MILES HUNT: FROM STOURBRIDGE WITH LOVE
Miles Hunt, head honcho of The Wonder Stuff has been a busy man of late. We caught up with him on World Book Day to talk song writing, novels and beating procrastination.
Man, you’re pretty prolific at the moment; what with the upcoming Love from Stourbridge tour, a seven CD boxset and a novel all in the pipeline. What’s your typical day like at the moment?
Hahaha… I like having a few projects on the go at the same time. I have a pitifully short attention span, so when I lose interest in one project I move over to another. Thankfully, other than actually touring, I can get everything I need done at home. I’m usually up around 7am, out the door and onto The Long Mynd (a great big hill I am lucky enough to live on the western slope of in South Shropshire) by 8am with my dog, Winky. After a hearty breakfast I am at the computer by 11am either trying to make sense of whatever I drunkenly wrote for the novel the night before or listening over the previous days musical efforts. I’m working on songs for both a new solo album and a future Wonder Stuff album. Depending on how successful I consider my efforts to have been at either I’ll crack on until it’s time for me and Winky to head out onto the hill again.
What’s your best advice to other musicians (or other creatives) for overcoming procrastination?
Some people are happy to wait until the moment feels right. That’s not me at all. My factory setting is bone idol and if I didn’t force myself to create I would happily lie on the sofa reading and listening to music all day. You just gotta get on with it because I can guarantee you what will happen if you do nothing; absolutely nothing.
What can you tell us about the upcoming novel? Is this something that you’ve always wanted to do?
It is. The three volumes of The Wonder Stuff Diaries were merely an experiment in finding out whether I possessed the discipline to actually sit down and write. I was kicked out of formal education when I was 15 years of age and have no experience in setting myself a routine to work. Unlike the music I have made over the years writing the books was a solitary practice. I got used to it and can now honestly say that I enjoy it. The novel is based on a number of experiences of mine, collecting together a bunch of people I have met along the way, scrapes I have gotten myself into and, thankfully, out of. It’s not entirely serious, but then I wouldn’t describe it as a light hearted romp either.
What books are currently on your bedside table?
‘The Sister Brothers’ by Patrick DeWitt, given to me by a friend in Canada last month.
‘Siddhartha’ by Herman Hesse, recommended to me by the gaffer at my local pub.
‘Joni’ by Barney Hoskins, which I picked up at the Louder Than Word literary festival in Manchester in December.
‘Deep & Meaningless’ by Niall Hunt (no relation) who is an author I have made the acquaintance of on Twitter. Seems like a good guy so why not read his book, right?
Who are your favourite writers working today?
I love mystery books. My all time favourite writer in the genre is Laurence Block, the author of the Burglar series of books among others, all great. Peter May and Mark Billingham are also great crime/mystery writers I enjoy. In recent years David Sedaris is someone I return to time and again, as is David Eggers.
If you had to name one book and one record that made you who you are today, what would they be?
Charles Bukowski’s ‘Ham On Rye’ and ‘Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols’.
Where do you write? Do you have a special room for working?
I have a small studio/study at home. It’s good to be able to shut the door behind me when I’ve finished or just need a break from working. In the past I have had small studio spaces that I have rented away from home but there are fewer things more depressing than making the journey to such places and coming up with nothing.
What’s the song lyric you are especially proud of?
Pretty much every line of mine and Erica’s last album ‘We Came Here To Work’. Oh and a song I wrote yesterday called ‘Map & Direction’.
Who was the worst band you’ve had the misfortunes to share a stage with or meet?
Most bands are good eggs. I had a run in with the Chilli Peppers years ago and they were assholes. But then I always thought their music was awful so at least they are consistent.
You’ll soon be hitting the road with Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. What’s your first memory of hearing them?
I suppose I saw them live first but my good friend, sound engineer and record producer Simon Efemey was one of the first people to record them and I loved what he captured back then. They were an exciting proposition in their early days and to this day I’m always surprised at just how heavy they are live. Recently I’ve seen Jonn and Rat play a couple of acoustic shows. Rat is one hell of a creative player and Jonn still has some seriously powerful pipes on him
I know you read a hell of a lot of music biographies in the run up to writing the Wonder Stuff diaries. Who’s did you enjoy the most? And did you read any that changed your mind about a bands music?
The absolute greatest was Patti Smith’s ‘Just Kids’, followed closely by Viv Albertine’s ‘Clothes. Music. Boys.’ Billy Idol’s biography had me liking him far more than I had before, and I’d always liked him. Both of John Lydon’s books are disappointing, for such a clever man they are both very poorly written. I guess that’s what you get for using a ghost writer. All three, to date, of Peter Hook’s books are wonderful and for varying reasons. But mostly because of his honesty. Start with the Joy Division book if you fancy reading him.
What has been The Wonder Stuff’s greatest moment?
I’m still waiting on that.
