Exclusive Q and A: The Saw Doctors Show off Fresh [Sonic!] Cuts

posted in: Country • Exclusive Interviews

Ready for The Further Adventures of the Saw Doctors?

The latest album by the Irish-based roots rockers with the folky edge just became available in the US and it boosts some of the grittiest music the band has made in its twenty-five-year history.

As the band made its way around the US during a major tour before returning to the UK to play dates”including Fairport Convention’s major Cropredy Festival in August”guitarist Leo Moran took time out to talk about the band, its fans and just what keeps it going.

OS: You have an amazingly loyal fan base that basically follows you all over the various countries in which you tour.

LM: Yes, we have a small name but very loyal fans. We are very fortunate for that.

OS: You are headlining Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival in August, though, so you’re clearly very popular with folk fans. What do you plan for that gig?

LM:  [The members of Fairport Convention and their fans] are very lovely people. We are just going to go and play for as long as they want us too. We really don’t do anything different except be ourselves. Hopefully we will get to [hang out] with Fairport. They are just lovely people and we always enjoy it, though we’ve only met them about once or twice. We haven’t played the festival since the ˜90s.

OS: This is a tough economy in which to have a niche band. How do you make it work?

LM: We are a small operation cottage industry. We put out albums but we aren’t signed to a label or anything. It took us [a while] to get [The Further Adventures of the Spin Doctors] out in the States.

OS: When bands have such a loyal fan base, as you do, it sometimes seems unusual to do a new studio album. The fans keep demanding the older songs.

LM: You have to do a new album every now and again. You just want to go out with new music. We write songs and if we can put it into a collection, it becomes an album.

OS: What about this album. How did the songs come to fruition?

LM: Various ways, really. Some we had. Sometimes we’ll bring songs into the studio and tighten them up a bit, develop them a little more. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

OS: I know you recorded the song Downtown with Petula Clark. That had to be a fascinating experience.

LM: We played [the song] Downtown one night and we could see everyone loved it, all ages. And we thought “There is an idea” and put it in our back pocket. When we went to record it, our producer asked if she would be interested in singing it with us and it was a wonderful privilege [to record with her]. We recorded the song in one evening, which was quite hectic but wonderful.

OS: Do you see other collaborations ahead?

LM: We will be open to them. A lot of these ideas come by chance. We did a duet with [the rockers] Jason & the Scorchers. He did a song and wanted us to record it with him, which of course we did.

OS: What keeps you coming back to the States?

LM: We have a very strong live following. They come to see us everywhere. People like to talk about how they found the band. We aren’t on the front page of the music press, and [our fans] love that and love letting people know about us.

OS: So when you come to the US, you are basically visiting old friends.

LM: When we look out at the audience, we see lots of familiar faces. We saw some last night. People use our gigs to take a bit of a trip. They combine visiting [an area] with seeing us.

OS: How do you balance writing and performing?

LM: When you’re out on the road as a performer, you are an actor in the play. Songwriting is a more solitary thing. So I think listening to great music is a great inspiration. In modern times, we don’t sit down and listen to music like we used to. When we do, it’s very inspiring.

Find out more about the Saw Doctors on the bands Web site.

Check out the Saw Doctors’ video for “Downtown” featuring Petula Clark: