Music: John Grant
Jeff Hemmings chats to the Icelandic based musician
“I’m sitting on my favourite bench, as I’m leaving soon and won’t be back ‘til beginning of June. So I thought I’d sit here and enjoy the sun,” says John Grant over the phone. “I’m not trying to cause any trouble but it’s shockingly beautiful today.” But he likes the weather here in Brighton too: “I’m a pig in garbage – I love that weather, walking along the seafront of Brighton, looking at the turbulent ocean I would have been a happy boy!”
Somewhat of a late bloomer, this American’s debut solo album of 2010, the Midlake produced Queen Of Denmark, saw him talk with stark honesty about his homosexuality, his battles to overcome drink and drug addictions and his love for someone called Charlie. He then used the stage at last year’s Meltdown to announce that he was HIV-positive. It all seems grist to the mill, however, as his purple patch extends to the new album, the brilliant Pale Green Ghosts, which he made in Iceland. “I didn’t plan on moving to Iceland, but I came here to make my record. I ended up finding an apartment to stay in and then I decided I really liked it.
“I was intrigued by the language; I’ve made lots of progress, but it’s such a complicated language that it’s difficult to form simple thoughts because of all the grammar involved.” The man obviously has a talent for language, being able to speak German, Russian and Spanish along with English, and it was something he was nearly destined for after leaving school. “My parents were very upset about me not knowing what I wanted to do. So, everyone got excited when I latched onto German, and when my parents were able to cart me off to Germany they were elated.”
In Pale Green Ghosts, Grant along with Gus Gus’ Biggi Veira have created a beautifully judged mix of industrial electro pop and open letters to the ever present Charlie. It also features a guest vocal from fan and friend Sinead O’Connor. “I didn’t know how people were going to react to it; my heart is shaped like a synthesiser and I think this album is about my adolescence in the ’80s, and it was all about that synth music from then. And Iceland was responsible for me getting more into rock music via The Sugarcubes [Bjork’s first band], something I really connected to. As for England, Gary Numan, Chris & Cosey, Fad Gadget, Cabaret Voltaire, New Order were the soundtrack to a big chunk of my life. I still listen to that stuff constantly and I love it just as much as I did back then.”
As for Sinead: “She covered one of my songs and that opened the door for me to say ‘hi’. She and I quickly became friends, I was listening to her stuff from day one; musically, I’m not her equal, but she’s the kind of person I like to be around; funny and warm. That’s a bit wild for me.” So, is it true that she would have his babies if he were straight? “You would have to ask her,” laughs Grant. “But, that seems to be the case…”
John Grant, St George’s Church, Thursday 16 May, 7.30pm, £17.50
