Festivals For All caught up with Mark Chadwick just before he hit the stage at Bearded Theory 2014 to launch his new album ‘Moment’. He talks about the album and the creative process behind it… It’s a good ‘ole Jackanory!

FFA – Straight in – tell FFA about the new album mate!

MC - Well, we’re playing it tonight – in its entirety – it’s very good (laughs)… no, it’s a proper bit of work! It was recorded live and it’s songs about love, life, drink, and relationships, plus a bit of history.

Not necessarily in that order FFA quipped. (Laughs) yes – it’s a bit real; a bit grown up.

FFA – what do you do – do get together a collection of songs and release an album or is there an end game planned up front?

MC - As a song writer I write all the time anyway. Some of them end up in the Levellers, and of some them just don’t fit – because they are too personal to me I suppose. And those one’s, well, they are too different, a bit odd, a bit left field for what would be expected from the Levellers. I keep them, I keep writing them, then I find I’ve got a whole bunch of them and then I realise there is actually a theme there… and then I might write one or two more to complete the theme.

FFA – Do you know, before you start….?

MC - That sounded like a question! Do you know? Before you start!” (laughs loud)

FFA – yep, there was an unnatural pause there wasn’t there! It’s the Manc accent mate! Do you know, before you start, (quickly), that there will be any theme at all?

MC - It just develops. Writing for me is often subconscious and the theme becomes apparent later on.

FFA – do you think that the songs are always there and they could have been there ten years ago?

MC - Yeah, Yeah. They are all there – just flying around! All the time. And then they come down and you wonder – what’s this one about (laughs)… and then you clarify that a bit and it becomes whole, and then you give it to other musicians to play and it becomes solid. Then you play it to the public!

FFA – on the new album are you predominantly solo or are you playing with other musicians?

MC - I’m working with other musicians on the album.

FFA – we interviewed Levellers compatriot Simon Friend about his Seismic Survey side project a while back where he plays his own songs and also Levellers songs with different musicians. Do you like playing Levellers stuff with other musicians?

MC - No, I never usually play Levellers songs with other people – It’s the Levellers, or on my own.

FFA – will any ‘theme’ to the album be apparent to the listener or is it primarily personal to you?

MC - No, Each song is individually accessible, straight away – I like a chorus! (laughs again).

I did a gig a couple of days ago – the first one for the new album in front of an audience – and they were singing the chorus half way through! They are good catchy songs! Some are a bit deeper than that of course.

FFA – do you work on those hooks or are they floating around the ether waiting to be caught too?

MC - Innate. I think so. Yeah

FFA – how do you perceive it?

MC - Well there are musicians and there are writers, and I think as a writer you are just open minded to things… but my thing is I do write occasionally catchy shit. (laughs). But I like that – because I like catchy shit! I could actually write Children’s TV music quite happily. .. I’m watching too much CBeebies! (chortles).

Read the Bearded Theory 2014 review and Mark’s performance. 


Mark Chadwick’s new album ‘Moment’ is out 15th June 2014.

Article by Barrie Dimond