24 June 2012 (released)
24 June 2012
He's Been there and done it once before with Hurricane#1 and now Alex Lowe is back with his new band 'Gun Club Cemetery', the three piece line up are ready to get out on tour with a collection of songs that have that feel of Bowie and The Faces and his voice and song writing has never sounded better, tunes like 'Where to Begin' and 'Take Me Down' stand up next to former tunes like' Only The Strongest will Survive' and other Hurricane#1's past hits, but this is Alex Lowe returning to the bands and tunes that have influenced him through the years and here he talks to Music-News.com about doing it all again...
Gun Club Cemetery, new band, new tunes and a world tour coming up, is this your first group since Hurricane#1
I had a couple of bands after Hurricane#1 but to be truthfully honest they were all time wasters. This band actually knows whats going on and understands the industry they are well seasoned pros and great players.I knew one day i would be back on the road music is worse than drugs you will never ever be able to kick the habit!
Looking back on the break up of Hurricane#1, how did you feel when the band broke up, did it put you off the music biz or was it quite the opposite.
I was totally gutted when Hurricane#1 split up I think it was total selfish act on Mr Bells behalf. because he couldn't write songs anymore, he wouldn't let anyone else write them so that was that. To many politics and trying to keep pre-madonnas happy. not a good thing.
Got to say the voice is sounding rather good on the new songs, you have one of them husky transatlantic type of voices, a bit like Rod the Mod with the Faces, not the spandex era
Thanks very much, yeah the voice I think.. well I hope, has got better maybe its to do with not smoking anymore.
But yea the faces are a big influence on me and bands like the Black Crows etc... I love that cool early 70,s sound. Nick the bass player from G.C.C. turned me on to another cool band called The Buffalo Killers very 70,s influence a great 3 piece band from the states.
The new tunes, loving the influences in there, Hollow Face of a Shallow Man's got that Bowie 'Suffergette City' vibe to it.
I would say the sound of G.C.C. is very organic loose and rough. no frills type of music. A good time Rock'n'Roll band. I love the sound of a 3 piece band 1 guitar 1 bass and drums, you get a very clean sound and it makes total sense to me. its great.
'Where to Begin's' another stand out tune, actually listening to the songs and especially 'Take Me Down', again I can hear the Faces in there, who do you actually listen too and what has influenced the new album.
I listen to a lot of stones and the faces, influenced by all the older bands. I think I can say the same for the other members. Colin our drummer is a huge Who fan and nick loves all the stuff i like which is great. Lets you read of the same page. I think he is a big Happy Mondays fan as well. Nick recently went to see the Stone Roses at their secret gig in Warrington he said they blew him away with the sound, but he said Ian is still a poor singer., Mani is a good friend of ours and its great to see him doing the roses thing again, although I really do think he will be missed in Primal Scream.
If its possible to pick up on anything it sounds like your really enjoying putting this album together and going back on the road, the songs actually have a very 'on the road' kinda feel to them, were they wrote while touring or are they songs you've had some time.
I wrote these songs for the EP In around 1 hour they just flowed and i was on a roll with them. I think a band isn't a band if they don't get on the road, I write quite a few songs on the road in hotel rooms in the hotel or even at the venues then try them out at sound checks. the album is written done and dusted and it was really enjoyable writing it because I knew it was for a new band so it made it all the better.
And how did the line up come together, Nick Repton on Bass and Colin Ward on drums, its just the 3 of you on the album isn't it.
I had been speaking to Nick for about 3 years on the net and on the phone before we even met, he had playing in a band with Bonehead from Oasis but he was getting pissed off with it and that was it really got together with Colin the drummer who nick knows really well and it just gelled for us!
I'm guessing these days are a lot different to Hurricane#1's time at Creation, the industry as a whole.
Yeah I have learned so much over the years who not to trust and who to trust. never rely on anyone in this business they promise you everything and deliver nothing I have heard it so many times before from promoters agents labels etc, nothing actually surprises me anymore.
There's still the Alex Lowe/ Alan McGee connection though isn't there, still good friends since the days he signed you to Creation,...was it fun having him as your boss Alex, we’re missing the Alan McGee's of this world at the mo aren't we.
Yeah Alan and I are still really good friends!! we need characters like him in the industry just to piss people off haha!! if anything else. I don't think Alan has the hunger for it anymore but that's just my opinion, he's busy with other things now. you have to be like a prize fighter, you have to be hungry for it fire in the belly sort of stuff, i just don't think Alan has that anymore, WE DO!!!
I know your painting and you as an artist has really taken off as well hasn't it, fair to say your about as creative as you've ever been right now.
Lots of creativity yeah, I think I just love to busy, I hate to be idle. I love being on the road with the band I want to be on the road 7 months a year and the rest of the band feel the same.
And lastly the tour, will you be playing any Hurricane tunes in with the new ones and when does it start.
Really looking forward to it big time but unfortunately wont be playing any hurricane#1 songs its a new band a new sound and we are going to go with that. we have been speaking to loads of promoters and we have just found a great one so she will be arranging everything for this year around end of August/September straight through to next year!
