Interview: Eugene McGuinness
Artist:
Eugene McGuinness
DIY caught up with Eugene McGuinness shortly before his hotly tipped Friday night performance at the Dingwalls as part of this year's Camden Crawl. Since releasing his debut album in June 2007, Eugene has been relentlessly showcasing his addictive brand of singer songwriter pop to captivated audiences up and down the country. But despite his sudden rise Eugene appears to be unfazed by the prospect of challenging his own image as he openly chats us about his new musical direction, his next album, about not being from Liverpool and how he'd take The Kinks over The Beatles anyday.
What do you have planned for us tonight then?
I've just started playing with a backing band, so they will be joining me. It's a couple of friends of mine, and also my brother. Our bassist's arm almost fell off though last night though, well that's a slight exaggeration, but because of that we're bass-less unfortunately.
Ha! so what can people expect?
Ha! Well, it's one of our first performances together as a band, so we're all a little bit flakey, but we're going to see how it goes, and hopefully it'll go okay.
And why did you get the band in? Were you bored of being on your own?
Yeah, but I also listen to lots of other bands, and lots of other great singer songwriters have had bands too, so it's a little bit like my attempt at being a bit better than what I am!
What do you make of Camden?
It's a strange place but I'm fond of it. There are a couple of really good pubs here, and I love the canal.
Which acts are you personally looking forward to tonight?
Wild Beasts, who I'm a big fan of, and Elle s'appelle, because they're from Liverpool. Other than that, there about five six other acts I've never seen or heard of before that'll be really good, which is what it's all about.
You were lumped in with the short-lived 'new-folk' scene. Where do you see yourself fitting into contemporary music?
It's always hard. Whenever I tour with other bands, such as Youthmovies, for example, or when my songs end up on compilations, what I've only recently realised is that doing so creates different perceptions. Perhaps some people think I'm part of the LDN new-folk thing, which is not true at all. Certain songs of mine might pigeon hole me into a category, which is certainly true...
Do you like that?
Not particularly, no. If someone's got a guitar and they're by themselves they usually get branded as folk. I can see where it comes from, but it's not really the case.
But your songs do have narratives?
Some of them do, some of them don't.
And would you say some of them are quite personal?
Some of them are, some of them aren't.
OK. Would you care to describe one that is?
If I write a street or a place, I'd consider that personal but I'm not writing about myself. 'Nightshift' is very personal; it's very upbeat, and about this couple that I knew and their disastrous relationship. Everyone who knew them knew that it was bad for them. 'Nightshift' is about that. Sometimes it's personal sometimes, it's just me trying to be clever.
Are you happier with the term ‘troubadour' or ‘wandering minstrel'?
Haha! I'm happy enough with the singer songwriter term.
Are there any singer songwriters you feel you derive a direct lineage to?
Nothing direct, but there are loads of people like Dylan, Rufus Wainwright, and anything I can hear a character in. You can feel that in Rufus Wainwright and Jeffrey Lewis's albums. You can hear their personality in their music.
Do you try to emulate that?
I try, yeah definitely.
Favourite Dylan Album?
I'm not going to try and be clever here - I like 'Blonde on Blonde'. Sometimes I hear 'Nashville Skyline' and I think that's absolutely amazing, but I think 'Blonde on Blonde' is my absolute favourite.
Do you consider yourself a Liverpudlian artist? Are you a surrogate son of the city?
Haha. No, not at all. I like Liverpool a lot, but I like London a lot, and I also like Dublin a lot; I like everywhere a lot. I spent a couple of years in Liverpool because I went to uni there, but it's kind of weird that one of the first things they mention in articles is where you're from.
Because you're actually from Leytonstone...
Yeah, but even so, where people are from only gives you a certain idea of who they are.
But surely the experience of living in certain areas, certain environment impacts upon you personally, and by extension, your music too?
Well I mean Liverpool had already had a massive effect on me before I'd even been there - I've always loved The Beatles. And there's lots of other great music coming from there too, like The Wombats, and The Tamborines, and an Irish band called The Prelude, who are just amazing. They're a bit like The Rolling Stones meets The Pogues. I think they're from Derry.
You have a slight Irish twang in your speech - have you spent any time there?
Yeah, I used to as a kid. My parents are Irish.
What sort of music did they listen to?
Well my dad was really into Dylan, The Beatles, The Stones. He got me into The Kinks. For some reason I always get a bit sick of The Beatles or Dylan after a while - though it's great to rediscover them - but I've always loved The Kinks.
If you died tomorrow how would you like to be remembered?
I haven't really done anything, so I don't think I deserve to be remembered!
Oh come on, that's too self-effacing to be believable!
No seriously! Well look, I've got an album coming out and it's really good, so maybe that.
When's that out?
September, although I've got no idea what it's going to be called yet. It's fairly upbeat, some of it's with the band, and there are moments where I feel like I'm pretending to be Cole Porter or something!
