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Clear Blue Skies Interview
26th April 2007DW: How's life up there in Northumberland?
Derek: Sunny here right now. Something new is coming, something inspiring, has been here a while but now it is being seen, heard, felt. Coming from here the land is inspiring as long as you want to be inspired.
DW: It's been quite a year for you and the band hasn't it. You've had quite a bit of exposure through MySpace – how has that affected the band?
Derek: It means more people will stay because there are people on the page. It is nice hearing nice things about our music but verbal support is saving the day. I do love people and replying to them all. People are my greatest inspiration.
About 50 people have come to see us through MySpace, which is excellent. 60 people bought our last single. All excellent. We have over 10,000 friends online. But when the big day comes and someone big accepts us, pays us more money, then we will have a lot of people right there.
Thing about MySpace is, everyone on it is famous. Thing about today is, people are never bored and entertainment can be stolen or is right there for people. So loving a band is not the same anymore. But MySpace kept me going when I thought nothing was happening and it was a great help to win Popworld.
DW: Can you talk us through what winning the Popworld competition involved, and what the prize entailed.
Derek: Our new manager Paul came along and looked at our past, present and future. I tried my best to keep the band alive but you have to be many things, gig booker, secretary, manager, road/tour manager, accountant, it goes on and on but that is too much for one person. I also had to be a full time front man, full time, on and off stage.
First thing he said was, what is that competition, lets win that. I never believed this could happen but I said OK. I spoke to all the MySpace people and asked if they would listen to our track, rate it and ask others too as this got us a point every time.
Paul sorted out trucks to play on in random places, press would not help or radio until the end so we had to do it all ourselves. The Gazette helped, Jane was a lot of help. We needed money to pay for truck hire, flyers, all kinds. It was, how I live, all or nothing.
So midnight kicked in and we were off, a month of madness. I asked 4,600 on MySpace if they were going to help, 1,000 said yes, that was excellent. And we were off. Around 100 people from MySpace set off played the song, rated it and without asking, downloaded it.
I worked online 16 hours every single day unless we played a gig. Paul did the same. John-Paul was going to sell everything he owned to raise the money for truck tours. The turn-outs were not good, ok, better and a little better but we kept it going. Eddy ( Bass ) went on holiday for a week or so and we had to get in Glen, he learned the songs the night before playing an all day truck session, he was great. Saved the day and an excellent bass player.
It was when we were winning, a few days to go and then hundreds of people joined in, new relatives arrived, many friends, funny it was. We won by a million in the end, magic. It could have ruined Paul and me if we did not win; it was an amazing feeling winning.
So winning. The prize was going on TV, which we did, it was excellent recording it with the other celebs and all the people were great with everyone. We have not got any of the other things yet, gigs or promotion yet but they are on the way we hear. But we got ourselves onto T.V., that is one amazing achievement.DW: Has appearing on television opened any new doors for you so far?
Derek: We do not know yet. Playing gigs is the only way we will find out. It no longer impresses many people being on TV, be they friends or promoters. But more people are coming to gigs to see us, so it is now I realise that not many people are online or follow much from it.
After a year and a half, 12 hours a day running our page, I had forgotten that millions do not have the Internet. With T.V. and radio, over 3.5 million people became aware of us in 24 hours, over 2,000 visits happened on our site, then you realise, not many are online. You can tell by visiting many well-known band sites, we have more people than most of my heroes so who knows what it all means.
Being out there will be the way of knowing.
DW: How long has the band been together and how did you all meet?
Derek: J-P ( my brother ) bought a drum kit, no one knew why. 12 years ago. Him and I have an energy, hard to explain but if you know, then there is no need. My life was ruined, my brother asked me to sing and like most people, I thought singers were born singers and bands were always bands and it was an easy fast life, I said no.
Then I had to. I lost my jobs, gardening business, home where I lived, the life that I knew, got epilepsy and needed help.
Matty played bass back then, guitars now. Matty left. J-P did his thing. The guitarist left. I refused to stop, wrote poetry and novels to keep the dream alive.
Got back with Matty after calling him. He felt the same way as I. Played an acoustic set, went more than well, asked 6 people to play the bass, they didn’t. Met Eddy, he happily joined. He had no experience. Had a drummer, but he could not give it his all so stayed in his business, great fella though. J-P came back better than ever. 5 years ago we set off on the mission once more.
