Northampton's Andy Crofts hitting the right notes with debut solo LP Melody Boy

It's been a special few weeks for Northampton singer-songwriter Andy Crofts.

The long-time frontman of town band The Moons is revelling in the positive response to the release of his first solo studio LP, something that has been a real labour of love.

Melody Boy was released on Crofts' own Colorama Records label in August, having been preceded by singles Blue and On The Beach, and has received glowing reviews.

The 14-song set has been a long time in the making.

Crofts has always had the ambition of releasing a solo album, but life fronting The Moons and also as a long-time member of Paul Weller's touring and studio band meant it was something placed on the backburner.

But not any more.

Six years on from The Moons' most recent release, Pocket Melodies, Andy Crofts is a solo artist at last, and he wears it well!

There is no doubt fans of The Moons will love Melody Boy, with Crofts not veering too far away from the sounds or spirit of the band.

But it is very much a 'DIY album, with Crofts writing, mixing and producing the LP, as well as performing all the instruments, aside from the drums on a handful of tracks.

It is an album full of great tunes with a real summer vibe and an overall upbeat feel, but there are some darker moments on there too, and it is an excellent record.

The next exciting step for Crofts is to now bring the songs to life on the stage, and that will happen when he showcases the LP with a special full-band gig at the Bush Hall in London on October 20.

But that won't be a one-off, as it's now been revealed Crofts will also be playing live with the same full band at the Black Prince in Northampton in December.

And tickets for that one are on sale now.

There are more details on those gigs, who will be in his new live band, and a lot more as well in this exclusive Q&A.

It's a chance for Crofts to explain how Melody Boy came about, what releasing the album means to him, the process of producing a solo record, the frustration of being an artist trying to make ends meet in today's music world and much more…

Q: You have been making and creating music for a long time, mainly with The Moons of course, so how does it feel to now be putting that work out there under your own name? You must be very proud?…

A: In some ways, it still feels similar, as I was always the songwriter for The Moons, but at the same time I also feel a real sense of freedom now.

I don’t have to run things past anyone or worry about whether someone else likes an idea. I’m also excited about crossing over into different genres with my music.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m going to suddenly leap into rap or anything like that! I mean I can subtly merge different influences, like jazz, into the songs.

Tracks like Dancing With The Moon on Melody Boy do this, as does Meet Again.

On The Beach has a kind of bossa nova rhythm in the verses too. It’s subtle, but it makes me happy to be able to include those influences.

As for being proud, yes, I guess I am.

The album has had the best response I think I’ve ever had, with people calling it an instant classic.

To me, success is people connecting with something you’ve made and allowing it to become part of their soundtrack. I think that is happening, which means a lot to me.

Q: And has it come out how you always imagined and dreamed it would?

A: I think it has, yes. It’s easy to analyse things too much, and trust me, I could! But it’s a DIY album made with blood, sweat and tears, set somewhere between the sun and the rain.

It’s what I wanted. It sounds exciting, melodic and is full of good tunes.

Despite some of the lush arrangements, it still carries a lo-fi aesthetic, which I really like.

Some of the instruments sound rough and ready, and I like that. I think it gives the album character.

Q: I know you have been speaking about a solo album for a long time, so have you been carrying some of these songs with you for the past few years? Have you been saving them for this moment, or are they all fresh ideas?

A: Yeah, I guess I have been sitting on some of them for a while. I’ve had songs that I’ve sat on for more than 20 years because I didn’t think I was ready for them.

However tempting it is to just put out anything you have, I think it’s important that you are mentally in sync with the songs.

Otherwise, you don’t really mean it, and I feel listeners can tell.

I have so many songs lying around, though. Some are finished, some are half-written, maybe just a chorus or a verse, or even just a song title!

But I always keep note of the stuff that has potential.

I usually know immediately when a song comes to me. It’s like I have a natural filter in my head that sorts out the bad stuff.

Q: The name of the album is very apt, as the melodies on it are so strong… plenty of earworms in there… so how do you come up with those tunes? Do you have a regular writing/creative process?

A: Well, the title Melody Boy came to me for a few reasons.

Number one, I’ve always been obsessed with melody, and if anyone knows my music, you’ll probably understand that. It’s kind of like an unspoken rule in my head: a song has to be solid, with a good melody.

There are exceptions, obviously, but I guess my influences — The Beatles, Buzzcocks, Motown, Buddy Holly, The Beach Boys and so on, are the reason for this.

I actually sometimes envy bands who don’t rely on strong melodies and have a rawer, cooler edge.

Anyway, I was thinking about myself as a child, and I guess Melody Boy captured that feeling.

Oh yeah, number two! I bought an old radio from a car boot sale and it was called a Melody Boy by Grundig.

I thought it was a great title and it just made sense that it was about me. It must have been a sign!

My songs can come from anywhere.

A headline in a paper, the name of an old book, me just playing around on guitar or piano. Sometimes it just comes, and sometimes you stumble across something and have to pursue it a bit.

It always used to be me playing guitar and a vocal line would come to me, but these days I tend to have a lyric line appear in my head, and that usually sparks an idea.

Q: And however the songs do come about, what comes first… the tune or the lyrics, or does it vary song to song?

A: Like I was saying, it can be either way.

I’d say 75 per cent of the time it comes from playing a guitar or piano, and then a melody just pops out at me.

As long as I know my melody, I then move on to getting all the music down in demo form before singing. I like to create a musical picture first.

What I do find hard is not repeating myself.

For some songs it’s okay, but I like to try and bring something new each time, as long as it doesn’t destroy the song.

Q: You now live in Worthing, and there is a strong seaside/summer vibe to the LP… has the move to the south coast been good for the creative juices? Where does your inspiration for songs come from?

