As pioneers of punk, with a huge discography and enough past members to start a small island nation, The Saints is a legendary but ongoing story.
They’re back with a new album, King Of The Sun, and Chris Bailey, the mind behind the band since their beginning in 1976, speaking about the album’s conception down the line from Amsterdam.
After so many changes, one must question where Bailey’s motivation for making albums lies, “without sounding too blasé – making albums is kind of what I do.”
Bailey admits this album differs from the last few, “I think the last couple have been me indulging in the noisy rock thing, but with King of the Sun I wanted to do something more musical and considered.”
“From the outset,” continues the Saints masthead, “[there was] some kind of special magic and making this record was an absolute joy. Obviously I’m biased but I think it turned out rather well and whatever the mystical inexplicable idea of what The Saints is – I think we captured that.”
Bailey’s passion for music has never ceased with The Saints, his collaborations, or his solo material: “You would think by now I’d have become cynical or blasé but I still get knocked over by the whole process of making stuff up. It’s the magic of the fun factory – the recording studio – you walk in in the morning and nothing exists and by the end of the day you have your next piece which hopefully is magic,” he explains, before adding plainly, “I quite like my profession.”
Bailey’s life has been consumed by music, starting out as a teenager when The Saints recorded I’m Stranded in 1976, their debut punk track pre-dating the debuts of both the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Bailey feels lucky to have forged a career in the music industry and not be burnt out, “this has been the preoccupation of most of my adult life. I’ve been very lucky having the same ever-evolving constellation as the centrepiece of what I do, but I’m a little bit of a slut as well and run off and do strange things. I keep my interest in music quite fresh and healthy.”
The Saints’ latest, King Of The Sun has it all, including a homage to ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ in the track ‘Adventures In The Dark Arts Of Waterme’.“It’s the magic of the fun factory… you walk in in the morning and nothing exists and by the end of the day you have your next piece which hopefully is magic – I quite like my profession.”
“I hadn’t intended it,” says Bailey of the nod, “but for years now I’ve been a fan of the ukulele and of course that [Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version] is one of the songs that – when you’re struggling with the horrid little instrument – goes into your repertoire.”
“Subconsciously it was in the back of my head when I was doing the vocal take rather than writing the song and I just went down that foolish road,” he adds. “I think it worked. I hope it worked.”
The album also comes with a bonus disc of classic tracks and Bailey says the process was a complete nightmare, “I must say it wasn’t my idea. It was like picking song titles, putting them on a dart board and throwing darts at it. I tried to pick tunes that complimented the current record. I don’t think I’m the best judge of these things so if I ever have to do it again, I’ll just say ‘no’.”
Bailey has been quoted as saying he feels The Saints is an unfinished journey. He elaborates, “It means I have a voracious appetite and haven’t had enough.”
“A couple of years ago I did nostalgia stuff with Ivor [Hay, drummer] and Ed [Kuepper, guitarist/songwriter] who I love and I loved that part of The Saints’ story but it left me feeling like I was admitting to this glory moment whereas I’ve never really felt like that,” sighs Bailey.
“Every time you make a record, you’re happy with it for about a minute and then pride-in-craft being what it is, you think you’ll do it better next time.” It’s hard to imagine Bailey ever drawing a close to The Saints;
As with many artists, he feels with every record he is starting out again, “therein you have captured in essence why I still do this stuff. I decided a long time ago I didn’t like show business very much and by and large I still don’t. The whole notion of being a rock star – I find it pretty meaningless. What I do enjoy is the process.”
“The Saints have never really been that famous– we’ve had hit records – but I’ve always avoided the hit single syndrome,” he details patiently. “On the other side, we’ve been lucky enough to have an international circuit and go to pretty strange places and people know who The Saints are. I think that’s a very good balance.”“I hope [The Saints don’t end]. Because I’ll have bugger all else to do and that would be rather dull.”
Bailey was born in Kenya, grew up in Belfast, moved to Australia and has lived in many corners of the globe since. He explains he has a complicated history with the land down under, “I have a funny relationship with Oz these days. I haven’t lived there for decades and technically I’m not actually an Australian, however – when you know a place really well but don’t live there, the relationship becomes a bit surreal so I don’t know if that makes me glamourize Oz but I have a rather idealised notion of the place.”
Punters can expect The Saints’ upcoming tour to be the complete package of old and new hits. “Despite the incredibly huge number of constellations of Saints, one thing I hope has been consistent is, when we are in the room, we’re not just going through the motions of playing a record and trying to flog a product. I’m romantic enough to like the notion of – for want of a better description – rock and roll live which is a very different experience to what I do as a songwriter. I hope it’s a great rock and roll show.”
By Bailey’s own admission, with King Of The Sun done, he’ll need a new project “within five minutes” but he’s well on the way. “I’ve got the next album pencilled but it won’t be out for a while.”
There’s also a new instrument to perfect, “over the summer, I played in New York with Judy Collins and that’s opened up an interest in me for Americana, so I’m thinking of getting myself a banjo.”
Sir Bob Geldof once said three bands changed rock in the 1970s – Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Saints. Bailey wasn’t trying to make history at the time, “I was a teenager full of testosterone and weird hormones; Christ knows what I was thinking, I have no idea.”
“Like a lot of young people you develop delusions of grandeur. I suppose I developed the delusion I wasn’t a bad singer and eventually learnt the craft of knocking out a tune. I could bullshit and tell you I wanted to change the world, to save babies and to build monuments to loveliness – but maybe I just wanted to get drunk and meet girls. All of those things are probably true.”
King Of The Sun is out now through Highway 215 Records. The Saints kick off their album tour on November 23rd in Perth before playing Melbourne and Sydney’s Homebake in December. Full dates and details here.
