I met this week with Double Ivor Novello Award-winning lyricist Chris Difford. Chris is best known for being the writer of the lyrics for all the great songs by the band Squeeze.

I met him at his gig in Winchester. The review of which will be available soon.

Roger: About your writing, how do you normally go about your song writing, do you always start with the lyrics or ever start with the music and put lyrics to them?
Chris: Oh no it’s always lyrics first really, so it’s pretty simple. It always seems to come first unless I’m writing with somebody else who wants to write differently but that’s not the way I go about it.

R: And the lyrics, how do they normally come to you, 3 o clock in the morning, a notebook by the bedside?
C: No I try and keep a day open and do the work then, being the normal process.

R: So you sit down like a normal day job.
C: Yeah I think that’s the best way.

R: So typically how long does a song take to craft?
C: It can vary really between 5 minutes and an hour, there isn’t any set time, there’s no way of telling I don’t think.

R: Who have you enjoyed writing with most, I’ll exclude Glenn from this conversation (Glenn Tilbrook is the other half to the Squeeze writing partnership)
C: Boo Hewerdine I enjoy writing with.

R: That’s your current writing partner isn’t it?
C: Yeah, he’s really good to work with.

R: What makes him good to work with?
C: He’s just very tender and understands what I’m looking for. If I say to him I’d like to do something in a certain genre then he’ll find it. So he’s very good like that.

R: Have you tried putting your own lyrics to music?
C: No not really. It’s not something I do.

R: I just wondered if you ever had and if you tried it and didn’t like it or whether you just never tried it because you always wanted someone else to drive that end?
C: I’ve never really thought about doing it; well I have thought about doing it but I’m too darn lazy to be absolutely honest!

R: Now you and Glenn got given the “new Lennon and McCartney” tag sometime ago. How did it impact you and Glenn?
C: I think we were really flattered by it. I don’t think anything other than being flattered. We were being linked to all sorts of people at that stage. We were just happy to be doing what we were doing.

R: Do you wish it was never said? Did you find it a milestone at times?
C: No, not at all.

R: You mentioned Squeeze touring again in 2010. New material I understand is that correct?
C: I don’t know, we are doing some writing but I’m not sure where we are with any of that yet. That’s all to come and we’ll find that out as the months unfold. But hopefully yeah.

R: You mentioned a few festival dates (at the gig the night before he’d mentioned Squeeze were doing Isle of Wight and Glastonbury), any non festival for the UK or is that just reserved for the US next year?
C: We are doing festivals here and in America so it’s still quite early days. Were a little away from that’s the time, we’ve made a big chunk in our diaries to do that.

R: What will be the band lineup?
C: At the moment I can’t really say other than the same probably as the last one which involves Simon Hanson, Stephen Large and John Bentley.

R: Changing the subject slightly but still on the song writing. You’ve been involved in a songwriter’s week at times, do you wish you’d had something similar when you were starting out?
C: No I don’t wish for anything except what I already have in life and I think that the song writing workshops that I do I really enjoy doing. I try to help other people that take part. What I had was pretty much working with Glenn and the fantastic writing experience together so. I don’t wish for any other thing really.

R: As you grow older do you find yourself naturally writing more mature lyrics like say “to be a dad” or do you write for the people that are listening to you?
C: I write for me and always have done. If other people like it then that’s a bonus. It’s got to be for yourself I think.

R: Elvis Costello always wrote very cryptically about his own relationships, your lyrics seem very much more personal and direct, did that cause a problem for the people around you?
C: … Sometimes but quite often not, I think people that are close to me kinda know that I wear my heart on my sleeve so it’s not a problem.

R: They’ve heard it anyway.
C: That’s right.

R: You are also into Music Management, what got you into that?
C: Just fell very naturally, it was something I fancied doing, it just became something I enjoyed doing. I don’t it all the time it’s pretty boring. It depends on who you are working with.

R: The managers you’ve had through the years no doubt gave you pointers, what makes a good manager in your opinion?
C: Somebody who can become part of the family and somebody who you can trust, that’s really what good management is about. Not taking part.

