Interview:Paul Draper Youth Media 2009

Interview with British singer/songwriter Paul Draper (Mansun)
Interview with British band Mansun lead singer Paul Draper about culture, music, laughs and European integration.
Interview with Paul Draper
Date:	January, 1998
Source:	Youth Media
Interviewer:	Edgar Sk

Interview with British singer/songwriter Paul Draper (Mansun)

Interview with British band Mansun lead singer Paul Draper about culture, music, laughs and European integration.

How did you start thinking, that music was what you needed, that music was something you wanted to do?

I started songwriting when I was 10 years old, I'm not sure why I started, I just felt compelled to write songs, probably because I loved the Beatles and in particular John Lennon, that's where I got the idea to write songs from

You as a hard working person each day is full with adventures. Tell me please what have you done so far in this week?

This week I went into London for a meeting one day. Worked on a recording for a song I wrote with a singer called Catherine and I went to Sussex one evening to meet a friend and spent a few days in my studio working on my own songs. I've also watched some documentaries on youtube about zero point energy, Nikola Tesla and anti-gravity propulsion systems. I have also tried to keep healthy by eating porridge every day and not eating meat.

At Twitter.com you said that you are exhausted working on new album. Tell about what we can expect from it.

The songs I have been recoded with a raw rock feel compared to some of the Mansun recordings.

Currently you have enough creative stage to ask - where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?

I get all my ideas from my own daily experience of my life, weather it's things that happen to me or things I absorb from my daily experience of life.

„Suede” guitarist Bernard Butler recently spoke critically about the 90’ britpop band reunion as example Blur and The Verve. What are your thoughts about britpop band Reunion now?

I'm not keen on reunions, I would however record an album with the members of Mansun but I don't believe that will happen

It has been six years since Mansun split. Bass player Stove King was found to be stealing money from the bands accounts. Tell how you felt then and now about such a unacceptable behavior.

I wasn't surprised at King had a history of Kleptomania

I admit - "Wide Open Space" is one of my favourite songs from Mansun. The song seems simple, but it is mesmerizing in its own way - and this is meant in good sense. About what you think when write lyrics?

I struggled for 6 months to find the lyrics from this song, I eventually got them from absorbing someone talking on TV which gave me the title, then I painted the imagery around that.

On 28th April 1997 Mansun brought out a single Taxlo$$. In official video clip it is seen how you scatter to the four winds 25,000 pounds. At this particular situation would you be able to do like 12 years ago?

I'd keep the money for myself this time (laughs)

Mansun was an incredibly personal thing to you or it was just a small part of your life?

No, mansun was my whole life, I gave everything I had to it but unfortunately events overtook me so I couldn't work on the music anymore.

Some time ago you mentioned that one of you’re favourite albums are from bands like Arctic Monkeys and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. What’s your top bands and albums right now?

I have been listening to Friendly Fires recently and I like the new Kings of Leon album.

We live in a modern age, I hope you agree. Does myspace, last.fm and other pages help you with your plans and album marketing? I think that these resources are just an awesome possibility to get fame and success at speed of sound and that for some of the older singers, like Madonna maybe at the beginning of her musical career, it was harder to get success than it would be if she were starting out now. Does Internet make wonders with less work?

I think there's so many artists on the Internet now that it makes putting out music very difficult as you cant differentiate your music from anybody else.

Have you ever thought of how many people go to their work or school all over the world and are listening on their players to Mansun albums (and upcoming solo) not buying but downloading it? Probably they are some of your biggest fans but what is your attitude about downloading albums and getting no pay? One option is that they get the album illegally but if they like it they will buy it. What are your thoughts about it?

Well I know there are a lot of fans of my songs round the word so I'm very pleased people are still listening to mansuns songs, I hope people listen to my new songs as well when I release them, if anyone wants to keep informed about my releases in the future the best way to do this is to add yourself to my mailing list at www.pauldraper.info

What's the main difference between you now and you ten years ago? In your point of view, musical taste and yourself.

I have a bigger pallet of music I like now, for instance I like Neil Young now but he was never an influence of mine when I was in Mansun.

What are you thinking about when you are laying in bed? Is it about life and death or plans for tomorrow?

I don't sleep much, but when I'm in bed I think about what I'm going to do tomorrow

20 years since the removal of the Iron Curtain: has the integration with the Central and Eastern European countries changed the face of Europe? What are the good and bad at European integration in your point of view?

Well I have many friends from Eastern Europe, from all over because since the iron curtain came down many eastern Europeans have come to England to work. I have friends in London and Chester from Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Baltic States, Romania, you name it. Its a great thing to be able to meet so many people from different cultures and countries!

Being musician is hard work. Sometimes you just have no time for yourself. But what was the last book you red and movie you enjoyed?

The last book i read was "The Hunt for Zero Point" by Nick Cook, I recommend you read it. The last movie I saw at the cinema was The Dark Night

Lastly, please tell us some experience at a concert that you remember with a smile on your face and tell something to our readers before saying goodbye.

Well once a British comedian called Vic Reeves came on stage with Mansun and I performed the song taxloss on his shoulders, that is something that sticks in my memory, a very funny night.