Best known for his subtle, lyrical guitar playing with The Coral, Bill Ryder-Jones recently chose to focus on his own output.
Recording a soundtrack for a short film, the guitarist released the material as a free EP earlier this year. In keeping with the soundtrack theme, Bill Ryder-Jones unveiled plans for a new project: this time focussing on a novel.
Out now, new album ‘If…’ finds Bill Ryder-Jones working with Liverpool’s Philharmonic Orchestra to craft a vast, sweeping soundtrack. Based on ‘If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller’ by Italo Calvino, the album is an artistic success that is capable of standing apart from the novel.
Inviting Bill Ryder-Jones to discuss his literary tastes, the guitarist becomes the latest entrant for Their Library…
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What is your favourite book and why?
My favourite book is ‘If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller’ by Calvino. I love its intent and its execution. I love the balance of ambiguity and substance. It has everything for me, great story telling that doesn’t get lost in imagery, great imagery that opens you up to great stories and like anything you love it came to me at an important time in my life.
What other authors do you like?
No one that you wont have heard of, Bukowski, Bulgakov, George Orwell, Thomas Mann, Samuel Beckett i actually mainly read history books and poetry thought the moment. I love Eugenio Montale and I like a bit of John Donne too.
What draws you to certain books?
I’m a sucker for a European city, that’s always a good sign. Weirdly I get turned off by the whole Americana thing despite loving Charles Bukowski and Jack Kerouac. It may seem a bit obvious but I often just go off the title, it should be the mark of a good writer to pick a good title I think.
Have you ever discovered a real lost classic? What is it and why?
I found a book called ‘Music At Night’ by Huxley in a book shop on Camden Lock years ago. It’s a series of essays but it’s brilliant. In one of the essays he says something like “After silence that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music” I love that line. Mind you I doubt it’s a lost classic though it was to me at the time.
Do your literary influences have a direct impact on your songwriting?
Massively yes, most of my favourite things I wrote off the back of reading something beautiful. I love literature as it’s something I could never do really, it still contains that magic of being completely out of my realm.
What are you reading at the moment?
At the moment not much, I have a book called ‘Rome’ by the bath but I guess the last novels I read were ‘Bed’ by David Whitehouse and ‘Wild Abandon’ by Joe Dunthorne. Both I really loved really and both are brilliant writers.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child?
God I dont know, I didnt read a lot. Maybe ‘Diggers’ by Terry Pratchet but I always found his books to be a bit depressing. My mum loves him though.
Did you make good use of your library card as a child / teenager?
Not at all. I think the first thing I ever got out from the library was something like ‘Meditations on the first philosophy’ by Descartes when I was trying to impress my friends and seem clever, I would have been about 16 I think.
How do you think literature achieves timelessness?
That’s a twat of a question. I guess there’s a couple of ways. One is to write something that is unlike anything else and completely changes the way the world looks at writing and another is to write something that supports an important time in life and hope that other factors come into play to push it on. That’s probably rot come to think of it but it’s the best you’re getting from me.
Do you read book reviews?
I dont really.
Would you ever re-read the same book?
Yeah I’ve read ‘Ancient Cities’ by Richard Miles about three times and I’ve read ‘the Master and Marghuerita’ a few too.
Have you ever identified with a character in a book? Which one and why?
Yeah the unnamed in ‘The Unnamable’ by Samuel Beckett. Joke.
Do you read one book at a time or more than one?
Well I always have a non-fiction on the go so yeah I guess I do.
Is there an author / poet you would like to collaborate with?
There are a few yeah. I mentioned David and Joe before and I’ve got a dear friend called Michael Pedersen who’s a poet from auld reekie, he’s just about the best writer I’ve ever met. We’ve been talking about doing something for years but we’re both too busy trying to prove ourselves I think.
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‘If…’ is out now.
