RM Hubbert crafts music which is at once both intimately familiar and unquestionably strange. Eshewing lyrics, his guitar playing takes the place of the human voice. Opening himself up to a wealth of new influences, RM Hubbert recently gathered together a crew of collaborators to focus on a fresh album. 'Thirteen Lost & Found' is out now on Chemikal Underground, benefiting from the voices of Emma Pollock, Alasdair Roberts and more. Alex Kapranos oversaw some aspects of the recording, inviting the cast down to his home in the Borders. A wonderful release, 'Thirteen Lost & Found' is a sumptuous, gorgeous listen but carries with it an emotional weight which plunges into the deepest of black seas. ClashMusic sent out a number of questions to those involved, attempting to piece together just how this record came into being. Here's what filtered back to us... - - - John Ferguson Hubby is someone whom I have been a huge admirer of musically since his time with El Hombre Trajeado. We used to share bills with them from time to time and I have always been struck by his imaginatively melodic and emotive guitar playing. The music he made with El Hombre and his 'First and Last' album never suffered from the absence of vocals as the substance and style of his playing communicates and resonates with the audience/listener more than adequately. His solo music is brave, very emotional, evocative, melodic...one thing it is not is musical wallpaper. How did the collaboration occur? Hubby asked me and I said yes! We got together to work it out in a rehearsal room and in his flat - his flat proving more conducive to the process. Probably something to do with having natural light, a supply of coffee, a dog kicking about, dim sum to eat and so on. I've recorded with Jamie Savage before and value his attention to detail and also his creative suggestions. I'd never worked with Alex Kapranos before but he too was very easy to work with. Good chat, encouragingly responsive and, like Jamie, highly attentive. - - - Shane Connolly How familiar were you with RM Hubbert's music before you began the project? As familiar as a draft to a draft excluder What does his music mean to you? Not sure... Making music with him means a lot. How did the collaboration occur? He asked me and I said aye. What was the atmosphere in the studio like? We wrote the piece in my living room and the atmoshphere was all living roomy. Is the collaboration something you would consider again? Oh go on then. - - - Aidan Moffat I'm a big fan of the first record ('First & Last') and I'd seen him play loads of times before. He was pretty difficult to avoid; he always seemed to playing somewhere whenever I went out! What does his music mean to you? That's a difficult question to answer because I know that all the songs have certain meanings and inspirations to Hubby, but of course with largely instrumental music these meanings probably ...
Clash Music
3 February 2012