Interview: Fred Abbott

Fred Abbott is a guitarist and keyboardist most will recognize from legendary rock band, Noah And The Whale. Branching out on his own after the band’s hiatus, Abbott is looking to make a name all his own and he is guaranteed to do so with his debut solo album, Serious Poke. Recently, Legendary Kids Press was able to speak with him about the record, life after Noah And The Whale and his upcoming touring plans.
You played guitar and keyboards in Noah And The Whale. What made you decide to pursue music solo?
It might sound strange, considering I’m not release a solo album, but there was never any decision or intention to “go solo”. Noah And The Whale went on hiatus at the start of 2014 and that gave me the time off to finish writing some songs - some of which had been hanging around in various states for many years - and record them properly, purely for my own satisfaction. At that stage, I expected Noah to get back together and make another album in 2015, so I thought the music I was making would probably be shelved at that point and never see the light of day. But things went rather differently and here we are!
How would you say the music you’re making now differs from the music you made with Noah And The Whale?
I don’t think it’s a million miles away from what we were doing at the end of Noah. It’s still guitar-based pop rock. It’s definitely a bit rockier, with a lot more loud guitar and drums, but it’s the same musicians as Noah and a lot of the same influences.
You’ll be releasing your debut solo album, Serious Poke, on July 20th. What was the recording process like?
The recording process was sporadic. It was done in bursts of two or three days at a time, sometimes with months in-between. But all of the sessions were great fun, as I was working with my friends and with no pressure. There was no deadline, nobody telling us what do do. No expectations. We were just making music for the enjoyment of it.
You released the album’s first track, “Funny How Good It Feels”, back in April. How has fan reaction been thus far?
People seem to be liking it. I haven’t seen any complaints yet! But it’s early days. I anticipate a lot of Noah fans won’t be into it, but a lot of rock fans who were never into Noah might well like it.
What tracks are you most excited for fans to hear?
Difficult to say. The first track on the album, “Adrenaline Shot”, is a real fast, exciting rock ‘n’ roll [song]. I can’t wait for people to hear [it]. But equally, the last track on the album, “Lucky People”, is a piano-based soul ballad, so I think people could be surprised by that.
Where do you find the inspiration for your lyrics?
It can take me a long time to write lyrics, some of these songs have taken years! I tend to write the music very quickly and then tinker with lyric ideas for ages. Some of the songs on this album come straight from my own experience and some are imagination. I think the feeling behind the songs normally comes from my own life, but the details are often made up.
What do you hope fans take from your music?
I hope they briefly transported to an open highway, hair blown back by the wind as they drive their vintage convertible sports car while simultaneously playing air guitar. It’s supposed to be escapist fun - that’s what rock ’n’ roll’s all about, isn’t it?
Aside from the album release, what plans do you have for the remainder of 2015?
Just to keep making as much music as possible. I’m involved with a lot of different projects right now, some of which involve my ex-Noah bandmates, so I’m playing quite a few gigs, doing lots of recording and trying to keep writing my own songs too. I’ll also be doing some of my own solo shows to promote the album, which should be good fun. [I] can’t wait to turn the guitars up really loud and play the songs live.
Any last words?
No, I’m off to have a billionaire’s shortbread. I deserve it.
Serious Poke is available July 20th. Make sure to follow Abbott on Facebook and Twitter.
