The Coral interview

And here’s the result: they’ve cut out the weirdness, quit smoking the herb (“in moderation”) and set out to record what’s being pitched as their first proper Soul album; a collection of tunes so humongous that they could be played around a campfire and still win hearts. How do we know all this? We know this because James Skelly popped in to tell us about it: and although the madness may have been toned down, he’s still adamant that “you’ve always got to have the magic…”

PART ONE: ECHOES

ARTROCKER: I’ve heard the album has a Northern Soul atmosphere to it, is that a fair call to make?

JAMES SKELLY: Yeah, but just on a couple of songs, like the single. There are all different types of music on there too... mainly it just sounds like The Coral.

ARTROCKER: I know you love the whole album, but is there one song on there that you’d point to and say ‘that’s the one for me’?

JAMES SKELLY: Yeah, ‘Rebecca You’. It’s one of my favourite songs we’ve ever done. We’ve always wanted to sound like we do in that song – it’s hard to explain, but every time we put it on it feels like someone else is playing it. It feels right when you put it on.

ARTROCKER: Would it be fair to say that less cannabis was smoked during the making of this record than on the other ones?

JAMES SKELLY: (laughs) It could be! It wouldn’t be unfair to say that.

ARTROCKER: Did you find that it (cannabis) was helping or hindering creatively?

JAMES SKELLY: It depends on the individual. It can open a door so you can find the idea, but the idea has to be there in the first place.

ARTROCKER: The band’s always had a surreal sense of humour, is that something that’s taken a back seat on this record?

JAMES SKELLY: Not during the making of it, no! But yeah, maybe in the songs. I’d say it was only really the first album that was like that. Well, the first album and ‘Nightfreak’ – but we got it out of our system on that one.

ARTROCKER: I’ve heard that Frank Sinatra is currently a big influence - should we take that with a pinch of salt?

JAMES SKELLY: Sinatra’s always been a big influence!

ARTROCKER: Seriously? In the voice or the music?

JAMES SKELLY: Everything, man. Sinatra’s got the whole package.

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PART TWO: ROOTS

ARTROCKER: If all your fathers held a competition to see whose vinyl collection was best, whose Dad would win?

JAMES SKELLY: Well my Dad did have a huge vinyl collection but he had to sell ‘em all because he was skint. I don’t think any of them have any vinyls left – they’ve sold them all! Bet they wish they hadn’t though.

ARTROCKER: Their era is quite a big influence on you, like The Doors and possibly the early Stones. Do you think musicians still need to look to the 1960s for guidance?

JAMES SKELLY: I personally don’t think of it like that – music’s music really whenever it’s from, and it’s all there to be learned from. But the ‘60s did have some of the best music, so you’d be stupid not to go there really. Some of the best songs ever were written then.

ARTROCKER: Were you ever tempted to explore the voodoo side of the 1960s, like shamanism, devil worship, and all that spiritual stuff?

JAMES SKELLY: We always did, yeah! I think we started off like that - you’ve always got to have the magic. There’s not enough magic in music – it’s all science, isn’t it?

ARTROCKER: What do you make of the whole ‘Nu rave’ scene?

JAMES SKELLY: I have no opinion on Nu rave (laughs) I don’t know what it is. I don’t wanna know what it is! It has no relevance to my life.

ARTROCKER: Topshop is full of fluorescent jump suits, apparently.

JAMES SKELLY: Jesus!

ARTROCKER: Going back to the ‘60s influence, the cover art on the new record is very early Stones, like ‘Aftermath’. Was that a conscious idea?

JAMES SKELLY: Yeah it was… he took the picture and it wasn’t that good but when he turned it into a negative it looked great.

ARTROCKER: It resembles the photography from the first Doors album too.

JAMES SKELLY: That was the idea. We haven’t really seen ourselves on our album covers before.

ARTROCKER: Is it tempting now that you’re four albums into The Coral to go off and do something mental like a triple album, or maybe do a tour in a hot air balloon?

JAMES SKELLY: It was hard enough recording this one - I think I’d kill myself if half way though a triple album! It’d be too much for anyone to take in anyway – I’d never listen to a triple album all the way through.

ARTROCKER: What about just for the hell of it?

JAMES SKELLY: Well…. maybe we’d do it for the sake of it. But that would be the only reason!