Interview with David Scott by Flyer Magazine, Japan - July 1999

Honda Moeno: Before getting into your latest release, please tell us about you and the band itself, for you haven't been officially introduced to the Japanese audience. First of all, what brought you together to create a band?

David Scott: Hi Honda, nice to hear from you. The band didn't come together like four guys in a bar or something like that...it's always been an outlet for my songs, and I guess for a number of years I would be bumping into guys like Jim and Brian and working with them a little bit, and before you know it, that's the band! There are huge numbers of people who are part time Pearlfishers...our last gig in Glasgow was 14 people onstage.

Honda Moeno: Were there always two of you in the band? Or was it primarily a bigger group?

David Scott: Well, Brian has been my closest collaborator over the years but as I said before, I'll do anything in the service of the songs, and if you need to hire a string quartet or some horns then it becomes a bigger thing. Right from my first groups when I was a teenager I always wanted to have the freedom to make my music in a very honest way, and if you're not restricted to one set up, then it's easier to do that. It's moved about a lot.

Honda Moeno: At the time you formed your band, as main stream musicians in Scotland there were Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Vaselines, BMX Bandits, Trash Can Sinatras and others. What influences did you receive from these bands?

David Scott: Well Duglas is one of my very best friends and I've always loved BMX Bandits very much. I like the spirit of The Pastels and the atmosphere and inspiration they've created over the years. They also make better records as they go on unlike other bands who get worse with time. I recently had the chance to work with Eugene Kelly and that was a total thrill. He's a star. As for TFC, I love them. All these bands are first and foremost about the song as opposed to the haircut or the marketing strategy ( although Norman does have a very nice haircut ) I also like the approach of Paul Buchanan very much. I saw The Blue Nile live about 4 times and I couldn't believe it. One thing I would say about bands like BMX Bandits is that I learned how to be less sophisticated from them.

Honda Moeno: There are certain images prevailed about Scottish bands, but it seems you don't really fit in the stereotypes of this "Scottish circle." What do you say about that?

David Scott: I wouldn't want to be in any circle....although I guess it's inevitable that people will try to squeeze you into a scene. I do think of myself as an artist first and foremost so I never think about these kind of things.

Honda Moeno: As your all time favorite musicians you name Beach Boys and Paul McCartney. In what way were they influences to you upon your own music? Which of their songs would you like the most?

David Scott: Well my fave Beach Boys albums are Pet Sounds and Love You. Brian Wilson's mid to late seventies work is the most underrated body of work ever. I also really love Brians 1988 solo record. That's a masterpiece."Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long"..."Rio Grande"..."Melt Away"...Wow! You learn so much by listening to Brians records, both technically and spiritually because you can listen to the physical arrangement and production and see how it's done, but you can also listen to the emotional sound of the record and learn how to express your soul. Paul McCartney was a guy I always listened to even when he was so unhip. Every one of his solo albums is full of goodies...I was listening to "London Town" last night...brilliant title track. To me Macca is the real experimenter...the guy who makes these very loose, demo style things....I even love the things that other people sort of diss'...."Once Upon A Long Ago"...total masterpiece of a pop record.

Honda Moeno: In your work, I feel that the stereotypical, stage-made, "physical" taste of rock band is less, and the studio-made sound is more. If my observation is correct, when and why did you decide to exclude this "rock-ness"?

David Scott: To be honest I felt that some of my early work was very quirky and soulful and then when I got better at music I sort of got worse...do you know what I mean....too competent and ROCK and ADULT!!! The lat couple of records have been an attempt to get back to the innocence and sweetness that is at the heart of my music. In the studio I try to get the musicians to feel the music and underplay rather than jerk off like some guitar monster. It's more effective to understate things.

Honda Moeno: When you do live shows, how do you organize?

David Scott: Not sure what you mean. I guess I have an agent who puts shows together for me. When I do get out there I try to do something different every time. Sometimes it's with my mini orchestra The Tallpop Sinfonia, sometimes it's the 4 piece band, and I just got back from doing a solo show in London. I cannot wait to come to Japan.

Honda Moeno: Now I want to ask about your new release. On this album, more than before many musical elements are collaborated from the area of soul, baroque, and fusion. Did you decide to take a different stance from the point that you wrote the songs?

David Scott: Well, believe it or not this album was made in two very distinct ways...i wrote half of the songs at the computer, cutting things up, turning them round and interchanging sections. Quite often I would change the melody at the very last minute ( Stella Painted Joy ). It was a very liberating way to work. On the other hand I wrote about seven of the tunes in one 2 or 3 week period just sitting at the piano with a note book and a pencil,,,,very traditional. Over And Over was written at the piano in an hour or so. I was just "being a songwriter"...do you know what I mean? Once the songs were written I orchestrated them one by one. When you say Baroque I think you're talking about the use of harpsichord which is one of the great crossover instruments. It can add such grace and sweetness to pop music. As far as soul music is concerned that has always been a big part of my singing and I'm glad you hear the soul feeling.

Honda Moeno: What overall direction was chosen for this album, and what did you have in mind as its goal?

David Scott: My direction is always the same...to achieve some intense feeling from the marriageof melody, lyrics and arrangement.

Honda Moeno: Were there any changes in the recording process this time?

David Scott: Yeah, we used first takes whenever possible to try and keep it less polished...all the piano tracks are my original guides, for example...the vocal on "We're Gonna Save.." is the rough that i flung down for Norman. You have to try and keep it fresh....these days they take the best musicians in the world and make them sound like fucking machines. I love machines...just don't make Ringo Starr sound like one.

Honda Moeno: Douglas from BMX and Norman from Teenage Fanclub are joining you. What have you learned from their long experience as musicians? Also, what do you think their opinions are about Pearlfishers?

David Scott: I think I've already answered that one, but let me say that I learned a lot about having a laugh and just making it fun. You'd have to ask them what they think of the band....I think they like me, and I guess they wouldn't be such supporters if they didn't dig the record.

Honda Moeno: One other thing different about this release is that more instruments are used, like piano, strings, banjo and so on. Was this idea made before the recording? What benefits does it bring for your band to use more live instruments?

David Scott: Well the texture is the thing...the little things that happen when you put a banjo next to a harpsichord next to a viola. The unique sounds that you get when you use a beat up old upright piano, and the banjo player brings his Gibson 5 string and plays it with metal picks...when I get out my Baldwin electric 12 string...it's the mixture of textures. Don't get me wrong I also love samplers and computers and old fashioned moogs ( You Justify....).

Honda Moeno: In the music scene in Scotland today, there are many new up-and-coming bands of the next generation. How do you see this phenomenon?

David Scott: To be honest I'm not the person to ask. I spend so much time in the studio creating music that I never get time to check a lot of things. Remember though that Scotland will always produce music. It is a very strong strand in our history...and you mark my words whatever comes out of Scotland will almost always be based on melody and strong structure.

Honda Moeno: Lastly, who are your favorite musicians as a song-writer, as a vocalist, as a sound-maker, and as a performer?

David Scott: Songwriter....probably the all time/all round greats for me are Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Vocalist....no one singer particularly, but I love singers like Nick DeCaro. Carl Wilson also comes to mind and of course Marvin Gaye. Performer...Paul McCartney has to be up there as well as people like Tony Bennett and Ray Charles. Sound Maker....there is no competition...for me the pre eminent figure of the 20th century is Brian Wilson.

Honda Moeno: Thank you very much.

David Scott: Thanks.