An interview with Luke Haines by Kevin Quinn

Luke Haines ‘on duty’

So, Luke, why the nine year gap between tomes? 

I wrote a couple of proposals after my second book but none were accepted by my then publisher. One proposal was called 'Terror Freaks' and the other was called 'The Revisions.' Out of those two ideas came the idea for 'Freaks Out.' I wasn't that concerned that I didn't get to write another book for such a long time, I had a lot of other things to get on with: Music/painting etc. I also don't really think of myself as a writer as such.

You mention an ‘ideas man’, are they any other notable examples past/present? What distinguishes these characters from Freak and/or Freak Enabler?

I wonder if the 'ideas man' (or woman) within the context of rock n roll has gone AWOL. Popular culture is very career orientated now; within music it seems that all acts are being groomed towards that coveted first chance of playing Glastonbury with an eye on moving up the order the next year, and a nailed-on option to reform once split up, becoming even bigger (but more artistically redundant) on the second go around the track.

'Ideas' people seem to exist outside of art, an example being Dominic Cummings, although most of his 'ideas' are not original. Freaks do not always need to have ideas; the Freak can be an idiot savant. That said I have to be careful not to become a gatekeeper of Freakdom, that would be a most un-Freak like thing to turn into.

As an artist who has produced several concept albums, why are they a good strategy? What’s your favourite by another artist?

I'm not sure concept albums are a good strategy. I don't really have a strategy. About a decade or so ago I started to find the form of an album just being a group of unconnected yet sonically similar songs quite abstractly constrictive, so I embraced the concept album. That doesn't mean that everything has to be a concept. It doesn't even mean anything has to be anything, songs don't even have to exist to exist.

Do freaks control their own narrative?  Should they?

Well, we all have a very limited framework to control our own narrative within don't we; we're born and then we are dead. What happens in-between may have very little to do with us (depending on which fates you choose to believe in), but I guess the true Freak controls their narrative more than most, it's inevitable.

Whose parts would comprise your Freakenstein’s Monster? 

I like the question but have to say that a 'Freakenstein monster' would run against the ethos of anti-ethos that it takes to be a Freak. A Freakenstein monster would have to be 'created,' and as we all know, the true Freak cannot be conjured!

What music press did you consume growing up, how and why was it informative/fundamental? 

I settled on 'Sounds.' The Melody Maker seemed really old fashioned in the late '70s and early '80s. It still had jazz and folk sections and tonnes of pages of terrible 'musicians wanted' ads. The NME was a massive bore. Sounds had some writers that I liked: Dave McCullough, Sandy Robertson, and Edwin Pouncy, and seemed to cover more esoteric stuff (and a load of garbage as well) whereas NME seemed to always be going on about The Redskins and Dexy's. That said, I’m not sure the writers had much influence over me in terms of how they were actually writing, but I did trust the 'taste' (for want of a better term) of the likes of Div Mac and Sandy Robertson.

Did you go to Central Saint Martins, if so what did you study? 

Haha no! I went to Portsmouth College of Art and Design and did a foundation in 1984.

The Internet: equalising force or tranquilising farce? 

I spend less and less time in the digital world as years go by. I guess the thing to remember is that technology will always be flawed as it is created by humans.

People seem to be transfixed with how awful AI will become, but it only seems to be talked about in terms of popular culture. The actual benefits of AI (medicine?) sometimes seem to be passed over in favour of talking about our 'robot overlords.' I mean, who really cares if AI obliterates popular culture as we know it. Shit happens.

What’s next in Haines World? 

I am off to America in August to record the third album with Peter Buck. I'm also writing and recording another solo album and I have a radio play that I wrote with Jim Fry that is coming out on vinyl for next record store day.

Freakometer: Thumb up or dumb down

Robert Fripp[i] (particular his recent ‘antics’ with Toyah[ii]): Cringe or fringe? Both.

Julian Cope[iii]: Dope or Pope? He's the pope of dope.

Kevin Shields’[iv] Britpop/New Labour theory: crackpot or jackpot?  Who am I to condemn Kev's Britpop conspiracy! I firmly believe that Brexit was caused by Select magazine so I'm in no position to judge.

Lawrence[v]: Felt drip or Denim stud?  More fuzzy Felt tip than Felt drip. What's not to like! Although I am baffled by the sculpture of Lawrence's head. Not by Lawrence; I'm sure Lawrence is delighted that someone has sculpted his head, I just can't imagine why anyone would want to look at it. Or for that matter a sculpture of anyone’s head!

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