More about: ElbowGuy Garvey

"Last night in the hotel was hilarious," Guy Garvey has just plonked himself down in the middle of a staircase and gestured for me to do the same. "Shaun Keaveny stood up proclaiming that he can't get an erection anymore, but it's alright because he's had his children."

The room in Colston Hall in which this interview was supposed to take place is currently occupied - a 6 Music news presenter is bravely attempting to interview Fat White Family, one of whom has his arms crossed petulantly and a black scarf wrapped around his entire face. That's the reason for our makeshift interview location. The reason for Shaun Keaveny's erection proclamation? I have no idea.

Perhaps it's the stark contrast to the bleak scene we've just interrupted, but there's something intensely affable about Garvey. Ahead of the Elbow frontman's solo performance at 6 Music Festival, we sit down (on some stairs) to discuss his debut solo album, Courting The Squall, the shock of seeing his face on posters, and his ex borrowing (stealing?) his lyrics.

I read a profile on you that began 'Guy Garvey doesn't need to release a solo album'. Do you agree?

"That suggests that solo albums are about - what? More money? I mean there's nothing wrong with more money, but no, I did it because I could. I did it because it was a challenge. I didn't know if I could do it, and also I wouldn't have done it 20 years ago. I would have been too afraid. So I'm aware that it's only something that's happened because of Elbow's success, so it's still something I owe to the boys. They're not having a penny like, but...

"Also, the guys in the band are people I've either worked with before, or I've always wanted to work with. They are such a happy bunch of people. Not that Elbow are miserable or anything like that - they're not - but I deliberately picked people who'd be fun to work with."

How was the vibe different, working with a new group of musicians after working with your Elbow bandmates for so long? You knew a lot of them already?

"Well, Peter Jobson is the bass player for I Am Kloot - I produced their first album on my own and co-produced the last two albums with Craig from Elbow. Peter's been my best friend for 20 years almost, so I've always wanted to be in a band with him, and I made him play guitar just to put him outside of his comfort zone. Nathan I've only known for a few years but he's become a really close friend - Nathan from The Whip, playing bass. All of them had a good attitude, and they are fucking lovely.

"The other thing was the challenge of doing something fast. Elbow records take two and a half years, and mine took - well I've been saying ten weeks, and then Danny Evans, who co-produced the album with me, pointed out that it was actually five and a half weeks.

From start to finish?

"Yeah. I mean I had the lyrics for 'Belly Of The Whale' already, and I had most of the lyrics from 'Courting The Squall', but everything else was written and recorded in five and a half weeks."

Was it such a quick process because you're in charge, so you don't have to negotiate with people?

"Yep. And if anyone had a really good idea, but it wasn't mine, I wouldn't use it. I would say, 'That is a great idea, and now I can't do that because you suggested it'."

[The album] was also an opportunity to work with Jolie Holland, who I duet on 'Electricity' with. She's one of my favourite songwriters of all time. I emailed into the blue, 'Hello, I love you, please can we work together?' And she said yeah! She hadn't heard of Elbow, and I flew her over to Real World [recording studios] and, quite rightly so, she walked into a room full of lads a bit like, *horrified face*, and then realised what nice men they are, and we got on famously. And we co-wrote a lyric, I've never co-wrote a lyric in my life!

Isn't there one lyric that you share with a book by -

"My ex? Yeah."

You said you couldn't remember who came up with it so you both used it.

"That's the official story, for your pages as well. In actual fact she fucking nicked it. I threatened her with legal action until she was genuinely scared, and then I was like, 'I'm only joking, I'll say we can't remember who wrote it'.

"I was like, 'Should I read your book? Is there anything I should be worried about?' - because she writes a lot from life, and we'd just split up. She went, 'No there's nothing to worry about. Oh! I've had some of your poetry.' I was like, 'What do you mean you've HAD some of my poetry?' But I thought it was a nice thing to put out there, because we're genuinely good friends, there's no resentment. But between you and me it was fucking..."

I liked how honest you were about why you used your own name for this project, when your manager point out that -

"Nobody would know who it was. Yeah! It's a bit weird actually, all the merchandise has got my head on. I didn't think it through. Every time I walk round the corner I'm like, 'uhhhh'. I've also not worked out how to refer to it, because if I saw 'my band' I mean Elbow, so... it comes out in a jumble. But it's done really well. It's done far better than I expected it to."

Are most of the fans Elbow fans?

"The majority of people are Elbow fans, but there are a bunch of people who've never heard of Elbow, who've just come to it 'cus it got pretty good radio play. More on Radio 2 actually, but that's kind of good anyway, because it muddies the water when I'm played on my own station."

What's next for Elbow?

"We've been writing since the beginning of January. HQ is currently my house, which is lovely for me, but weird getting keys cut for the rest of the band. They nip to Marks & Spencers for lunch. Lots of salads these days, very boring. It used to be fried sandwiches, but those days are over. "

Guy Garvey's debut solo album, Courting The Squall, is out now.

More about: ElbowGuy Garvey