A: At first, no! I hated it when I first moved to Worthing. I had to because of my partner at the time.

I was away touring a lot and she wanted to be near her family, so I had to make the sacrifice of leaving Northampton.

My mum still lives in Kingsthorpe, though, so I often pop in.

Worthing has come on loads since I first moved there, and I actually quite like it now.

The sea has been a big inspiration to me, without me even realising it.

You kind of get complacent about it being there, but sometimes you have to surrender yourself to it.

Sometimes, by my beach hut studio, I’ll take a walk down and just sit watching the waves.

I think it’s good for the soul. The sea doesn’t judge us. It just listens.

So yes, my album is hugely influenced by that way of life, and I was quite happy to have a sunshine record for the first time.

The feeling and the music just synced up together at the right time.

Q: When it came to recording the LP, you played virtually all of the instruments throughout (which is impressive!) and had total control of proceedings… was that liberating?

A: Yes and no. I love the freedom to do whatever I want, but it comes at a cost, and that’s my abilities!

I’m pretty good at most things, but I’m not great on drums, for example, so I would get a drummer to play some beats, or I’d have to piece some loops together.

I think I am a bit of a control freak, though, so in some ways it is liberating for me.

I work very fast too and very rarely do more than one take when recording, so I don’t have to have people slowing me down!

Q: And is it something you are keen to do again?

A: I will always do most of it myself in any way I can, but I will constantly need other musicians for certain things. The main issue is money most of the time, so it all depends.

I’ve always loved the recording process, though. There’s nothing better than translating your song into a finished piece.

I don’t think I could ever get bored of that feeling. It’s addictive.

Sometimes a song you thought was going to be good doesn’t turn out right, so sometimes it’s good to approach it from a different angle and try to bring it to life.

Q: Fair to say you now have quite the back catalogue of songs with The Moons LPs and the various other projects you have undertaken. It may be an unfair question, but where do you feel the songs on Melody Boy rank in that canon of work?

A: In all honesty, I think it’s my best work. I’m not quite sure why. It might be because of what I was just saying: I didn’t have to settle for something I wasn’t truly happy with, and if I did, at least it was only me I had to worry about.

I’m quite proud of the catalogue of music. It’s always been very hands-on and restricted by money, but I think it has always translated well.

The real question should be, are you able to make a living out of all of these songs? Well, the answer is no!

You won’t have room in this piece to talk about this, but I have to say it’s criminal what musicians have to sacrifice.

It’s almost impossible to make money from your art, and it can be soul-destroying.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d still make and release my music, but I think it’s unfair that we create something so special and basically give it away for free.

Anyway, that debate is for another time!

Q: Now the LP is out there and has been very well received, you get to play the songs live in London in October… how are the preparations going for that? Do you have your live band together already?

A: This is interesting. There are many people I could have recruited for this, but guess who I decided I would use? My first band, The High Drivers!

I’ll have Matt Wilkins on guitar, Luke Goddard, who originally played drums, on keys, Dan Battison on bass and Chris Watson from The Moons on guitar too. I’m still deciding on drums.

I would like to have a brass section, but I simply can’t afford to pay anyone.

So yeah, I thought it would be nice to go full circle and have my first band joining me on stage.

There’s something really rewarding about that to me. They were there with me in the beginning.

But, news just in! I’ve just added a show at The Black Prince Northampton for Sunday, December 20.

This will be a bit of a Christmas knees up and celebration of Melody Boy. It should be a great night.

Q: You must be so excited to get the chance to play these songs live?

A: I can’t wait! It’s going to be quite a slog getting it all together, though.

To answer part of the previous question, we’ll be starting full rehearsals at some point in September in Northampton.

I am really looking forward to it, though. It’s been a long time since I stepped on stage with a full band.

I just need to get people in that room!

Similar to music sales, gig tickets are suffering across the board too, so I’m pushing as hard as I can to get the word around.

Q: What can fans expect on the night? Will there be other tunes as well as the album in full?

A: The show is mainly to celebrate Melody Boy, but yes, there will be some songs by The Moons and a cover or two.

It’s so easy to slip back into all the old Moons material, but I’m trying to keep that at arm’s length. There will be some Moons classics in there, though.

Q: Finally, what’s next for you, Andy? Are you looking at more solo work, or is there a chance there being more to come from The Moons?

A: As for The Moons, we never split up, but I don’t see anything happening in the near future.

I just want to concentrate on my own albums at the moment.

You see, it’s all very personal to me, and doing my own music under my name hits differently. It’s like I’m getting feelings out of me and releasing them into the world with no compromise.

I’ve already started on album two, and it’s looking to be a great follow-up. I’ve got loads of songs, so it’s just about working out which ones fit together.

I’m also still doing my spooky podcast, The Terror Cellar, where I read out listeners’ paranormal stories and things like that.

It’s just a bit of fun on the side and helps my mind think about something other than music.

With Halloween on the way, it should get a resurgence, so if anyone reading this is into ghost stories and the paranormal, come and check out my podcast, The Terror Cellar!

Melody Boy is out now and is available of LP and CD as well as across all streaming platforms. The LP and CD can be purchased direct from https://cargorecordsdirect.co.uk/products/andy-crofts-melody-boy

Andy Crofts and his band will play the Bush Hall in Shepherds Bush in London on Tuesday, October 20, with acoustic support coming from Chris Daley, Son Of A Mod & Jacob Ellis and The Last Of The Troubadours. Tickets are available now from https://bushhall.seetickets.com/ priced £23.50

Andy Crofts and his band will also play The Black Prince in Northampton on Sunday, December 20, with support to be announced. Tickets for that one are available now from https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Northampton/The-Black-Prince/Andy-Crofts-full-band--support/42720560/