‘I’ve been working – I’ve been co-producing, with Paul Weller, an album with a guy called Liam Bailey. He’s incredible. So we’ve been working on that. We’ve got about maybe, 10, 12 tracks. But I think that will come out next year.’
He also reveals that Ocean Colour Scene themselves are working on a new album with release expected to be later this year. During the interview, Steve reflects on the early days of the band and his experience working with Paul Weller for the first time, tells us what Oasis were really like backstage, and gives a sneak peek into his upcoming tour Travellers Tunes.
A Side.
Take us back to the beginning. How did your band Ocean Colour Scene come about?
Me and Simon were in different groups in around Solihull and we were playing in the Birmingham areas around the suburbs really. And so we were friends first and we always fancied doing something musically. I guess that’s how it started. It’s just something as simple as that. And so we thought, after seeing the Stone Roses, actually – we saw them at the Birmingham Irish Center, which is like a thousand people or so – and it was kind of straight after that. We saw that and really felt that music had – was starting to become part of our generation.
Where did you get your band name from in particular?
Well, we didn’t want it to be ‘The something’, because we thought that was too retro. And then also there’s a lot of bands around, like Blur and Pulp with just sort of monosyllabic names and so we didn’t wanna go that way either. So we spent, weirdly enough, right – this doesn’t even sound true to me – but we spent a week in Solihull Library trying to pick a name. We were going through all of the film books – the film guide books – looking for names in there, and it took us a week and then we just sat on it because it didn’t sound like anything else.
I love the way you did that. I mean, now you just look up on the internet, wouldn’t you? But then, you would have to go into a library. It seems quite retro now, doesn’t it?
Thank you!
Was it quite difficult starting out? I mean, obviously you started to support Paul Weller in 1993, but what was it like just starting out before that point?
It was…do you know what? We made records straight away. Simon’s old band, The Fanatics, had a record deal in place. So, as soon as we formed, we went into a studio in Redditch, called The Workshop and recorded our first EP and then it got picked up by Fontana – great sixties record label. We went on there and it kind of didn’t get much better. ’91, we went to America for seven weeks, which was incredible. And then we came back after that and the album just took forever and we kind of lost our way with it all and we left the deal. So we had a few years then in hibernation really. But looking back, that hibernation was preparation.
So how did you meet Paul Weller? How did the support slot come about?
Well, we – Ocean Colour Scene along with Jimmy Miller, who’s the Stones producer, and he did Moving On Up with the Primal Scream boys as well – we were in Solid Bond studios, which was Paul’s studio that he had in Marble Arch and we met him there and he said that he liked our earlier singles, I think Sway he mentioned. And so we met him there, and then he offered us two support gigs. And then from then he offered me the job of joining him as second guitarist.
God, what did you think about that?
Yeah, well, it was the coolest thing ever. I think we all felt that, you know? And so I quickly became a better guitar player and a better musician because I was playing a lot with Paul. And it was also allowing us to finance our studio in King’s Heath and then onto the place in Five Ways, which we called Moseley Shoals, which is where we recorded the next three albums. So the whole thing, it was a really beautiful time and we were all learning a lot. We were working hard and we were very focused and, yeah, I think we were just inspired, you know, and then we came back and we started on what would become Moseley Shoals just after that.
You’ve also supported Oasis. What was that like?
It was great fun. We supported them on their first tour.
Oh wow, so what year was that?
I think it was ’94. Anyway, it was the one where Noel got smacked by someone in the crowd in Newcastle. That was the first gig of the tour. So it was like, that was the first gig. But they were very lovely people and you know, they were all stars as well. They had their own sound and they had a swagger, and a conviction, and a belief. Their self-belief was incredible and they were lovely with it. And we’d just sit and talk about clothes, music, John Lennon and The Beatles. As you can imagine, you know, nothing that surprising. But it was a real beautiful moment, just lads getting stuck in and talking about music and playing to people, you know, and their rise was just incredible after that – to see how they took off was just unbelievable. Well, no, it was believable. But fantastic. You know, a really defining moment, I think. Incredible.
I mean, it was a bit of a lad’s era, wasn’t it? The nineties.
It was a bit at times, which is unfortunate.
That’s all right. I didn’t mind being a “ladette” as we were called.
Well, yeah, but it’s a shame, isn’t it that we all have to be called something? No, you know, there was a lot of good lads moments. I’m not saying “laddish”, but it was sort of, you know, a load of boys together. But, you know, more diligent I think than what you would expect is what I’m trying to say, I guess. Yes. I think that everyone was very focused. Drunk but focused!
Listen to the full B side and all episodes of The Leona Graham Podcast which are available to stream now free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
