Getting To Know... Ali Thoburn

With his highly-anticipated new album 'Baggage Handling' set to arrive in the near future, Liverpudlian singer and songwriter Ali Thoburn has now unveiled the first taste of his forthcoming full-length 'Nothing's Wrong'.

Recorded between Dublin and London with drummer Dave Morris, 'Nothing's Wrong' brings out a wonderfully bold and fuzzy sound throughout its captivating runtime. With influences that range from the likes of Pink Floyd, Dinosaur Jr and Sigur Los, you can expect his new record to be a broad and diverse collection of lovelorn offerings.

So with his new single now out, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has influenced him over the years.

-

What was the first instrument you fell in love with?

Guitar. More specifically Andy Summers’ telecaster from The Police.

What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?

Robert Johnson. When I find that I need to reconnect with music, I always seem to reach back to his stuff to remind me of what first got me. There’s so much in those 29 songs that he recorded.

What kind of music did you love as a teenager?

I think I was a little bit out of step with my peer group as a teenager. They’d be listening to Metallica and Guns n Roses and I’d be listening to Pink Floyd and Muddy Waters. We all kind of came together with grunge I guess. I’m still a massive Dinosaur Jr fan now.

Can you remember the first song that made you want to pursue a life in music?

Tricky question. Probably 'Echoes' – Pink Floyd. I thought – I want to know how you transmit that emotion…

When you wake up in the morning, what kind of music do you like to listen to?

I usually need a couple of cups of tea before I can get my head around music. Once I can’t take anymore of the news, it might end up being some Dylan.

How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?

I think I often don’t know who/what a song is about until I’ve processed it a bit. Lyrics and words often just arrive at the same time. There’s definitely a lot of talking to myself on the new album but, also, one or two tunes that are directed at people I know. I hope that the person that the song Saccharine is about doesn’t work it out. It’s not full of complements…

What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?

Getting the vinyl back for the album was pretty memorable. Stage diving into a parting crowd combined a memorable moment with some pain…

Outside of music, what is your biggest passion?

I have to say it’s mostly music but I do have an unfinished novel on the go.

If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?

I’ve always been fascinated by film. I really thought that being a binman looked like a cool job when I was a kid.

And what advice would you give to other musicians looking to start a career in music?

Do it because you love it and not because you think that it will make other people love you.

-

Ali Thoburn's new single 'Nothing's Wrong' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.