DW: You seem to be quite a prolific songwriter – is there always something new buzzing around your head.
Derek: I never switch off, it was never easy believing in something so very few believe in. Then I let it out and it never stopped. Over 300 songs, over ,4000 poems, 8 novels. I have a love for life and people, making a difference, giving hope. I set off for all the right reasons so I never have or can fail.
Writing and life are just what happened to me, I simply arrived and never took my eyes of anything.
DW: How much input do the other band members have in song writing – do you write the lyrics and the music or is that a team effort?
Derek: Matty writes most of the music. I have written around 20 songs on guitar but I never wanted to be an all-rounder. Eddy has written a couple too. J-P writes the odd song with Matty when they are together.
This is how we used to write. Matty came to see me with his new songs, I wrote down the lyrics, we took these to the others and they add their magic and make it special. By two or three plays we were ready to play it live. An amazing time to be in a band.
DW: You recently became a Dad again – has that changed your outlook on life at all?
Derek: One of my reasons for having such a great outlook on life and a big heart was because I had a daughter when I was a teenager. She was everything and I missed her when I could not see her and this something inside me came to life and never left, like I was writing companions for the people, like myself.
It is hard to not have something with you all the time when you are used to it. I love always holding my second daughter. They both give me so much magic. I wanted to give them a chance in life, I know everyone believes in education until the world is full of them but there is so much to life only a thinker will understand.
I would love them both to be free and live life the way I wanted and be whatever they want. They both arrived from love, they will always be everything I and this life needs.
DW: What's your best and worst gigs and why?
Derek: Never had a bad gig, they all take hours and days and weeks and months to get, I work so hard to get them, I love them all. Best gig is so hard to say, playing with Adam Bomb many times, Half Man Half Biscuit, Sons & Daughters are a few that were special.
DW: What other bands from the North East can you recommend we check out?
Derek: I cannot write this, what if I leave one out? Ok, it is a question, here are a few. The Tuckers, Junkster.
DW: What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Derek: Nigel from Half Man Half Biscuit said to "Just play and ignore the money and you can't fail." So many do it for fast money, but you have to work harder at being in a band than anything I have ever done. No money, little hope, little belief from inside and outside the camp.
DW: What piece of advice would you give to anyone just starting out on a musical career?
Derek: Don't. If music is your dream then live it, if money is your dream dream for it. Do not do one for the other because almost every unsigned band I have met has failed in their eyes because they were not rich. Most did not fail and will realise one day.
To be a full time band you have to live it full time, have someone special in your band or become one would be better and never give up. I always give advice when asked and help bands, sometimes one replies or thanks me. I reckon, get in the luck zone and stay there.
DW: What is your favourite Clear Blue Skies song?
Derek: "I" is because it is about getting past what you see and believe to see there is something worth seeing and believing.
DW: Has there ever been a moment when you felt like packing it all in, and if so, what kept you going?
Derek: I suffer badly with epilepsy and get some kind of fear from it. I cannot give up because I have become this. I wish sometimes I could be like others and forget the stress, step away from it, all kinds. But I said I would do this to show others that it can be done, I wanted to inspire and give hope. So I will never give up.
DW: What would you like to be doing this time next year?
Derek: The same and more.
DW: I've heard rumours of a US tour for the band, when is this likely to happen, and what else is there in the pipeline.
Derek: Paul and I are asked by hundreds of people every day if we will play in USA and other countries. It is all about a thousands missions to get one tiny thing done. So we work hard to succeed, it's all or nothing. Right now, we are making it spin. USA will be in April 2008.
Right now, the single TIME AND TIME AGAIN is out on pre-order. Radio and maybe more press than the Gazette will help us out. Over 20,000 flyers will be out. Many gigs, many many gigs. I hope you have ordered it, support the dream and give hope. The new album is out soon too. It is mostly on our website clearblueskies.com and our MySpace
The people for the video for the single spoke with us, getting the script soon. Most stuff these days is setting up for the rest of our lives six months in advance always.
Paul is fearless with his plans, he believes anything can be done. He is what I have always needed. I am in a great band, people are joining in our lives daily now. There is always more to be done and I will always be somewhere, there is no doubt about it. I wish I knew me in my times of confusion.
www.myspace.com/clearblueskies