And I worked with Paul Nobel, who plays bass and programmed all the drums and everything, so he definitely helped with the arrangements.Īside from Shadow Cat, your most recent albums have featured pretty heavy players, such as The Venus 3, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Johnny Marr, and John Paul Jones. But they were, obviously, arranged as they went on. Consequence of Sound caught up with the troubadour to wish him a happy birthday and talk about the new record, his attachment to Norway, and how rock and roll is an old mans game now.ĭid you have the songs already composed prior, or did the band contribute to the songwriting? Now, having just turned 60, Hitchcock has released his latest effort, Love from London, a beautiful collection of songs that blends his wit, slightly askew view, and offbeat sense of humor with delicate strings, balanced harmonies, and solid arrangements. The ’90s and 2000s saw him continue to release quirky and eccentric pop songs but also revisit his folk roots, working with such artists as Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, and The Venus 3. During the next decade, through solo releases or with his side group, The Egyptians, Hitchcock steadily climbed the ranks to become the closest thing alternative music had to a Bob Dylan.

Beginning his musical career as a folkie busking around Cambridge, Hitchcock ended the ’70s playing dynamically savage pop as leader of The Soft Boys. It’s hard to believe that Robyn Hitchcock has been making music for nearly 40 years.

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