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26 MUSiC
The Stag | 8th May 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Music
Newton Faulkner Live – The Man Behind the Music
By Sophia Field, Music Editor
Newton Faulkner is a man of many
talents. He plays the most complicated
guitar with his hands whilst simultaneously
playing a kick drum and what he described
as a ‘floor keyboard’ with his feet. He is the
man that uses the guitar in such unique
ways that the crowd is stunned, but he
manages to stay completely down to earth
and during a performance, sheds waves of
optimism over his fans. He provides not only
an amazing listening experience, but turns
into a comedian between songs, reducing
the crowd to hysterics. Listening to a Newton
Faulkner album is not even comparable to
the live experience. At GLive, he stood alone
on stage and produced everything we heard
right in front of our eyes. It was incredible,
never have I seen so many people silent and
mesmerised by something so minimal. If ever
you get the chance to see this man live, I urge
you to go see him. I am confident you won’t
have seen anything like it before in your life.
How has the tour been going so far?
Really good actually, the last one we did
ironed out all the problems I had early on.
Just kind of getting all the monitors right.
Always takes a couple of gigs to settle in.
When did you first pick up the guitar?
When I was about 14 or 15ish…
Did you have lessons?
Hmm how did it work…? I got into the steel
stringed and acoustic stuff I do now at about
15. When I was thirteen my friends got in
a band, and they both played guitar so if I
wanted to see my friends I had to play bass
actually. That was really fun. Then I played
electric guitar for a bit, which I was never
really that good at. It was fun, but it didn’t
really click in the same way.
You have a unique style of playing, what
influenced that?
Well, there are loads of guitarists who do
similar things, I could name about fifty off
the top of my head, but it’s the way you apply
it. People like Jon Gomm who exploded after
a tweet from Stephen Fry. It was literally,
Stephen fry tweeted and the next morning
it was on breakfast television. The thing
that makes it really interesting is that it is a
collection of techniques, an arsenal of little
weird tricks that you can put together in
whatever order and for any style. It’s pretty
stimulating.
Who inspires you?
Everything. Loads of people. I’m still listening
to the same stuff since I first got into music;
obviously that has a special place. It was a lot
of my parent’s record collection. Neil Young
and Joni Mitchell, kind of everything from
that to ELO and Supertramp. I’m always up
for new and interesting things. Francis and
the Lights have a track called Darling it’s
Alright, which is amazing and the video is just
incredible.
You often perform covers alongside your
original stuff, what do you prefer playing?
Oh definitely my own stuff, I could never just
do covers, I’d get really bored.
Your favourite of the covers you’ve done?
Well it’s Bohemian Rhapsody. I did it for a
long while and I’m giving it a little rest, to just
let it chill out. I’ve replaced it with something
that is going down quite well…
Different vibe, well there is nothing with
the same vibe! I was trying to replace it with
something but I was like where do you go
from Bohemian Rhapsody? I peaked!
Do you ever get nervous?
I get nervous every time without fail. If I
didn’t get nervous at all then that kind of
means you don’t care and then what is the
point?
What songs that you have written mean
the most to you?
Wow, there are loads. ‘I took it out on you’ is
quite special to me and ‘I’m not giving up yet’.
I got really personal on the second album
and so much was so hard to write. This new
album is a bit less heavy content wise.
What is your opinion on the artists that
come out of the talent shows that are so
popular?
I don’t know if I believe they do as much
damage as some people think. After the
initial explosion, if you survive that and
have a career then that is such a massive
feat. It’s really nice people being given that
kind of opportunity, there are a lot of people
who are convinced that it is destroying the
entire music industry. I suppose it does make
things a bit more disposable, but the industry
has been doing that to itself for years… it
hasn’t been developing artists in the same
way it used to. It used to sign things more on
potential. Think about Leona Lewis, she is an
amazing singer. I’ve seen her live a few times
and every time I’m like wow that is really
good… Will Young has also developed into a
really interesting artist. Sneddon has gone
behind the scenes, he wrote some of the Lana
Del Ray stuff. I’ve done some work with him
recently, I was really pleasantly surprised.
What current artists are you a fan of?
I’m trying to catch up. I added loads to a
Spotify playlist the other day. I went premium,
got really excited and started starring stuff
all over the place. Here you go have a look
*hands me his iPhone*…. Metronomy, Gotye’s
album, I just had to listen to that because it
is just so massive. I caught up on MGMT and
Darwin Deez…
What can we look forward to?
Well, the album is coming on the 9th July. The
last two albums I think were kind of on the
same page and this is the next page. With the
first album I was writing in my bedroom, for
my bedroom. The second was more written
to be recorded and this one I have written
stuff to play live… and it’s really working!
Have you recorded differently because of
that?
I’ve been recording stuff myself. Just sitting
at home, I’ve done a few things with vocals
and guitar at the same time. It’s been really
interesting, the album could be sit and played
in a session with one guitar!
A Newton minute…
Favourite food?
Probably pizza, you can get it really
late at night. Might need one post
show.
Alcoholic beverage?
i switch between whisky and coke and
fine ales.
Favourite place to be?
Just on the road. Does that count as a
place?…. i’m happy in a van, i belong
in a van.
Favourite thing to do after a gig?
Bit of a cockney knees up… haha!
Look out for Newton’s upcoming album
Write it on your Skin out on the 19 th July.