In Conversation With Tim Burgess

With a career spanning over thirty years, Tim Burgess is one of few musicians who can lay claim to have been there, done it all, and received the metaphorical t-shirt(s). Beginning his career with Manchester music royalty, The Charlatans, a group who’ve been together since 1988, Burgess has gone on to become a successful solo artist, found a record label, publish a number of books, and find the time to host his infamous Twitter listening parties. Ahead of the release of his latest EP, ‘Ascent Of The Ascended’, we spoke to one of the hardest-working men in the business about his new album, life, and music…

You’re involved in several projects, between The Charlatans & your successful solo career; you’re a record label owner in O Genesis Records, you’ve released three books, and not to mention your infamous listening parties – those are just a few things off the top of my head. Do you ever manage to sleep, or do you simply not have the time?

I sleep pretty well, I do get up early though - my alarm clock is our seven-year-old son who loves to make the most of the day. So, around 6 o'clock, he’ll be playing with his Lego and I’ll be making a coffee, and everything starts from there. I’ve always got plenty done in a day, even in the good old bad old days, I’d set myself lots of tasks - plus back then I might go a few days without sleep but happy to say I value a bit of rest at the end of a day. Studios give you a sense of discipline and help you work to deadlines. It’s been 30 lessons learned over years of making records - getting a decent days work done, helps with getting a good night’s sleep

Your new EP, ‘Ascent of the Ascended’ is out via Bella Union. This follows your critically acclaimed album, ‘I Love the New Sky’ released in May of this year. Was it always the plan to push forward with another release this year, or was this something you decided in the moment?

2020 has been a unique year so we’ve been thinking on our feet - I was meant to spend the whole summer playing shows, so I was handed lots of time with all plans scrapped. So I wrote a couple of songs and sent them to Simon from Bella Union - he loved them so the plans for the EP started there. I headed to Rockfield and we spent a few days on the two new songs - they were done with the same band and producer as the album. The songs kept us sane.

You teamed up with Tim Pope, long-term collaborator of The Cure, who directed the stunning video for the title track, ‘The Ascent of the Ascended’, featuring you dressed as an angel, soaring through the sky in a Microlight – firstly, who conceptualised the idea for the video? And was that really you in the Microlight?

Yep, that was really me, I was quite nervous but I was happy to face my fears in the name of art. The idea for the video was Tim’s - Pope that is, I haven’t taken to addressing myself in the third person....yet. We met virtually at a The The listening party and the idea came from there. He’s a real hero of mine and I love the fact I can now count him as a friend. We’ve got some exciting plans for next year.

Image: Richard Lynch

The EP features two new tracks, ‘Yours. To Be’ & ‘The Ascent of the Ascended’, in your own words, how would you describe this new EP?

Vital. Everyone needs to get themselves a copy! It’s kind of like a double A-side single with a lovely live session thrown in. It’s a one-off kind of record for a one-off kind of year - the live songs were recorded in New York back in March, those days feel like a lifetime ago. I’d say the EP was an upbeat meditation on where I am as a musician

Accompanying these two new tracks is your live session with New York’s Paste Magazine; featuring three tracks from ‘I Love the New Sky’, and a new version of the classic The Charlatans track, ‘The Only One I Know’. Can you elaborate on the decision to include the Paste session? And how was revisiting such an iconic song, surely it brought back memories of when you first recorded it?

When we went to New York we had three shows lined up and Paste Magazine asked if we fancied recording a session - I’d seen some they had done before so we said yes straight away. Everything to do with lockdown was starting to happen and we were told that we had to fly straight home. So that was it. The pause button was pressed - it just came up as we were planning the record. Either a two-track 7” or the chance to include more songs - the session sounded amazing and Bella Union were up for including them. They fit well with the new songs

2020 has been a decimating time for many industries, in particular, the arts & live-events sector. You were instrumental in saving The Deaf Institute & Gorilla – how important is it to you that venues up and down the country are preserved?

It’s hugely important. It’s the smaller venues that are under threat and that’s where everyone gets started - without The Deaf Institute, Gorilla, and hundreds of independent venues, we would be left with the more corporate-owned places - with bands not being able to tour until they could sell those places out. Plus, so many sound engineers and band members work on the bars and in the cafes of small venues, they are part of an ecosystem that could be gone by the time some kind of normality returns.

There have been some positives in this strange year, your Twitter listening parties have really kept spirits lifted through some difficult times - you’ve amassed over 500 albums now, is there any artist/band you’d love to feature, who hasn't taken part yet?

Blondie. I’ve sent a message out into the ether and I’m just waiting for a text from Debbie. We’re closing in on 600 now and bands and labels are getting in touch every day asking about them - we’re working on a version of the listening party to take to festivals next Summer.

Can you recommend to us some albums to listen to?

Aoife Nessa Francis’ ‘Land of No Junction’, George Clanton ‘Land of No Junction’, Little Dominiques ‘Nosebleed’, The Koreatown Oddity ‘Album’, and Richard Youngs & Daniel O’Sullivan ‘Twelve Hearts’. Check them out and give me a shout when you’d like a few more!

The Charlatans’ debut album, ‘Some Friendly’ hit thirty in October. Can fans expect any Charlatans’ news in the short-term, or is that classified information?

We just announced a festival in Derbyshire, Signals - a new one. The Cribs and Liz Lawrence are playing too. Obviously, we can only share info when stuff is announced but maybe keep an eye out. I might have said too much already.

Lastly, and perhaps my most spiritual question, what keeps the fire burning inside of you?

A love of music and a total passion for what I do. It’s pretty simple but it’s the truth.

Listen to Tim Burgess’ ‘Ascent Of The Ascended’ here:

Image: Richard Lynch