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X-clusive: Graham Coxon Learns To Fly

added 27 July 2004 at 10.50

Following an astounding Xfm Live Session last night (July 27), Graham Coxon has spoken exclusively to Xfm Online about his new single ‘Spectacular’, how to take on The Darkness at Reading Festival and how he’s finally stepping out of his own shadow.

Five solo albums under his belt and you’d be forgiven for thinking Graham Coxon may have a little confidence in his music by now. However, the bespectacled guitarist explains it’s only recently that he’s allowed himself to enjoy his gigs.

“I like playing the smaller venues because you can feel what the audience are thinking,” he considers. “It’s nice because recently I’ve been allowing myself to enjoy the affection I’ve been feeling from the audiences, whereas in the past I’ve been quite cynical about that sort of thing.

“The crowds seem to be a nice mix of people that are perhaps just getting into my stuff since ‘Freakin’ Out’ and fans that have been with me for ten years or so. But even in Blur there were a few Coxon nutters.”

By the third single most bands are scrabbling through their albums looking for anything in the least bit radio-friendly. However, Coxon has followed the garage rawk of ‘Freakin’ Out’ and the thoughtful heartache of ‘Bittersweet Bundle Of Misery’ with new single ‘Spectacular’, a record that simply does what it says on the tin.

“I suppose it’s about a reaction, good or bad, and about getting revved up about photographs of people,” Coxon explains. “It’s about having crushes on people without knowing them and my tendancy to idealise, just like the rest of the world, about images. Saying that, I still don’t understand the full purpose of lyrics. Lyrics are just words that have the impact with the music. If it was meant to be poetry, I’d be ashamed, but these are pop music lyrics and I am quite fond of some of them.

“Just recently I’ve decided I’m gonna fly a bit with my music. People have said for ages ‘You’ve got a lovely voice, it should be higher in the mix’ and I’ve just scoffed, but I’m paying a bit more attention to them now. Yonks ago Marianne Faithful said ‘I’d just love to see you fly more, Graham’ so that’s what I’m doing. I’m rocking out more and just being a little more unashamed.”

With his headline set on the second stage up against The Darkness' Main Stage show at the Carling Weekend , Coxon has already begun contemplating just what it is that his show has that the Lowestoft rockers doesn’t. And more importantly, just what he should wear for the occasion.

“It’s all about the red hot sound we’re going to make. And I s’pose the music I make isn’t really that funny, but there’s plenty to laugh at at my shows,” he concludes. “In between songs is when I become myself and I find it very difficult, but when I’m playing I’m being exactly what I thought rock stars were supposed to be when I was eight years old.

“I’ve even caught myself trying to decide what to wear for the past few weeks,” he adds sheepishly. “I suppose that’s one thing I do have in common with Justin then…”   

Graham Coxon releases 'Spectacular' this week, while the album 'Happiness In Magazines' is out now.

Tagged as Graham Coxon, archive

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