Sentimental Me

Marti Pellow stops off at the Philharmonic Hall this April and we caught up with him to discuss getting back on the road after lockdown, the changing nature of his audience, and why he’s still desperate to try a good bowl of Scouse

Words by Molly Hardwick

Coming out of lockdown, I imagine playing live is even more special to you now. How has the tour been so far?

It’s been absolutely fantastic. To feel that sense of connection and life again with an audience! It’s a shared experience we all love. My industry was the first to close and the last to re-open, and to be afforded the luxury of finally getting back is great.

Performing is something we certainly took for granted, but when that’s taken away from you, you crave it and respect it a lot more. When I started doing shows again last year, everybody was more up for it. They were all singing back to me: ‘No Marti, no party!’. I love it.

The early Wet Wet Wet material is very nostalgic for many fans. Do you get a similar feeling whilst performing those hits?

I interact with those songs in a different way now I’m in my fifties. I look at songs written when I was a teenager and they mean different things to me now. I hope my songs grow with me, and I notice the audience has grown as well.

When I would first meet [fans] they’d be in their teenage years – now, they’re with their daughters! A couple of kids have even told me that they’ve listened to me on Spotify or watched an old video on YouTube because they really dig that era, and I’m like ‘fair play!’. You write songs and you hope that they’re not just about yesterday, but today and most importantly tomorrow.

I will perform a lot of the songs I did with Wet Wet Wet [on this tour] – whether it’s ‘Angel Eyes’, ‘Wishing I Was Lucky’ or ‘Love Is All Around’. I wanted to do an evening that celebrates the entire body of work I’ve produced as an artist. It’s a no brainer! It’s about entertaining, not educating.

I want my shows to be predominantly made up of songs people know, where you don’t have to think about learning lyrics beforehand. I want the audience to think: ‘Oh yes, I know and love this song!’. I want everyone to celebrate and have a good time.

I really enjoyed your latest album Stargazer, ‘These Are the Days’ struck a particular chord with me. Do you have a song from the album that you’re particularly fond of?

I am really fond of ‘These Are The Days’, too. It’s about growing up with my mates, you know running with our dogs, much simpler times. I could also say ‘Love Me Tonight’. Stargazer was funnily enough one of the most popular albums I’ve made and was really well received, so it was all lovely from that point of view.

As a songwriter, I still have that real love and passion for what I do, so I’m always looking for my next song. I’m always making music! I’ve got one eye open thinking: ‘Let’s go down this wee road and see if I can make music which sounds a little different!’.

I’d love to hear a little more about your creative process when you are songwriting. Was Stargazer a lockdown project, or were you working on other things too?

I was working on a few projects in lockdown, but as a songwriter, I chose not to write about lockdown. I kind of ran away from it! But at the same time, I did a lot of reflecting, and that definitely weaved its way into my music.

For my new album [Stargazer] I wrote with my guitar which was different because I do a lot of writing on my piano. Now, I’m not the best guitarist in the world but, you know, I fumbled my way through it and managed to write some songs. It made my writing so different because I had to work within my skill set, and I found that really interesting. Then you work with somebody who’s really good at the guitar to make it sound great, and you’ve got a success!

It’s so exciting to have you in Liverpool this April. What are you most looking forward to about visiting our city?

I’ve been lucky enough to play in Liverpool many times, both with my music and performing in shows like Chicago too. When I’ve done a musical theatre show, I’ve had the chance to spend a couple of weeks there and see a lot more of the city. Unfortunately, this time it’s a whistle-stop visit, so I’m sad I won’t be able to go further out and visit the likes of New Brighton. It’s great there.

Every time I visit, I always try to see as much as I can, whether it be visiting the galleries or seeing shows. I love the Epstein theatre and the Everyman theatre, they’re both such a celebration of great artists and writers. I always wonder if I’ll be able to get a good bowl of Scouse in a restaurant, too! I’m still waiting to experience that.

Liverpool just has such great heritage, and it’s a city which is really rich in heart. When I look at my itinerary and see I’m visiting Liverpool, I always have a mini celebration in my head because it’s just such a pleasure!

Marti Pellow plays the Philharmonic Hall on Tuesday 19 April

Images © Simon Fowler Photography

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