For fans of Wet Wet Wet, the sound of their soft rock is instantly recognisable and bassist and song writer Graeme Clark is just as popular as ever after moving into a solo career.
The 49-year-old has reinvented himself as a solo artist, performing his own ‘stripped back’ acoustic songs at intimate venues around the UK.
After releasing his first album Mr Understanding in 2012, he has gone onto create two more (Solitary Soul and Catching Fire) and told MM about his successes and his failures.
After such an illustrious career, Graeme believes a ‘sense of reality’ is the best thing for a balanced life, as well as healthy eating.
“I go and buy my bananas from Waitrose like everybody else does,” he joked.
On April 28 Graeme will launch his new EP Dry Land which features four new tracks which he has written for himself, inspired by a range of music he listens too.
And Graeme explained just how much difference there is performing solo as opposed to with a band.
“It surprised me actually, normally I would be writing songs for Marti (Pellow) but it is different writing songs for me to sing – I have to watch the high notes,” he laughed.
Most of the music Graeme writes these days has an ‘acoustic feel’ and he admits some of the songs on his new album strike a special chord with him.
“Sometimes if the song connects with me it will connect with other people,” he confessed.
“It’s a really enjoyable thing to try and write a song that engages with people.
“Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don’t but, that’s just the beauty of being a song writer. It’s all about trying to connect with people.”
Graeme starts his solo tour at The Met in Bury on May 8 and admits his gigs will be completely different from his Wet Wet Wet days.
“Wet Wet Wet is a group of guys playing really powerful music and this is the polar opposite,” he said.
“It’s stripped back and acoustic. I talk about the songs, about where I wrote them and about why I wrote them.”
“It will be great to talk to people about what I did for 30 years of my life. That’s what it’s about – and obviously playing some new songs as well.”
Graeme admits it is slightly daunting to be playing on his own but that he will thrive of those nerves to put in performances people will remember.
“Being a bass player in the band I’m on stage right, and then suddenly I’m centre stage and all the focus is on you. There’s a world of difference.”
“Being the big show off that I am, I really enjoy it.”
But Graeme will not only be touring the country as a solo act this summer but will be joining up with fellow bandmates as they perform gigs over July and August.
“I’m a busy boy,” he explained.
“We’re a lucky band we can still go out and play stadiums – it’s brilliant because ultimately we’re just a group of mates. We’ve got a pretty healthy bond.”
While the rest of band are busy doing other activities, Graeme believes there isn’t the ‘intense pressure’ anymore that there used to be in the past.
“It’s a different kind of relationship now,” he said.
Through the bad time and good times of his 30-year career, Graeme admits his family have always stood by him and that without their support he wouldn’t have made it through.
“I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for my family and the support they give me.”
“Even in the trying times, that’s when you know you’ve got good people behind you.
“When I did get too big for my boots they’d bring me back down.”
“It’s great to sell millions of records and it’s great to be up there but it’s also nice to be a normal person doing normal things.”
To keep updated with new releases and tour dates go to: http://www.graemeclark.co.uk/
Image courtesy of BalconyTV, with thanks
