Though they've been written off over and again by their detractors, Indie stalwarts SHED SEVEN continue to prove people wrong. Once again, 2003 finds them down to their fighting weight, signed to a new label and with a new single, live album and soon-come new studio LP to celebrate and tour. W&H hooked up with frontman RICK WITTER for a chat to mark the occasion.
Rick calls W&H and is matey, jovial and the all-round good bloke that we imagined him to be. He's got plenty to be perky about too, not least the band's new single, "Why Can't I Be You?", which is in the shops for only 7 days before deletion. It's a confident, funky and infectiously catchy song, but is it indicative of the band's new material, Rick?
"No, not really. It's the closest we've come to doing another "Disco Down" without taking the piss," says Rick, laughing.
"Actually, it's the least like any other stuff on the new album and I guess it's a very obvious single. The main reason we released it was because our mates were going: "Bloody hell...it's gotta be a single, it's so catchy", so we gave in! The new album's a lot darker in its' own little way, though. There are a lot more moods and depth to it."
So there is a new studio album due soon. Presumably you worked on this with Muse/ Supergrass producer John Cornfield as well. Were the sessions at Cornwall's Samwills studio?
"Yeah, cos Taste Media (the Sheds new label) own the complex, so they wanna get discounted rates," notes Rick, sagely.
"But believe me, we're happy with that. In terms of producers, we originally wanted Chris Sheldon (responsible for the Sheds' excellent "A Maximum High" album previously), but we couldn't get him and we really wanted a name producer for this album."
You worked well with John Cornfield, then?
"Yeah, very much so," confirms Rick. "He got a really live sound, very in-your-face. As for the Sawmills experience itself - talk about remote!"
Really. I've heard it's pretty secluded...
"Yeah, you could say that...you have to get on a boat to get to it!" replies a still incredulous Rick.
"It's really good there, though," he continues. "Once you're there you're kinda stuck there because it's in the middle of nowhere, so you knuckle down and get on with producing the goods, so it's good for creativity."
Meanwhile, before the new studio LP hits the racks, there's the little matter of the new Shed Seven live album "Where Have You Been Tonight?" and the tour to promote the new single. Like the live album, will the new batch of gigs be very hit-friendly or will you be introducing loads of new songs?
"Mmmm...that's always a difficult one," muses Rick.
"It's that balance of pleasing both yourself and the fans. So, yeah, the emphasis will be on 5 or 6 new songs, combined with 12 or 13 older ones, and a few old B-sides for good measure. I find that it's often tedious when bands just get up and trot out their new album. There's no interaction in that scenario, so we always try to avoid that."
I notice that you're kicking off the tour with a 7-night residency at the tiny Camden Barfly (at the Monarch club). Is this a deliberate ploy aimed at re-introducing yourself to the media in London?
"Yeah, exactly mate. Spot on," Rick fires back.
"Dunno how well it'll work," he continues with laudable honesty. "But it's a clever little thing to tie in...the single's available for 7 days and we're playing London for seven nights..the lucky number 7!"
"Actually, we're well chuffed that we've sold out all seven nights with no radio play. It all fits in nicely and I really DO like playing smaller venues. I love it when I can see all of the front row and they're all reaching out and slapping me arse. Does me no end of good, that!"
Rick bursts into uproarious laughter, but becomes a little more serious when we discuss the Sheds new label, Taste Media, home of MUSE of all people. Is this a long-term thing and how did it come about?
"No, it's only a one-album deal," Rick reveals.
"We had bad luck with Artful (previous label)" he sighs, after a pause.
"I mean, after the shit we had with Polydor, we wanted to get back to our original indie ethics after fighting for attention with the likes of Ronan Keating. Our last album, "Truth Be Told" got no promotion and it was amazing that "Cry For Help" still got to #30 in the charts despite of that. But Artful were very negative about the follow up ("Step Inside Your Love") - they put it out as an EP so it couldn't chart."
You seem pretty philosophical about all this, Rick...
"Well, we've always had faith and we had enough faith to keep going," Rick responds.
"Hence the fact that we gigged last winter with no record as such...like playing Shepherd's Bush Empire. That was well worth it as Taste put the best deal on the table after that...so, lo and behold, y'know."
"In any case," he continues, "the state of the music business at present suggests that the days of the 6-album deal are over forever, so you've got to be realistic."
