Describing your recently released album as your favourite to date is pretty standard stuff, but if you’ve heard Proud Mary‘s new LP ‘Ocean Park‘, you might just go along with Greg Griffin on that one. Greg’s voice sounds as good as it ever has, especially on beauties such as ‘Long Way Home‘, and the sun-kissed title track.
Talking to the Live4ever Ezine, Greg spoke about recording their third album, and how he is already looking ahead to writing the follow up.
Alright Greg, how’s the tour been going? You started it off playing the Pretty Green stores yeah…
Yeah it’s going great. We started off at Pretty Green on Carnaby Street, and then did the Manchester and Glasgow stores as well which was a good laugh. Then it was up to Scotland for a few dates, then back down for the southern leg; Portsmouth, Southampton and so on. It’s been a long tour, but a real good one, and I’m looking forward to a bit of a rest when we’re done, then after that starting to write tunes for a new album.
Do you lads get a trolley dash round the stores then? What do you think to the Pretty Green clothes?
Yeah we do all right, we got a few bits of clobber but we can’t all wear it because we’d look like a clothing advertisment for Pretty Green! I suppose they wouldn’t mind us all wearing it, but it’s not we want (laughs). It’s good for them and it’s good for us you know, and they have some real nice stuff.
‘Ocean Park’ – what’s the response been like to it on the road?
Fantastic, yeah really good. It’s an album we’re all pretty proud of you know, it’s a mellow album so we’re going to pick it up on the next on. I go out to the States next Thursday to start writing the next album. We’ve been really happy with the response to it and it’s sold really well, so you know, it’s more of the same and we’ll keep doing what we do, which is under the radar but that’s how we like it as we can release records when we want to, and record them when we want to – but this album is my favourite.
The album has a really warm and easy vibe to it. I’m loving the tune ‘Ocean Park’ itself, it has has traces of Eagles and The La’s a little. What influenced all that?
Well we were out on the west coast in the States when we recorded the album, just near Venice Beach, and we also recorded a lot of it at Joshua Tree studios – laying down acoustic guitar parts and some strings. A lot of stuff went down there and it was a laid-back album because we recorded it in a laid-back place, and I’d go with what you said as it is a really chilled out album and one of them albums you’d sit down with a beer to on a nice sunny day.
When the band took time out in 2006 and you relocated to LA, Paul said: “Remember people, when me or Greg do something solo, it doesn’t mean we’re going solo, if you know what I mean!” So was is it always the plan that Proud Mary would get back together?
Yeah, I do know what he’s saying and agree, but it also doesn’t mean that I won’t go off and want to do something solo again. He means it doesn’t mean the band is splitting and primarily we’ll always be a group and we’ll always be mates, we have been for years. It’s not hard to get on with us and we’re not a band of prima-donnas or anything like that. We’ll always play as a group but at the same time there’s stuff I want to do and projects I want to work on. It’s a situation that suits us all.
Did the band take a short break after 2009’s EP ‘Dust & Diamonds’?
It’s good to have a break, but we never had a break as such it’s just I’ve been in England and Paul’s been in LA, and then I’ve been in LA and he’s been here, you know. but it’s not that we avoid working with each other. We met up in the US for the album and worked on it, then I decided to stay on when Paul went back to England and I finished up on the album, so it’s just the way we work. To be honest we’ve always been doing something whether it be the band or our own projects.
Proud Mary were on the North West scene for a few years before you were signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash label. 15-16 years in total as a band, did you ever think it would last this long?
Yeah I know, old b******* aren’t we! Well, 15 years with Proud Mary, but we’d been in bands for a long time before we got signed and you can make all sorts of equations when saying so-and-so band has been going for so-and-so amount of years. You are what you are and do what you do and I’m a musician and it’s all I’ve done since a kid. I’d say there’s been a couple of times through the years when we might have knocked it on the head, but when you do what you do that’s what you’ve got. If you enjoy making music with your mates and have a good working unit, as long as you can maintain that relationship you’re going to be alright.
Would you say you’ve seen many changes in the industry in the time you’ve been involved in making and putting out music?
Yeah course, the changes in the technology side of things have really influenced the way people buy and get their music. I really don’t like the disposal side of the music industry though – where some people believe they have a right to be famous, and the fame is more important to them than the music. So that side of it is ****, but things change and the music has changed, but I’ve not changed. There’s still some good music being made out there so it’s not all bad.
What’s the best thing about being in a band for you Greg?
I just like the whole deal; being in a band and playing your music to people. Although sometimes it can be a bit tiring being on tour, but it’s a great experience and we’re always writing new material, and always looking to keep it interesting and original; trying not settle for what we’ve already done. Getting to play your music and meeting people, it’s nice to be appreciated, and we are appreciated despite what some prat from the music press might say (CS, I’ve been called worse) because we’re a good band and we’ve manged to maintain that. The touring process is great, but I do enjoy the recording aspect because it’s great not knowing what you’ve got and putting it out and someone coming up to you saying they really like it, that communication with people is just great.
…and lastly, tell me what else the band is up to for 2011. More shows, any new recordings?
Well I’m off to the States next week and our bass player will be following me over in October and we’ll start demoing as soon as we get there so we can make a start on a new album. But whether that’s a solo record or a Proud Mary album I’m not sure yet so that’s yet to be decided. I’m over there for the next two months so I’ll see how it goes. We also have some shows booked for November, I don’t want to be taking long breaks, I just want to start recording some new songs and looking forward to recording again.
(Carl Stanley)
