Squeeze talk to eFestivals

eFestivals caught up with Glenn Tilbrook, and Chris Difford songwriting core of east London legends Squeeze, an hour before an unbilled (but nonetheless packed) show at Camden's Hawley Arms, as part of the Camden Crawl.

The duo talked London, summer shows and their reception among a fresh generation of fans. They also confirmed that they are working on their first album of new material in over ten years, but remained tight lipped on the details.

Was there any particular reason you wanted to get involved with the Camden Crawl?
Glenn Tilbrook: It's in its 16th year now, as it started in 1995. I lived [in Camden] for a year and a half between 1995 and 1996, and I absolutely loved living here. I love the buzz of the area, I love the fact that there's so much music going on. This thing just propagates that - it reminds me of SXSW, that sort of thing where you can just go and see stuff. It's exciting to be part of it.

Has the vibe of Camden changed much since when you lived here?
Glenn Tilbrook: I'm not really around here that much any more, but it's a magnet for bands and musicians, so that much hasn't changed.

Are you planning to incorporate any songs from last year's 'Spot The Difference' album into your set?
Chris Difford: Yeah, I expect we'll be doing quite a bit from that album. Quite a few of the hits. The first time I came to Camden, the first time I ever came to this part of the world, was to see Pink Floyd doing Atom Heart Mother at the Round House. All I remember about it was this guy called Jesus, who stood up during a really quiet piece of music and started playing the flute in the middle of [it]! That's my first memory of Camden. My other memories are of playing at the Dingwalls when we were just starting out.

What's next for Squeeze?
Chris Difford: We're playing V festival, Rochester Castle [as part of the Castle Concerts series of shows this summer] and a few other dates. We've been working on [a new album] this year, which is exciting - with that we've got a bit of a journey ahead of us, which is great.

What can we expect from the new album?
Chris Difford: Just that it will be really brilliant.

Squeeze has been through several incarnations. Is the reception you get from fans these days different to how it used to be?
Glenn Tilbrook: It definitely is. We had nearly ten years of not being a band at all, and in that time there's been a whole different generation who's grown up. I think we've changed as well; we got a bit complacent towards the end. When you don't know what's happening with the band any more that just sort of creeps in.

I don't feel like that any more - the reaction we get now is very similar to the reaction we got when we first came out. I haven't had that feeling for a long time. They're really excited to see us. We're a great band - we can play properly and we've got commitment, and I don't think you can fake that - people know. You can just tell, you always can. And people respond to that.

Latest Updates