divine comedy

The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy,

interview by Alexander Laurence

The witty and smart songwriter, Neil Hannon was born in Londonderry,

Northern Ireland in November of 1970. Though best know as frontman for

the Divine Comedy, he also released several critically acclaimed

albums during the 1990s as a solo artist. He is the one consistent

member of The Divine Comedy whose contributors are constantly

changing, though some members like Joby Talbot have been a mainstay

since 1994.

During the late 1990s, Neil Hannon found himself collaborating with

other artists and finding success in the form of a few hits songs. The

Divine Comedy's album Casanova had a few top 20 singles in 1996

including "Something For The Weekend" and "Becoming More Like Alfie."

A few years later, their well-received fifth album Fin De Siecle

provided the band with the single "National Express" that went all the

way to number 8 on the charts. Additionally, Hannon has worked with

many great artists in the music business including Tom Jones, Ute

Lemper, Michael Nyman, and Yann Tiersen to name a few.

Celebrating ten years as a band, Divine Comedy released A Secret

History: The Best of The Divine ComedyRegeneration in 2001. Nigel

Godrich (Kid A) produced the distinctly different-sounding record

which was given mixed reviews and was darker in tone than what many

had come to expect from the band. in 1999. With this album, the band

ended their longtime relationship with the Sentanta label and signed

with Parlophone releasing the appropriately titled

I met Neil Hannon in LA on his recent solo tour of the United States.

He was scheduled to play many small clubs including Joe's Pub and Cafe

Largo. This tour would be followed immediately by a month-long tour

with Ben Folds in March of 2002. We walked around the neighborhood

talking. The smell of pollen was in the air.

The Divine Comedy, photographed by David Robinson, London 2000.

Regeneration album shoot

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AL: What is your impression of the United States?

Neil: I have been here before. I am doing this tour with Ben Folds.

It's going to go on forever. I'll be speaking like an American by the

time I leave. Usually I am here for five shows in New York City, San

Francisco, and LA, and then I don't come back for three years. It's

good to do a solid chunk of touring. Maybe I will get over my fear of

this country.

AL: Some bands won't even bother to come over. You have the balls to

come over to play and look the American public in the eye and say

"Quit talking. Shut the fuck up!"

only play tiny shows here where you can get annoyed by people talking.

We've always had problems getting records released over here. It was

great to get this one out on Nettwerk Records. We created a little

buzz about three years ago, but we were never able to follow it up

over here. (we walk by a store) Maybe we should go shopping?

AL: Is that what you do when you are here? Go shopping?

Neil: No. That's what my wife would do. We came over here about a year

and a half ago for a little holiday.

AL: So what happened to your trademark suits? I remembered that I was

shocked two years ago when I saw you in London with trainers and gym

clothes on. You were rehearsing and waiting for Radiohead to finish

Kid A, so you could start on Regeneration with Nigel Godrich. What has

happened since that time?

Neil: We waited a long time for them to finish Kid A. When they

finally did, we started the record with Nigel. He did have a forceful

hand, but he would never make us sound like Radiohead. Or make us do

what they do. He does other bands. He working on the new Beck album.

AL: You wrote most of the songs on acoustic guitar for this album.

What was the recording process like and how was it different than

before?

Neil: What was mainly different was that I wasn't acting as the

leader. I didn't lay down the law like I used to do. The idea was that

people should try different things. All of the band did contribute. It

was nice because it was the first time that I felt that I was just the

singer.

AL: You have abandoned some of the wacky elements found on the past

recordings such as "National Express" and "Generation Sex?" Are you

worried you left some fans behind in doing this?

Neil: I hope that we didn't leave anybody behind. I don't think it

should be an exclusive thing. You just have to make the record you

want to make, and hope that people will give you the time of day. In

Britain, the new album didn't seem to match up to people's

expectations. They wanted the same old orchestral kitsch. You just

have to try new stuff and keep evolving. I thought that this would be

a good next step. I didn't sit down and think "Okay, I am not going to

make any jokes." It's just what came out. I was in a more

contemplative mood generally.

AL: Yeah, there is a darker tone to some tracks like "Regeneration"

and "Eye of The Needle."

Neil: Maybe in the past, some of the songs that were dark, were

melodramatically dark. There were still a lot of dark things. Maybe I

just hid them better. The song "Here Comes The Flood" is apocalyptic

and dark. But yet, you wouldn't think about it because it set to a

Broadway big band scenario. It's almost like a James Bond theme. I

suppose that there is less hiding it on this album. That's what Nigel

wanted to achieve. He wanted to strip away the more cheesy and kitsch

elements and get to the bottom of the meaning. I love how it sounds.

AL: This time out you didn't quote any lines from film, like you did

before with "Funny Face."

Neil: This time I didn't watch as many movies. (Laughter) It's amazing

that we have brilliantly walked around a few blocks and we have yet to

find a cafe. A cup of coffee would be great.

AL: I think that we are coming up to a Starbucks. Do you feel that you

are walking around in circles in life?

Neil: It's others who are leading me astray.

AL: I've never been in this part of town before. What do you think of

this neighborhood?

Neil: It's cool. I can smell the cut grass. You don't see this sort of

stuff. One street is totally commercial and the next one is

residential. You don't get that in London.

AL: Do you read a lot of books?

Neil: No. I actually have bad concentration. What happens to me is

that I read a line from a book. Then I go "Great idea for a song."

Then I go off and I forget to read the book. I have difficulty with

that. But occasionally I do find a book that I cannot put down. I have

recently read the books of Philip Pullman. His Dark Materials Trilogy.

They are great. Everybody should read them.

AL: What is the song "Eye of The Needle" about?

Neil: In the Bible it says that it is easier for a camel to get

through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of

heaven. But everyone rolls up to the church in their fancy cars. I was

just reminiscing about going to church as a teenager. I wanted

desperately to believe in all of it. I never managed to. I am

certainly very spiritual but I am certainly not religious.

AL: Are you hedonistic?

Neil: I am not very hedonistic either. I don't make good use of my

lack of religion. I have a perfect stability. Lack of religion does

not preclude morality. I am weighed down by stacks of morals.

AL: Well, there is secular humanism. Man is the measure of all things.

Neil: I am not much of a humanist. We are a lot to blame for the state

of the planet. I am a "Me-ist."

AL: Really? Good for you. What drives you creatively?

Neil: The thing that drives my music is the complete love of making

music and writing music. Everything else in my life pales when set

against the raw excitement of writing a new songs and going "Yes,

that's cool." Basically the drive behind my career is a necessity in

order that I can make another record and so people will give me money

if they sell.

AL: Will The Divine Comedy every be a proper band?

Neil: I don't see the point of changing it now. What is in a name? I

think that The Divine Comedy sums it up best what I do. It's as good a

name as any. I never thought Neil Hannon was a good rock star name.

AL: How do you feel about this tour in March with Ben Folds?

Neil: It's the biggest tour that I have ever done. It goes on forever.

My wife just had a baby so I need to get back as soon as I can. It's

the guilt trip tour. I don't feel good about it at all. But I can't

say no.

AL: What should they expect?

Neil: They should expect me standing on the stage with a guitar trying

to figure out what to play next. The problem when I play by myself is

that there is far too much freedom to mess around and do the wrong

thing. There's nobody to tell you to shut up. I'll do songs from all

the albums.