00:00:01: How have you been! I’ve been working on getting some questions together. Before I sent my questions over I thought to ask a small handful of fans what they would ask you given the chance. I thought it would be great to get into the mindset of what the fans are thinking about and what they might be interested to know about you. Much to my dismay the same question kept coming up… when, what, where, how are you going to get back with Bush? BUT it is my feeling that this question has already been beaten to dead and that we have had our answer for some time. So moving on…
Nigel: Bush getting back together…….I always thought that ‘Bush’ in its prime was an edgy, searching band trying to push ourselves in a more left of centre position which is where I am happiest. So, they are some of the reasons why we didn’t do the album……. It all seems such a long time ago now like a different life but I watch clips on Youtube and miss it. I hope I go out and play some shows soon over here though as I really miss playing live.
00:00:01: The other thing I found interesting is that many of the fans just generally thought it would be cool to hang out with you. One fan asked: ‘do you want to play on my new solo album?’ , Another fan said: ‘I WOULD ask him if we would jam with me.?’ , lastly this fan said ‘hey wanna go grab dinner?’ … It’s clear the fans think it would be super cool to hang or play music with you, there’s a lot of talented people out there that you’ve influenced. Have you ever gotten together and played with any of your fans?
Nigel: Never really played with any fans – had a jam with a few people who had seen the band years ago. Playing music is my favourite thing so I’m always happy to play. People get me to play on tracks from time to time but they pay me of course.
00:00:01: How often do you sit down and play with other musicians? And is it more for fun or more business oriented?
Nigel: I do a lot of music in my studio, it’s very rarely for business. I try to please myself which leads to productivity challenges, if you get my drift. Jammed with my nephew recently who is a wicked jazz drummer. That was fun! I’m still trying to finish another solo album – I guess nobody is waiting outside the door for it so I’m taking too much time. Only 12 years and counting.
00:00:01: If you had to verbalize a slogan for your life, something you live by, what would it be?
Nigel: A slogan for life – just do.
00:00:01: What’s a phrase or saying you say a lot?
Nigel: That I’m working on bits and pieces of music.
00:00:01: Music has changed in the past 15 years. It’s an ever changing machine. The phrase ‘alternative’ used to catergorize bands that sounded like Bush, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, but there really aren’t any new bands coming out with that sound and making it onto the airwaves. It seems that the ‘alternative’ label is being used to describe bands like Bloc Party, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Shiny Toy Guns, Peter Bjorn and John, all of which seem miles away for the alternative sound of yesteryear. Have you embraced the new alternative bands and their sound? Do you think if you started a band or joined in a band today it would sound like these new bands or would you go in a different direction altogether?
Nigel: I don’t think I would join a very contemporary sounding band – music is so cyclical that once you’ve been around for a while you tend to recognise the influences which I suppose has always happened. I really like the Kings of Leon because they embrace so many different eras of music, churn it around and come up with their thing which I like a great deal. They also play together so well. Alternative is I suppose an alternative to the top 40 so punk rock was alternative , electronica was alternative, with our era alternative sort of became the top 40 so what is ‘alternative’? The interesting thing now is that the lines are all blurred and so you get Lilly Allen playing on the same bill as the Kings of Leon. They’re both huge acts and you’d thing the Kings would be the edgy underground band but they sell more records. People have much less tribal tastes. The mainstream has eaten all the different strands and can cope with them all if that makes sense.
00:00:01: What is one landmark in the world you hope to one day see?
Nigel: Like to go to the Pyramids or Tibet or Nepal or the North Pole or….
00:00:01: What age of your life would you want to revisit, given the chance?
Nigel: Don’t wanna go back – rather be happy or unhappy where I am.
00:00:01: Thanks again for taking the time to talk with me!! You’re a wonder!
Nigel: Well there you go. I am working a lot harder on music right now to try and finish up a bunch of things. My voice hasn’t improved so I expect there will be an instrumental release of some sort.
I hope all is well with you.
Take care!
Nigel x