Craig Walker

MAA : What are your musical sources, what are your favourite bands?
Craig Walker : My Bloody Valentine, Lou Reed, Stooges, the Smiths, Pete Doherty, Kraftwerk, Jeff Mills, Big Star, jamc , Serge Gainsbourg, Nirvana, Sex Pistols and on and on.......I could do this all day.

MAA : What is your musical past? Are you been immersed in music since your childhood?
Craig Walker : I wrote my first song when I was 12. I signed my first record deal when I was 18, I got dropped for the first time at 21, I joined archive when I was 29.
I learned to play classical guitar when I was ten, a year later I got my first electric guitar. I have played ever since.

MAA : If you were not a musician, what other job would you have done?
Craig Walker : Astronaut or carpenter.

MAA : What do you prefer : be on stage or working in studio?
Craig Walker : I have the best job in the world. I do what I love and I get paid for it. I enjoy both as much as the other to answer your question.

MAA : We’ve met you as a DJ: is this only a hobby or more than that?
Craig Walker : I love playing music to other people, I do it at home all the time. Djing is just an extension of that I think. have a laugh!

MAA : How do you write, or compose?
Craig Walker : On my guitar, on other peoples guitars, in my head mainly.

MAA : How do you deal with the critics about your music, especially from the media?
Craig Walker : I don’t care anymore about it. Part of me still wants to be Sid Vicious but I keep it in check now.

MAA : Do you have good vibes towards France and the French audience?
Craig Walker : I love the french way of life. Life is for living and enjoy it, a simple philosophy that becomes harder in modern times. Paris still feels very unamerican - merci beaucoup.

MAA : How do you deal with famousness?
Craig Walker : I’m not famous.

MAA : You know Massive Attack quite well what do they mean to you? What do you think of their carrier?
Craig Walker : Massive Attack are one of those special bands that retain a place in your heart. I moved to London when I was 20 and blue lines was the soundtrack to that time. I was taking loads of ecstasy, going to raves, coming home and listening to unfinished sympathy. I loved the Cocteau Twins, Sinead O’Connor, Everything But the Girl and of course Horace Andy. Teardrop is one of the most sublime songs of all time. Great songwriters Massive Attack.

MAA : What are your plans? serious rumours announce the split of the band Archive, is this true?
Craig Walker : I’m in the studio at the moment working on music which should see the light of day sometime later this year. I’m very happy with it, people seem surprised when they hear it. I’m really in love with music and writing words at the moment.
I’m sure Archive will be in the studio doing what they do best (writing/recording) and I hope they make a great next album.

MAA : Who would you like to collaborate with? Do you already collaborate with some people? Would you mind tell us more about it?
Craig Walker : I’ve been very busy over the last few months, working with some incredibly talented people. I
spent some time in Iceland working with Bardi Johanson from Bang Gang.
I’ve also been working with a London underground producer, Leeroy, who is amazing.
I’m currently in the studio with an old friend of mine Nick Muir, Nick has been part of Bedrock since it began in 1993, he has been John Digweeds studio partner for all this time. I first collaborated with Nick in my first band Power of Dreams (he played keyboards in the studio). Apart from being a genius, Nick likes to go dog racing in his spare time.

MAA : Would you like to collaborate with Massive Attack?
Craig Walker : Of course

MAA : If you could realize one dream musically speaking, what would that be?
Craig Walker : I would love to go into space and record an album while orbiting the earth. The Beatles never did that!

MAA : What are your favourite movies?
Craig Walker : Nil by mouth, Jacobs ladder, Apocalypse now, paths of glory, dogville, hard times, Dr Strangelove, Once upon a time in the west, Leaving Las Vegas, The Grinch (I’m a bit of a kids movie expert, my boy is eight and loves movies), Citizen Kane, The third man, The day after tomorrow, blow up, Trainspotting etc etc etc.

MAA : Do you like to read? what kind of literature do you fancy? What do you read currently?
Craig Walker : I love books. The only good thing about being unemployed was the time I had to read. I devoured literature while I was on the dole.
I read what people recommend to me. I love Joyce, Brendan Behan, Ted Huges, George Orwell, Dostievsky, Celine, Oscar Wilde, Bukowski, Hemingway, John Fante, Dan Fante.....

MAA : What’s on your decks currently?
Craig Walker : The Killers, New Order (technique) Massive Attack (Danny the Dog) Senior Coconut does Kraftwerk, Marvin Gaye, Issac Hayes, The Libertines, Silver Apples, My Own Music, Scissor Sisters, Tom Waits

MAA : What kind of values is it necessary to transmit to your child, according to you?
Craig Walker : “Don’t change yourself, to make them smile".