Interview - Shaun Ryder

Contains swearing, obviously.

Ostensibly this piece is an interview with Shaun Ryder but in truth, it was a one-way conversation.

The iconic frontman (or indeed, National Treasure) is blessedly unrestrained and unfiltered, and as such is a wonderful interviewee. Tip for any future interviewers, however: if you’re lucky enough to ask a question that he engages with, just sit back and let him talk.

Live4ever meets the man himself over Zoom to discuss the new Black Grape album Orange Head, the second album since their reformation in 2015 and fourth in total. Ordinarily, an interview is designed to cover some information about the album’s tracks, the backstory, etc. Unfortunately there’s one problem, as Ryder explains: “Here’s the mad thing about it though; I haven’t heard the album for about 10 months!”

Ah. “I got sent the album loads of times but I’m not very good on the technology front,” he explains, “so the stuff that I got sent disappeared. You know how it fucks off and goes, whatever format you get it in? So, I haven’t got a copy of the album! I’m out tomorrow, we’ve got a gig to promote the new album and we’ve stuck three new songs in: ‘Milk…” Shaun then tries to wrack his brains, unsuccessfully, before giving up. “Terrible this fookin’ memory! ‘Milk’’s one of them and I can’t remember the name of the other two. I’ll know when I see the autocue!”

“We finished it…it must be about a year ago…when I came out of that South African jungle thing (I’m A Celebrity South Africa), I pretty much flew straight to Spain to start making the album. It must have been about a year ago and it’s still not out yet! But it’s coming out soon, I believe.” (January, in fact).

When Ryder’s first band – Happy Mondays, as you know – split in 1993, few would have expected him to bounce back instantly, so public were his problems with addiction.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2023/11/live4ever-interview-shaun-ryder/