Brangwyn Hall, Swansea
Thurs 22 Oct
By Helen Jauregui
Newton Faulkner is softly spoken and articulate; recalling stories of touring life in a relaxed, self-assured manner. But despite his new album Rebuilt by Humans reaching number one in the iTunes chart, Faulkner is grounded about this achievement. “You never know how things are going to go,” he states modestly. “I was having lunch in London when I found out and got a text telling me to look at iTunes. It’s an amazing thing but I had no preconceptions. You don’t want to guess success!”
Having recently recovered from a serious hand injury sustained on a family holiday in France, the popular guitarist now sports a metal plate in his wrist but has made a quick return to live performance. “Touring is my favourite thing in the world…a nice relaxing tour!” he says, enthused. “When I’m at home, promotional work is more complicated. On the road you wake up at the venue – you’ve slept on a bus – you walk straight in and do sound check. It’s a simplistic existence. All day you’re just consuming energy, ready for the evening.”
Building on his live reputation, Faulkner has also become a favourite at festivals such as Glastonbury and deems such occasions as an exciting opportunity to “ride your own wave” in an atmosphere where “music is everywhere”. But ultimately, its support slots with big names such as James Morrison and Paolo Nutini which Faulkner most relishes: “My favourite gigs to play are support slots where no one knows who I am. You work your arse off to earn the crowd’s attention and have to step up, gradually chipping away at the crowd. I Supported John Mayer at the Royal Albert Hall…my sense of humour broke a kind of spell. I played “You Spin me round” by Dead or Alive and the crowd physically relaxed. It was a tangible shift. The room changed colour.” But touring isn’t always stress-free for the cheerful musician, “we’re pushing technological boundaries; using software that didn’t exist before and there’s a high chance it’ll probably break. New gear is dangerous!”
Describing the creative process behind his album, Faulkner claims that he “wanted to build on the influences and style” of his debut release Hand Built by Robots. “The first album had a narrower sonic backing,” he states. “This time, I wanted to push it further in every direction and make the big stuff really big.” Although Rebuilt by Humans may signal a move away from his previous “just me and a guitar” methods, the album retains all the intimate, personal qualities we’ve come to expect from Faulkner, whose music continues to portray a rare kind of honesty.
Tickets: £16. Info: 0871 2200 260 / www.newtonfaulkner.com
