INTERVIEWED FOR FASTERLOUDER.

“Recently I re-discovered my old Madonna records and there is some fucking good music there”. This is not a statement you would expect to hear from Scottish miserablist Malcolm Middleton, who, over the last 7 years has carved out his own unique niche of self-analytical and generally pessimistic songwriting. Increasingly though, he has introduced a wider palette of music to colour his lyrics and his latest release, Waxing Gibbous, shows a musician trying to struggle free of the solo artist stereotype.

Those Madonna records he refers to were dusted off after a drunk night watching old videos on YouTube and Middleton is these days not ashamed to disclose his musical influences, “If you‘d asked me ten years ago I would have lied to you” he admits, “Early on it was Simon & Garfunkel then Madonna, Pat Benatar then I moved onto heavy metal stuff, indie music and folk music, pretty much everything.” That Madonna indulgence led to more synths being used on the new record and even some Faith No More inspired slap bass on the song ‘Kiss At The Station’.

The recording process of the new album also presented a realisation of how isolating life as a solo artist can be. “I recorded Waxing Gibbous at home for three months and it wasn’t until the 3 weeks in a proper studio that other people came in and I forgot how you are supposed to enjoy music as well. I did enjoy it but there wasn’t any humor or fun until other people came in.”

Middleton is the first to admit that he tends to focus on one side of his personality and it is a part of his songwriting he wants to address. “I miss out all the times I’m happy and laughing which I don’t generally put in the songs, which is probably one of the reasons why I’m stopping doing this for a while because I’m becoming a bit sick of songs of depression and only doing one thing,” he says, “I’d like to write a decent happy song that isn’t construed as being too schmaltzy or cheesy. I’d like to use my voice in a positive way and find a way that people haven’t done it before.”

Since the dissolution of Arab Strap (the indie-folk duo with Aidan Moffat) Middleton has released 5 albums and it is at this point of his career that he has decided to change direction(s), something he sees as an opportunity to explore other musical styles, collaborations and projects.

“I’m always recording in the background but I’ll be touring this album for a good few months yet. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be releasing yet but I’ve got a lot of stuff around which is good. I don’t know if that is going to be with a band or spin-off stuff or electronic or acoustic.” he says.

Writing with others does bring its share of anxieties for Middleton. “I’m a bit worried about that. I do miss it but I enjoy doing it myself. I do feel like I need to step away again and work with people but I’ve been doing it by myself for a few years now so it will be hard to give up that control thing. I need to change that and be more open minded,” he confesses.

One project that Middleton is already working on is a BBC Radio 3 collaboration with Mira Calix where they are swapping song files and ideas which will result in a finished song. “It was arranged because Mira was asked who she wanted to collaborate with and she chose me and it was the right thing for me too because it was not like anything I would normally do. It makes you less introverted about writing stuff and inspires you a bit more,” he says.

The rest of 2009 will see Middleton promoting Waxing Gibbous, and after the positive experience of last year’s Australian tour, he will hopefully return again early next year. “I enjoyed it was great, I’d been twice with Arab Strap, it was good. Hopefully we’ll come back early next year and hopefully I’ll have a few more musicians with me. I’m talking with someone about doing a show in New Zealand in February so I imagine we’ll do Australia at the same time.”

In the immediate future Middleton is about to join the European summer festival circuit with the new album in tow, a prospect that doesn’t particularly excite him. “No, I think it’ll be fine though I don’t think my songs are really suited to people jumping up and down outdoors but never mind, you have to do these things,” he says, before adding in a typical self-deprecating manner…

“I’m in an indoor tent or something around tea time so people can relax and have some nibbles and watch and get depressed.”