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Would-Be-Goods
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One can't help but
feeling a little shy when posing questions to Mrs Jessica
Griffin. After all she's already an institution, one of
the Chosen Few to bring upon us all the mighty word of
indiepop. Young but already aristocratic she went to Mike
Always's court and was to become an essential part of
the many wonders of čl Records: her first album "The Camera
Loves Me", recorded in 1988 with backing by the Monochrome
Set has truly endured the test of time and is now regarderd
as a milestone of pop music. And it was at that time that
Jessica Griffin disappeared from public eye and went back
to her work in the City, to resurface some years later
with the beautiful "Mondo" and coming back for good to
the adoring world of pop music in more recent years. And
as "The Morning After" has proven, the Would-Be-Goods
are stronger than ever and here to stay. And so, with
some emotion, we managed to ask some email questions to
Mrs Griffin: |
"The Morning After" is much more varied
- and in my opinion enjoyable - than Brief Lives, less melacholic
and more upbeat. And it works very well as a whole. Did you
have more time to work on it than you usually do?
Well, making 'The Morning After' was a very enjoyable experience.
The Would-be-goods was a 'real' band for the first time and
we'd played the songs live for a while before we recorded
them, so the process was pretty straightforward. Still, it's
hard to get the four of us together in a studio at the same
time, as some of the band members lead very busy lives, so
the recording took more than a year. It surprises me that
you think the album works better as a whole than 'Brief Lives',
considering that all the songs on the earlier album were written
in a very short space of time, while those on the later album
were written over a much longer period (and three of them
were written by Peter Momtchiloff). Whenever I listen to 'Brief
Lives' now, I notice connections between the songs I wasn't
even aware were there at the time. I think 'The Morning After'
probably has more immediate appeal - certainly it has more
radio-worthy songs.
What's the difference between writing perfect two-minute
pop songs like "Emmanuelle Bčart" or more pensive stuff like
"too old"? Do you follow your mood to write a happy or a sad
song or do you just like to write different stuff to make
a well balanced album?
It just depends how I'm feeling at the time. I can't make
myself write in a particular style if I'm not in the mood.
Sometimes I have to ignore ideas because they don't fit in
with the way I think the Would-be-goods should sound.
You have always been escorted by musicians of proven indiepop-faith:
first The Monochrome Set, now a kind of indiepop-supergroup.
Would you say the Would-be-goods are a real band now? How
much Peter Momchiloff contributes to the WBG songwriting and
sounds? What Adam and Eve did next do sound in facts like
something Heavenly could have sung.
Yes, I'd definitely say we're a real band now, even though
some journalists still insist on describing the Would-be-goods
as a one-woman act. Luckily the other band members don't take
offence easily. Inevitably Peter's distinctive guitar sound
flavours our music and encourages comparisons with the other
bands he's been involved with, but I think the songs he writes
are on the whole very different from the Talulah Gosh/Heavenly/Marine
Research material - more dark, mysterious and melancholy.
(Although he and I both write songs, we never collaborate.)
Though I agree with what you say about 'Adam and Eve'. I don't
think other comparisons with Peter's other bands are helpful,
much as I like their records.
The media have always given a very definite image of yourself,
a middle class and sophisticated lady, the kind of ensglishwoman
who will eventually come to live on the Tuscany hills. Do
you think this image represents you in some way or was it
just the fact that you were first presented that way by Mike
Alway?
Are the photoshoots on The Morning After intended as a way
to make fun of that?
In answer to your second question - yes! (And to gratify a
particular fantasy of Peter's...)
Mike Alway never invented anything about me, only exaggerated
what was already there. He saw me as an anachronism, as someone
who would have been more at home in the first half of the
twentieth century rather than in the second. To some extent
that's true. I've always been a bit of an old lady at heart.
 What
do you like most about London?
The varied architecture, the history, the writers who've lived
here over the centuries, the laissez-faire attitude, the bookshops,
the restaurants (Chinese, Lebanese, Japanese... and of course,
Italian). My favourite thing is going for long walks around
London - three hours or more - just exploring. I always find
something new.
