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Supergrass Singer Gaz Coombes Reveals All About Debut Solo Album

Hayley Madden, Redferns

His band only split last April after 17 years together - but Gaz Coombes, former frontman of Britpop legends Supergrass has told Spinner he's almost finished his debut solo album.

Talking to us from his home in Oxford -- which has a basement studio -- Coombes revealed the as-yet-untitled record was more than half-finished.

He says, "It's going well actually, I've got five or six completed and totally mixed, so half the album's totally finished, and the other half is written and just in the process of recording bits and bobs and finished vocals. It's sounding great, I'm really chuffed."

Coombes explains that oddly, he'd been galvanised into action by the Supergrass split rather than wanting to take a break.

He says, "I just really wanted to make it. I had a really productive couple of months, after the split. There's a lot of songs that came from frustration, that feeling of ants in your pants, just a lot of energy blasted out."

As to what his solo material would sound like, Coombes hints, "It's upbeat in many places, mixed with driving beats, in a cinematic, sort of psychedelic way. Will it scare Supergrass fans? I really don't know."

The record is being co-produced by Sam Williams, who was behind the desk for the first Supergrass album 'I Should Coco,' and features Coombes playing all the instruments.

He explains, "When I started out, I was recording it on my own in my own time and doing a lot of the drums, and basically just playing everything, how I could hear it. I suppose through years of playing different instruments I'm able to do it. I feel quite lucky that I can do that. If I've got an idea, I can just do it quickly.

"It just ended up being that way and I surprised myself in so many ways. A lot of the drums are different odd cut up beats and weird things which I love. I need to do those things, get them out quick and spontaneous. That was the idea, spontaneous quick expression of my basement world."

As for why he decided to make a break from the band he'd been in since a teen, Coombes explained that he just felt that something was missing.

He said, "I think we felt it just wasn't connecting. We were wanting different things, or we didn't know what we wanted. There were a lot of clashes. We're still really good friends though. But the three of us just weren't connecting the way we had done before so, there was no point doing it. I just felt everyone should go on a little adventure."

Coombes, who is currently making his acting debut starring as himself in an ad on British TV for the Toyota Yaris car, is looking to release the album is the autumn and is in discussions with a variety of record labels.

You can see him making his acting debut below:

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Nicholas Smith

I wonder if the dissonance I know of Supergrass's mooD wiLL exist at aLL, or whether 1/3 of the band wiLL deflect the neeD for cleVerness aloNe as it were...

As a musician doing both, I know it is impoSSible to conduct the formulA identicaLLy...and some solo stuFF sometimes sounds empty compared to the band, so I hope to treat this musyQ as stand aLone rhythmz and such...

GooD luQ G.Coombes...

January 27 2011 at 4:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
dp

Great news. Can't wait. Safe to say, it's gonna be a cracking album.

January 25 2011 at 4:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JASON OLIVER

GAZ to me is a wonderful song writer in the ROCK WORLD.
His music has inspired me very much in the music I play.
I know that he is raw talent the can not be replaced .
To me his voice is up with the BEATLES and PINK FLOYD plus the STONES !
Look forward to here his new stuff plus I love his videos very cool .

January 15 2011 at 3:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply