For a man that has come dangerously close to self destruction on several occasions, Ginger’s doing pretty damn well. He’s alive, which is a start.

Not only is Ginger alive, but the Wildhearts are too. After almost 20 years of keeping fans, critics and record executives perched on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next dramatic tour bust up, near fatal drug overdose or magazine office trashing, they’re still doing the one thing they have always done best. It’s the one thing that was always more important than the controversy and the chaos: hard rock with a heart. Their enduring ability to pack a poppy punch – no matter how hard the riff – is what, combined with the unlikley pairing of fuck-the-world attitude and proven musical intellect, has forged them a place in the hearts of British rock fans for two decades.

No one could have predicted that a band that made crashing and burning an art form would pull through, heads held high, and be around in 2009, looking great and sounding awesome, to deliver a highly polished, ultra-modern rock record like Chutzpah!, which is out at the end of the month on Backstage Alliance.

Having rarely lasted more than a year with one line-up, the band have been in their current form – Ginger, CJ, Rich and fresh meat Scott Sorry – since 2006. Could this be a sign that they’re older and wiser now? Or has Ginger finally found the perfect formula? Either way we thought it would be best to get the low-down from the man himself, so read on…

ROTR: Let’s start with the new record. What would you say to your fans to prepare them for hearing it?

Ginger: It sounds more expensive than anything we’ve done before and everyone who’s already heard it loves it to bits.

Which song was the hardest to write and why?

There’s a song called Vernix, that won’t make the final album. It’s three and a half minutes of twists and was a bit of a challenge. Absolutely mental stuff.

Which was the easiest?

A song called ‘Mazel Tov Cocktail’, which seems to be the second most popular song on the album. It’s so simple that I still don’t think it’s finished. Writing simple songs comes really difficult to me.

Looking back to when you first handed Don’t Be Happy, Just Worry to the label way back when, how did handing over this record compare? Do you feel the same excitement or is it different now?

Back then there was tangible excitement in finishing something, now it’s more like relief. We kind of know what were doing now, so it’s not such a surprise when it ends up sounding good. Jesus, we’ve been doing this for 20 years, we’d better be quite good at it now.

With Scott now a mainstay in the band, and a solid line up that’s lasted two consecutive records, have the Wildhearts found a stability you think will last?

I absolutely think that, 100%. I wouldn’t want anyone to leave this line up, and if someone did leave it would undoubtedly be the end of the band.

Is Scott a good influence on you, creatively and/or personally? He seems to be your right hand man these days.

Scott is my brother. He tells me when I’m being negative, he’s been through the wars with me and he amazes me as a lyricist. His energy is one of the main driving forces behind the band now.

You hand the reins over to Scott and CJ more than usual on this record – was it difficult to surrender some of your control? Was it democratic or did you still have the final say? Did you ever have to bite your tongue?

Sometimes I have more of a final say than I’d like, for instance doing all the interviews about an album that was such a team effort. It’s nice that people want to speak to me, but it seems a little inappropriate. I’d like to keep pushing the democracy angle in this band. I’d like this to feel increasingly more like a team, and for that I’m prepared to hand over 75%of the control.

The Wildhearts have always been traditionalists in terms of releasing records on all formats, with proper b-sides. How do you think the digital download age has influenced or is influencing the band’s approach to making records?

We don’t sell enough albums for the digital revolution to affect us too much. Our fans still buy our albums and we’ll keep on making them. I’m not buying this ‘the album is dead’ bullshit. You can believe what you want to believe but your reality isn’t necessarily mine. I don’t see albums, books or DVDs becoming obsolete in my lifetime, and I remember when people were saying that concerts were going to die out.

This time last year you were playing the Earth Vs 15th Anniversary show. How does it feel to have a legacy?

It doesn’t mean a great deal to me. All the bands I like are lifers and I would have expected the same for us. Maybe the 25th anniversary will mean more, or the 50th, but the 15th? We’re just getting warmed up.

Do you consider yourself to be British rock legends now, or do you still have something to prove?

We really haven’t done enough yet to be called legends, although one day I’d like to feel that we’d achieved that status. We still have an awful lot to prove, mostly to ourselves.

What are your biggest fears in terms of the future of the band?

I don’t have any. The future is none of my business, so I’m happy to live in the moment.

And what are your biggest hopes?

That we manage to make a living at doing this, and get recognition as simply a good band, not just a soap opera. We’d also like to have an audience in every country that loves rock music. One day I’d like us to be able to play proper world tours in support of our albums.

Is writing therapy for you or is it something you just can’t not do?

Absolutely both! I couldn’t stop writing as long as there are things to inspire me, but as therapy this ability that I was blessed with has worked much in the way that antidepressants and counseling work on others. Music has got me through some really tough times. It really is a blessing.

Do you find your solo work is an escape from the Wildhearts, or are they inextricably linked? Do you ever get ideas for Wildhearts songs when you’re working on solo stuff, and vice versa?

I usually write for an entire album, so I don’t tend to mix up my duties. Although The Wildhearts used a couple of songs on this album originally written for my next solo album. They’re just songs, y’know? Meaningless until they mean something to someone.

Through the ups and downs of your life, both personally and with the band, what keeps you going?

Writing new songs. Just the thrill of creating something that didn’t exist before I breathed life into it. It’s something that amazes me, and confounds me.

Any regrets?

Everything got me here. Regrets would be so ungrateful.

If you had to name now the most perfect song you have written what would it be?

I’m still trying to write it. And I live in dread that I will one day succeed!

Chutzpah! is out on August 31st, and the band’s UK tour starts on September 17th in Brighton, ending in London on October 1st. Full details here.

Follow Ginger on Twitter here. Amazing.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 at 11:45 pm and is filed under Interviews, News, ROTR. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.