Neil Halstead

Mon 22nd Mar, 2010 in Features

Almost 20 years after his band seminal band Slowdive released their debut EP, Neil Halstead is touring Australia for the first time as a solo artist. Though Oh Mighty Engine! his latest solo record couldn’t be more different from those early Slowdive records and so FasterLouder asked him how one goes from being in one of Britain’s premier shoegaze bands, to hanging out with Jack Johnson by the sea.

2010 marks the 20 years since the debut Slowdive EP was released, can you remember being signed to Creation and having Alan McGee as a label boss?

We were huge Creation fans, getting signed to that label was a pretty big deal for us. Alan McGee was a pretty great guy too. We had a good relationship with him – he was also a really fun guy to hang out with – we always used to ask him about the Jesus And Mary Chain as they were our favourite band at that point. As our first entrance into the music business, he was as good as any guy you’d meet.

JAMC must have a had a pretty big influence on you at that time, but what other records were you listening to back then?

Slowdive started in ’88 and we were really interested in bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine – as well as lot of older bands like The Byrds, The Sonics, Syd Barret.

Where do Slowdive fit in ‘shoegaze’ spectrum?

I’m not sure where year zero would be… For my money The Velvet Underground were probably the first “shoegaze” band, so we we’re probably way down the line somewhere.

You spent a lot of time touring with fellow shoegazers Ride – tell me about going on the road with them.

Ride were amazing to tour with, we had a lot of fun with them. We grew up pretty close to where they did and played a quite a few shows with them over our career. There’s no question they were one of the best live bands in the world at that time. I don’t think they were ever able to capture that on their records though.

You’ve dismissed ever reuniting Slowdive, but what’s your stance on bands like My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain who’ve reformed and are touring those old songs?

Whatever works for them, I’m personally more excited about doing something new. Not that it wouldn’t be fun to get back together and do some gigs, I just don’t think it’s a creative move. It doesn’t inspire me in any way, it feels like a bit of a step backwards.

A few years ago you were signed to Jack Johnson’s Bushfire Records as a solo artist, tell me how that came about.

I met him through a friend of mine who makes surf films and just ended up playing a show with Jack at Laguna Beach a few years ago, and we just kept in touch. He offered to put out my solo record and I just took him up on it. He’s a really nice, solid, friendly guy – pretty good company.

How did you go from Slowdive, one of the loudest and most effect heavy bands of the 90s, to what you’re doing now as a solo artist – just you and a nylon string guitar?

Slowdive made three very different albums and that was one of the things that we prided ourselves on – the fact that we were willing to experiment and do different things. For me it’s all a journey – and making a record on a nylon string guitar is just as hardcore as a wall of feedback.

What’s the one piece of work you look back on with the most pride?

Probably Oh! Mighty Engine my last solo record is probably my most complete and most focussed record. My best artistic statement I guess.

Neil Halstead plays at ‘The Happening’ with Matt Costa and Zee Avi

Friday 26th March- Bondi Pavilion, Sydney
Sunday 28th March – The Zoo, Brisbane
Wednesday 31st March – The Espy, Melbourne