Huw Nesbitt
Eugene McGuinness MySpace
DIY caught up with Eugene McGuinness shortly before his hotly tipped Friday night performance at the Dingwalls as part of this year's Camden Crawl. Since releasing his debut album in June 2007, Eugene has been relentlessly showcasing his addictive brand of singer songwriter pop to captivated audiences up and down the country. But despite his sudden rise Eugene appears to be unfazed by the prospect of challenging his own image as he openly chats us about his new musical direction, his next album, about not being from Liverpool and how he'd take The Kinks over The Beatles anyday.
What do you have planned for us tonight then?
I've just started playing with a backing band, so they will be joining me. It's a couple of friends of mine, and also my brother. Our bassist's arm almost fell off though last night though, well that's a slight exaggeration, but because of that we're bass-less unfortunately.
Ha! so what can people expect?
Ha! Well, it's one of our first performances together as a band, so we're all a little bit flakey, but we're going to see how it goes, and hopefully it'll go okay.
And why did you get the band in? Were you bored of being on your own?
Yeah, but I also listen to lots of other bands, and lots of other great singer songwriters have had bands too, so it's a little bit like my attempt at being a bit better than what I am!
What do you make of Camden?
It's a strange place but I'm fond of it. There are a couple of really good pubs here, and I love the canal.
Which acts are you personally looking forward to tonight?
Wild Beasts, who I'm a big fan of, and Elle s'appelle, because they're from Liverpool. Other than that, there about five six other acts I've never seen or heard of before that'll be really good, which is what it's all about.
You were lumped in with the short-lived 'new-folk' scene. Where do you see yourself fitting into contemporary music?
It's always hard. Whenever I tour with other bands, such as Youthmovies, for example, or when my songs end up on compilations, what I've only recently realised is that doing so creates different perceptions. Perhaps some people think I'm part of the LDN new-folk thing, which is not true at all. Certain songs of mine might pigeon hole me into a category, which is certainly true...
Do you like that?
Not particularly, no. If someone's got a guitar and they're by themselves they usually get branded as folk. I can see where it comes from, but it's not really the case.
But your songs do have narratives?
Some of them do, some of them don't.
And would you say some of them are quite personal?
Some of them are, some of them aren't.
OK. Would you care to describe one that is?
If I write a street or a place, I'd consider that personal but I'm not writing about myself. 'Nightshift' is very personal; it's very upbeat, and about this couple that I knew and their disastrous relationship. Everyone who knew them knew that it was bad for them. 'Nightshift' is about that. Sometimes it's personal sometimes, it's just me trying to be clever.
Are you happier with the term ‘troubadour' or ‘wandering minstrel'?
Haha! I'm happy enough with the singer songwriter term.
Are there any singer songwriters you feel you derive a direct lineage to?
Nothing direct, but there are loads of people like Dylan, Rufus Wainwright, and anything I can hear a character in. You can feel that in Rufus Wainwright and Jeffrey Lewis's albums. You can hear their personality in their music.
Do you try to emulate that?
I try, yeah definitely.
Favourite Dylan Album?
I'm not going to try and be clever here - I like 'Blonde on Blonde'. Sometimes I hear 'Nashville Skyline' and I think that's absolutely amazing, but I think 'Blonde on Blonde' is my absolute favourite.
Do you consider yourself a Liverpudlian artist? Are you a surrogate son of the city?
Haha. No, not at all. I like Liverpool a lot, but I like London a lot, and I also like Dublin a lot; I like everywhere a lot. I spent a couple of years in Liverpool because I went to uni there, but it's kind of weird that one of the first things they mention in articles is where you're from.
Because you're actually from Leytonstone...
Yeah, but even so, where people are from only gives you a certain idea of who they are.
But surely the experience of living in certain areas, certain environment impacts upon you personally, and by extension, your music too?
Well I mean Liverpool had already had a massive effect on me before I'd even been there - I've always loved The Beatles. And there's lots of other great music coming from there too, like The Wombats, and The Tamborines, and an Irish band called The Prelude, who are just amazing. They're a bit like The Rolling Stones meets The Pogues. I think they're from Derry.
You have a slight Irish twang in your speech - have you spent any time there?
Yeah, I used to as a kid. My parents are Irish.
What sort of music did they listen to?
Well my dad was really into Dylan, The Beatles, The Stones. He got me into The Kinks. For some reason I always get a bit sick of The Beatles or Dylan after a while - though it's great to rediscover them - but I've always loved The Kinks.
If you died tomorrow how would you like to be remembered?
I haven't really done anything, so I don't think I deserve to be remembered!
Oh come on, that's too self-effacing to be believable!
No seriously! Well look, I've got an album coming out and it's really good, so maybe that.
When's that out?
September, although I've got no idea what it's going to be called yet. It's fairly upbeat, some of it's with the band, and there are moments where I feel like I'm pretending to be Cole Porter or something!
Huw Nesbitt
Eugene McGuinness MySpace
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