R: Is it pushing you in the direction you want to go or how much is it making you see other things that you may have not seen yourself?
C: Well it’s just about being part of the family I think, you’ve just got to be able to listen people and see what it is that they are looking for and try and be part of that. I just think it’s being part of the team.

R: The music industry as a whole seems very different to when you started out. If you were starting now how would you approach it?
C: Same as I did at the beginning really just get on and do it and work as hard as possible. Do lots of gigs and that sort of stuff.

R: The new mediums of the myspace etc do you think you’d have embraced that at the time if it was there then?
C: Of course.

R: Anyway to market.
C: Anyway yes.

R: Do you find it a good way to keep the fans informed of what’s going on. The old traditional fan club newsletter etc were very one a month, once a quarter, so not very “now”. Do you think it’s a good or a bad thing that there’s more immediacy to the information that’s flying around?
C: I think the more information the better. I regret that I didn’t have the internet when I was growing up, it’s quite a good thing it’s certainly opened up my eyes.

R: Programs like the Xfactor, a good thing?
C: Well it gets music on TV, whether it’s a good thing or not, I’m not sure. I’m probably the wrong person to ask but I think it gives some people the ability to find their way. For me it’s rubbish.

R: In the same vein, the fact that they are doing other people’s songs all the time, do you wish they would do far more of getting the musicians together and writing songs. Do you think it would be a better approach?
C: … I don’t think I really pay that much attention to it. I don’t watch, I don’t take part in, so I don’t really have anything to add to it I don’t think.

R: In terms of today’s music what do you enjoy hearing?
C: At the moment folk music and jazz oddly enough.

R: Were they always interests for you?
C: It’s come about lately.

R: Do you get to see other musicians live when you are not performing yourself?
C: Yes I do I suppose, I went to see Madness last week. I’m going to see Lily Allen this week so yeah I do go out and see music, it’s not the most important thing in my life but it is something I like to do.

R: Is there a venue you hadn’t played but want to?
C: Not that I can think of no. There are some festivals I’m looking forward to playing. There’s some in America we haven’t done yet. Those will come in their own time.

R: Is there someone you’ve performed with that you used to look up to when you were a younger musician or before then?
C: No that’s never happened.

R: Do you wish it had, or do you stand back in awe?
C: I did play with Pete Townsend (The Who) once and that was a bit awe inspiring.

R: I bet.
C: He expected me to play a guitar solo and I’ve never done, so I just looked at him and started to cry. I couldn’t contain myself.

R: That’s understandable with his expertise. You’ve never claimed to be the best musician in terms of your guitar playing so it must have been a bit gob smacking I can imagine.
C: Yes it’s never been something I’ve worried about.

R: After performing so long as Squeeze or just with Glenn how did you find it at first working solo?
C: Daunting, very daunting thought. But with the help of Francis Dunnery I got my act together. I’m enjoying my time on stage. Not every night.

R: So what makes it good, where everyone is listening?
C: Yeah and taking part.

R: What song of yours are you most proud of?
C: … Probably “Up the Junction” I expect.

R: Why that one in particular?
C: It’s about the lyrics, it’s a very good story. I’m happy with it.

R: With so many good songs in the back catalogue how do you go about putting together a set list when you play, both as Squeeze and in gigs like last night? It must be difficult to decide what to drop and what to include.
C: It takes time but eventually you just become aware of what you are capable of doing. I think it’s really what you become comfortable with. You have to play loads of songs to find out which ones you become comfortable with. When you get there you find yourself becoming quite happy.

R: Do you have a particular philosophy in terms of always keeping a certain number of older songs to keep people’s interest? Or does that just come naturally with the type of material you like to play as well?
C: Whatever I can cope with vocally is really important. I don’t pick something that is really difficult for me to sing. I just try and keep it as simple as possible with the audience in mind.

R: You were playing last night with a hurt hand, how did that come about?
C: It’s an old war wound, I had a fight with a fiend of mine some years ago.

R: Is there anything you would like us to know about stuff you are doing.
C: Just listen out for my new solo album.

R: Is there a title yet?
C: It’s called the Full English.

R: Well I’ve taken up enough of your time so I’d just like to thank you on behalf of Get To The Front for the interview. We look forward to hearing more about the festival dates shortly.