This June, promoters Troubadour are bringing Hugh Cornwell, the original singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of The Stranglers, to Australia.
Their events page rightly states: “As leader of The Stranglers, Hugh was the main songwriter of all the band’s most memorable songs across 10 stellar albums, all of which consolidated Cornwell’s stature as a unique songwriter and musician.
“His lyrics to 'Golden Brown', from the 'La Folie' album, and their multiple meanings, are a songwriting masterclass. Widely regarded as the poet laureate of punk, Hugh Cornwell has also built a substantial and singular body of impressive solo albums."
Something like 10 studio albums, and about as many live records. He's also written three novels (“Future Tense”, “Window on the World” and “Arnold Drive”) and three non-fiction books relating to The Stranglers (“Inside Information”, “The Stranglers Song by Song” and “A Multitude of Sins”.)
For younger Barflies, note that Cornwell made a guest appearance on Billy Nomates' “Metal Horse” last year. Cornwall’s most recent studio album is “Moments of Madness” and, there's a current live effort, “All The Fun of The Fair”.
Old farts might notice that Steve Albini produced his “Totem & Taboo” in 2012, and Gary Steel of Witchdoctor website rightly commented: "In a world of egotistic over-achieving and slack-arse under-achieving, Hugh Cornwell knows how to play it just right, and “Totem & Taboo” is a master class in sticking to your guns and doing what you do well".
That comment may as well be about all of Cornwell's solo work: I might add that there's more than a small dollop of wry, inverted humour about Cornwell's work - but I'm sure you already know that. We spoke this week.
I-94 Bar: I'll apologise for asking so many questions about the past; I'm sure you're tired of the same ones so I've tried to find areas which I don't think have been looked at too much. You're a cricket fan, so you're obviously an honorary Australian. What is it that still draws you to the game - and what was it which got you hooked?
Hugh Cornwell: What attracts me to cricket is the wonderful order of the game, completely different from the music business. My father was a draftsman by profession, and used to work at home a lot, so he would have the cricket radio commentary on whilst he worked.
I-94 Bar: You've been playing steadily since the late 1960s. Where on earth do you find the stamina? I mean, performing takes a lot of effort... so what is it that drives you?
Hugh Cornwell: I try to keep fit and healthy, no more reckless living. And a good diet is important.
I-94 Bar: Could you tell us about the impact that Richard Thompson had on you?
Hugh Cornwell: Richard had a profound impact on me; he taught me to play bass.
I-94 Bar: Many Stranglers fans might not know that you in turn taught Jean Jacques Burnel to play bass. Still in the past, I notice that you were a fan of The Graham Bond Organization when you were a schoolboy - what was it that drew you in, and how did it affect your own music and songwriting? I'm assuming - and I could be wrong - that they were one of the bands which were more effective in mixing up r'n'b and jazz and sliding into prog?
Hugh Cornwell: The Baker/Bruce rhythm section was tops and Graham was a remarkable performer. I liked the way they mixed it up, as you say!
I-94 Bar: There's more than a small element of darkness to your songs, as well as irony and double-meaning. How has this worked for you? - and - any idea where this came from?
Hugh Cornwell: I have no idea where this has come from. Writing lyrics has become a sort of diary of my life.
I-94 Bar: In “When I Was a Young Man” (from “Moments of Madness” in 2022), there are some lyrics which absolutely floored me: "Mother, please forgive me/ For forgetting you forget/ Father, I forgive you/ For regretting that we met", and two other stanzas about (I assume) your mum and dad. Was this song autobiographical? could you elaborate at all?
Hugh Cornwell: Yes, this song is autobiographical - after leaving The Stranglers I had extra time on my hands and I spent it with my parents, and loved every minute of it.
I-94 Bar: How does it feel to be singing songs you wrote in 1975 alongside songs you wrote last year?
Hugh Cornwell: I guess many artists do the same these days, so it has become standard practice.
I-94 Bar: There were several powerful cultural underground movements in 1976. At the time it seemed to us more likely that “something would burst” in the USA, but the Grundy Incident made the underground burst into the overground and changed the world. Back then, did you see it on TV yourselves?
Hugh Cornwell: Yes, I did watch it, and felt the earth move.
I-94 Bar: What was the immediate result - for yourselves and for the cultural underworld in UK?
Hugh Cornwell: Suddenly the attention of the country's press was on what I was doing.
I-94 Bar: I know that, at the time, The Stranglers did not consider themselves “punk”. Looking back though, were they?
Hugh Cornwell: We did not know what we were. The press invented the term “punk”.
I-94 Bar: You've been a solo artist for 36 years, more than double the time you were in The Stranglers. One of the reasons you left was that “all the danger and risk had gone” (I'm referring to your autobio “A Multitude Of Sins” here) - this makes me wonder - is the danger and risk still there for you?
Hugh Cornwell: There is risk every time I release a new album of songs: whether it will be recognized as being relevant or not.
I-94 Bar: Just on that, it strikes me that it's a very different thing to walk on with a huge jackhammer of a band alongside you (as you will be doing on the Australian tour)... and to walk on armed only with a guitar and an attitude. Was this difficult initially?
Hugh Cornwell: I began as a singer with an acoustic guitar to accompany myself, so solo acoustic shows come very naturally to me.
I-94 Bar: We're living in an era of enormous inequality, greed and selfishness - I think the worst era since the Second World War. Yet such human traits have been with us forever, it seems. What gives you hope for the future of us humans?
Hugh Cornwell: I don't have much hope for the human race. History repeats and so do human mistakes.
I-94 Bar: What was your first guitar - and do you still have it?
Hugh Cornwell: My first guitar was a home-made bass that cost me five pounds. I don't still have it.
I-94 Bar: Favourite guitar, and why?
Hugh Cornwell: Always will be a Fender Telecaster. The simplicity is its blessing.
I-94 Bar: Lastly, what advice would you give a musician heading into the industry today?
Hugh Cornwell: Don't give up the day job.
High Cornwall online
Hugh Cornwall
Australian Tour
JUNE
10- – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
12 - Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
13 - Manning Bar, Sydney, NSW
14 - Crowbar, Brisbane, QLD
18 - The Gov, Adelaide, SA
19 - The Rosemount, Perth, WA
Tickets
And now let your fantastic plastic do some strutting: get your tickets to see him - and his band - here:
https://troubadourpresents.com/events/hugh-cornwell/
