Page 26 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 112

BV112 pg 24-29 The Wildhearts Interview.qxp_BV112 pg 26 21/06/2025 20:44 Page 3

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 26
if you put on a very virtuous stance on every- how absolutely spot on Richard Dawkins is. So, on himself and his fears, he is now in a much
thing you say or do to a point where you’re vir- I think, watching stuff on YouTube isn’t just put- healthier place.
tuous in your thoughts, then that’s when the ting it in your brain ‘cause it’s the right thing, to “I feel better not being hungover,” he says.
magic happens. That’s when you start affecting understand any subject, you’ve got to under- “I like red wine. It’s not here, but I got this book,
things on a molecular level - and I don’t want to stand both parts of the argument. I like YouTube ‘The Best Wines To Buy In Your Supermarket’.
go into molecular quantum theory here, but it's for that. And I like Slapped Ham.” And it’s turned into my bible. ‘Books that have
true, you affect things. I used to be a very, very We have no idea what Slapped Ham is. helped you; Stoicism, Buddhism, and this wine
negative person. Even when I was trying to be Ginger explains, “Slapped Ham are these book’. But I like collecting wines, and I’ve got a
good, I was still putting negativity out there, be- stupid paranormal videos. None of them are wine rack for the first time in my life, ‘cause I
cause I was allowing things in my life, I was al- paranormal, but it’s got this really funny guy that could never have a wine rack, because the idea
lowing myself to behave, to say certain things, does it called Kallen. ‘I’m Kallen, this is Slapped of a bottle of wine still being there in the morning
to write a lot of stuff in lyrics. I look back at some Ham,’” Ginger mimics the Australian YouTuber’s was a complete anathema, ‘cause if there’s wine
of my lyrics, and it’s fucking cringeful. It’s like, accent. in the house, why even bother going to bed?
‘Gah, you were so angry and pissed off with “There’s something really comforting about And now, I can have two bottles of wine and
nothing to be angry and pissed off about other Kallen and his shitty videos.” enjoy dinner and I’m so, so happy about that,
than the fact that you’re angry and pissed off’. I because alcohol was never the problem, it was
was pissed off ‘cause I was pissed off, you know urt People Hurt People’ is a particu- the solution. I wasn’t dealing with the problem.
what I mean? Talk about a never-ending system ‘Hlarly poignant song on the new album. And that’s where a lot of people make mistakes.
of negativity there. So, I started thinking, ‘Well, Ginger sings, ‘There’s a lot of us fighting this Not everyone, not blanket anything anyone, but
I’m just going to adhere to the Stoicism books, fight. You’re not alone’. While the song is per- a lot of people make the mistake that an addic-
be impeccable on your word, on your deeds, on sonal to Ginger, about what he’s been through, tion, what an addiction actually is, and an addic-
your thoughts,’ and it was like taking acid. It was it’s also an outstretched hand to anyone else in tion is a deflection from what’s really wrong. So,
fucking weird. All these fucking positive things need of support and inspiration. alcohol and drugs being a solution, not a prob-
started happening. Negative things still happen. “Again, the work, the work, it’s really intimi- lem. People use it to numb themselves, and the
You don’t want to wish for an easy life, you want dating,” Ginger says. “Not to put too fine a point thing that you’re numbing, that’s the thing that
to wish for the strength to deal with life. And a on it, it’s hard work. But, I tell you what’s harder needs inspecting. So, yeah, I went to bed drunk
big part of life is about suffering. You’re growing, work, being stuck in an unhappy existence and woke up hungover pretty much my whole
it’s painful. You don’t have to grow, and it doesn’t where you’re not happy with yourself. That’s re- life, from being in my late teens, definitely early
have to be painful. You can numb it with alcohol ally hard work and that’s 24 hours a day. The al- 20s, till very recently, till about 3 years ago. And
and drugs and chocolate or whatever. That’s ternative is, you can do a lot of practices that are it wasn’t even hardcore, but now I look back, it
what I found. The karma thing isn’t about, ‘I do half an hour long or whatever, but it improves was so destructive, because the only choice I
something good, so I’m waiting for some money the day or changes the day, or it gives the day had, I thought, was to get sober, join AA, be-
to arrive in my bank account or a pretty girl to at least a little bit of roulette. It could go any way come a part of a cult. And that’s not the solution,
appear.’ No, it’s not about but I’m not undermining AA and
that, it’s about doing some- he most poignant thing is, when you feel at your its effectiveness, because I’ve
thing good today for tomor- seen it repair people’s lives.
row. And, when you adopt “Tmost alone, is probably when you’ve got most in I’ve seen it give people life. But
that mindset, it changes common with more people than you’ll ever know, and it’s not the only game in town.
everything. It changes your that’s why I make no secret of the fact that The Wildhearts There are a lot of different ways
view. More importantly, it community have helped me and I’m told that the songs to approach your life rather
changes your view of your- than just join the church or join
self. I think that’s where it all help people and I do something to help people. But my the fellowship, you know what I
starts. You realise that the stock answer is, it goes both ways.” - Ginger mean? It’s that whole thing of,
job is to love yourself. The ‘I’m doing this so things are bet-
work is, how the fuck do I ter.’ It’s the Andrew Tate school,
learn to love myself when I kind of hate myself? instead of just deciding, ‘It’s a shitty day, I’m isn’t it? Just go to the gym, build muscles and
It’s the trouble with nihilists, they think that hate gonna give up.’ Yeah, the ‘Hurt People Hurt Peo- everything will be better, then these poor fuckers
is fundamental, but it’s not. It’s optional. You’re ple’ thing, the most poignant thing is, when you are going to the gym, building muscles, and
in charge. You are the boss. And that’s the feel at your most alone, is probably when you’ve going, ‘What next, Andrew?’ and he’s going, ‘I
punchline. When you delve into this shit and re- got most in common with more people than fucking don’t know. I’ve got nothing else. Build
alise, ‘Fucking hell, I was in charge all along.’ you’ll ever know, and that’s why I make no se- muscles, the end. Are you not happy?’ And
And the fun bit, apart from the relationship with cret of the fact that The Wildhearts community these people are delving into religion as a des-
yourself, that is the essential bit, but the fun bit have helped me and I’m told that the songs help perate measure of getting some hold on life, be-
is all this other shit starts happening. Your can- people and I do something to help people. But cause their role models aren’t giving them any
dle starts lighting other candles to the point my stock answer is, it goes both ways. And, it follow-up treatment.”
where you weren’t even looking and the room’s really does, because, when I’ve really needed
bright as fuck, because all the candles are lit. It’s someone, the experts and the system, and all of e ask if how he thinks about The Wild-
an overused analogy, but it really does work. the tried and tested, weren’t there, but the suf- Whearts has changed since he’s been
You can sit in the corner with your own candle ferers were there. The real experts were there. working on himself and changed things in his
and a finite amount of light, or you can go And they held my hand when it was really bad. own life. Does he think any differently about the
around lighting everyone’s candle, which “There have been times when people have band and his career now?
doesn’t affect yours at all, it just affects the over- said, ‘Have some pride, man. Stop being so “Yeah, I think a lot differently. Now that I’ve
all thing.” open on Twitter.’ You have no idea how much got a sense of value for myself, I realise I’ve al-
being open starts the conversation and, once ways been driving this truck. One of my fears
e ask Ginger if he watched many the conversation starts, then everyone feels was that I didn’t deserve happiness on my own.
Wthings on YouTube that helped him. comfortable in the conversation; that’s when the I thought I needed a partner. I thought I needed
“I’m an addict to YouTube,” he replies. “I go healing starts. The pride thing that men have… certain band members to feel complete. It wasn’t
to sleep every night to YouTube. I’m not sure I say ‘men’ because of the suicide rates often until getting away that I realised that was actu-
what I used to do before YouTube. Probably being higher for men, that pride, that reticence ally what was holding me back. So, spending
read. YouTube is my education, for the most to actually say, ‘I’m struggling, I’m vulnerable. I some time by myself… Being single, that was a
part. And I like to go to sleep listening to philos- need some help,’ which is the biggest strength terrifying thing, living by myself was a terrifying
ophy. So, even when I’m drifting off to sleep, it’s a man could possibly have, ‘cause that’s when, thing, but also doing something outside of the
getting in there. Even bad philosophy is really working on yourself, you can help people, one band lineup, or doing it with a band lineup that
good. But, yeah, I watch a lot on YouTube and it person at a time. You can actually do some heal- the public are going to be OK with me doing, that
gives you a good sense of where you are by ing in this world. But, just refusing, ‘I’m a man, kind of thing, it was a handicap. And, now that I
watching other people. There are people like I’m made of stone,’ you’re helping no one. Begin can look back at it, I was actually carrying the
Jordan Peterson, who I used to like, and Richard with yourself.” weight all of this time - and not saying that other
Dawkins, who I didn’t used to like, and now it’s people in The Wildhearts haven’t helped -
completely flipped. The more I learn, the more I t's no surprise that Ginger masked every- they’ve been immeasurably helpful, but it’s been
realise how confused Jordan Peterson is, and Ithing with alcohol and drugs. But, working me that’s been doing the work. It’s me that, if I
THE WILDHEARTS