In course of our review of Marillion’s new album Sounds that can’t be made, we got the possibility to do an interview with Marillion’s singer Steve Hogarth. The review is available in german. http://wp.access2music.de/2012/10/marillion-sounds-that-cant-be-made/
A2m: How’s the tour ? Steve Hogarth: The tour has been fun. I had a few minor problems with my voice but I think it was some kind of bug rather than any real damage. The crowd response hasbeen terrific – most notably in New York City, which was remarkable.
A2m: „Sounds That Can’t Be Made“ is the seventeenth album of Marillion, how would you contemplate the album in comparison to the other albums? SH: A bit too early to say for me. Ask me in ten years! One thing’s for sure – We’ve never known a reaction from the fans quite like the reaction to this album. All the listener reviews have been 5 star. A2m:In an interview with rocksquare.com Mark Kelly said you felt burnt out lyrically after the release of „Happiness Is the Road“. How did that influence the writing of new lyrics for STCBM? What did you do against „writers block“? SH: I renovated a cottage! I don’t think that helped either, but it got my head into another place. I even wrote a lyric called „This Week’s House“ which we made into a good little song. It got rejected by the quality-control jury though. Well, as you know, in the end we just decided to take our time until we all felt we had a good selection of songs. People have reacted well to the lyrics on STCBM so it must have worked. A2M: Has Mark Kelly’s disease played a role in the recording process? How did you deal with it? SH: Mark Kelly’s disease always plays a role in the recording process and everything else. :o] Oh, you mean the thing with his hearing? Yeah – that happened quite late-on on the process. He went on holiday to Thailand and came back deaf. The experts aren’t sure why or how. It must have been dreadful for him but he just made the best of it. I’m sure I would have been more dramatic if it was me! I think his hearing is slowly improving though now. A2m: „Gaza“ seems to be one of the most political songs of Marillion ? SH: In my mind it’s no more political than Easter, but I guess I articulated my feeling of unfairness a little more. I have said all I want to say in the lyric really. If it upsets people I’m sorry and that wasn’t my intention. My intention was to make people find out more about Gaza and make their own minds up about the situation. I don’t think it’s right for a kid to have to grow up in that place with a wall round it. If that’s political, well everything is then. A2m: You’ve played the Songs „Power“ and „Lucky Man“ at the first half you the tour, how were the reactions of the fans? SH: Power consistently went down better than Lucky Man but I’m not sure we played Lucky Man too well so maybe that’s the reason. Considering neither of the songs had been made public at that point, it was a great reaction by the US fans. A2m: In „Lucky Man“ you sing about people who want more and more, a social criticism? SH: I think we’re living with a more materialistic mindset these days. Monkeys with pretensions. Silly really. I doesn’t help the planet much, and it doesn’t make you happy. I have everything I want. ..except a yacht with staff – that would be nice. Then it would become a headache. A2m: As I read the lyrics for the first time, I got the feeling that the most of them are very personal to you. „Sky Above The Rain“ or „Montreal“ are perfect love songs. Do I have the correct feeling ? SH: I think every lyric on this album has been written with love. I do everything with love. The words are all truths. Not necessarily autobiographical, but observed truths. Montreal is more of a diary piece than a love song. Sky Above is most definitely a love song – a tough one – I’m getting a lot of email about that one. I was worried that those words might have been too much for people to want to hear in a song. I’m relieved to hear that it’s really moving people. I had an email from a biker who said a song had never made him cry before until „Sky Above..“. It’s such a compliment, and a great relief. A2m:Which Song is your favorite? SH: Invisible Ink“ makes me want to jump and dance around rather than have a nervous breakdown. In that sense, it’s my favourite. A2m:Best Whishes and good luck for the forthcoming tourdates ! SH: Thank you. I look forward to being back in Germany. Hamburg was brilliant. And HOT! Thanks a lot to Steve Hogarth for the interview !Schlagwörter: Marillion, Mark Kelly, Sounds that can, Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery