Justin Hayward is doing things a little differently right now. His new album, Spirits of the Western Sky, is his first in sixteen years and is still collecting warm reviews. He’s embarked on a rare solo tour to support it and fans are happily along for the ride. “It’s been very well received and they work beautifully as stage songs,” he tells us. “I’m very lucky.”
Hayward uses the word “lucky” to describe himself throughout our conversation with him. Most would use the words “supremely talented” and maybe “legendary,” but we won’t split hairs. While he’s reverent and grateful for his past, Spirits feels like a step into the future for Hayward, who continues to perform as frontman for proto-prog-rockers, The Moody Blues. The songwriting on Spirits departs from his Moodies past and explores some unexpected genres—most notably bluegrass and electronica—without losing the ethereal, melodic style that earned him his third Ivor Novello songwriting award in May.
Hayward reflected on his luck, his foray into the Nashville bluegrass scene, and he told us how the idea of the western sky has always been part of his creative life. To our delight, he brought it back to vinyl in the end, too. We feel pretty lucky about that.
In Search of the Lost Chord and Days of Future Passed were the first two vinyl records I ever bought myself, and that’s still my favorite way to listen to those albums. What made you decide to release Spirits of the Western Sky on vinyl as well as digitally and CD? Has vinyl become a new priority for you?
Yes, it is a priority because there are definitely people out there who feel exactly the same way. I’m not sure—I don’t have a preference; I don’t put one vinyl system or analog above digital, really. I know that when Universal asked me to re-master those first seven Moody Blues albums, I realized that the transfer to digital had been done in such a rush in the ’80s that it was really badly done. The vinyl was far superior for many years—I hope now that’s been rectified.
But as a thing to hold and to own, of course the vinyl was much nicer. I was kind of hoping when they did the transfer to digital that they’d keep the packaging the same and just put a little CD in the middle of a big sleeve. [Laughs] But that didn’t happen, so there you go.
When my father found out I’d be speaking with you, he told me that he felt like The Moody Blues provided a respite from the loud, angry, political music of the ’60s and was more personal and introspective instead—like you were in the heads of your listeners. I hear similar qualities on Spirits of the Western Sky as well. Could you talk a bit about what your songwriting process is like currently?
Well, I think in the early days I was very lucky to be with a band who did my songs just great. Mike Pinder with the Mellotron and the way that the vocals from Ray [Thomas] and John [Lodge] just suited my songs. So, when we went along I got more confident, knowing that the songs would work. And then later on in our career, it came down to great producers like Tony Visconti with “Your Wildest Dreams” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere.” He was able to take it to another level. I learned a lot from him, so now I’m enjoying doing it myself.
I was most lucky to NOT have an A&R guy standing over me or the Moodies saying, “You need to do hit singles!” After Days of Future Passed, Decca really encouraged us to do exactly what we wanted to do. In fact, the chairman of Decca, Sir Edward Lewis, actually came to the studio and said, “Listen, I don’t know what you’re doing, but people seem to really love it, so just get on with it.” So, they gave us no one to oversee us and to make sure that we made things that were going to be “suitable” for AM radio. But at the time, actually, our material was just right for FM—which was just starting in the ’60s—and it stayed that way.
So, that’s the culture, really, that I got used to—having no one to tell me what to do. I really appreciated that and I’m very lucky to be able to do my own thing without any pressure to make a hit single. Although, the singles that we’ve had have been very nice! Even “Wildest Dreams” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” were not made with the thought of being hit singles. I think that’s the most important thing, whereas a lot of other British groups did have that. They had an A&R guy or producer on them all the time to produce a three-minute, up-tempo single.
And that freedom has obviously worked very well for you over the years. You were recently awarded your third Ivor Novello. What did that mean to you to receive that recognition for your songwriting again?
Well… it’s very nice. Awards are very nice, but…
It’s not what you set out to do.
I think it was Billy Wilder who said, “Awards are like hemorrhoids. Sooner or later, every arse gets one.” [Laughs] I think there’s probably a lot in that, really!
Yeah, it’s very nice, but what’s even nicer is to have the words from the people who love the music and share it. That’s the most important thing.
There’s a very dreamy quality to the songs on Spirits of the Western Sky. It seems as though many English artists are drawn to looking west, because it represents this sort of “great beyond” out past the UK. Was that the inspiration behind the title of the album?
Yes it was, really. When my brother and I were very small, my parents were working and we were often left alone in the house. I grew up with a brother who died much too young—he was in the Royal Navy. But anyway, we grew up together and we had this room in the back of the house that had this HUGE window. This was our room where we slept and played and played music—all that kind of stuff. But it had this huge window facing the western sky. We could see the weather coming and the sunsets; it was most dramatic.
