Weekend Interview: Alan Leach

Formed in York in 1990, Shed Seven became one of the stand out acts with a rockier edge at the time of Britpop. While they briefly split in 2003, they enjoyed an acclaimed return just a few years later. However, founding member Alan Leach, opted out of the band in 2021 and has instead turned his attention to the solo world. Best known as a drummer, his debut album, I Wish I Knew Now What I Thought I Knew Then, showcases his skilled songwriting and rich vocal. We caught up with Alan ahead of his two shows at York's The Crescent on November 2nd and 3rd.

Hi Alan. It's an exciting time - your debut album is just around the corner... How did it all come about? Did you start work on it straight after leaving Shed Seven?

Once the dust had settled. It was all a bit of a shock, the Shed Seven stuff, how it happened. I wouldn't say it had never crossed my mind the idea of recording solo stuff before. I'd always liked the ideas. It does take up a lot of your energy being in a band, and I do know a lot of people do it, people of all levels, who have the band and do the solo level beside it. Noone in our band has ever done that before. Maybe our band was more all consuming. The other three, Paul, Rick and Tom, when we went on the hiatus in the 2000s, they did all do a solo project and I never did. I was always busy doing my stuff with the quizzes and things. It was always in the back of my mind that it's something I still need to cross off. When I did find myself in this position, I did start doing it quite quickly. I did have some ideas for songs in my head. I'm always sat at the piano making little songs up at home. I've always liked writing lyrics and things.

So it is in essence fulfilling an unfulfilled ambition...

It is a bit ticking it off the list, or proving the point that I can do it. Proving to myself and to other people. When you are in a band like Shed Seven, most drummers would tell you the same thing, you do feel like a bit of a spare part while others are doing the lion's share of the songwriting. It's a bit of a point proving exercise. Whether I've done it to the same standards as what we do as a collective, I don't know. But likewise, when they went off and did their solo stuff, I don't think any of them would fall out with me for saying that none of their solo stuff was up to the standard of Shed Seven. The equal parts don't necessarily make up the sum of the bands. My favourite band in the world, The Stone Roses, made my favourite album ever. But as solo artists none of them have done anything to blow me away really. There are a lot of bands like that though.

Having spent so many years in a band, it must be quite freeing for it to just be your vision...

It's quite liberating in a way to not run everything by a panel. To not get it agreed by four people. If you want to extend a middle 8 or extend a guitar solo in a band you have to run it by four other people and it turns into an email saga. It's really quite liberating to just say I am going to do it like that. It can be something really quite radical. But you also look around and see that you are by yourself and don't have anyone to bounce your ideas off. It is a double edged sword. It's really nice not having to think about anyone else's opinions, and you can get things done a lot quickier. But you do miss having people to bounce ideas off.

Is that why the album features a few collaborations?

I can only really play the piano and drums. I've sang on it, rightly or wrongly. I wasn't definitely going to sing on it. When I went in to record it, I had the songs written to a point, but I wasn't confident I wanted to sing it. Nobody likes the sound of their own voice. That's rubbish actually, loads of people do like the sound of their own voice. Normal people tend to say they don't. It wasn't until the guy, Mickey, who I was recording with said I should have a go at singing them. I was going to get people to guest sing on all of them, just friends and local people really. But he encouraged me to sing the first one and I did, and we both agreed it didn't sound as hideous as I thought it was going to. Then I sang the whole thing and I quite like it.

As you can see I've got the drum kit behind me and we're rehearsing in here with a full band now. I'm actually playing drums and singing at the same time. I never thought I'd see myself doing that.

As a drummer, this is a real change of position for you. Are you nervous about that when it comes to touring?

It is. It's a point proving exercise for me. I like doing different things. I did Stand Up Comedy for a month at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019. I have my other business, a family business. I like trying new things, so it's a challenge. If I just sat on a stool, or stood up and sang the songs, as 52 year old me, I don't know. I think I do need the drum kit to hide behind, but it does make it a bit more challenging. You have to make sure your mouth isn't moving at exactly the same time as the bass drum. I think it always looks quite impressive if someone does play the drums and sings, like the guy in The Eagles and the guy in The Band. There's quite a few good drummers who have done it, but it's harder than it looks, I don't mind telling you. I have spent the last 30 or 40 years getting 4 limbs to work independently of each other, then you throw your mouth into the equation. It kind of tends to want to go with your right arm, or your right leg.

Am I nervous about it? I'm not that nervous about my own performance. I do lots of stupid stuff and I can just laugh it off. If I'm not very good, it will be what it is. I'm more nervous about the logistics of it all. Getting a band together who will turn up for rehearsals and not be ill on the night of the gig. They are the things I worry about more than being able to do it. I don't think people will have too high expectations. As long as I sound better than they expect, then everyone should not begrudge spending £15 on the ticket. I don't think they'll expect me to sound as good as Rick Witter or Bono.

You are very humble and modest, as your sound is strong... You are also very realistic about ambitions. Would you say this is a personal ambition fulfilled rather than wanting to emulating Shed Seven's success...

That's exactly what it is. There are lots of different reasons. You could say a large part of it is ego. You could call it a vanity project, going out and funding it myself. I was never expecting it to be radio hits. Your ego wants people to hear it. The amount of time and effort I've spent on it, you'd be disappointed if people didn't. But as long as a few hundred people hear and pat me on the back and buy me a pint at the gig.

It isn't going to be awful though. I am guilty of putting myself down a bit more than I should. I did an interview last night for some Britpop radio and I should be more positive than I am. I am doing two gigs in York at The Crescent on the 2nd and 3rd (November). I've got Chris Helm and Sam Forrest, who was in a band called Nine Black Alps. I've been friends with Sam for years, but I've never done anything musically with him. He's amazing playing the bass and singing at the same time. Because I'm not that confident in my own voice, especially when I am playing drums at the same time, it is going to be good to have them to bolster my voice with quite a lot of harmonies and things.

We love the album title... Can you tell us where it came from?

The honest answer is I don't really know from one day to the next. There's a Rod Stewart song, I wish I knew then what I knew now, and it's just reversing that a bit. Realising that, especially with what's going on in the world right now, that there are a lot of things you thought were just a given, then you find out that the world isn't what you thought it was. That means something different to each individual.

It also relates back to the splitting up with Shed Seven. I was so adamant I was right about everything, then you look back and you think maybe I did get a few things wrong. There would be things I would do differently with the band if I could do my time again. The good news is that we are all friends about. I was out with Tom at the weekend, and I go out with Rick. Even though we don't really discuss it, it is nice that even though we didn't really fall out at the time, it was very strained and it's nice that it now isn't.