Do you have anything new on the horizon,
recording-wise?
Yeah, there are some things in the air, possibly in
Nashville. I’m supposed to be going there in two
weeks’ time. There’s nothing going on at all at the
moment, but there will be. Between Justin and
Skin and everybody, we’ve got about forty
different instrumental ideas already. We work with
a guy called Tim Oliver, who’s the studio manager
down at Real World, Peter Gabriel’s place, and we
can mess about in there. I can
spend an afternoon with Tim
and really shift styles and stems
of music in preparation to
shape them as songs. We’ve
recorded the last two records
with Tim and it’s a great way
of doing things. It’s a good
combination. We all know
where we’re going.Will there be a follow-up to
Raising Sand at some point?
Oh, I’m sure, yeah. I see Alison a lot
and talk to her a lot. And T Bone
too. The reality is that I ran backonce before, and Patty had made her American Kid
record [2013] and was touring with that. And
I think once you start splintering off and going
different ways, and you’re a stranger in a place
where people still think there’s a mirror ball
rotating around your head, it’s really good to dig in
with the reality of the Space Shifters. There’s no
greater thing than being on stage when these guys
are in full flight.Pete Townshend recently said he
thought guitar-based rock’n’roll had
exhausted its possibilities, and that
new technology has opened the
door to create other forms of music
with different attitudes and ways of
working. What’s your take on that?
I just think that the game is there for
everybody and everything. As far
as the people on the street are
concerned, it’s just a matter of taste.
There are people making great
music everywhere, all the time.
Pete’s right in that as far as recording
techniques and changing the whole
idea of creating songs goes, youdon’t have to worry about a guitar solo. You can
put in lots of little bits of confectionery in
contemporary stuff. And humour and social
commentary. Not everything has to come from
Nashville. I think that’s just the way that Pete feels.
Also, he’s been travelling a lot, so he’s probably
switched on to all sorts of musical formats.One of the things that you refute in the
podcast is the idea that you’re restless. Instead
you say it’s more a case of you being inspired
and constantly stimulated.
It’s another way of looking at the same condition,
isn’t it? It’s the same beast. I don’t know when the
curtain’s going to close for me, either as somebody
who’s inspired or as somebody who’s actually
breathing, but five-a-side on a Wednesday night is
not enough. So I do this. And I’m lucky, because I’ve
got two or three different roads that I can enjoy
with people, and different rewards. I do know that
bona-fide bands put out records and tend to feel
disappointed. Because the whole window of
exposure and opportunity has gone, no matter
whether it’s Neil Young, Elton John or whoever it
may be that people are ready to switch on to. But
who cares? If it’s fucking hip-hop or a cover of
a Melanie song, it doesn’t matter. Just do what you
do and feel it and mean it.Robert Plant’s Digging Deep box set is out on
February 28, 2020 via EsParanza. The second
season of the podcast Digging Deep With Robert
Plant is available now.GE
TTY“If it’s f**king hip-hop or a cover of a Melanie
song, it doesn’t matter. Just do what you do and
feel it and mean it.”
Performing in Lisbon,
Portugal, July 7, 2016.36 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM