With their debut album out in August (First Comes First) The Paddingtons could be feeling quite smug especially with the fact that Owen Morris – producer for the Verve and Oasis’ Definitely Maybe - is responsible for producing their album too. Their hi-energy rock ‘n’ roll sound mixed with pure pop songs are making this Hull 5-piece turn heads - especially after a recent spat with Liam Gallagher. They’ve been on tour with Baby Shambles and opened the party for Har Mar Superstar and now they are set to see through the summer rockin’ the festival circuit.
What was it like working with Owen Morris?
Josh: He’s a full on legend! It was a month of debauchery, a soul-destroying experience. But in a good way!
Lloyd: He just added loads to it, pushed us in the right direction, and made it a much better record. Even though this is my first record I think it’s amazing. Let’s just see what you all think!
There is so much music around at the moment and plenty of places to draw influence from.
L: I could name 50 bands that make me go ‘Ah, I like this!’ When bands like The Strokes came out with songs that lasted two and a half minutes it was just to the point and it turned me on to the punk bands from the late ‘70s, which then turned me on to pre-punk bands, which turned me on to bands from the ‘60s.
I think our raw element comes from the Rolling Stones - three minute long guitar songs that are basically a big fuck off to everybody - but our first single is very Iggy Pop, and I think the newer stuff is more like the stuff Morrissey is up to now.
Do you actually feel part of the new guitar movement that’s going on at the moment?
L: It’s not a real new guitar movement is it? Yeah, there’s more bands with guitars in the charts but there was five years ago too, and five years before that. Bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines have been absolutely massive and your dad knows who they are, but there have always been guitars about.
When you write songs, who comes up with the ideas and how do you work?
L: I write a bit of the song on an acoustic guitar, then the rest of the boys put their bits together. It comes quite naturally, you don’t really think about it much. You think: ‘Wait a minute, this might work and this might work’ and then within three hours you go ‘Here we go, here’s the song!’ It’s not science - there are only so many chords and so many ways you can play them.
How important are the lyrics?
L: I think they are quite important. They’re not brainy or political and they’re not going to make you go ‘wow!’ but you can probably relate to them, they’re quite universal. To me they’re about representing a moment in my life- it’s not just like (starts singing) ‘Love love me do…’ but it’s not far off. Our first single is just about a girl. To us it’s got a bit of venom in there, but to others it’s just a rock ’n’ roll band singing about a girl.
So you try to steer clear of politics?
L: We do have our beliefs, but we don’t want to put ourselves on a pedestal because we don’t feel strongly enough about it. We’re not as clever as the Clash! We hate the BNP but that’s as far as we go. We don’t want to stand there and preach.
I heard John Peel was a fan of yours?
L: We were in his record collection I think - he was a legend wasn’t he? I used to listen to The Peel Sessions a lot just to hear about new bands that had just come out. I think I listened to the White Stripes when John Peel played them for the first time- he broke so many bands- The Smiths, The Undertones, Jimmy Hendrix. He’ll be sorely missed…John Peel, I salute you!
New Single '50 To A £' out 11 July on Poptones / Mercury.
Christine Franz