Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2008-03-24


Interview:
Hand Built By Robots, the forthcoming platinum-selling album by Newton Faulkner, debuted in the top five in the U.K. combined album charts, spent two weeks at Number One and secured the Number One spot on the U.K. iTunes chart for six straight weeks.On Hand Built By Robots - which includes the single "Dream Catch Me" - Faulkner combines finger-picking, string-tapping and percussive drumming on the guitar's body to generate both melody and rhythm on the same instrument. Faulkner has also headlined his own sold-out U.K. tour and was honored with a 2008 Brit Award nomination in the "British Male Solo Artist" category.

Can you talk a little bit about your new album and how would you describe it?

The main thing I really wanted to do was make something that feels like a whole opposed to something that was just some singles and some random other songs. I wanted something that had a flow from start to finish. So it pretty much has a beginning, middle, and an end. Its got a little intro on the front, and there's also quite a bit of one minute and 30 second things that give it a bit more flow.

It was hard to make something that was uplifting, but not unrealistic as well.

Were there any bands or singers that had an influence on you as far as this album?

Loads. All kinds of people. Eric Roche had a huge influence on me. I was actually taught by him for 2 years. Then, it's kind of weird, the things that my parents got me into and then the things that I got my parents into influenced me as well. My parents got me into Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young), and stuff from that kind of time. Then I got my parents into Radiohead, Greenday, and The Presidents Of The United States Of America. So it's all mixed into what influenced me.

What's the song writing process like for you?

Very varied. Every song on the album is written in a completely different way. I think it's because I'm still learning how to write, and I always will be.

Did you find one way that you felt was more effective?

No, not at all. Everything just leads to slightly different places. "I Need Something" took three and half years to write. "Ageing Superhero" took 4 minutes. "I Need Something" started in my head as lyrics, and then I had to work it out on guitar. Other things started out on guitar, and I had to work out in my head.

Hopefully it will stay that way, because I think that way you just end up with more varied material. I quite like writing on other instruments and then putting it back to guitar as well. If you write something on piano and then put it to guitar, you kind of end up playing the guitar in a different way. It's quite interesting.