Both of us loved music, different kinds of music actually. Different kinds of pop music. But we always knew that our heroes were out in that western sky, and we always looked west. For me it was Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers and Bobby Darin. And for him, different people—Elvis, lots of different artists. We lived also in the West Country of England. That thought, and that picture, has always stayed with me. That’s been the influence. Curiously enough, even when I go to the Far East I find myself going west to get there! [Laughs] I’d rather come through America and do it that way.
That’s really fascinating. I understand that you’ve been accumulating these songs over the years, too. How do they tie together, in your mind, with that theme and with that feeling that you have about the western sky?
Well, I think that it was always in my mind, really, since that time. I kind of became homeless in the ’90s and I started just traveling the world—not really putting any roots down. I just wanted to do something different with my life. I found that everywhere I went, I chose an apartment to rent—or a room—that had a view of the western sky. I wasn’t comfortable until I could see that sunset, and have that evening watching the sun and the shadows and the sun coming towards me. I found that I could only write in that kind of place, too. That was a strange thing.
So, I had to include that in the thoughts for the album. Yes, the album is a collection of songs that I’ve been working on for a long time. But I was just kind of demo-ing them and doing them for fun. It was only a few years ago when I was mixing sound for a Moody Blues DVD that my engineer Alberto said, “You know, we really ought to collect this stuff and do it properly.” I was very lucky that I found a label in Eagle Rock that encouraged me—again without any input, just let me do what I wanted—and to be willing to put the album out.
There’s also another connotation of the western sky, I suppose; the stuff that the record company likes the most [on the album] are the bluegrass things that I’ve done with the bluegrass community in Nashville. Next album, I’d like to do some more along those lines, too.
One of those bluegrass songs in particular, “What You Resist Persists,” stuck out to me lyrically. It sounds like an anthem for your generation. In light of that, how are your fans reacting to the new tunes—and the new genres you’re exploring—on your solo tour?
Well, that’s very interesting because maybe more than half the songs from my solo set are these songs from the new album. I was a bit worried about that and even mentioned it to the promoters. I said, “Listen, this is not like a Moody Blues set with one or two songs in it from the [new] album.” But it’s been very well received and they work beautifully as stage songs. I’m very lucky.
The thing was… they needed to work! It’s okay to make a great recording and something you’re happy with, but unless it works on stage it doesn’t complete the circle. So, I’m very lucky that they do work and are being very well received on the tour. Very well received—and so is the vinyl, I must say! After the first state, they had to suddenly rush out lots more copies of the vinyl because the ones that we had just disappeared. They were snapped up straight away.
Did that surprise you at all?
You know, I think it did. Then me and the tour manager looked at [the album]—we hadn’t really looked at the sleeve—and we thought, “Hey, this is really nice!” This is a double album, I mastered it especially for the vinyl, and the sleeve looks great. It’s a nice thing to own and to hold, as well as being well received as an album, I hope.
It kind of gives you a more complete artistic experience, in a way.
I think it does, yes. It seems to get a step closer to the artist with vinyl. I’ve picked up vinyl that I don’t really intend to play over the digital version, just because I like the tactile-ness of the album and the size of it. It’s lovely.
I think as things get increasingly digital and increasingly out in the ether, it seems like a natural response to want that sort of tactile experience.
Yeah, that’s true. I never realized how much I missed it until recently—when I saw the quality, really. It was only a couple of years ago that the quality of the vinyl sleeves and the mastering wasn’t that great. But people have got it together now and realized that it is a serious, proper market again and are doing it properly.
I’ve often thought that the earnestness of the Moody Blues would have a difficult time in today’s more cynical musical climate. But I think that’s what’s always drawn people of all ages to your music, that you’ve always written from the heart. I’m very glad you continue to do so. I’m sure you hear this all the time…
Actually, no I don’t. Often what I hear is about the song or about the lyrics or about the technical quality of things, but I really do thank you for that, my dear. I promise you it is from the heart.
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Justin Hayward “Spirits of the Western Sky” Tour
August 7, 2013 – Somerville, MA – Somerville Theatre
August 9, 2013 – Tarrytown, NY – Music Hall Theatre
August 10, 2013 – New York, NY – The Concert Hall
August 11, 2013 – Ridgefield, CT – The Ridgefield Playhouse
August 13, 2013 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre
August 14, 2013 – Alexandria, VA – Birchmere Music Hall
August 15, 2013 – Alexandria, VA – Birchmere Music Hall
August 17, 2013 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
