In zwei Jahren um die Welt
Catatonias Musik lebte vor allem von Cerys Matthews prägnanter Stimme. Doch nachdem sich die Band vor zwei Jahren auflöste, hatte man auch von ihr lange nichts mehr vernommen. Und das aus gutem Grund, wie sie uns auf ihrem ersten Soloalbum beweist. Die dreizehn Songs wirken allerdings im Vergleich zum ausufernden Sound der alten Hits zunächst äußerst befremdlich. Die zurückgenommene Produktion von Bucky Baxter bringt dafür vielschichtige Details ihres Songwritings zum Vorschein, die bislang in dieser Form nicht bekannt waren. Und lässt man diese neue Verspieltheit erst einmal auf sich einwirken, fällt es ziemlich schwer, sich ihrem Charme wieder zu entziehen.
What does "Cockahoop" stand for as an album title?
It's an old English word, meaning "over the moon". It was originally fated for use in the song "Louisianna." It was cut from the song but established itself as a perfect title for the album.
Why did you choose Nashville as the place to record the album?
A friend of mine named John Harris, took me over to the United States. We roamed around backroads Louisianna, Missippi, Tennessee, sort of a roots music safari. And I wound up in Nashville.
What would have been different if you had recorded the songs in Wales?
It wouldn't have such a laid back groove. That hot climates seem to ooze. And the players like Byron House and Richard Bennett thrive in that environment.
Would you agree with me that "Cockahoop" is less a country- but a traditional album?
Yes, that's good that you figured that out. It is not very country at all. What Bucky and I wanted to do was to strip things back. Give the power and the vibe or the groove back to the players. It has a lot more in common with The Band or JJ Cale or even Jamaican Studio 1 stuff than Shania Twain or Barbara Mandrell.
Did you have all these Blues, Cajun, West-Coast Pop, French chansons and Celtic heritage influences in mind when you started with the album?
Yes and no. I collected songs from all over the world but I didn't expect that they'd sit so comfortably together. I have always been a listener. I listen to everything and that comes out in the music you make. It was all about getting back to roots and live studio performances.
Did the guest musicians from Nashville contributed any ideas?
The onus was on Bucky and I to figure out which songs we wanted to do and to find the right musicians for these songs. After that, each musician was allowed to add his own particular brand of magic. The whole recording process was very open. You are dealing with some of the best musicians in the world. You don't dictate what they play. You just trust them, they trust you, and you both trust Bucky.
A song like "The Good In Goodbye" appears like a deliverance from and a farewell to the time you spent in Catatonia. What has changed in the perspective of your personal development?
I think the biggest thing was acknowledging the need to make an album like this, to ignore modern day pressures of electronica, dance, trance, and compression and to find the natural groove. "The Good In Goodbye" to me is about taking the helm and making the music I need to make.
What's your favourite B-side?
The Beatles' "Rain" is the first one to spring to mind. You never same them for an example it's way to obvious, but this song is just way too beautiful.
Carsten Scheef
Aktuelles Album:
"Cockahoop" (Warner/Blanco Y Negro)
Web-page: www.cerysmatthews.info