Joe Worricker first caught my eye not too long ago when his song “Finger Waggers” was sent over to me and upon first listen, I feel in audio love. His quirky vocal style and mysterious charm are totally undeniable and his album is definitely one that I am really looking forward to in 2011. I caught up with Joe Worricker a few days ago to talk about “Finger Waggers”, why he chose to snub a major label for Rough Trade Records and how his choice of snuggle buddies ended up in a song called “We Hug In Bed”.
I must say that Joe is completely different to what I was expecting when we spoke – it kinda took me by surprise. What I was expecting was the serious artist type, but he’s quite the contrary – a fun-loving, typical Essex boy who just also happens to be a brilliant new artist – enjoy!
EQ: I’m really loving “Finger Waggers”, when I heard your sampler it definitely was one of the standout tracks. Tell me a little bit about that song.
Joe: The song happened when I had an argument with my friend and I got really angry one day and I just rolled with it. The song is just about how people tell you how to be and how it’s important to love yourself and who you are because every person is an individual and you can’t try and be anything that you’re not – you’ve got to try and be yourself – that’s what it’s about in simple terms!
You describe the video as being a “Technicolour Tupperware party”…
Yeah, it’s a Tupperware party with four posh ladies who are supposed to represent finger waggers. Obviously that’s a ridiculous idea. That’s it – they are just the posh finger waggin ladies telling you how to be…and I’m the cool cat just there singing my song!
Are you working on a album – tell me what you’re cooking up in your kitchen right now…
Well these are pre-releases this year, online so people can have some access to my stuff. The album and the debut single come out in the new year which is amazing!
Absolutely – you’ve got some gigs scheduled for London and Amsterdam coming up – you excited for those?
Yeah I’ve done a few gigs around last year. I’m playing again at World Aids Day at Paradiso which is going to be amazing. I’ve been gigging for about four years now – it’s really fun. In the beginning it’s really really scary but when your fear just goes, it then becomes fun. You always get like loads of adrenaline before which I thought was just nerves, but it’s a tiny amount of adrenaline that makes it all good.
What lead you to sign with Rough Trade Records? What drew you to their ethos?
I was offered a deal with Polydor and they are a lot more pop. With Rough Trade, as soon as I went in to the office, I realized that they wanted to sign me for who I was and what I wanted to do. And maybe if I got on with a pop label – that wouldn’t have happened. I get to express myself exactly the way I want to with Rough Trade. Possibly to the detriment to my “commercial appeal” but oh well! I’ve tried my hardest to write a pop album, as far as I can go without making it shit, if I make sense.
That makes total sense to me. I like the video you did to “We Hug In Bed”. Can you tell readers a little bit more about that song?
“We Hug In Bed” is about one of my best friends. I fell in love with him and he didn’t feel the same way. But when we used to stay at each others houses, we used to hug in bed. That’s not an innuendo either, we were actually just hugging. Every time we did that, I used to fall completely in love with him again even though I was trying to just completely get over it. It’s just about how it wasn’t fair it was on me…boo hoo! He wasn’t trying to make it hard for me, but that what’s it about really. It’s about me being tired of it.
Tell me about “Bobby Blue”…
It’s about elevating to a higher plain through your art. It’s a bit more deep that one. I’ve been writing loads about love, but that song I wrote with 80’s artists Scritti Politi and I turned up to write with them not wanting to write about love so I ended up writing “Bobby Blue”.
Are you a typical Essex boy? Everyone’s talking about “The Only Way Is Essex”…
I haven’t seen it – but yeah, everyone is talking about it! I think it’s just like The Hills from what I know. There are definitely people that match Essex stereotypes for sure. Yes we do like our fake tans and we do like our underage binging – what can I say? I got an obsession with fake tan. I’m quite Essex because I’m slightly vulgar! When I was 15, me and my friends started to get into clubs, so I spent three years of my life going to ridiculous Essex bars with my girl mate. That was the most Essex time of my life! Getting ridiculously drunk we do…
What are you hoping to achieve in 2011?
I only have one more song to record and I’m really happy and excited with my album. My only aim is that I want people to listen to it and enjoy it – that’s my only aim. I love all my songs equally – I made sure I wrote them that way – they are all equally good. Or equally bad if you hate my music.