I met Alasdair at the January Alchemy and was surprised to find an
interview done with him already. Though almost a year old, this interview done
originally with Ffakt magazine is a great introduction to the British
singer-song writer as it presents his newest album, his reasons for settling in
Prague and the hardships and pleasures of a full-time musician’s life.
For how long have you been living in
Prague? And how does an English musician end up in the middle of Europe?
I arrived nearly seven years ago now, and
it’s flown by. I actually didn’t intend to stay – I originally came here
for a month to learn how to teach English, and immediately fell in love with
Prague. Most people don’t believe me when I say that – of course, the
beautiful women and beer might have influenced my decision to stay – but
there’s something magical about this city that draws you in. And as Kafka
wrote, its claws won’t let you go!
Are there any aspects of Czech music, life
or art you especially enjoy?
I wasn’t surprised to find that the Czech Republic has an extraordinarily
rich cultural history; I was already aware of – and admired – many Czech
writers and filmmakers before I arrived. I even had four Mucha posters on
my wall as a student in Wales! But I was perhaps intrigued to find how
closely I identified with the artists here. Czech literature is
profoundly affecting, the films witty and moving, and the art and architecture
dazzling. My favourite writer has to be Hrabal – if I were to write
fiction, I would want to write like him. He brings me to tears and
laughter, often on the same page. Seifert is a sensual and vital
poet. The directors Menzel, Svěrák, Hřebejk and Lipský are all masters of
their craft. But all these are just scratching the surface. When I
arrived here, I read every translated book in the library by a Czech author,
bought any DVD I could find with English subtitles and visited all the
museums. I totally immersed myself.
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| Image credits: Michal Mecner |
When I first picked up a guitar at the age of 15 or 16, I was listening
to Led Zeppelin, Pixies, Lenny Kravitz and Jane’s Addiction – as well as all
the 60s folk troubadours. My mates and I would set up our cheap amps in
my parents’ garage and just shred. We played at parties and the local
church hall – unsurprisingly, Sony didn’t come calling! Although I had
been singing all my life, it was never a dream of mine to be on stage
professionally. I never thought of it as a sensible career choice – I
still don’t! Basically, it just crept up on me – I was working so hard on
my music that one day I woke up and discovered that I had made a full-time
career of it.
What does it mean to be a full-time singer-songwriter
living in our times?
I’m glad you asked! Excuse me if I
get on my soapbox for a minute. Being a full-time musician isn’t just a
case of showing up to a gig five minutes before you’re due on stage, rocking
the crowd for an hour or two, then hitting a hotel room with a couple of
groupies. That’s only part of it! There’s hours of practice, years
of honing your craft on stage, composing songs, writing lyrics, recording and
mixing albums, arranging licenses and copyright, promoting your music online,
uploading your songs and photos, designing posters and artwork, devising press
releases, creatively blogging and emailing your fans, making videos, sourcing
new venues, booking shows, long hours travelling to foreign shows, buying
equipment, selling your product, balancing your finances and finally, paying
your bills. It’s amazing there’s any time for performing after all that!
On top of that, many people don’t think
twice about illegally downloading your music, or giving it away to all their
friends. If your albums are self-financed, as mine are, that really
jeopardises your chances of making the next CD. Without new music every
year or two, it’s hard to keep the fans engaged. So you have to tour
constantly to put bread on the table.
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom, so I’ll stop complaining
now! The Internet has given musicians many opportunities that they didn’t
have a decade ago. If you weren’t signed to a record label, it was hard
to get noticed and sell albums beyond your immediate fan base, hometown or
regular touring schedule. The Internet has levelled the playing field a
bit. Now every bedroom musician and their dog can have a music website,
but equally, everyone has a good shot at getting noticed. You might not
have a massive advertising budget, but if the wind is blowing in the right
direction, you can still make a mark.
Do you collaborate with Czech musicians or
other artists?
My current band is truly international – we are British, Czech, Slovak
and American. I am utterly blessed and honoured to be working with some
of the best musicians in Central Europe. I also use phenomenally gifted
local artists and photographers for my album art. When I have time, I
occasionally help out venues looking for bands, so I check out a lot of live
music. I have met so many talented performers here, whose music I believe
deserves to be heard – among them Nylon Jail, Jan Řepka, Martina Trchová,
Ondřej Galuška, Žofie Kabelková… all fantastic songwriters. I used to
organise fashion markets in Prague too, because I met many incredibly original
designers, but sadly I don’t have enough time for that now. Nevertheless,
it is so important to support home-grown talent. Next time you need a
present for someone, consider buying them something handmade and local.
It’ll last longer, look better, and you can bet no one else thought of the same
thing!
How do you compose your songs? Are they
based on your own life and experiences?
People always ask me if the words or the music come first. The
chicken or the egg. Sometimes, I’ll have a melody running through my
head, and I just find some random words to fit the tune. Often those
words end up in the final song, or even determine the subject matter.
Other times, I’ll stumble upon a great sounding phrase, and the tempo of the
words will suggest a melody. But I can’t choose when the muse will
strike. Often I’ll be walking down the street when I dream up a new song
– then I have to hum it all the way home, in case I forget it before I get to
my guitar!
Somewhere along the line, someone told me the maxim ‘write about what
you know’. Pretty much all of my lyrics are based on personal experience
– either my relationships, philosophy, or life on the road. The core of
my song-writing has to be based in truth. How can I expect people to
identify with my lyrics, if I’m not honest with them? Even the rare
story-song I write has to come from something I have felt deep within
myself. One song on my new album, ‘Third Time Lucky’, is about a homeless
man who finds life getting harder every year. The idea for the song grew
from a night I spent sleeping rough on a pavement in Dublin in the middle of
winter – probably the most miserable night of my life. I could never
forget that, and the thought of spending my entire life on the streets is
almost unbearable.
How would you describe your newest album?
Is it different from the previous ones?
Musically, it is a little different.
My debut album ‘First Person Singular’ had a solo acoustic, alternative
folk-blues sound and it featured a lot of guests playing wooden
instruments! The next, ‘Second-hand Lullabies’ was more soulful rock,
with a full backing band and a more radio-friendly feel. The new CD,
‘Third Time Lucky’ shows a slightly harder, darker side of my song-writing.
There’s still the uplifting anthems to sing along to, but it’s soaked in
old-school rhythm ‘n‘ blues tears and late-night whiskey laments.
Lyrically, there are still songs about love, death, hope and heartbreak, so the
old fans won’t be disappointed!
If people want to listen to your music,
what are the real and virtual spaces they should visit?
The websites which get updated the most are ReverbNation and Facebook – if you become a fan, you’ll get invited to shows and discover
all sorts of exciting stuff there. I don’t play any regular shows in
Prague, but I really like Joy, and I’m sure to play there again soon.
‘Third Time Lucky’, the new
CD by Alasdair Bouch, was released on 10th May 2013. Keep an eye on MP’s
Facebook page for Prague concerts information!
Prepared by Petra Johana Poncarová from Ffakt Magazine; published on the
15th of May 2013.
