David Ford

The former singer and guitarist in Eastbourne’s Easyworld recorded all the songs alone in a Hailsham industrial unit over the best part of a year.

Unlike his previous solo efforts I Sincerely Apologise For The Trouble I’ve Caused and Songs For The Road, the new album has no major label backing, meaning David, in his own words: “Was making music for its own worth, with no pressure to get the songs on the radio”.

He launched his new album at Koko in Camden earlier this month, and has been invited to play The Word Arena at Latitude tonight in Southwold, Suffolk.

For more information about David and his music visit his website at www.myspace.com/davidford.

Is there a musician you admire?

Tom Waits. He’s the world’s best songwriter in his fourth decade at the top of his game.

He’s constantly challenging, innovative and classic.

Is there a record that made you want to be a musician?

As a teenager, I loved REM’s Automatic For The People.

It was my introduction to music that could make an emotional connection and carry a political message but still be accessible.

Is there a TV programme you couldn’t live without?

I’m fairly confident I could survive quite happily if I never watched TV again. That said, I saw every episode of US comedy series Arrested Development at least ten times during the making of my record.

Do you remember the first record you bought – what was it, and where did you buy it?

I bought Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship, probably from somewhere ultra-cool like WH Smith.

Tell us about any guilty pleasures lurking in your CD or film collections – something you know is a bit naff but you can’t help yourself.

I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. If something’s great you don’t need to feel guilty. I stand by the assertion that Right Said Fred’s debut album Up is a forgotten pop classic. My admiration for Face Value by Phil Collins is also well-documented. No shame whatsoever..

Do you have a favourite film?

The Big Lebowski is the most perfect comedy. It’s absurdity as high art.

What about a favourite album, and why?

Born to Run [by Bruce Springsteen] is a powerful, tender, optimistic blast from the heart of small-town America. Regardless of who you are or where you live, on this record, Springsteen is one of us. I love the songs, the spirit and most of all, the hope it represents.

Do you have a favourite book?

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller is confoundingly funny, sad, defeatist and uplifting all at the same time.

I consider it a massive artistic achievement.

Is there a song or individual piece of music you always come back to?

Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem is one of my favourite tunes. It’s beautifully dark but as hooky as any great pop song.

Tell me about a live music, theatre or cinema experience that sticks in your memory.

I saw Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at last year’s Latitude Festival. I hadn’t seen them live before and by the end of the performance, I felt as if I had been beaten up. It was intense and dynamic and Nick Cave owned the stage like nobody I have ever seen.

Is the decision to record all the instrumental parts on your new album yourself your control freak side coming out, or was it something you really wanted to achieve – a true solo album?

The record is a product of its time. The economy was in ruins, the music industry not helpful to musicians. Like generations before me, I felt I had to carry on making the best of what I had. Sometimes, if you really want something to happen, you just have to do it all yourself. It wasn’t really a choice to record entirely solo; I started making the album and just kept going.

Having decided to self-release the new album, is it a relief to be free of record company pressure?

I don’t mind pressure, but that which is exerted by most record labels is not a pressure to excel artistically but to make a product vacuous enough to slip into a mass-marketing campaign. I am so happy to be away from the frantic desperation that places the scrutiny of business on every artistic instinct. I have not had a less stressful time since I last made a record without a label.

Could you ever see yourself moving out of Eastbourne? What does the town bring to your music?

I like Eastbourne and have never craved a life in the big city. While the complete lack of a music scene or even a venue made starting out as a musician more difficult, being left to my own devices has made me more independent and less prone to the short-termism of musical fad and fashion. Being close to the sea and the freedom of the Sussex countryside is always useful for topping up the inspiration tank.