Coxon Goes Acoustic

Graham Coxon will have one gasp of solo life before re-entering Blur, with his solo album 'The Spinning Top' due for release next month.

Coxon has surprised fans recently, heading into the studio to record a folk album on his own stead before aiding Pete Doherty's own solo effort. The two albums have much in common, with the twin talents sharing a love for groundbreaking British folk releases from the 70s.

The names of Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, Anne Briggs and many more loom large when discussing 'The Spinning Top'. Yet Coxon is well known for crafting scratchy punk-pop, with his new direction taking fans by surprise.

In a new interview Graham Coxon claims "I guess it could be called homage, but to be so deliberate is a bit weird. A lot of that music has rubbed off on me because I’ve been listening to it over the past five years or so (God, it’s even longer now, time goes so quick) and thinking, I’d love to be able to play like that."

"I was getting a bit depressed that I was just a bloomin’ rock-style electric guitar player and that I couldn’t do anything that was particularly pretty; that when I went into a guitar shop I couldn’t do anything nice. When people try out acoustic guitars they can normally play nice things…" he said.

"But I thought, well, I’ll just give it a go, and I got myself an acoustic guitar that I liked, this old Martin, and I thought, cor this is nice actually, I can see why people might enjoy playing a good acoustic guitar. I decided I’d start learning a few Davey Graham songs, and I just found it really rewarding."

Coxon also reveals how his past has informed some of the album's most memorable moments. "There are songs like ‘Humble Man’ that reflect what I’ve personally felt about past relationships and alcohol addiction and all that mess. That song’s sort of like a prayer, especially the chorus; it’s a little prayer to God to help keep your feet on the ground and stay humble and learn to be a good bloke."

The full interview with Graham Coxon appears in the forthcoming edition of Clash Magazine, due to appear in the shops next week.

Graham Coxon's new album 'The Spinning Top' is set to be released on May 11th.