Adele Swallow
Welcome Adele and thanks for agreeing to talk to us. We’re great fans of your music and it’s good to talk to the person behind it!
Firstly, do you see yourself as a singer, a song writer, a performer or something else?
I see myself as a little bit of everything. I pride myself on my song writing and enjoy analyzing the content of other songwriters material. However I also adore singing and using my voice, not to mention showing it off in front of lots of people. I think if I had to prioritize I would choose my roles in this order: Song Writer, Singer and lastly, attention seeker. But no one has asked me to make the choice yet so I can still dance between all three...
I read that you started writing songs about life, love and loss when you were only 14. Do you go back and read those lyrics now or even still perform them and what do you think of them now? How do they compare with songs you've written recently?
Every time I write a song it’s literally like capturing a moment in my life. So old songs tend to be very self indulgent and angsty, depicting love lost or love that never was through the eyes of a teenager. I only play one old song these days and that was the first real song that I wrote. It’s only for special occasions though because it’s very slow and is better kept for intimate acoustic audiences. Plus I don't want to be reminded of my spotty teenage self too often! More recent songs find me writing with more experience and a greater tendency to conceptualize songs. I have some ridiculous ideas sometimes. Recently I tried to convince my band that a seemingly infinite melody that just faded in and then faded out would be a brilliant song. The obvious problem being there is never any resolution. So more than anything the song is just plain annoying. We don't play that one anymore.
As a song writer first, how do you feel about other people singing your songs? When songs are very personal can other singers do them justice?
I'm not lucky enough to have got to the stage where other people might cover my songs but if that should ever happen I would look to write for them specifically rather than let them cover an existing song. There is a huge difference between songs for myself and songs for other people. Also, every performer has a unique style and technique that should be considered. It would be like me singing a song written by Tom Waits. Besides, my songs are personal experiences, I'm not sure anyone would want to share in a sentiment that wasn't originally their own.
Ok, that’s very interesting and understandable. Can you tell us a little about how you write your songs, please? Do you collaborate with the band or anyone else and if not at what stage do you unveil a new number to the band. How important is their reaction to you?
I write in lots of different ways...sometimes it starts with a melody, sometimes a lyric, but usually a chord sequence that I might have been developing. I have hundreds of those. Then I pick a moment to myself, start playing and form something basic. The real trick is making sure the melody, lyric and rhythm of the tune synchronize. I try very hard to keep things balanced. Once I've decided on the finished structure of the song then I play it to the band. I get so much more nervous playing to them than a crowd of people! Their opinion is really important to me because if they don't like it then maybe they won't enjoy playing it. I want them to believe in what we do, they aren't just session musicians to me. Invariably they will silently take on a song, neither expressing like or dislike, develop the music with me and then together we take the tune to a level where it stops being about development and starts being about performance.
Performance is obviously very important to you. Do different audiences effect you differently and how would you describe your relationship with audiences both locally where you are known and where you're not so well known? Do you still get nervous?
Definitely, I think you have to have a certain intuition to gauge when an audience isn't really into what you are doing. I'll often change the set list around last minute to accommodate the atmosphere at the gig. Much to the disapproval of the others! Local audiences are fun because they often contain friends who will carry the crowd with cheering and such but audiences elsewhere are more of a challenge. Mostly because they are usually somebody else's audience, if you know what I mean, they are there to support another band that is local to the area. So we have to work extra hard to steal their attention! As for getting nervous, that’s always a good thing. The day I don't get nervous will be the day I stop being any good, I rely on my adrenaline to carry me higher than other performers.
Lets talk a little bit about the future. What are your career goals? Where are the big gigs going to be? Is the festival circuit attractive such as the folk tent at Glastonbury or Fairport's Cropredy Convention, a favorite of mine?
As far as a career goes - I'm looking for longevity. I want to be respected within my field and I know the same goes for the rest of the band. I would hate to be a flash in the pan and I'm prepared to work so that I'll always have a job writing music. We have played a few festivals and from the outset I find the experiences to be really good, I'd love to play bigger festivals just to acknowledge the differences between them and more intimate festivals. Currently, my long term plan is to develop myself and hold a place in the industry. Any short term plan is devised specifically to enjoy what I do and take interesting opportunities en route, be that a small radio interview for local community radio, playing support gigs for already established bands or putting on gigs myself.
Whats the music scene like in Norwich? It sounds like it’s going to be a bit folksy with the usual quota of thrash bands? Do you watch other local bands?
it is considerably diverse. Acoustic nights for solo artists, thrashy rock nights in dingy pubs, one or two bands flexing towards Nu Rave, complete with skinny jeans and asymetric hair. Art Bands playing some of the trendy bars and World music delivered monthly to the arts centre. There is always something to see and there is some real talent around here. Bands such as KunK and The Kabeedies seem to be doing really well and then others such as Clickshaft have yet to get their chance but they put on a brilliant show and have some great songs.
We'd like to bring the interview to a close now so last 2 questions. We like to finish on a lighter note so.......
If you had to liken each member of the band to an animal what would they be and why?
Haha brilliant - ok here we go...I hope they don't get offended when they see this!
Jon (Drums) is already quite like an animal. I think he would be a Daddy Long Legs or maybe a Monkey. He has loads of energy and can move his limbs really fast all over the place. Adam (Bass) is a sophisticated and very dexterous Yak. He is calm and quiet and has a brilliant goatee. Alice (cello) is like a Bush Baby, she is short like me and has big pretty eyes and clings onto her cello. Finally Jack (guitar) is a naughty Raccoon and he is a Raccoon because he is naughty. I don't know if I'm supposed to include myself in the list but I think I'm an Elephant trapped in the body of a Mouse.
Final question is a simple one word answer game and we want it to be rapid fire, so the first thing that comes into your head about each of these people (and try and keep it clean!)
It was tough not to swear considering some of these names are so provoking! But here are my answers...
Amy Winehouse - Dirty
Noel Gallagher - Hairy
Madonna –Bendy
Lily Allen -Spoiled
Mick Jagger - Old
Pete Doherty - Can go and live with Amy Winehouse
Boy George – Paints glitter on his bald head?!
and finally The Crazy Frog - Should never EVER have happened.
Thanks Adele – good to talk to you and we wish you great success with your career.
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