Malcolm Middleton Interview from Homegame 2009
At this year’s amazing Homegame Festival, run by our DIY pals at the Fence Collective (who have been incredibly helpful in the start up of Song, by Toad Records), I had the chance for a bit of an interview with Scottish indie hero Malcolm Middleton.
Neil from Meursault, who is a longstanding fan, conducted most of the interview itself, and we teamed up with Andy from the new Edinburgh live session showcase Off the Beaten Tracks, who shot a couple of session videos at the same time. You’ll have to go to their site to see the session videos, but it’s well worth the visit as they have stuff from Team Turnip and Come On Gang already up, with Slow Club, Meursault, Randan Discotheque and, I think, Found all to be added in the coming weeks.
The interview itself was really nice, as can be seen in the video above. Malcolm himself has a reputation for being a miserable bastard, and I have to confess that made me a little apprehensive about talking to him. I’m still new to interviewing people and, whilst it’s piss-easy when things are going well, turning things around when they are going badly is something of a skill, and one which I am yet to come anything close to mastering.
My fears turned out to be silly, fortunately, as whilst he did come across as very shy and reserved, Malcolm was enormously cooperative and helpful. He genuinely did seem like an incredibly nice man, and though I’m sure he must have a difficult side, as we all do, there was no sign of it at Homegame.
He was very frank as well, saying that he’d noticed a slight change in the atmosphere from the first Homegames, something he attributed to the large number of ‘industry’ people who were now in attendance – A&R scouts looking for the next big thing, apparently.
There is definitely a danger, as the festival becomes more popular and well-known, that some of its best characteristics will be eroded. It’s a holiday for the musicians at the moment, but this year the Guardian (here too, and pics) and the BBC were both present, as well as both ourselves, and DC from The Waiting Room. Much more of this and the festival is in slight danger of becoming just another working lunch for musicians, which might reduce their generally drunken and carefree mingling, which is one of the highlights of Homegame. From Malcolm’s reaction to this suggestion, I infer that whilst it isn’t a problem at the moment, he is aware that it might become one in future. Nothing to worry about just yet though.
I also learned a little more about the benefits of being an experienced interviewer, as well. People like Malcolm Middleton are experienced interviewees, and therefore generous with chat and able to keep an interview rolling. He’s still a fairly introverted man however, and I definitely feel that it might be my third or fourth interview with the guy before I start to get to the stage where I can confidently ask him more intrusive questions without feeling like I’m being offensive, and where he might trust me enough to actually answer them. Virtually all musicians have an element of this, and in as much as any arse can write a blog and get access enough to publish interviews like this one, I am gaining more and more respect for the really good interviewers every time I stumble through one myself.
Malcolm Middleton – We’re All Going to Die
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Malcolm Middleton – The Devil & the Angel
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And here are a the rest of the live videos, all of which can be found either on the Song, by Toad Vimeo page (recommended) or YouTube page (lower quality).
Nicely done, guys.
Middleton actually comes across as quite a patient and engaging subject in that interview, and, to me, the forgiving, good-humoured and attentive way he responds when the questions don’t flow as slickly as they might from a professional interviewer lends a warmth to the finished article.
And somehow that seems to embrace the mood of both Homegame and Middleton’s music.
Nicely done indeed.
Malcolm really was a genuinely nice, intelligent, interesting guy. Like you Matthew, I was apprehensive, but it all went pretty well I think. Thanks for linking to our videos. I hope folk enjoy them. Also a huge thanks for setting up the Homegame sessions in the first place.
Cheers Andy, you’re entirely welcome.
He really was a lovely bloke. Dylan’s right, in terms of turning our bumbling into genuine, proper questions, he really did show a lot of patience and encouragement.
This is great stuff chaps, the interview and live footage here works as a really nice companion piece to the OTBT session. I agree with Dylan that Malcolm comes across as warm and utterly genuine here, even when confronted with Matthew and Neil’s ‘Good Cop Bad Cop’ routine!
I interviewed him for the Skinny a while back and I kind of agree that because he is reserved it was at times hard to know if he was happy or just tolerating the interview process – but in fact he answered some supremely daft questions in the style of Smash Hits Magazine with very good humour.
‘We’re All Going to Die’ is probably my least favourite song of his because it does kind of conform to the arch-miserablist image that the media has tagged him with, even though I know it’s fairly tongue-in-cheek. But I think it’s almost a parody of himself and maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to keep going along the same lines. But I think the Angel and the Devil is a microcosm of his solo output so far, in the way it moves from self-loathing to self-acceptance by the end and I find it hopeful rather than depressing.
It really has been a vintage week for interviews on Toad, hasn’t it?
Malcolm Middleton, Jason Lytle, and not forgetting those peerless vox-pops from Stockbridge High Street on Saturday.
Eat your heart out, Parky!
Forget them is exactly what I was trying to do, old chap.
“Malcolm himself has a reputation for being a miserable bastard”
only among lazy cliche-ridden journalists.
He’s always been a top bloke.
I’ve had the good fortune of speaking to him a couple of times about his music and he always gives the impression that he’s genuinely stunned to have folk so interested in him.
I still reckon you should ask him to do a Toad Session. And bags I a front row seat if he says yes….
Maybe so, maybe so. But someone shy can be as intimidating to interview as someone aggressive.
A Malcolm Middleton Toad Session – I think Neil would fall over out of terror and joy!
It’s been said before, but great interview.
Toad Session! Toad Session! The clamoring fans require it! (make sure to film Neil in the process, extra credit for drooling or glassy-eyed staring)
xoxox
Tart – who would react in kind to seeing Meursault play
It would be great, but Found, Alex Cornish and Rick Redbeard are next, whatever happens. I don’t like to go back on promises.
could you possibly have found two more awkward men and stuck them in front of a camera?
Great stuff. Seemed a very pleasant, unassuming feller. Must dig deeper into this Middleton character and see what I can find.
Fuck me, those performance vids are great. Glued to the screen I was. Really puts one in the scene.
Good work toadsters !
Man I miss the Neuk.
Cheers folks.
Mr Bear – awkward maybe, but I still like the results.
(Oh, and cheers for suggesting that title shot with the two seagulls, Morgs.)
[...] album sees him on more conventional territory. Malcolm has been on record recently (including in this interview with Matthew Song, by Toad and Neil from Meursault) saying that he’s knocking his solo career [...]