Adam Norsworthy Is Off On His Rounds and Making Music

I feel that I should start this interview off by letting you know that you and I seem to have quite a few mutual friends not least musician, mixer and producer Mr Wayne Proctor and the writer and PR man Mr Ross Muir to name a few. How did you first cross paths with them both and how do you and Wayne approach working together?

It’s a small world our music scene isn’t it? To be honest, I can’t quite recall how I came by either of them! I think Ross had heard one of my albums which he reviewed and got in touch for an interview and we hit it off immediately. Since then we have often set the world to rights via Skype. With Wayne I think I contacted him with a view to producing The Mustangs…..he had been doing King King’s stuff and seemed the right man at the right time. Again, we hit it off straight away and we’re still working together 8 or so albums later!

Earlier this year you released your solo album ‘Talking Pictures’. What was your thought process/inspirations for this record?

I’d had a very busy year as I’d already released a solo album, Infinite Hotel, early in 2022, and in September The Milk Men released our fourth album…..but it was actually over the Summer I found myself picking up the acoustic guitar a lot and the songs just fell out. Infinite Hotel was a big production, so I wanted this album to be more lo-fi, more low-key and a very gentle, intimate acoustic record….the kind of record you can put on at night and sink in to. I wasn’t afraid to deal with some heavy topics either so my voice was a crucial aspect this time..I both recorded it and sang
differently to add more intimacy and closeness….as if it was just me and the listener in the room, with no big arrangement/production distractions.

I wondered if you could tell me about the single ‘Radio Nights’ and who played on the track with you?

Radio Nights is a love letter to Pirate Radio and obviously Radio Caroline….. when I was very young I vividly remember tuning in under my bedsheets at night, hoping my parents couldn’t hear me staying up listening to the radio….and going further back, I love the story of the station and how crucial it was in inspiring a whole generation of my favourite artists from the 60s. I play everything on the track except the drums, which are played by the great Tim Weller, who plays
with the Divine Comedy and Dexys, amongst others. A lovely drummer and an even lovelier guy.

I absolutely love the artwork for ‘Talking Pictures’ and it has a slight Vincent Van Gough feel about it. Who created/painted/designed that?

Well that was me, so thank you! I wanted to do as much as I could in-house to keep the intimacy and personal feel of the record. The photo had been knocking about for a while and I knew I wanted to add the Van-Gough effect, as when you see his paintings you can see how deep the paint it…there is almost a three dimensional aspect to his brush work. I felt some of the songs were very vivid lyrically, so almost felt like pictures or paintings, but with words…hence talking pictures…..I put the shadow effect across my face for added depth and profundity, lol.

Which of your songs has you at you at your most a) reflective b) angry c) honest?                                                                      
Wow, that’s some question…and it will take some thought as I’ve written a lot of songs! The one that comes to mind for being reflective is a Mustangs songs called Precious Time, from our Cut Loose album…I think I was feeling the onset of middle age and noticing that time was passing faster and faster…it actually may be my favourite Mustangs song.

I don’t know if anger is an emotion I write with much, but No Point Talking from my second solo album Rainbird is certainly a song about frustration and despair….that point in a relationship where the communications just break down completely….I had some anger along the way for sure, but as a lyric I think it’s pretty spot on.

As for honesty, well I think all my lyrics are honest, they have to be to be relatable. but if you mean candid, then there are a couple of songs about my late parents that don’t hold back….it’s pretty obvious which ones they are, if people go looking for them.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I live in London, which you’d probably need 100 words to describe properly, but I’m actually in a fairly quiet suburban area so I get to avoid a lot of the hustle and bustle. I do think it’s a great City though – sprawling, diverse, fascinating, expensive and… home!  

Do you have any favoured stage guitars/effects?

I like to keep it fairly simple, I’ve never been in to too many guitar effects, it’s not my style…I use a bit of reverb and delay, a touch of tremelo and wah and I have a boost for solos, but some of the more exotic pedals would sound daft with my playing. I’m just a rock’n’roll guitarist at heart.

