Bastardo

Not content with being one very important quarter of arguably one of Britain’s most important bands, in 2004 Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley released her excellent debut solo record, Grey Will Fade. And it’s been getting plenty of rotation on many a hi-fi ever since, thanks to Charlotte’s captivating vocal style, and her knack for writing sweetly complex and catchy songs, like her download only single “Kim Wilde”, which blew us away last summer. Still, there are still plenty more people who need to wrap their ears around her unique sound, and with any luck, her new video, which features a large percentage of the British comedy contingent, like David Walliams, Simon Pegg, and Lucy Davis, will help take her to that wider audience. The fact that the video features such a huge array of talent is partly explained by the fact that Charlotte’s partner, Shaun of the Dead Edgar Wright, is the director. And as Charlotte herself understates, he’s got pretty good track record.

Of course we spoke to Edgar recently about his experiences working on the video, and now we get to hear Charlotte’s take on being in front of the camera, reconstructing those classic 1980s magazine photo stories, and getting big hair makeovers. And, if you’ve seen the video, it won’t be a surprise to learn that it was a lot of fun to do. If not, you can turn on MTV2, or wait until the DVD single is released on February 21st. Here’s what happened when we caught up with Charlotte…

Hi Charlotte, we hope you’re well. “Bastardo” is going to be released in a few weeks time. Presumably you must be pretty pleased with how the video has turned out?
Without sounding too full of myself… I think it’s one of the best videos ever made!! So, yeah I’m pretty happy.

The song does suit the photo story idea really well. Was the idea of the song in your own head in any way like how Edgar ended up making it look? I mean, were you actually imagining David Walliams with a dodgy moustache all along?!
The great thing about making videos is that you can bring the song to life in any way you want. The Jackie annual idea was never in my head when I wrote the song, but the narrative of the song completely suits it, and now that the video has brought a visual side to the story I can’t help thinking of Dave’s giant moustache when I sing about ‘Antonio’.

Had you read those magazines like Look-In, Jacky and My Guy as a kid?
I may have been a bit too young for the Jackie’s and My Guy, I was all about the Buntys when I was younger. I inherited my two older sister’s annual collections when I was a kid, and used to love all the crazy stories about evil garden gnomes coming to life, and being trapped in third dimensions.

It must have been fun to go through all those different set-ups, get the makeover and everything. Did it make you feel nostalgic and want to appear in one of those ‘I Love the 1980s’ TV shows, getting all misty-eyed about Space Hoppers and such?
Hmm, for all my 80’s name checking I don’t really remember much about them! The first band I really loved was A-Ha and I had a brief Bros phase, but my love for music really came of age in the 90s. I was 15 when Britpop exploded, and that’s where my musical nostalgia comes from. I have a vast amount of knowledge on late 80s kids TV programmes though.

It’s the third single from your album. Will it be the last single this time around?
“Kim Wilde” was a download only release, so “Bastardo” is the second official single. I would like to get on with writing new songs now, and I’ll be touring in America with Ash until the end of this year… so I think this will be my last single. I may try out some more download only tracks in the future.

You also worked with Edgar on the video for “Summer”. What are the things that you’ve enjoyed most of all about working with him, and which video is your favourite?
With Edgar I have complete faith that he’s going to make something innovative and interesting. He has an impressive track record, and I’m grateful I can be part of it. He’s much more fun to work with than your average video director and doesn’t mind if I grab his arse.

Did you have to do a lot of takes?
We had to do lots of takes of the same shot, each one with a different facial expression. I had to keep my head really still and mime along to the song whilst pulling angry, sad, happy faces, each one in succession. It meant that it took an age to make, especially when you’re trying not to crack up ‘cos you’ve got Dave Walliams’ hairy chest in your face.

There’s that great bit with the guitar solo, where you play to the camera, then turn and sing into the mirror behind when the vocals come in. Where did that idea come from? I mean - did you find a mirror so you could do that exact shot, or did you see the mirror on set and get the idea?
We wanted to put one shot of the ‘real’ Charly in her bedroom, so that it wasn’t all in photo story. The guitar solo was perfect for this, and it was brainy Edgar’s idea.

Did you get to collaborate much on the concept of the video, and work with either Edgar or the various artists and designers involved, or just sit back and enjoy the ride?
It was an idea that Edgar and I had. I was touring with Ash throughout the filming, so I went through all the ideas with Edgar and his brother Oscar before I left for the tour bus, and then left the development and casting up to them. The artwork was especially impressive, and that’s something that Oscar, I Love Dust and the 2000AD comic guys designed and got together. Then I would just turn up on a day off and do my bits!

Of course, through playing in Ash, and now getting your own record out you’re pretty well known yourself, but what was it like to be working with the coolest comedy &‘family’, since, well, Monty Python probably? A bit surreal?
It wasn’t so surreal, as through Edgar I’ve known Dave, Simon, Lucy Davis and Lauren Laverne for a while. The comedy world is very incestuous, so everyone knows everyone else and it was a lovely comedy ‘family’ feeling on set. I feel very proud to have so many talented and fucking funny people in the video for my wee song.

