While admitting to hate every single day of lockdown, the former Oasis guitarist claims being stuck at home gave him a chance to re-visit ideas that he had lying around for fresh tracks.
- May 10, 2021
AceShowbiz - Noel Gallagher admits the "biggest benefit" of the coronavirus lockdown was the time he had to write new songs.
The former Oasis guitarist - who lives with his wife Sara MacDonald and their two sons, 13-year-old Donovan and 10-year-old Sonny - has "hated every single day of lockdown" in the U.K., but he admits being stuck at home was good for him creatively because it gave him a chance to re-visit ideas that he had lying around for fresh tracks.
And that extra time inspired him to release his new greatest hits album, "Back the Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)", which celebrates the 10th anniversary of his solo career and contains two new songs, "We're on Our Way Now" and "Flying on the Ground".
In an interview with BBC Radio 6 Music, he said, "I've hated every single day of lockdown and what it's done to society and people and children, and all that, it's been dreadful. But at the end of 2019 when I got back off the end of that tour from Mumbai, I'd given myself till 2023 off, anyway, before the pandemic."
"I went away on tour, I had two little sons. I got back and one of them has got a tache and the other one is wearing jewellery and they're calling me 'bruv'. I was saying to Sarah, 'How long have I been away?' And she goes, 'Well, too long.' "
So I was kind of like, 'Right I need to be around for a bit,' so I'd given myself a couple years out anyway. Then the pandemic came along and what that what that did for me creatively, was made me a finish off these songs that are on the 'Best Of', and have a look at everything that I had lying around, half songs that were finished and half-baked, new ideas, and I started to kick them into shape."
"The biggest benefit was my own music. I've got more songs that I would ordinarily have now."
Noel also agreed to work with several other artists on new music in lockdown, including a collaboration with British rapper Dizzee Rascal, something he is usually reluctant to do.
The "Wonderwall" hitmaker has been disappointed that not all of the songs he co-wrote have been released yet.
He said, "I've co-written a lot of songs, ironically, none of which seem to have seen the light of day."
"I did that thing with CamelPhat, which did come out, I did a thing with Dizzee, which never came up. I did a thing with [Paul] Weller which never got finished. I did do something with Imelda May that did come out, actually.
"Lots of people were doing it, I got so many emails saying, 'Hey, I've got nothing to do, if you've got nothing to do we should write something'."
