What was it about the original Guns N’ Roses track “Estranged” that made you want to take on such a monumental song?
It’s a unique song, originally delivered by Axl with such emotional intensity, that basically blew me to bits as a teenager and I’ve returned to it time and again in tough times ever since. Obviously, Guns N’ Roses people will be well aware of it but I’m still sometimes surprised that what I think is one of the most unique and amazing songs ever written is not more widely appreciated. Anyway, I was strumming it one day in between recording sessions in the studio and turns out my Producer, Joe Egan, also loved it as a teenager. That led to conversations about how we might do something with it – albeit, both of us were full of trepidation at the very prospect! We knew it could fit the style of what we’ve been doing though so we decided to give it a go. Obviously, no one can replicate GnR or what Slash and Axl, in particular, did with the original so it was never meant or going to be an attempt to copy them. In the end, my whole approach to the project was with a view to gratitude. My own small way of saying thank you to Axl, if you like, for an original work of genuine genius. We can only hope we’ve done it some form of justice.
Given that the song is nearly 10 minutes long, how did you approach the challenge of re-interpreting it while still holding a listener’s attention?
We phoned our musical brother John Byrne, a wonderful arranger, and said “get in here quick”!! It was always going to be about, hopefully, interesting arrangements and ranging dynamics – with plenty going on and changing across the song’s various sections. We’ve relied heavily on John’s strings and brass arrangements to allow us to not simply copy Slash’s lead guitar melodies that were so crucial to the original track, in between Axl’s spectacularly ranging vocals. We have very different guitar and vocal approaches, obviously – albeit there are some reverential nods to the GnR lads throughout – but, basically, there’s something different going on almost every ten to twenty seconds. Like the original, the second half of the song is completely different to the first half anyway so that also helps. Joe and John also let me work in one of my own top lines from my own song “Choked” towards the end of the track. Obviously, I’m aware that almost no one will realise that’s what’s actually going on there (I’m not exactly a household name!!) but, artistically, it was key for me as it represented a direct connection between “Estranged” and my own original song that was so emotionally inspired by it.
The press release mentions this track is a tribute to a song that “blew you to bits as a struggling teenager.” Can you elaborate on the personal connection you have to “Estranged”?
Well, I’d basically never heard a song like it for a start. And, being a lyrics and melody-focussed person, as soon as I started really digging in to what Axl was talking about, the emotions he was trying to deal with, I just found it incredibly moving. I’m not sure I’ve ever been a particularly self-confident person but, as a teenager and much younger man, I absolutely wasn’t. “Estranged” suggested a level of vulnerability and deep emotional sensitivity that I could and still can very easily identify with – despite what the outside world might sometimes see or think. Maybe, we just leave it there!
Your version features a full orchestra. How did working with the F.A.M.E.S. Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra change the feel of the track compared to your other work?
Well, pretty much all of my other work since coming back to making music a few years ago has featured a live recorded orchestra in some capacity so we have now collaborated several times with FAMES. I just much prefer human beings playing musical instruments to computers and samples. There’s an authenticity to it all that just makes the music real, warmer and far more interesting to my ears. Even the odd minor imperfection in a live recording is good in my eyes as ears are becoming so sanitised via perfect samples, with everything cleaned up to death. That’s not how real music sounds – and I did used to play in a garage, punk band after all! So we like to trust human beings to do their thing in real life and go from there!
With such a well-known song, how did you balance paying homage to the original with putting your own unique artistic stamp on it?
As I mentioned, the idea here was to say thanks and pay tribute to the original. It’s not a song you’d want to mess with in any way and obviously you’re very aware you’re dealing with elite level stuff. It’s not possible to be or copy the greatest rock vocalist to have ever lived (in my opinion!) and who can replicate with any sort of authenticity what Slash does on a guitar? It’s just not possible to “do it like Guns N’ Roses” – and they’ve already done it the best way possible anyway. So, while trying to remain very respectful to a true work of genius at all points, we really just adopted the same approach to this recording as we would with one of my own songs. What else can you do but be yourself? I actually didn’t listen to the original too much at all while going through the recording process and until we had it all done. I thought it would just scare the life out of me and put me off finishing the project!
You’ve been described as wrestling with difficult themes in your music. Does this cover of “Estranged” connect to any of those same themes
Yes – 100%.
What do you hope fans of the original and those new to your music take away from your version of “Estranged”
Maybe it might remind a few people of a great song? It’s definitely already put some people in my own circle on to the original track that didn’t realise this was a GnR cover – imagine thinking I could have written this one myself!! But, obviously, I hope people – especially GnR fans – will enjoy this for what it is. A nod of thanks, a tribute, a different take on a song that has meant so much emotionally for a lot of people. I’d just like to think, as independent artists trying to be true to ourselves, we’ve done it a little bit of justice…and shown a bit more of what we’re capable of at the same time!
