Oh God, no, another solo album from a drummer with notions about himself? Hang on, though, this isn’t another vanity project à la Keith Moon or Ginger Baker – Radiohead’s Philip Selway’s songs position him as a credible talent in his own right
A SOLO ALBUM. By a drummer. Surely not even the most forgiving or understanding of people will think this is a good thing.
Those with an interest in pop music trivia will recall the waste of record company money spent on solo albums by the likes of The Who’s Keith Moon, Cream’s Ginger Baker, and the man who stubbornly persists to this day, Ringo Starr.
Drummer boys (and it’s mostly boys), by their very nature, are the stokers of the engine – the quiet, anonymous and violently percussive types.
Which brings us to another drummer, another solo album. Except this one happens to be the back-room boy of one of the world’s most famous rock bands: Philip Selway of Radiohead. You don’t recognise him? Not to worry – there are millions around the world in the same boat. But not only do you not recognise him, we would wager, but you also likely perceive drummers as a species incidental to the end result of the music, a foil of sorts to the lead singer, who is always (in theory, anyway) the most handsome, the musical genius, the creative pivot around which the band revolves.
“In larger, more commercial, bestselling bands,” Selway reasonably explains, “you need someone there who is the focus, otherwise it becomes unwieldy. You accept in a positive way that the attention is on one person, possibly two. I suppose in Radiohead, because we’ve been going for nigh on 20 years, people recognise that there is a collaborative process, as well as Thom Yorke being the focal point. So it hasn’t been frustrating in that respect. It has served us well that Thom has been the chief point of entry, so to speak, for people.”
As well as the object of regular flak? “And I don’t envy him that, either.”
The good news is that Selway's debut solo album, Familial, is not the result of years of frustration bubbling up to bursting point, erupting in the most inelegant fashion, but a collection of grounded songs that positions the drummer as a credible talent in his own right.
Nevertheless, despite the album standing up on its own, there will undoubtedly be occasions when it will be compared to Radiohead. How does he view that?
“It’s completely understandable. I have no track record in my own right before this, so people’s main reference points will be Radiohead. Having said that, when I got a better sense that what I was writing was turning into a collection of songs, I realised it wasn’t appropriate material for Radiohead at all, and so it’s always had a sense of its own.
“I understand that people might compare initially, of course, but I’m sure it’ll stand up. And besides, Radiohead isn’t exactly a bad association to have, is it?”
THE PROCESS OF gathering songs for Familialwas, for the most part, kept under wraps for years. Selway had been writing segments of songs in between his work for Radiohead for some time, but never seemed to have the time to formulate anything other than a loose commitment to finishing it. A fulcrum was the death of his mother four years ago, which, aligned to his 40th birthday, distilled certain things in his life. There are songs on Familialthat are as close as you can get to looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing certain truths stare back.
“Yes, there is a definite sense of the content of the songs taking stock,” says Selway. “Of your experiences up to that point, the reflection on significant relationships, family, colleagues, very close friends.
“Appreciating, for example, the complexities and richness in those relationships, and how they shape you as a person. You come into your 40s and it’s the first time that you start to look outwardly. It also gives an extra impetus to things. On a selfish level, I knew making my own record was bubbling away in the back of my head, but also realising that if I didn’t do it, it would be another five or six years down the line before I got around to it.”
DID HE EVER fear that he wouldn’t have a singing voice and that there would be little or no subject matter?
“Absolutely, on both counts! When I initially decided I was going to make a record it was still in the balance that I’d sing. There was a strain of thought that I’d approach other people to do the vocals. It’s that shock, though, when you first hear your voice after you record it – it doesn’t tally up with what’s in your head. Also, at that point, it just didn’t sound convincing. In Radiohead, I work with an outstanding vocalist, so certain standards have already been set. So it took me quite a while to find a voice that was convincing in any way.”
And at what point did it start to become convincing? "The second song on the album is called Beyond Reason, and that's when I started working with the producer of the record, Ian Davenport. For a while we were demo-ing stuff and that was a period of trial and error for me. But it was also the time when Ian said that, in his opinion, I was the best person to sing the songs, that I'd find my singing voice. So Beyond Reasonwas the song where I felt that something was coming together. And listening back to it, I thought, yes, it does stand up. In fact, I discovered that the less force or energy I put into the voice the more expressive it became. And that was a revelation to me."
Gigs have been played and are in the offing (including a visit to Ireland in September), so we’re duty-bound to ask: what’s it like being the dashing, witty frontman for a change? Selway’s calm Home Counties composure almost slips.
“Er, it’s, er, well, that’s a learning curve, too, and I’m grappling with that curve at the moment. I’ve done some low-key shows by this stage, and they were like an apprenticeship. Small venues, with people just yards away from your face. That was alien for a short while, but gradually you discover what your strengths are, or what you’re comfortable with, and how you can draw people in with those. But, yes, it’s a very interesting process to go through, and I’m still building on it.”
Familialis released on Bella Union/PIAS on August 27th. Phil Selway performs at Electric Picnic, Stradbally, over the weekend of September 3rd-5th