Have you written any songs since the album came out, and if so, have you got any kind of plans yet for another album?
I have a few songs and ideas up my sleeve, but I’ll be touring America like a bitch this year so I’ll have to get into a ‘writing on the road’ routine. My plan is to have a new album ready by the end of this year.

Presumably you didn’t write all the songs for Grey Will Fade in one go, as is often the case with first albums. Which song was the oldest, and which was the newest?
“Where I’m Calling From” was written seven years ago, when I was 18, and the newest ones that I wrote all in one week are “Bastardo”, “Summer” and “Kim Wilde”.

Apart from listening to a lot of music when you were growing up, did you actually have any formal music training?
I played the piano as a kid, but never took it seriously enough to be any good. I then took up drum lessons, and after a year I swapped that for guitar lessons. I studied music at school, but found the theory side very difficult, you have to have a mathematical mind for that… and I’m a miserable failure with numbers.

You’ve actually been with Ash for quite a few years now, so it must have been great to get to work on your own album. In fact you actually worked on the new Ash album, and your own at the same time didn’t you? What were the positive and negative aspects of that process?
I spent one month in LA working on my album, and then switched to the Ash studio for two months, and then went back to my studio for another month! So it was pretty full on, but highly enjoyable. Making the Ash album Meltdown was so easy, we stayed in a big Beverly Hills mansion with a pool and i would just saunter into the studio, do my bits and then saunter off again. Making my record was a bit more stressful, because I didn’t have the security of having the boys, and I felt I had a lot to prove, it being a debut album and all.

When you play your own songs live, presumably you can’t just use Ash. How did you go about finding a band?
It took me a while to find a band, and I realised that it’s not so easy to find that right combination of people. I ended up with some great musicians, mostly nicked from other bands! I stole Toby from Graham Coxon’s band, Gavin from Idlewild, Angie from Goldfrapp and my old band mate Alex from Nightnurse. It was so fucking cool and the mini tour we did was great fun. Of course they’ve all gone back to their respective bands now, so I’ll have to find some new guys!

If you were only allowed to play live, or spend time in the studio, which would you choose?
I’ve been touring since I was 18, and the time spent on the road far outweighs the time spent creating music. I could happily not tour ever again, and stay at home in my studio, which is yet to be built.

You seem to have a knack of writing especially excellent middle-eights. There’s a great one on “Bastardo”, where you talk about searching for your beautiful guitar, but there are several others throughout the album. Do you enjoy building those little breaks from the ‘action’ of the verses and chorus?
I tend to have lots of different ‘bits’ in mind when I write a song, so I’ve always got a little extra part that I’m trying to fit in somewhere. I love constructing songs, finding ways for all the ideas to work together. If I had it my way, “Kim Wilde and “Paragon” would have been even longer!

Your songs also seem to be quite complex, particularly in terms of changing time-signatures, of changing the emphasis of one section to another. Is this deliberate, to try and get away from just sticking to 4/4 all the time, or is it just whatever happens naturally when you sit down to write a song?
It just happens naturally. I would hate it if some people thought I sat down trying to contrive a complex song. Usually I think my songs are pretty straightforward, and I get frustrated when other musicians find them difficult! Rhythm is very important to me, and I write most of my drums parts at home with a drum machine… I love it when songs have rhythmic changes, it makes it so much groovier, and I get bored with songs that have no dynamic change.

In fact, how do you sit down to write a song? Do you write lyrics, or come up with some chords?
Most of the songs on the album were written on acoustic guitar. I always have the melody first. Then I’ll record a guitar and vocal track on my computer… and then just layer it up. I write the bass, then the drums, and then try to put some interesting guitars on top of it, and then write harmonies… lyrics ALWAYS come last.

What song do you wish you could have written?
“Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie.

Did you ever get the chance to meet John Peel, and if so, what’s your abiding memory of him?
Tim (Wheeler) and me were lucky enough to record an acoustic session at his house. He put on one record and got all choked up. He let us into his chamber of vinyl, and it was the most amazing thing… the original Velvet Underground Banana Skin, Beatles records signed to him by John and Paul… thousands and thousands of them. I thought he was sweet old guy and I was jealous of how lovely his family life was.

Your vocal harmonies have added depth to the Ash sound. If you could harmonise with any singer, either living or dead, who would it be?
I don’t know! Harmonising with people is not really my idea of fun… but I guess Kate Bush would be cool.

If you could be in any other band, living or dead, or even just split up, what would it be?
The Beatles. Just think how much fun it would be.

Thanks for your time Charlotte. Good luck with all things solo and Ash in the future, and congratulations on the great new single and video!