Alex Lipinski Talks ‘Idiot Station’ Single, Hometown And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Supplied By PR
UK singer-songwriter and musician Alex Lipinski has a single ‘Idiot Station’ out now on Marquee Records with more music planned. He kindly sat down with us to tell us more about himself and material:
You have recently released your latest single ‘Idiot Station’ on Marquee Records. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
Idiot Station is about the vacuous nature of mainstream media. The lack of substance, depth, or feeling being fed to us constantly through all avenues. On TV it’s all meaningless ‘reality’. Then you flick over and there’s some deluded political f***wit covering his/her/their arse. Big radio filled with the same empty, and the same cast of maybe 50 artists; is this really all we’ve got?? Equally, the song could be interpreted as a love falling apart. You choose!
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Weston-Super-Mare. Sea, sand, childhood, family, home.
The single is produced by Michael Smith whose previous credits include Elvis Costello and Wolf Alice. How did that collaboration come about?
I’ve known Michael for many years and we’ve always talked about making a record together but the timing had never been right. During lockdown we got talking again and I sent him a load of new demos I had written, then things moved on from there. We booked studio time for when the lockdown restrictions had eased and recorded at his studio in North West London. The recording sessions were a joy. The working relationship was perfect and Michael brought so much to the process.
You are asked to record a version of a Bob Dylan song but you get to choose which one. Which song do you select and why?
That’s impossible to answer because there are so many songs you can choose. It would completely depend on what mood I was in when I woke up that day. Dylan has been a part of my life for many years and to pick one song is so difficult. I’ve performed ‘Oh Sister’ live with my sister a few times. I also performed ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ with Ethan Johns at a gig a couple of years ago. Right now I’ve been listening to the ‘Time Out Of Mind’ boxset so it would be something off of that. I’m guessing you’re also a Dylan fan by asking me this question so I’m sure you can understand how difficult a predicament this is!
Do you have any favoured stage instruments/pedals/effects?
I’ve been playing a telecaster for the last few years through a Fender deluxe 3 amp and it’s perfect for what I want. My pedal set up is fairly minimal – I currently use a boss fender bassman pedal, a Roland Space Echo, a Electro-Harmonix phase shifter & a West Germany vintage tremolo.
What are your plans for further releases e.g. more singles, an EP or an album?
There will be another single before the end of the year. We’re also in the process of planning a live album which will be recorded in the Autumn. I’m currently demoing songs for my new album, which is coming together currently.
How do you look after your voice?
I’ve tried to get into the habit of warming up my voice on the day of a gig by singing when travelling . The vocal chords are like a muscle – we play a lot of shows and because of this, thankfully, my vocal chords are active and strong, but vocal exercises always help, although I should really do more. In my 20s I regularly used to go out after a gig and raising your voice to speak to people over loud music, and that definitely didn’t help! It’s just being sensible – if you’ve got a gig, maybe don’t smoke 40 cigs and stay up all night the evening before! It took me a little while to work that out…
In doing my research, I discovered that both Liam Gallagher and Bonehead are fans of your work. When did you yourself find this out?
I supported Boneheads’ band Parlour Flames at The Water Rats in London a few years ago. Bonehead was a fan and we started working together shortly after. We released an EP (Phoney’s & The Freaks) and played a few shows in the UK, Europe & U.S. Bonehead introduced my music to Liam – it was humbling to hear he liked my voice and songs.
Do you have a specific songwriting process at all?
It generally starts from sitting down with a guitar or piano and just playing around and if you’re lucky, something reveals itself and they’ll be a chord progression or melody that I find interesting and I’ll record it into my phone. I trust the process and I find this is where your subconscious takes over. It’s almost as if the magic stuff happens when you’re not thinking about it. Sometimes they’ll be a certain phrase or words that I like the sound of and again I’ll record that into my phone or write it down, and then you have something to work with. Every songwriter has different approaches and this is what makes it so special. There is no rhyme or reason, but when ‘it’ comes you need to make sure you capture it.
What makes Alex Lipinski happy and what makes you unhappy?
I’ve realised I’m most content when I’m writing and being creative. If I haven’t written anything for a period of time my mind starts to become cloudy and i hate that feeling. When I’ve just written a song that I’m pleased with, that’s when I’m generally the most satisfied, creating something that didn’t exist an hour before. Apart from that the main things in life that make me happy are my wife, my family, my dog and when Aston Villa win. If Aston Villa lose it can ruin my day.
Photo Credit: Supplied By PR
Alex Lipinski’s single ‘Idiot Station’ is out now on Marquee Records.
For more information visit his official website here: https://alexlipinski.com/
