Red Snapper on Staying Inspired After Two Decades of Making Music

Ahead of their show at Sound Control, Rich Thair of Red Snapper takes a short break from work in his Wales  studio to talk to Skiddle about what keeps them inspired, and their excitement at coming back to Manchester after almost a decade away from the city.

So two decades of making music… how does it differ now to when you started out in the 90’s?

Creatively little has changed, we are still full of fresh ideas and as energetic as ever as a live band. What has changed is the music industry. Record companies are not prepared to invest in promotion and the proactive development of an album. The internet has made it much easier to reach out to fans but people are buying fewer and fewer albums and free downloading is having the obvious effects. In some ways the current DIY approach is similar to when we started in ‘94 releasing our music on my label. The difference now is that one simply can’t sell enough music to balance the books - boring but true!

What inspires you/keeps you wanting to make music?

The passion and excitement of playing in a band with creative musicians, and performing the music in front of fans. We are about to start writing the next album and it is great having a blank musical canvas that can be filled in any way we choose.

You had a break from 2002 'til 2007. What did you get up to during that period?

We all focused on different projects and DJing. Rich Toob, Ali Clayhill and David did a lot of composing for TV. It was a chance for us all to develop our production skills and broaden our musical horizons.

It wasn’t until 2010 that you decided to release a full album, why did it take so long?

We released ‘Red Snapper’, ‘Redone’ and ‘A Pale Blue Dot’ on Lo Recordings - not bad for four years! In retrospect instead of making these mini albums we perhaps should have focused on a full album. It takes us one year to write an album, another to edit/mix and another to negotiate with labels etc. This was alongside playing live and doing our other projects.

When you reformed, did you find the break have a positive effect on the band?

Definitely, we all brought fresh ideas into the studio and we hooked up with Sax player Tom Challenger which moved the whole process onto another level. Often a break makes you realise how great something was that you had in the past.

You’ve collaborated with many artists (remixes and vocals). Who was a stand out artist to work alongside?

Alison David was a vocalist that we worked with on Making Bones and toured with for two years, she was so professional in every situation and great fun to be with. I also think we should credit engineers/ producers Tim Holes and Luke Gordon who helped us shape our sound in the 90s… often these people are rarely credited yet work so hard for bands.

Is there anyone you would like to work alongside in the future?

I would have said Gil Scott Heron but that’s not going to happen now. It would be great to do something with Doom.

You still manage to break boundaries musically. How do you keep your music so fresh and creative?

We have always listened to so much music and we are constantly aware of new young producers/bands/DJs and listen to what they do. We have always made music from our hearts and luckily we don’t need to fit into any pigeonholes. I think it is just that cocktail of the mangled ideas that each of us carry around within ourselves.

How has it been being back on tour? How have fans reacted to hearing the new material live?

We love touring and we are constantly developing our live music old and new. The fans love the new tracks and having Ali singing is such a natural development, and people have embraced this. It is great when a crowd cheer at the start of a new track, at least you know a few people have actually bought the album!

What do you love most about live shows?

The way different people react to different tracks and over the course of a show join together in a common appreciation of what we do. I love it when a crowd go with us as we sweat more and make things more and more intense.

What can the crowd expect from your show in Manchester in November?

A good mix of classic snapper tracks, tracks from Key and even a couple that haven’t ever been heard. With Ali singing I feel there is a little more focus to the gig. Every show is different for us and the tracks have enough improvisation to be unique to that show. Whatever happens they will leave the venue drenched in sweat and feeling good about life. It is a unique experience and we can’t wait to be back in Manchester after so many years - A great city and top people.

Interview: Jo Waddington

Catch Red Snapper at Sound Control on Saturday 19th November. Tickets are available through Skiddle below. 

Tickets are no longer available for this event