Paul Meagher’s songwriting for The Newds has attracted the attention from David Crosby, Klaus Voorman and the late Geoff Emerick. Jason Barnard talks with Paul about the personal struggles that helped shape their superb new album ‘Drawing A Line’.
Hi Paul, where and how did you record the Drawing A Line LP?
I had tons of our peculiar brand of pop songs ready to go but my wife had almost died. She became permanently disabled after the birth of our son – he was then diagnosed with autism. We also had a young daughter, I was working as a cognitive behavioural therapist for young people and trying to complete my MA. I just cracked. I was now on the other side on the mental health system and lost in a dark cavernous place with no markers on the walls. So I slowly turned to my friends and reformed with original members of the band Paul Crompton and Kieran Schofield and Dean. The Newds originally formed 1999 and Danny and Tony, two of of longest serving members, rejoined. It felt good, at least musically. I didn’t have to tell anyone what The Newds sounded like via instruction – every one of them intrinsically knew.
So all the songs were written and recorded at my tiny studio at my parents house except drums. Danny used his practice room usually with me there. We then sent the stems to be mixed and mastered by Neil Trappas at Redbridge studio. Neil was great to work with – he’d previously produced our Ready EP and knew what I’d been through. The album was also mixed and mastered by myself and Tony Sabanskis our keyboard player and producer. When I did fine art years ago I made hundreds of soundscapes multiple tape to tape experiments. I wanted a happy medium between that and songs people could sing and tolerate as music. Who knows whether we pulled it off. It’s not for me to say but it’s purposefully executed.
Which tracks did you record first – what are the most recent?
My friends like musical therapy. They would just jam with me off scraps of ideas. My thinking was cloudy and fragmented and they’d take turns visiting me over a few years building up ideas – it was great. Sometimes they’d come in with an entire idea like Paul on ‘Do or Die’ or Dean on ‘Drawing a line’ or Kieran on ‘Hope comes calling’. It was a very free process. I’d edit and change parts till sonically things began to just come together. The first track we recorded and finished to our satisfaction was ‘Freebasing Your Love’ and we didn’t want to let Mike Randle down and I pulled myself together more than ever to make it happen. The last track was ‘Intolerance of Uncertainty’ however that track was one of the first I’d demoed. It got close to being finished and I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten to record it. ‘Intolerance of uncertainty’ is the medical descriptor of generalised anxiety.
You mentioned Mike Randle of Love/Baby Lemonade. How did you meet and whose idea was it to collaborate?
We knew Mike as the guitarist in our version of Love. Initially just talking to our heroes was a thrill. Looking up at him on stage to knowing him is still pretty mind blowing. I got cocky eventually and asked Mike if he had a song we might do. Mike sent us his demo for ‘Freebasing Your Love’ we just wanted to do him and the song justice. We bounced the track around for a year and a half in different iterations before we were all happy with it. It was a dream come true for us and we are all so proud of it and Mike is one of the most brilliant generous and decent musicians on the planet and we love him to bits. I love great album art and studied those great album at art college. So to have Terry Quirk contribute to the artwork was amazing (Oracle & Odessey – The Zombies).
Listening to it through – do you think there are any themes that bind it together?
The album is akin to something like Oar or the Barrett album. I think also it’s playful fun and interesting at times, pop is important although there aren’t any boy meets girl tracks on here though. It’s got a happier ending in that I’m hopefully actually and metaphorically drawing a line, but depression kind of lingers. I like The Sunshine Club song ending the album ‘Soul Pony’. Again we had such wonderful support from Denise and the band, I love the fact it’s a song of two halves – the first is my reflective vocal the second is Dean and Paul driving to the finish powering is to the end. It’s very fitting. That’s basically how I saw the whole project.
I don’t diminish how I was the middle of the album. It is possibly more oblique, prosaic and abstract. But once you’re on the highest dose you can legally take of Prozac as recommended by your doctor, you then don’t feel as depressed but you are in another world. Everything slows, tiny movements seem more perceptible. It’s strange way to view the world. I tried to write ‘Fluoxetine Dreams’ while I was on it and ‘Anti’. So they have a flavour of what it’s like to be in this chemically induced bubble wrap. It hasn’t been an easy album to make or promote for that matter, ha! We have more pull in the power pop world and I put something strange different and abstract out. But I stand by it I know it’s more experientially true. I’ll save Californian sunsets, puppy dogs playing in the park for another, and fast cars for another album. There is gallows humour in the lyrics so although it is a sort of theme album it’s open to everyone and 1 in 4 people out there will clearly identify themes within these songs.
