‘My career in music is confirmation of everything I dreamed it would be,’ says Johnny Marr, godfather of Britain’s indie scene.
He’s been in the business for 30 years, but still remembers all the hopes and dreams he had when starting out as a plucky young teenager in Manchester.
From The Smiths’ genre-defining albums of the early eighties – which he co-wrote with Morrissey – to last year’s expert solo set, he’s created an arsenal of songs that have brought him international acclaim and stardom.
Yet somehow he's managed to remain modest through the madness - and certainly isn't your archetypal rock overlord.
‘It means a hell of a lot when you write a song that someone loves,’ he continues humbly, while standing on the red carpet at the 59th Ivor Novello Awards.
He’s about to present Nile Rodgers with the PRS for Music Special International Award and is contemplating what he’s learned about music and songwriting during his career (which culminated in his own Ivor Novello Award in 2010).
Watch our interview below to hear him chat about life after The Smiths, his many musical left turns and why he can’t bear to listen to his own records...
He’s been in the business for 30 years, but still remembers all the hopes and dreams he had when starting out as a plucky young teenager in Manchester.
From The Smiths’ genre-defining albums of the early eighties – which he co-wrote with Morrissey – to last year’s expert solo set, he’s created an arsenal of songs that have brought him international acclaim and stardom.
Yet somehow he's managed to remain modest through the madness - and certainly isn't your archetypal rock overlord.
‘It means a hell of a lot when you write a song that someone loves,’ he continues humbly, while standing on the red carpet at the 59th Ivor Novello Awards.
He’s about to present Nile Rodgers with the PRS for Music Special International Award and is contemplating what he’s learned about music and songwriting during his career (which culminated in his own Ivor Novello Award in 2010).
Watch our interview below to hear him chat about life after The Smiths, his many musical left turns and why he can’t bear to listen to his own records...
