Steve
Cradock’s influence upon a generation of Brit-rock guitar bands has almost
become ubiquitous. Famed principally as the lead guitarist and musical driving
force behind Ocean Colour Scene, he has also served as Paul Weller’s guitarist
for more than two decades, leaving an indelible print on the UK music
landscape. Yet, in amongst the hours spent either on tour or in the studio with
one or another of his aforementioned day jobs, he has also managed to carve out
enough time to pen, record and produce three solo albums, the latest of which –
‘Travel Wild – Travel Free’ – is due for release on September 30th.
While
Cradock’s influences are far from ambiguous – the hallmarks of The Beatles, The
Stones, The Jam, et al are stamped proudly upon much of his work – his ability
to merge them with his own musical vision has produced some of the most iconic
riffs to come out of Britain in years, rendering him a something of a guitar
hero to many along the way.
However,
while the likes of Ocean Colour Scene classics ‘The Riverboat Song’ and ‘100
Mile High City’, may paint a picture of a man dealing in the currency of
show-stopping riffola, Cradock’s knack for knowing when to keep things simple
and applying a more understated style is soon forced to the fore within his solo
efforts.
As with
each individual outings, ‘Travel Wild – Travel Free’ provides the guitarist
with free rein to produce an album that is entirely his own, free of the
artistic constraints that bely the nature of being one part of a four-piece
band, or indeed, the guitarist in another solo artist’s entourage. “I play most
of the instruments on each of the solo records,” he states. “And I’m heavily
involved in the mixing and production side of each of my solo albums. This
one’s been no different.”
Employing
a far more psychedelic, ‘60s sound than has previously been showcased in his
work, Cradock has drawn from a relatively small, yet undeniably strong
collection of guitars for the recording process of the album. “For the acoustic
tracks I used a Taylor 12-string and a couple of Gibson J200s. On the tracks
where I played electric guitar, I mostly used a Gibson 335, a Les Paul and a
Fender telecaster. For bass, I’ve been using a Hofner Violin. That’s it, in
terms of the guitars used on the album.
“To be
honest, I’ve actually got quite a small collection of guitars. I’ve got a strat
and a telecaster, a 335 and a Les Paul, and between them, I can’t imagine what
else you’d need.”
Earlier
this year, Cradock was, in fact, unveiled as a sponsored artist for Hofner and
his affection for the brand comes in no small part from his love of the
aforementioned bass. “It’s a classic, isn’t it? If you’ve got flat-wound
strings on it, that’s the classic Paul McCartney sound.”
As a
sponsored artist for such an iconic brand, has he, then, ever been asked, or
indeed hoped to be asked to one day apply his signature touch to a model of his
own? Well, apparently not. “I’m not really interested in having a Steve Cradock
signature guitar or anything like that. All I need is a good guitar.”
Despite
his status as bona fide guitar hero, Cradock’s considerable aptitude for
tinkling the ivories is something that also emerges throughout ‘Travel Wild –
Travel Free’, as is his readiness to embrace new technology.
“We’ve
actually been using a lot more in the way of keyboards and melotrons,” he
explains. “ We’ve even been using mobile phone apps! There’s this amazing
melotron simulator app called a Manetron, which sounds exactly like a real
melotron. It really is amazing.”
While
purists and cynics may be quick to pour scorn on the growing adoption and
reliance upon digital technology and effects in the writing and recording
process, Cradock is staunchly of the opinion that to work ‘in the box’ in no
way compromises the artistic integrity of the work.
“I used
a Blackstar amp for recording but I’ve actually been using a lot of the plugins
on Logic to create a kind of twisted, distorted sixties sound; just playing
around with what’s in the box. And, where I’ve been recording most of it in my
living room, it’s easier than wheeling a big amp out, so I’ve just been doing
it that way. I don’t know if that’s copping out or not, but if it is, I don’t
really care. If it gets you to a place where you’re happy with the sound,
that’s what matters.”
Recorded
using Logic and mixed using Pro Tools, Cradock experimented with a raft of
different effects and filters to create the psychedelic, heavily reverberated
tones exhibited on the album. Such effects became particularly prevalent when
it came to recording and mixing the vocals – a duty shared with his wife and
long-time collaborator Sally.
“She
[Sally] kept on saying the vocals and the way that they were mixed sounded too
psychedelic at first; a bit to reverby and floaty. But that’s what you’ve got
to do if you’ve got a shit voice! You have to play around with the sound and
turn it into more of an instrument.”
Working
to a tight schedule with each of his previous solo outings, this time out
Cradock was able to approach the album with a far more considered, some might
say leisurely work ethic, recording when the time was available, as opposed to
locking himself in a room and forcing the process.
“The
recording process has changed quite a bit since the last album. Whenever I’ve
had a spare few days I’ll go over to the studio, which is about an hours’ drive
from my house, and we’d just try and record a few demos and then go back and
work on them at home. Then go back to the studio and do a bit more, so it’s
been more bitty this time around.
“With
the last album we were stuck in this cottage for the entire process and it was
really intense. We’d be finishing at 2am and starting again at 8am, so I didn’t
fancy doing it that way again. It took us a couple of months to record this
one, whereas the last one was done in about six days.”
The
ability to adapt to different recording situations is evidently something
Cradock has become accustomed to on account of his work with Ocean Colour Scene
and Paul Weller – two outfits whose approaches to working in the studio lie
oceans apart. “When it’s just me it’s very different because the buck stops
here. With Ocean Colour Scene, I get the feeling that no one really wants to be
there that much; sometimes it’s a case of turning up late and knocking off
early. With this, it’s a labour of love.
“It’s
amazing recording with Paul, but he’s very intense. We will go on until late at
night and then he’ll go “come on, let’s do another take.” It’s really exciting
doing it the way he does it and he’s always got something interesting to work
on and a few good ideas in his pocket.”
Having
reflected on his work over the past 25 years, conversation turns to Cradock’s
formative years as a musician, as he identifies exactly when he knew he wanted
to turn his hand to playing an instrument.
“I
actually started out as a bass player,” he notes. “It was due to hearing songs
like ‘Funeral Pyre’ and ‘Start’ by The Jam when I was about 11. My first ever
bass was a Kay’s catalogue bass with copper strings. It was a piece of shit but
it was enough to get me started. Pretty quickly I wanted a Rickenbacker 4001,
which I got when I was about 16. They used to be a bit cheaper, but where they
only make a certain amount a year now, and loads of new bands have been using
them, you can’t get hold of ‘em anymore.”
Casting
an eye back to those early years, Cradock remembers the days when local music
shops were not just a place to buy instruments from, but also played a pivotal
role in the culture of a vibrant, local music scene. “For people of my age
local music shops were really important. There was this amazing music shop near
me when I was growing up called Musical Exchanges and it had the most amazing
‘60s strats and telecasters and vintage amps, and we’d all go up there on a
Saturday and spend the whole day in there. It was where you’d go to see which
bands were looking for new members and stuff; there was a real culture there.
“However,
people who don’t know that culture and who buy online aren’t really missing
anything, as they’ve never experienced it. It’s a shame though. There’s a shop
in Torquay where my mate works that’s been shut down, so I haven’t got a music
shop now that I can just pop into, which is a real pisser for me. But, how are
you supposed to keep shops going now, with the way things are going online? You
can browse a hundred shops at once and get what you’re looking for at half the
price. I think it’s awful.”
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