Were you in many bands before The Newds?
Prior to The Newds, me Paul & Dean had a group called the Foamlizards at 16. We’ve all played in lots of groups over the years. I most recently played with a group called Councilpop and Trevor the band’s leader sadly died. It has been quite devastating for me.
What’s the music scene in Bolton/Manchester – do you feel an affinity with previous bands from the area?
The Newds never really fit with the Bolton music scene, our tastes musically were eclectic. Bolton has a heavy rock slant and we’re there were scenes created and we never really coped well with cliques. We grew up in Manchester so that music scene had an influence through osmosis. I listened to The Monkees, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra 60’s Stax soul but mostly The Beatles as a child in my formative years Nirvana, The Byrd’s, Syd Barrett, Howling Wolf, Scott Walker. I was massively influenced by Liverpool and the creation of Merseybeat and it remains my number one fascination. I also have a keen interest in the links between bands and art college.
Since the bands inception we drew on Love’s influence. Arthur Lee was just the most amazing front man. I’ve only seen Arthur and Chuck Berry command and dominate an audience in that way. Having seen the band live, I’ll happily claim they are the best live band and back catalogue ears can hear.
Your lyrics can often be very observational in style, like Ray Davies or Paul Weller. How do you usually write material?
I approach each song on its merit and sometimes the lyric can be perfunctory and sparse. Or other times I feel a kinship for a character and they write themselves. What’s important to me lyrically is an honesty of intent. My friend Wayne the host of Icecreammanpowerpop and more, advised me to write how I’m feeling on this album. So there are a lot of songs on it that directly relate to my experiences over the few years. I feel it’s emotionally stripped in places and it’s been a congruent experience of expression. The album’s title is ‘Drawing a line’ and that’s kinda what I’m attempting to do both metaphorically and actually.
What generally inspires you to make music?
Expression – I see no difference between the art I make. Music or painting, photography or printing it’s all the same to me. I believe only my camera (eyes Iris) will see the world as I do in this one lifetime. So although I’ve many major influences, and their influence is thereit wouldn’t feel congruent singing Julia by The Beatles even though it’s an outstanding song. It’s Lennons personal camera view unique to him. When I was 17, Merseycats asked me to audition to be John in The Cavern Beatles. I instead went to Liverpool art college to do a degree in fine art. I figured it’s also what Lennon would do. He didn’t give everything up to pretend to be Chuck Berry. That’s how I see things. I’m not here ape anything.
Going back, ‘Go Getter’ has received a lot of acclaim over the years. Can you tell me more about this?
We launched Go Getter with just myself and Danny in the band.
Bill Harry, Mickey Dolenz, David Crosby, Neil Innes, Klaus Voorman, Geoff Emerick have all enjoyed and praised the track. I think we wanted validation from the people we respected that was so important to us. We realised the music industry is a changed place and so the people of pop musics renaissance period hold more weight for us. Plus The Newds have a great sense of humour and are generally a humorous bunch ‘Go Getter’ crystallises that quite accurately.
Which tracks are you most proud of and which go down best live?
The Newds are very emotionally literate we are there for each other and understand the importance of communication. They are the easiest people in the world to be around they are a creative collective. The tracks we love most differ depending on the band member. Obviously I have a real attachment to ‘Go Getter’ and ‘Freebasing Your Love’. Live we have an armoury of tracks and our main job is to put as many out as possible.
How are you managing at the moment – can you plans for the rest of 2020?
To be honest there will be people much more affected by these restrictions than me and they have my empathy. Life as a carer hasn’t changed that much – I’m probably way more used to the lockdown vibe.
I’m trying to stay positive and productive. We’ve begun work on our new album Stripped with our new drummer Phil Hirst a who’s a fantastic experienced drummer. (Danny is a member forever but also an in demand punk drummer) which I sincerely hope will be out later this year. Three of the 12 songs are finished.
I’m taking time to enjoy the children and doing more drawing and painting. Promoting, but I’m quite shy so that’s the most difficult bit really ha! So for the future, complete the Stripped album then delve into the songs we’ve performed for years at the International Pop Overthrow that deserve to be recorded.
How can we get a copy of Drawing A Line?
Drawing a line is only available digitally on Amazon, ITunes, Bandcamp, Google Play.
Here’s a link to our Bandcamp page: thenewds.bandcamp.com
How do people find out more about The Newds?
People find out what we are up to via our Facebook page. This is the address we most use or contact myself on Twitter.