Let’s say you could write the score for a film of a book/novel that you love. Which book would that be and why?

Oh I love this question, as I’m a big fan of film scores and would love to do one. I’d have enjoyed doing a Bond theme but I think that’s pretty unlikely at this stage! I’d be up for the Richard Osman ‘Thursday Murder Club’ soundtrack if Spielberg is reading! I think it would be an interesting challenge to humanize some big sci-film with some analogue acoustic music….so perhaps a book like the ‘Three Body Problem’ would be good – and that will certainly be a big film when it gets made.                                                                                                                                          In addition, you are also in the band The Milk Men and have released the album ‘Spin The Bottle’. Who is in the band with you and I have to ask do you enjoy the work of both the late Wilko Johnson (Solo and Dr Feelgood) and the late Gypie Mayo (Solo, Dr Feelgood and The Yardbirds)? Any favourite songs or albums?

The singer in The Milk Men is Jamie Smy, whom I’ve been best mates with since we met at school when we were 11.

The rhythm section is made up of two former Pirates – drummer Mike Roberts
and bassist Lloyd Green, who is the son of British guitar legend Mick Green – who funnily enough was Wilko’s idol, and with whom he wrote Going Back Home. So in fact we actually play Going Back Home and it’s a blast, very much one of my favourite Wilko songs – but there are so many – Roxette, Hog For You Baby, She Does It Right, Sneakin’ Suspicion.

As for Gypie, obviously Milk & Alcohol, which we also do sometimes, but I like both players very much and early Dr Feelgood was a huge inspiration and influence on The Milk Men, and it’s nice that we now play with them quite often and
they are friends now, really.

What are your live plans for 2023/24?

I have a few solo acoustic shows planned here and there. The Milk Men have loads of gigs and festivals lined up and we are booking well into next year now too, so the calendar is looking very healthy. We will be all over the country by December, and then we will be rounding off the year as special guests to Dr Feelgood in Leicester, which is becoming something of a fun Christmas tradition!         

How do you look after your voice?

Hmm, I’m not as careful with it as I should be, really. I don’t smoke, and I’m not a heavy drinker, but I should probably get more sleep and drink more water. I don’t really do vocal exercises or anything like that, but I can see the time coming when I will have to warm it up properly. On the other hand,
I’m not the lead singer in The Milk Men so I’m not quite as exposed as Jamie is vocally.

 

Do you have any more music releases scheduled for 2023 or any new projects in the works?

Well having done two solo albums in a year I’m going to take my foot off that pedal for a bit now and focus on The Milk Men. We are toying with the idea of a live album later this year, but there will certainly be a new studio album in 2024. I have a couple of other projects bubbling away that I’m working on when I have time but I can’t say too much at the moment until they are more formed.

When you are writing songs do you have a specific approach e.g. lyrics or melody first for example?

No not at all – songs come literally from anywhere – a phrase you hear in the street, a melody that pops into your head, an article you read in the newspaper, a lick you play on the guitar….the beauty is that when you have your songwriting antennae up, you can get that lightning bolt from anywhere at anytime, that’s part of the excitement and ongoing magic of songwriting. It’s very much 50/50 for me, which comes first. Very occasionally, they will both come at the same time.

What makes Adam Norsworthy happy and what makes you unhappy?

Lots of things make me happy…family and friends aside, I just love music – listening to it, making and playing it. Away from music I enjoy old films, and watching Liverpool win!

Sadly lots of things make me unhappy these days, or at least give me cause for concern….I worry for the world in the technological whirlwind we are in…I find it fascinating that we are the last ever generation to know a world without AI, social media, mobile phones, quantum computers and such things, and am
sceptical that these are necessarily things that will ultimately benefit society. I get quite depressed seeing all the social and political polarisation and intolerance everywhere now as well. We shouldn’t have to keep reminding each other to be kind. Ah well, maybe there’s a song in there to be written. 

 

Photo Credit: Christina Jansen

For more information on Adam Norsworthy visit: https://www.adamnorsworthy.co.uk/

For more information on The Milk Men and tour dates visit: https://www.themilkmenmusic.com/