Meanwhile, Shed Seven have been going for a solid decade or so now. Whether you like it or not, people are starting to refer to you as "veterans" now. How do you feel about that?
"I'm quite happy with it," says Rick openly.
"I mean, we've always been in this for the long run. Things mght have quieted off a bit of late, but as long as we make enough to keep doing it and enjoying it then it's worthwhile. If we become a cult band like The Fall then so be it. The only thing I dread is if it becomes a situation where we're obviously fighting a losing battle. That would be too much."
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Right. I suppose an obvious follow up question would be whether you feel Shed Seven have anything to prove at this stage?
"Only to ourselves," replies Rick.
"A lot of what happens is either luck or good timing or a combination of both. I ask myself: "Do we deserve it?" and yeah, we do. It sounds a bit naff, but as long as we're still here I'm happy."
"I mean, these days you really HAVE to be on radio and front covers constantly, so you have to be realistic. The new single's been sent to Radio 1...they go "No, you're more a radio 2 band."...We send it to radio 2...they go: "No, you're more a radio 6 band....We send it to them, they refer us back to radio 2..."
So you go round in circles, chasing your tail (and rainbows!)...
"Yeah, " laughs Rick, slightly ruefully. "So we're not on a winning streak. But the be all and end all is that we DO have a really solid fan base. In our case, it's true that graft does make it work and gets us through."
Of course an albatross that always seems to blight Shed Seven's horizon is the dreaded "Britpop" reference that the media now seem to use as a stick to beat them..and bands form a similar vintage like The Bluetones, who are also still making good records. Does this niggle you, Rick?
"Well, 'Britpop's become a dirty phrase," Rick replies, cogently.
"But then you must remember that it was always a media invention anyway and the press use stuff like that purely for their own gain. I think we're a little more fortunate in that we came out before all that was at it's height. We started out at the tail-end of that 'New Wave Of New Wave' business..."
Yeah, and who remembers those bands now?
"Right," laughs Rick. "Whatever did happen to S*M*A*S*H?"
"But, yeah, " he continues, "We'd got established before it all got lumped in as 'Britpop', which for me was really Oasis, Blur and Pulp at their height anyway. As soon as all that starts dying off as a commercial force, then Shed Seven, The Bluetones and Gene become 'Britpop' in their eyes and get classed as the worst of it. Typical, really, but to be expected."
There's a new book out about Britpop, subtitled "Britpop, Blair and the demise of English Rock" written by John Harris, former SELECT editor and an old mucker of mine at SOUNDS. "Demise" is a bit harsh, surely?
"Well, in 1996/ 97 it seemed like it was the best thing that could happen," ponders Rick.
"The thing is, I'd only ever class us as Britpop in that we're English and we write good pop songs and that's where the buck stops. We're still like we were in 1991 only older...but who cares?"
"It's still a basic rock'n'roll thing, I guess, in that we haven't become Radiohead, but then the Stones never progressed after the sixties so everything's relative. It really doesn't touch us."
Nonetheless, there IS a vogue for all things American at present, with the attention people like The Strokes, White Stripes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are receiving. Is it good for music and do you personally listen to it?
"Yeah, it's definitely healthy," agrees Rick.
"I do think the likes of The Strokes must be under severe pressure, though. I mean, the way this business goes what'll happen to them in two years? The pressure they're under with only their SECOND album...that's totally unfair."
"I mean, back to the Stones and even U2 and REM...all those bands had time to grow and become successful with their fifth album or whatever. That's how it should be, but never will be again, it seems. Poor old Darius...three No.1s in a row, he must really be feeling the strain."
Finally, Rick, I was recently speaking to Chris Helme (ex-Seahorses and now Yards frontman) and he was telling me your home town of York has a very vibrant scene. Do you really think this is a better time for bands to exist independently - and away from London?
"D'you know, I really don't think it matters at all, " says Rick.
"It's still like Ian Brown and his "It's not where you're from, it's wher you're at" quote. It all comes down to how you are yourself."
"When we started breaking in York, we were seen as a very strange phenomenon," he remembers. "Music used to fit in with the city's style and in York - club-wise at least - it's more in line with Slipknot or whatever. You still have to fight to get the Stone Roses heard. I dont' care, though. I could move to Timbuktu and I'd still do what I do. Unfortunately for people!"
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