Q+A
JOHNNY MARR
It’s rare that Johnny Marr takes time out of his perma-busy schedule to look back. But, as a dedicated singles devotee, reaching the 10th of his solo career was a landmark that even Johnny felt needed commemorating. With the sumptuously-packaged Single Life boxset rounding those up, it’s time for Marr to reflect on his solo life to date – and give a few indications about what’s next, as well as the lowdown on some of his upcoming collaborations…
Why did you decide to release Single Life now?
Well, 10 is a good number, and a boxset of 7"s is a no-brainer for me – I love 45s. I was talking to my art director Mat Bancroft, who has ideas for my videos. I can’t remember who had the idea, but as soon as it was mentioned, it felt an incredibly obvious move. It’s a lovely artefact to have, and there’s something new coming, too, so the time is right.
Not all of the singles have been released physically until now…
No, and I’m really pleased that The Messenger in particular has finally become a physical 7". It was the first song I released as a solo musician, so in my mind it’s always been a “proper” single. But it was only meant for the radio – to introduce people to my voice, my band, my new music. I didn’t want to be presumptuous in releasing a 7" single straight away but, for me and my band, The Messenger has always been a single that just didn’t physically exist. Starting off Single Life with The Messenger is finished business – I love that it’s the first thing in the box that you see and touch.