News

We caught up with Paul, to hear all the latest news on album #3, plus tales from Vintage at Goodwood and the wedding Kev was best man at recently. Thanks to Ciaran for the pics. As ever, leave your comments below.

Hello Paul, how are you?
Great thanks. Everything's groovy.

What are you up to?
It's just one of those sorting out days, really. Sinead and I are off to Ireland for a few days, so I'm just getting ready for that.

Have you Feeling chaps made yourselves an album yet?
We've actually just got our final recording dates in the diary. They're in a couple of weeks. That will be the final batch of recording. At least, we're pretty sure it will. And then we should have our record. We're making really good progress.

Are you happy with it?
Really happy. Some of the songs are already being mixed, although some are still not recorded, so it's still quite difficult to see how the whole thing will look as a unit. But individually, the songs are sounding really great.

Have you chosen the first single?
It's dependant on the mixes, really. When we get those back, we'll see. With mixing, you really want it done by one of the top four or five guys in the world, but they're always really busy, so it's quite hard to get things done at relatively short notice, which is what we've been asking for. So different songs have gone out to various different mixers in various corners of the world.

Sounds like there's a gap in the market for a good mixer.
Definitely. It's a strange mixture of science and musicality. But it can change everything about the way your music sounds. So it's really important that we get it right.

Is it a lucrative profession?
I would say so, yeah. If you're in the top flight you wouldn't have to worry to much about your retirement, I'm sure.

So, Feeling fans should start training themselves up.
Yeah, go and buy a mixing desk then start recording your friends' bands and stuff. You might make a few quid!

You played the Vintage at Goodwood festival since we last spoke. How was that?
Really brilliant. I don't know where to start. Actually, Dan knows one of the PRs for the festival and she said when she'd ring journalists up to tell them about it, she'd need about half an hour to explain everything that was going on. It really is an all-encompassing festival. I don't think there's been anything quite like it before.

The Vintage look

What happens?
It's a tremendous mixture of music and fashion and art and movies and general stuff, all with a vintage theme. It's kind of like going back in time, really. There was vintage camping everywhere and they built a full High Street with an old cinema and shops as part of it. And all the different stages were themed. It was an incredible thing to be a part of. We went for the whole weekend. I'm aware I'm gushing about it, but it really was great.

This picture was apparently taken by Ciaran. But Ciaran's in it. Confusing.

What were the band doing?
They asked us if we'd be up for doing a greatest hits set with us and any other people who were around. So, we played four of our owns songs. Then we did Leader of the Pack with Viv Albertine from the Slits, and Take Another Little Piece of My Heart with Beverley Knight. That was awesome. And we did a couple with Sophie, which was great fun. Then Glenn Tilbrook came out and we did four classic Squeeze songs. And then we did Is This The Way To Amarillo with Tony Christie! That was very cool. And the sun was even out while we were playing, after some fairly dodgy weather over the weekend.

Another from Ciaran's clone

And now there's only one more gig in the diary.
That's right, yeah, the one in Scotland in September. But we are looking to put a run of gigs in before the end of the year. We don't want to leave everyone waiting until next year. And it won't just be London either.

Did you go to the wedding that Kevin was best man at recently?
Yes, that was really good. Kev did a great speech. And we had lots of musical madness at that one too.

Brotherly love

You played some songs?
Well, unfortunately Dan was away, so we couldn't do any Feeling stuff. But everybody else got up with us in one way or another. Sinead did some stuff and Sophie did a couple. It was funny because there was another girl who was supposed to be at the wedding to contribute a good 45 minutes of music, but something happened and she couldn't make it. So the groom, Andrew, asked us to sort out some more live music. Which meant we had to throw together whatever we could, with anyone who knew any songs.

"Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking..."

That sounds fun.
Well, when you end up having full-length versions of Hotel California and Layla at your wedding, it could make or break a man! But I'm pleased to say that the happy couple were very happy.

Right, readers' questions. Rowena says that drummers have to put up with a lot of drummer jokes, and asks what the best one you've heard is.
OK. "If you threw a drummer and a drum machine from the top of a very tall building, which one would hit the ground first?" And the answer is, "Who gives a f***?" A classic.

Joanna would like to know your favourite of the songs you've recorded.
Well, it does change all the time. But today, it'll be Set My World On Fire. That's one of the ones being mixed by one of the big guns at the moment. So hopefully that will come back sounding amazing.

Matthew just got his A Level results and would like to know what grades you got, if you did any.
I didn't do any. I think Kev is the only one who did. Myself, Richard, Dan and Ciaran all went to a college and studied a music BTEC.

Did you pass?
Yes, I think we all did. And I did do an additional AS Level, in recording technology or something. I got a B, I think. But it was a long time ago!

Final question is from Eddie who asks what band you'd most love to play with.
Well, I have been doing so and it's called Sinead and the Dawnbreakers! And I would be hung if I said anything else!