Hawley's sixth coming

One of Sheffield’s finest Richard Hawley discusses 'painful' new album

13 August 2009 - Richard Hawley is gearing up to the release of his sixth album, Truelove’s Gutter, which as the name suggests, has been described as his darkest work to date.

Speaking to Steve Lamacq on 6 Music, the 42 year-old said some of his new material was influenced by the death of his father.

"When you lose somebody that you really love, and that was a huge part of your life, it can’t help but affect you.

"I think I try and be honest in songs and sometimes it’s probably a bit painful and might be painful for other people to listen to it," he explained. "But I just try to be honest and say how things change.

"I’m 42 years old and it’s a lifetime that I’m writing from."

But the singer said it was mainly the experiences of people back home in Sheffield that had an impact on him.

"I realised that quite a few people that I really loved, whilst I was away, were probably not having a great time."
Richard Hawley

"You have to engage with people immediately around you and I realised that quite a few people that I really loved, whilst I was away, were probably not having a great time," he said.

"Not that I was praying on them writing songs, but I wrote songs inspired by some of their situations - not in a judgemental way. I tried to understand, because a lot of it is pretty dark."

Hawley admitted he took time out from the internet, his phone and even listening to music, after finishing touring in December last year, so he could spend time with his friends and family.

But upon getting back into the studio Hawley said he adopted a "single-minded" work ethic and pushed himself to write better songs.

"I wanted to challenge myself quite a lot as a writer, lyricist and I had to admit eventually that I was a singer, and confront that," he admitted. "So I brought quite an expensive microphone for this instead of just guitars."

Recorded in his hometown of Sheffield at Yellow Arch studios, Truelove’s Gutter is due for release on 21 September.

Georgie Rogers