Photo: Press
"Peter Hook? I have thought about it but haven't got around to actually making it happen. He's one of the all time greats, one of my heroes," says Lanegan. The prolific singer/songwriter is speaking with Gigwise from his home in Los Angeles to discuss Gargoyle, his new solo album, out 33 years after forming his first band Screaming Trees. As with his last two albums, it combines Gothic blues with New Order-esque electronic pulses.
This American singer may not have worked directly with Hook yet but his use of drum machines and sequencers comes across in a more prominent way than ever thanks to the involvement of a different Englishman, Lanegan's new songwriting partner Rob Marshall. They first met in 2008 when Marshall's old band Exit Calm played a support slot for one of his gigs, but not until recently have they made music together. This is the first Mark Lanegan Band album Marshall's been a part of..
The creator of dark anthemic music has ended up contributing entire instrumentals on six of the albums songs; including the first two singles 'Beehive' and 'Nocturne'. Martin Hannett (famed for producing Joy Division and many other seminal bands) is a strong influence on Marshall as a producer.
Impressively, the Teesside-raised musician is able to combine a direct referencing of Hannett’s work with elements of post-punk and Krautock. Mixing it with an instinctive, near spiritual sonic painting of the hungover skies and ghostly echoes of old industrial sites in Northern England, these scenes must surely parallel the backwater town of Ellensburg, Washington, where Mark Lanegan grew up. Subsequently it's original and emotional rather than nostalgic..
So how how did this trans-Atlantic collaboration happen? "I did some songs for his project Humanist last summer and when I did those, he said, 'I'd also like to write something for you someday'," says Lanegan. "As I was in the studio finishing this record I asked if he had anything and he did. He's a real talented guy and he gave me a bunch of music that I thought was great. It was in line with the songs I already had and in line with the last couple of records I had done." In Marshall Lanegan seems to have found someone that he truly sparks off. The creative vocal melodies that go in on top of the music fit perfectly.
Also key to the character of the record is the punk rock ethos in terms of the speed of writing was made: "It was very last minute, I had eight days to get tracks once I agreed to do it. I was busy with other stuff, I jumped in at strange hours, late and night early morning, didn't sleep much, " says Marshall. "My ideas were just thrown down in a sporadic, vigorous way really. I certainly didn't expect the actual parts I was recording to turn up on the finished album. I guess in the way that came about you can feel a bit of the excitement in terms of the songs I contributed."
Marshall's driven attitude in getting it done also stems from the deep respect with which he holds Lanegan. "One thing I really love about Mark is he's unafraid to go forward and try stuff out. It would be so easy for him to have kept what he was doing with his first solo albums which were all stripped down throughout. Instead he's kept pushing forward, it's an endearing quality, isn't it? Look at the contrast from into the gospel territory he's in with Soulsavers to the dark electronic of 'The Gravediggers Song' on Blues Funeral, he's fantastic," says Marshall, referencing a Blues Funeral cut that feels very much in line with Gargoyle.
Gargoyle sees Lanegan's sound rewind the clock much further, too. "There's a couple in particular that in some way when they finished reminded me of something I might have done in the mid-90s with Screaming Trees, " explains the singer. "It's not a conscious decision just they way shit turned out. I'm taking music on a song-by-song basis doing whatever seems appropriate to any piece of music and that's where it led me."
Lanegan's words "not a conscious decision'" are integral to his creativity as a lyricist/poet The following excerpts: "In a garden grown from evil seeds," (Death Head Tattoo), "A silver haze bleeds from the sun"('Drunk On Destruction'), "Heavens open up and bleed", and "Midnight calling, the colour of my dreams" ('Nocturne'), help to paint the freaky world the listener can't help but travel to whilst listening.
"It's usually rooted in some reality or it's fictional pieces of ideas, pieces of dreams, not really sure where they come from or what they mean," he says in an ambiguous way that many artists at the top of their game say when asked where inspiration comes from.
Heavenly Recordings have the pleasure of putting out this record from the singer/songwriter capable of such vivid semi-fictional imagery. They've also got the added bonus f having a star-studded cast on the album. In addition to Marshall's work Josh Homme, Jack Irons (former RHCP and Pearl Jam drummer), Alain Johannes and many others are on there.
Lanegan's been with Heavenly Records for the past few years and lights up talking about them. "My personal relationship with Jeff Barrett goes back many years and he's one of the great music loving label guys of all time, I was really glad to be in a situation where we could make records together. Luckily Jeff's been a fan of my music for many years, he was publisher before I was on the label. I discuss things with him and talk about what direction things are going in. I value his opinion and advice. But ultimately he supports what I want to do."
As for the next few weeks? "We're in the process putting together a longer European tour in the fall might be some stuff in the states in between. For 2018 I'm also coming back to Europe, Australia, South America. There's a lot of touring ahead on this record," he says.
As for Marshall? Well the Humanist record that Lanegan sang on for Marshall also features Jim Jones from The Jim Jones Revue, Mark Gardner from Ride, Joe Cadbury wo's worked with UNKLE and many others. Exciting times for both parties.
Mark Lanegan Band tour dates.
Monday 19 June – BIRMINGHAM – Library
Tuesday 20 June – GLASGOW – Garage
Wednesday 21 June – MANCHESTER – Ritz
Thursday 22 June – LONDON – KOKO
Friday 23 June – PILTON – Glastonbury Festival
