Nat Davies caught up with Cerys just ahead of the release of her second album Never Said Goodbye.
Last updated: 05 January 2009
What can we expect from the new album? Is it still in the country and western vein of Cockahoop?
It's a complete departure from that. Cockahoop was my way of having a musical clean out after being in a band for so long. It wasn't meant to be a country album, it was meant to be a collection of unusual songs recorded live on mostly acoustic instruments.
So would you say you've gone back to a pop sound?
My taste never changed over the whole time. At the time I needed to make a completely different sounding album to Cockahoop informed by living in America for a few years. I felt strong and wanted to make an album that reflected that.
Do you feel more anonymous in the USA?
In America nobody knew me, especially in Nashville. When I first went out there I was living in a hut in the hills so I didn't come across many other human beings, let alone ones that listened to UK or European melodic rock. Now I've made more friends and there's a load of musicians out there who are aware of Catatonia, but that's fine.
Did you miss the recognition or the press attention?
Not for one second. I didn't cope with it very well and I got very frantic and completely out of control. So after I made a very conscious decision, and I've not looked back.
I'm just happy that I can come back four years later and not have a problem with seeing my mates in Cardiff. I can do the Big Weekend and not be freaking about it. It's a big deal for me.
You collaborated with Gruff Rhys on your new record. How did that come about?
I'm a massive fan of Super Furry Animals, Gruff's songwriting and his gentlemanliness. I think he harks back to the old bards. I had this song called Elen but I couldn't finish it to a degree that I was satisfied with. So I called Gruff and said 'If you got the will and the inclination, come over to Nashville and see if you can help me with this song'. So he came.
We did that song and Morning Sunshine. I've known him since I was 17 or 18 but we've never actually worked together like that. He sings on Elen, but we re-cut Morning Sunshine to improve it.
You cut Gruff out to improve it?
No, no, no! I didn't mean it that way! My drummer wasn't in town so it was mostly to do with the drums. Because we wrote it that day, we had to write and record two songs. We did it the Nashville way, right? The band will arrive at 2 O'clock so come on guys, we've got to finish! It was quite good fun as I don't usually work that way. There's not normally time pressure.
It was done in a studio called Battle Tapes with this really young producer from Nashville. We did it in his basement and tried just about anything with the vocals. There are some mad vocals on there. We got his trombone player roommate to come in. It sounds pretty live.
Gruff, from SFA, and Richard and Euros from Gorky's have all gone a lot folksy on their solo projects. Is there an affinity between Welsh music and Americana?
For me, making an album which was more stripped back and more folk and more rootsy was definitely a kickback from being in a rock band with five members, drums, bass and layers of guitars.
It could be a kickback for them too. Euros and Richard were in a pretty big sounding band, and it does take you a while once you've left your established band. You play with people for a reason, so you can't just jump into bed with another bunch without feeling the ground. It's like any major relationship. Maybe Euros will come out with a heavy metal album next.
Do you think as you get older and more experienced you want to take more control over your musical career?
No, I always thought that I knew best ever since I was little. That's what gets me into trouble. I do like sitting back and letting people do what they do, but when it's to do with my music I certainly have a set idea of how I want it to sound.
I feel very fulfilled in my role in the production on this album. That's the major influence that having children has had on me, to have the confidence to do things in a shorter time, so you have to direct a bit better.
You can't just wait for things to happen and direct by misdirection. You have to say "No, this needs to happen here and this here, so let's get it done." It really has clarified the way I spend my time.
Words: Nat Davies
