E-Interview - Stickboy

 

Gentle portraits of the everyday, playful melodies, clattering instrumentation and a little charm, this is the sound of Stickboy, and it seems to be stuck in our heads.

Since releasing his first album earlier this year, Manchester’s Stickboy, aka Craig, has had a track featured in Gossip Girl and picked up some Lamacq love and looks destined for a little extra appreciation as the summer rolls on.

We caught up with him down an ethernet cable near you to talk about bands, writing songs and fluffy bunnies…

Hi, how are you?

I’m very well thank you, busy busy, writing, recording and sorting out artwork etc for a 7" vinyl release that will be coming out very soon.

You’ve just released your debut album ‘Under The Sleepy Moon’ through Piccadilly Records. Are you happy?

Yeah very happy, I haven’t played live for a while, due to not having a band at the moment so I really wasn’t sure how well it would be received, but it seems to have gone very well indeed and I’ve had a few lovely reviews and airplay on XFM and more recently Radio 2! I was offered to have it stocked at the Zavvi store in Manchester also but I wanted to keep it just in Piccadilly records, they have been very nice to me since I started releasing EPs.

How has growing up in Manchester influenced you and your music?

I love Manchester, for me it’s the best city in the world and it always feels like home. I can’t say musically that it has been a huge influence.... apart from the fact that there is so much talent in the city that it kinda makes you want to be better. I suppose my influences mainly come from the music I love, from folk to indie and county.

After a bit of research (we’re like that), we know you wrote and recorded most of the songs for your album between Nov 07 and Jan 08. That’s pretty snappy, what gives??

Haha! I have no idea, sometimes I don’t write at all and other times I literally can't stop....and when I can’t stop I have to capture it. I also released an EP not long before this album with 6 songs written in the same period and did a 7 day song challenge (through my myspace page) where I wrote a new song everyday for 7 days and posted it on my page... only one of these songs is on the album.

Song writing. Evil henchman or fluffy bunny?

A big fluffy bunny in a spring meadow.... well something like that. I LOVE song writing and recording, it’s the main reason I do music.

What’s best, playing live or recording?

I haven’t played live in a while.... I did used to love the half an hour or so on stage with the band but it totally terrifies me... I’d actually feel sick from the day I booked the gig till the day I did it, and this could have been weeks or months, but once I was on and playing I was fine. I've tried the solo thing but it’s not really for me.

Any live shows in the pipeline to support the album?

Nothing is planned right this minute, but I am going to sort a band out soon... I also work a full time job so fitting it all in is pretty hard but I’m sure it will all come together in good time.

You seem very in touch with your fans – posting new demos on myspace etc. Is this a conscious decision?

Kind of.... I make little videos as soon as I write a song mainly so I don’t forget it and one time I did one that I liked, so I just put it on myspace and people really liked it so I kept doing it. If people can hear it in its rawest most basic form and enjoy it, then when they hear the final recorded thing they can see the progress the song has made.

There’s a lot of storytelling in your lyrics. Do you write about you or just make it up?

A lot of my songs are about me, or the world or people that I know.... obviously some are just stories with parts of myself in it... maybe substituting characters..... like I have a song called "Scared Of The Night" which sounds like a song about a ghost who doesn’t like the dark, but is really about a singer who is scared of the stage....silly really.

You have 1 hour to live and £10 in your pocket. What do you do?

Play my guitar, drink tea, kiss someone special and say goodbye to my friends. The ten pounds can come with me.

Do you think you’ll always release records independently or are you hoping for a major label at some point?

I’m happy self releasing but I would never turn down the "right" label. Obviously if I could make a living doing music or at least have the time to be able to write and tour and earn just enough to get by I would be happy.

One of your songs, Today, was featured in US TV show Gossip Girl. How did that come about and what affect has it had?

An agency that syncs music to TV got in contact with me and asked if I’d be interested. I know to some people that lending your songs to places can be seen as selling out, but at my level it’s amazing exposure. It wasn't majorly featured on the show but it was all over their websites. I think it definitely got me a few more fans in the U.S.

Is there a Stickboy band or is it all you?

It’s all still me, I’ve always recorded and written solo... I did have a live band but people had to get "proper" jobs and things so that ended. I have tried writing with people but it doesn’t really work for me....I think it’s a very personal thing.

Five favourite artists in no particular order?

• Dylan
• Neil young
• Fionn Regan
• Iron and wine
• Ed harcourt.

These change all the time but Neil young and Dylan will ALWAYS be there.

Any guilty pleasures?

Eating nutri grain bars and bananas at the same time.... if you mean music then that’s a secret.. haha!

Where does the name Stickboy come from?

It’s from a poetry book by Tim Burton. The first poem is called Stickboy and Match Girl in Love. Also I love trees and I’m as skinny as a stick so it’s quite fitting!

Are you writing songs for another album at all? What happens next for Stickboy?

I’m always writing...... I have recorded 3 new songs since the album release and am always writing new ideas. I have a split 7" vinyl coming out through new Manchester label The Lost and Lonely Singles Club with the rather excellent Run Toto Run taking up the other half of the record. I’m very, very excited about this.... I’ve always wanted my songs on vinyl.

Dan MuHead & Laura Rodwell

Get Pointing At Clouds from iTunes

More Stickboy at myspace.com/stickboyuk  

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