You are a brilliant writer and you have always managed
to create short stories that the listener can sympathize to.
on Brief Lives the title was giving away the fat you were
writing short stories about life. Do The Morning After have
a different setting? Do you write about things that have happened
to you or just like to make stories up?
You are very kind! Actually, 'Morning After' is just as much
a collection of short stories as 'Brief Lives'. I suppose
there is an autobiographical element to most of the stories,
but often I take as my starting-point something I've been
reading or listening to. (For example, I wrote 'Miss La-di-dah'
as a riposte to all those 1960s garage band songs about girls
abandoning their boyfriends because they think they're too
good for them.)
Your favourite novels and movies?
At the moment, my favourite films are 'Wild Strawberries',
'Gilda' and 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'. My favourite novel
currently is 'The Blessing' by Nancy Mitford.
Since your comeback it seems you have been writing songs
more or less on a regular basis. Is the act of writing songs
a need, a pleasure, a work or what else?
The writing of songs is sometimes a compulsive activity for
me - I wake up in the middle of the night with lines in my
head I just have to write down. Then I go for long periods
without writing a word (or note) - usually when the rest of
my life is going well - and worry that I'll never write again.
Mike Alway has just started his new label (the Sound of
Chartreuse). He has often been depicted as a sweet dictator,
he used to commission songs on specific subjects, he was often
the one in the spotlight. For your experience, how much control
he exerted over čl's output? Have you heard something coming
out from his new label?
Yes, I'd heard that Mike had started a new label. He enjoyed
being described as a Svengali figure but (in my experience,
at least) that wasn't true. He had an extremely talented group
of people (Simon Turner, Louis Philippe, Nick Curry, etc)
on the label and I don't think they needed much direction,
although I know Mike occasionally suggested song titles. I
haven't heard anything from the Sound of Chartreuse but I
gather his inspiration is pretty much unchanged.
The Rough Trade Indiepop compilation has brought back some
interest in the UK indiepop scene of the 80s. Did you feel
at some time in the 80s that you were part of a bigger scene?
And I don't mean only as a part of čl record, but the whole
indiepop scene?
I definitely did not feel part of a scene. 'Out on a limb'
would have been a better description. We brave souls on el
earned the undying hatred of people like Paul Weller and most
of the writers on the NME.
We have just celebrated with a retrospective the latest
album from Françoise Hardy. As most female pop singers of
our time you probably own something to her. What was her songs
you liked the most? Do you still follow her career? Did you
ever get in front of a mirror pretending you were her?
I grew up listening to my parents' Francoise Hardy records.
I've never consciously imitated her but I like her very straight
delivery and understated style. I've only really heard a couple
of her later records, some of which I like.
I can't remember doing the singing-into-a-hairbrush-in-front-of-a-mirror
thing but I've always liked singing along with her, even when
I couldn't quite make out all the words. (Thank you, Google!)
In the same way you have undoubtedly been a role model
for many young pop singers of today (the name of Kahimi Karie
pops up). Are there any indiepop singers or acts that you
think have followed in your footsteps?
I'm amazed that I've been a role model for anyone. I had heard
that the J-Pop movement in Japan was inspired by el and I've
heard Kahimi's cover of 'Fruit Paradise', although it's more
of a tribute to Simon Turner (who wrote the song) than to
the Would-be-goods. I'd be interested to hear of anyone who
claims to be directly influenced by me.
Do you have songs/daughters and do they listen to your
songs and give any criticism?
I have one daughter who tells me that my music is not the
sort of thing she'd like if it were by anyone else. I think
that's all the criticism I need. But she's not really into
pop music at the moment, except for Kate Bush.
Salvatore
Links:
The Would-Be-Goods Website: www.connectedup.com/would-be-goods
Would-Be-Goods@indiepop.it: bands/wouldbegoods.htm |
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