On June 1st, revered Scottish miserabilist Malcolm Middleton will release his fifth solo album, Waxing Gibbous; and if Middleton’s previous efforts are anything to go by, then expect a collection of down-beat, melodic songs for the alcohol-loving cynic within.
With less than two months until the album’s release, I caught up with the former Arab Strap guitarist to discuss the new record, the possibility of it being his last, and his career thus far.
Stereokill: What can you tell our readers about Waxing Gibbous?
MM: It’s my fifth studio album, and the third since Arab Strap split in 2006. It has some fast songs and some slow acoustic ones. Not many swear words – although, too many for my Gran’s liking. Guest appearances from King Creosote and The Pictish Trail, and my own “Bohemian Rhapsody”/”Don’t Fear The Reaper” in the guise of “Red Travellin’ Socks”. Some rapping and some slap bass – and, actually, no guitar solos – unfortunately, I forgot.
Stereokill: How would you say the album differs from your previous releases?
MM: It has different songs, and some of the things I sing about are different too. Although, some are the same – as I haven’t changed much or discovered anything new in recent years.
Stereokill: You mentioned in a recent interview that this may be your last solo album. Do you still feel this way?
MM: Yes, it will be for a while. I want to try something new and then come back to this later on. I’m pretty excited about doing something different with new people, though.
Stereokill: Have your record sales increased since the release of “We’re All Going to Die” in 2007?
MM: No they haven’t, but that was my biggest selling single. It’s getting harder to sell bits of plastic and vinyl to people these days: they just want files. There’s also too many bands and too many songs and too much of everything at our fingertips. I want change; I don’t like this place.
Stereokill: In the artwork to your two previous albums, A Brighter Beat and Sleight of Heart, there is a chair that appears behind the CD tray. Is this a significant chair?
MM: Yes, it’s the chair where I write all my songs. I’ve had it all my life.
Stereokill: What’s your own personal take on the music industry these days?
MM: I don’t really like it. Anyone remotely successful within it has already sold their soul in some way or other. We should have an amnesty and all just start from scratch; delete all the old songs and start fresh. Nah, that’d be stupid, as the oldies are the best.
Stereokill: Are there any acts out there that you recommend?
MM: At the moment, my favourite bands are De Rosa and Bat for Lashes.
Stereokill: You’ve released Ladyhawke and Girls Aloud covers via your MySpace. What other songs can fans expect in the future?
MM: Hmm, the possibilities are endless – or ending. Maybe some Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Bat for Lashes, I guess.
Stereokill: What are your favourite albums of all time?
MM: Tropico by Pat Benatar, Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche and Scenes from the Second Storey by The God Machine.
Stereokill: Have you listened to [former Arab Strap bandmate] Aidan Moffat‘s new album, How to Get to Heaven from Scotland?
MM: Yes, it’s good. Although, the guitars could have been better. *winks*
Stereokill: What do you consider high-points in your career thus far?
MM: We had a great time in Arab Strap when we were in our early 20s – naïve idiocy; great fun. Getting drunk with John Peel at Glastonbury in 1998. Our second US tour in 2000. Releasing Into the Woods, and my acoustic UK tour in 2008 – that was really enjoyable. Erm, I dunno’. The last ten months have been quite dull, but I can feel a change in the air again, so that’s good.
Stereokill: You’ve recorded many albums over the course of your career. Which would you say you’re most proud of?
MM: Probaby the first Arab Strap album, The Week Never Starts Round Here. It’s completely undiluted and free from any self-expectations which we later developed.
Stereokill: Are there any songs, in particular, that you consider your favourites?
MM: “Total Belief”, or “Zero”, or “A Brighter Beat”.
Stereokill: How does it feel to be a healthy part of Chemikal Underground‘s success as a label?
MM: Good. I have fond memories of those times, and we’re all still friends; so we did something right. We were all finding our way, as bands and as a label. Lots of mistakes were made too, but they were huge and successful ones.
Stereokill: Finally, is a Twix a chocolate bar or a biscuit?
MM: You know, if this had been the first question then I probably wouldn’t have answered the rest.
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Andrew Lindsay is a Glasgow-based singer-songwriter and deputy editor of Stereokill. 
Ooooh he didn’t like that last question eh?? The biscuit debate continues…
Pffft. He doesn’t come across very well in this interview. Maligning the music industry but covering Girls Aloud, and dissing the age-old biscuit question? There’s such a thing as taking yourself too seriously.
guys, didn’t you know that malcolm middleton used to go out with a twix? it was really intense, she dumped him for his best friend. i heard the the record collection was not divided equally AT ALL.
Its actually the subject of his upcoming Gangster Rap album: Greedy Twix Bitches.
I enjoyed his ‘hard rock’ concept album about the ordeal: Appetite for Destruction.
If Malcolm Middleton didn’t constantly feel disgust and weariness at everything around him, up to and including the interviewer and his own career, his music wouldn’t be as good.
Yay, Red Travellin Socks finally gets release! Can’t wait to catch MM again at Field Day in August!