John Miller Interview

Radio Sweethearts lead singer / songwriter 'e-chats' about the making of the "New Memories" and "Lonesome Blue" albums, his musical heroes and more...

Q. As founder member, lead singer and songwriter of Radio Sweethearts your appreciation of traditional Country Music is very apparent, since when have you been a fan of this kind of music and who are your musical heroes?

A. I've listened to Country Music from an early age, since I was old enough to realise, I guess,

so I'd regard myself as being a lifelong fan. I grew up on what I thought was a traditional West of Scotland diet of Hank, Johnny, Patsy, Jim Reeves, etc. I was, and still am, obsessed with all things Hank and would buy or steal whatever I could lay my hands on in the quest for new Hank songs. It's only recently I'd say that I was content with my Hank collection so I'd have to say that he is definitely my foremost musical hero. Even through those difficult teenage years of jumping around to punk rock and ska, Hank was always waiting for me when I got home - I just didn't let my narrow minded buddies in on the secret. It was only after another of my musical heroes, Elvis Costello, recorded his "Almost Blue" LP that some of my compadres figured country was cool after all - and there was I with a fine collection of it. Elvis Costello was also responsible for my initial introduction to the work of another hero of mine, Gram Parsons, covering both "Hot Burrito No.1" (as "I'm Your Toy") and "How Much I Lied" on his LP. Sadly the original recordings of these songs wouldn't become widely available in the UK until years later, and even then only on import to begin with but I did manage to console myself with a battered copy of the, unfortunately Gram-less, "Last of The Red Hot Burritos" live LP. My other country heroes are too numerous to mention but would definitely include all of the people I've mentioned so far plus Faron Young, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.

Q. The first Sweethearts album was recorded very quickly. What do you remember about that session and working with Kim Fowley?

A. I was one of the many people who were aware of Kim Fowley's part in musical history without really knowing, or realising I knew, any of his work. I'd heard about him from friends like Lindsay Hutton and BMX Bandits and knew he had a reputation for being, putting it diplomatically, slightly eccentric. Nothing they told me prepared me for meeting him in the flesh. After he had agreed to go in to the studio with the Sweethearts I was asked, nay summoned, to appear before him armed only with my acoustic guitar and sing every song we had ever written while he sat there writing down the titles and giving them all marks out of ten. A very daunting experience, believe me. Actually, I still have that piece of paper in my possession which I took as a grisly memento. Anyhow, a day or two later we assembled at Riverside studio in Busby, near Glasgow, to cut our debut single for Shoeshine Records. Kim's arrival was preceded by a fax teling us which songs he wanted us to record. To my complete horror it contained a couple of songs which the rest of the band hadn't even heard, let alone rehearsed, and which I had to frantically try to teach them before K.F. arrived. As if we weren't nervous enough!

Once Kim arrived we set up so that we could record everything at the same time, live. After one or two false starts we recorded the song "New Memories". Our nerves were shot to hell and someone suggested that we do a couple of old Hank tunes just to loosen up, Kim agreed reluctantly, and we played through "I Saw The Light" and some other stuff. Unknown to us Kim kept the tape running so we ended up recording these as well. Following this every song we recorded was done in one take (the first); we had no choice as we would no sooner finish one song and Kim would yell "NEXT!". Unbelievably we ended up with 15 tracks recorded - and mixed - in one 18 hour session. We figured we would definitely be able to get a single out of it and there the matter would have ended if Kim hadn't called from the USA to say "I've got you a deal for your album". What album? we cried en masse, but, it was true, thanks to "mad" Kim Fowley we had made our first album and the rest, as they say, is history.

A. Apart from the obvious fact that "Lonesome Blue" contains all original songs, I think the main difference, for me, is that "Lonesome Blue" seems more like an album and not just a collection of songs thrown together. There are none of the acoustic fillers which appeared on "New Memories". Also, I'd always felt that "New Memories" was not very representative of John Miller the songwriter. I'm probably happy with less than half of my contribution to that album and even those songs that I am happy with I don't feel are among the best I've written, before or since. I know different folks have different opinions on what they like so I'm not going to put a damper on anyone else's listening pleasure by naming names. I'll just say that there are some tracks I don't really like and leave it at that. I am, however, more than happy with my entire contribution to "Lonesome Blue". Although both LPs were recorded in the same studio and in the same fashion, I think that the easier pace at which "Lonesome Blue" was recorded (four and a half days instead of 18 hours - a luxury) gives it the edge. It also allowed us to iron out the one or two rough edges which would have found their way on to "New Memories". We kept overdubs to the barest minimum we could get away with - mainly backing vocals - on both albums but probably worked a little harder on the harmonies on "Lonesome Blue".

A. I've never thought of being "proud" of my songs but I suppose they are like your babies in a way and when you see them grow from the initial idea into a fully recorded song you do take a little pride. The songs that I really like a lot are "A Deeper Hurt" from the "New Memories... Revisited" album and "Heart On The Line", "San Francisco" and "Let Me Be Your Man Tonight" from "Lonesome Blue", I'm also proud of my contribution to the title track. I'm also pretty excited by some of my new songs which we've started to perform live like "Popping Pills", "We Don't Care Anymore" and "Everybody Knows".

Q. Do you feel disadvantaged being based in Scotland and making this kind of music?

A. I do feel at a bit of a disadvantage but only where the influence of some members of the UK media are concerned. Some of them seem to have a problem with where we are geographically which leads to preconceived ideas about our music. This is why they are fond of words like "pastiche", which I've seen used once or twice in connection with us. The unfortunate thing about it is that, although it is only one person's opinion, it can still influence some people who read it. If reviewers had to listen to and review albums without any reference to background info I'm sure they could find more constructive things to say about the actual music, but no, it's "Glasgow band play Country??? Surely not". They just don't seem able to accept it. I wonder what they would say if it was an Austin, Texas songwriter based, for whatever reason, in Glasgow? Strangely enough the very people who consistently DO NOT have a problem with what we do are the Americans, our first album received nothing but rave reviews stateside and even got to number 29 on the Gavin Americana chart. We've also played with numerous visiting US acts who actively like our music.

To me it's a simple equation. I grew up listening to and being influenced by the exact same records as a lot of my US contemporaries, I know because I've spoken to many of them at length about it, therefore it stands to reason that I would use those influences in my work in the exact same way that they do, so, what I write is, surely, as valid as what they write, even if I was unfortunate enough to be born on the wrong continent.

A. I tend to gravitate towards folks who share an obvious love of the more traditional country which I enjoy. I'm a big Dale Watson fan and I love the new Slaid Cleaves album "Broke Down". I also enjoy Wayne Hancock, Robbie Fulks and BR5-49. Steve Earle at his beat is hard to beat, oh, and I also love "Not The Trembling Kind" by my Spit and Polish label-mate, Laura Cantrell.