson sees dollar bills/You know it’s time to run for the hills,” – “No Profit In Pain” is “an antiprivatisation song. I’ve toured a lot in America and seen people with broken legs have to carry on touring because they can’t get it checked out in a hospital. Things we take for granted cost a fortune elsewhere.”
Rhys admits he enjoys the discipline of writing to a specific theme or topic, hence the conceptual nature of albums such as 2014’s American Interior (about 18th Century explorer John Evans and his quixotic journey up the Missouri river in search of a tribe of Welsh-speaking Indians) or Neon Neon’s
Stainless Style, about the life and times of playboy entrepreneur John DeLorean. “Having a topic always makes it easier. After writing lots of records with no particular theme [in Super Furry Animals] I’ve found it helpful in recent years to have something specific to write about. It can give you new musical ideas as well.” Current LP Babelsberg doesn’t cleave to any particular theme but it did present a self-imposed technical challenge of how to write songs that sound good when arranged for orchestra. “I suppose it’s rare that I’ll ever have the chance to work with a full orchestra,” he says. “It’s something new for me. I still wanted the songs to keep their intimacy and not become overblown symphonic rock songs. I learned a lot. What exactly I learned, I’m not sure, but it’ll probably manifest itself in the next record…” without it, so yes! I’m all for optimism and progress although I suppose I am concerned about the misuse of technology. Drones are great for cheap aerial shots in music videos but maybe not so great when they’re blowing people up.
What influences whether a song ends up being in Welsh or in English? Mark Prichard, Colwyn Bay
I’ve never tried to define it, really. I tend to go with the initial idea – if I have an idea for a song in Welsh, I’ll sing it in Welsh. I rarely bother to translate a song because the initial spark always seems to be truer to the song. For example, the song “Nythod Cacwn” from Mwng I’m not sure would work in English because it uses a well-worn Welsh language idiom about pulling a hornet’s nest over your head. All languages reveal different aspects of humanity and history. The beauty of having different languages is that they contain so much human experience, and that’s why it’s so important that we still practise and safeguard languages like Welsh that are in quite fragile states.
Your song “Colossal Smile” contains the lyric “You changed my mind about Guns N’ Roses.” Is this autobiographical? Mark Green, Manchester
Yeah, definitely. When I was a teenager, Guns N’ Roses were massive. They used to get on my nerves because their music was everywhere. But as the song says, I met someone I liked who liked Guns N’ Roses, which opened me up to their music a bit. I still can’t listen to “Sweet Child O’ Mine” but if it’s a song I haven’t heard before, I won’t switch it off. Slash came to a Super Furries gig once, the first time we played LA. He turned up in his top hat. That was quite exciting, but he was probably just there to meet up with someone.
Fresh from eulogising the NHS in song, the Super Furry Animals frontman and esteemed solo artist discusses bobble hats, drones and druggy road trips with Howard Marks
Did you ever find out what Donald Fagen really thought of how you used the sample of “Show Biz Kids” in “The Man Don’t Give A Fuck”? Kai Frankel, via email
From what I remember, they initially cleared the sample because they liked it, then Donald Fagen’s lawyer stopped it. But about two months later he [Fagen] decided he still liked it. That’s the anecdote that got back to us, that it was the lawyer holding it up, not the man himself. I think they asked for 100 per cent of the royalties, which we were fine with as it contained 50 “fucks” and wasn’t going to get played, so it was going to be 100 per cent of nothing. It was all done through lawyers so we didn’t get a postcard saying “I love your track, love Donald”, unfortunately. As to what Walter Becker thought of it, we’ll never know.
I’m a big fan of your Welsh Rare
Beat comps and have seen you DJ some great psych 7ins. What have you been listening to lately that you’d recommend? John Cartwright, Bristol
I’m always picking up random pop singles. I’ve got a record in front of me called “I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die” by The Herd, which was supposedly produced by the Krays in the ’60s. That’s probably the most interesting thing about the record, it’s a bit bubblegum. I’ve been enjoying all the reissues on the Freedom To Spend label, they put out an album by a Catalan minimalist, Pep Llopis, which is good if you’re into minority languages. It’s not really psych, it’s ’80s digital minimalism.
You had Paul McCartney chewing celery [on SFA’s “Receptacle For The Respectable”] – are there any other music legends you’d like to collaborate with, and which vegetable would they play? Scott Mestella, Pittsburgh, USA
Who’s the out-of-work singer in Fleetwood Mac? Lindsey Buckingham. Yeah, maybe he’s looking for a gig. He could play some hollowed-out, dried pumpkins.
Will the mythical Das Koolies LP ever see the light of day? Are there any other unusual recordings in your vault? Steven O’Donaghy, Dublin
The Das Koolies album turned up when Kliph Scurlock, the incredible drummer and Welshophile, came to Cardiff a few years ago. He went to every Super Furry Animal’s house and took all our tapes and hard-drives and
“Maybe Lindsey Buckingham’s looking for a gig. He could play some hollowed-out pumpkins”
trawled through everything. He did the same in the BMG vaults, and I think he’s found it. It was a pretty wild instrumental record called
Steelworks In Stone. Hopefully we can piece it together one day. It was recorded concurrently with Guerrilla in 1998. We formed Das Koolies for two weeks and all had different stage names – I was called Al Bosnia. So it exists. Whether it’s any good is another matter. We didn’t release it at the time. For the most part, it’s clear why things weren’t released, but there are a few things that were not released due to a failed sample clearance or something. So there’s the odd thing that’ll turn up that’s really good.
Do you think you’ll ever collaborate with Boom Bip again for a third Neon Neon LP. Any ideas of who it would be about? Jay Napolitano, via email
I love working with Brian – Boom Bip – he’s a genius producer. I’m sure we’ll do something again but the distance is tricky. Life’s hectic, and we’re on different continents. But I’m always reading about random people from history who keep working their way into songs.
What’s your favourite story from actually hangin’ out with Howard Marks? Jeff Ments, Worcester
They’re never-ending! I’m racking my brain for anecdotes that are not going to get anyone incriminated… I travelled with him from London to Cardiff in the car once, for a DJ gig. We were listening to Fear And
Loathing In Las Vegas, the spoken version of the book. He was selfmedicating on this Mexican weed that would have floored most people. Just before we got to Cardiff he asked if I could drop him off quickly, like he was asking to stop at a service station to go the toilet. Then he calmly walked into the ITV building where he made his case for legalising cannabis on the evening news. Not many people could have been as lucid as he was in that situation. He was always full of surprises.
If you had to choose just one of your songs to put in a time capsule for future generations to discover, which one would it be? Enrico Paz, Highbury, London
I’ve got a track called “Gwn Mi Wn” on my first solo record which is just drums and vocals. In the future, music technology might have completely changed but people will still be able to bang stuff and sing. So maybe that’s a song that would be good to mimic.
If the planets align, will the five of you get back in a room, reignite the Super Furry Alchemy and produce some new tunes? Shaun Gordon, via Twitter
I dunno… The last time was when Wales qualified for a major championship – the stars aligned then, and it was great. No plans for now, but it’s not out of the question.
What advice would you go back and give your 25-year-old self? Anton Smith, Newbury
I’m going to say something boring like, “trust your instincts”. 25 was a big year for me because Super Furry Animals got signed to Creation. They were exciting times, crazy and emotionally hard. But I’m so happy we got to make all those records. That’s what going to linger the most about the past, the things we make.
Do you never get really warm in that bobble hat? Browny, via Twitter
Well, it’s handy in winter! My head gets cold without it. I sometimes wear a hat in summer, too, it depends on the day. I definitely don’t need one at the moment, it’s boiling.