My amp is a Gibson Goldtone. Three controls: volume, tone and reverb. And I never use the reverb. A beautiful amplifier. The only guitar effect I use is a Marshall Bluesbreaker foot pedal - just for a bit of boost when I'm playing lead... I wouldn't mind getting a wah-wah pedal one day..
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How long have you been living in Berlin?

Seven years... Too long! I first went to Berlin in 1985 and I fell in love with the place. When the wall was up it was such a special place. The only island in the middle of land in the world! The wall came down at the end of the eighties and at first the place was still special. Now it's becoming more and more like a 'normal' city - and who in the world needs another normal city. I still feel alive there but would like to live somewhere warmer. Berlin is fine in the summer but so, so cold in the winter....

Is it a good environment for musicians to live? Do you have any favoutite studios or clubs in Berlin?

I like the Butterclub in Friedrichshain - but that's closing down soon. XN Pop can be a cool bar as can White Trash... I've only recorded a few times in Berlin. Hansa used to be brilliant but all I ever did there was hung out with Crime & The City Solution and did some backing vocals on an LP by Element Of Crime. Nova Sound Studio is a promising new place. The last place I recorded was at The Butterclub with engineer Dugald Jaymes. Bassist John Barry, drummer Chris Hughes and myself were working on some songs for American guitarist / singer Claudine Fires (ex- Panther Burns). They turned out pretty well...

Were you in the audience by any chance when they filmed Epic Soundtracks playing a member of Crime & The City Solution in the movie, "Wings of Desire"?

I was meant to be be in the film as Rowland Howard's guitar roadie. He told me the right day but the wrong month for the filming. I was on tour in Germany while Epic, Rowland and Co. were being filmed. I am in a new film called Ego Shooter (executive producer Wim Wenders) which comes out in a few months. I play the character of 'Nikki Suddeen'.

You said somewhere that You like the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. What attracts you to this city?

Mu friend, English musician, Phil Shoenelt lives there. Apart from that it's a very attractive place. Too many tourists though...

You played in Greece not so long ago. In such occasions, do you play with local musicians at all? Do you have any interesting stories to share on this?

I went to see an three piece group at Cafe Amapeion in Thessaloniki. Contrabass, Arabian lute and dabouka / tambourine. Glorious! Watching them I was struck with the idea of recording a song written in Tel Aviv the year before last. I ask Ziad - Arabic lute player and leader - if the band if they'd be interested in recording two or three songs with me. They say yes. The trouble was I didn't make enough money in Greece to be able to afford the studio, the musicians, etc. Next time. Or this summer back in Israel.

How did you happen to record music with Mike Scott (The Waterboys) in 1982, prior to his official debut? Was it because he was your fan?

I first met Mike when he was playing with his first (?) band, Another Pretty Face. We became friends and in December 1980 I went up to Edinburgh to stay with Mike, his girlfriend Marie and APF guitarist John Caldwell. While I was there we went in the studio and recorded five or six songs - none of which have been released yet. The last time I listened to them they sounded far better than I'd remembered. They will come out one day. Mike and I were friends... I asked him to play on The Bible Belt... He did... I think we're still friends although we haven't seen each other for around ten years...

The reissued album from Secretly Canadian contains many many out takes and demos. How do you think about your never stopping creativity yourself?

Hopefully it will never stop. In Greece the other month I wrote 15 or so songs. I wrote a good one the other night, here in Galicia. As long as you retain your naivite you retain your creative side. If you ever lose it... then you're fucked! I've never lost it.

The sound of The Jewel Thief has an interesting country-rock like character. Are there any influences of Rolling Stones (Wild Horses) or Gram Parsons on this?

I always think of The Jewel Thief as my 'country rock' album. Grievous Angel was written in Paris about Gram Parsons and Pablo Picasso. I Belong To You was written about Isabel, a beautiful German girl in Berlin - but the album came together in Athens, Georgia. I was hanging out with a girl who came from Waycross, GA - the same place that GP grew up. It all ties together somehow...

In the early 90s, You recorded "The Jewel Thief" with Peter Buck of R.E.M. in the United States, when he was producing Uncle Tupelo, the creator of the alternative country. Maybe it's a coincidence, but I find it interesting that these two things were happening almost at the same time.

I don't know if Pete did the stuff with Uncle Tupelo or if he did The Jewel Thief first. Jeff Tweedy is a friend of mine but I never got Uncle Tupelo really. I though ther Flying Burrito Brothers created 'alternatyive country'? No? Either it's country or it's not country... And, to me, Unvle Tupelpo weren't country. Country music is Hank Williams, Lefty Frizell, George Jones, Porter Wagoner, Tammy Wynette... you know the people. Gram Parsons was country but Jeff Tweedy isn't!

You went to Chicago to record "Red Brocade". What took you there? Was that the first time for you to meet Kevin Junior and Jeff Tweedy? Did you find anything common with them in terms of musical interests?

I first met Kevin Junior when he was touring Europe with my brother, Epic Soundtracks. First met Jeff Tweedy when he played Berlin with Wilco. Kevin and I have many things in common, not just music... Kevin Junior is a friend for life... The same as Dave Kusworth... and very few other people...

Jeff Tweedy is a great harmonica player - that's why I asked him to play on Red Brocade. I don't know him well enough to know if we share many of the same interests.

Reading the writing titled as "Music That Moves Me" contained in "ALT-ROCK A-RAMA", I was really moved by Epic Sountracks' insights and sincere approach to music. T-Rex ("Baby Strange" from The Slider) and Can ("Pinch" from Ege Bamyasi) were also your idols and had strong influences on the development of Swell Maps' musicality, didn't they?

Epic and I always considered Swell Maps to be a cross between T.Rex and Can. Sometimes we succeeded! Other times we didn't.

You met Marc Bolan shortly before his death. Do you know whether he listened to the music of Swell Maps? Also, Did you ever have a chance to talk to some members of Can?

Epic met Michael Karoli in London in 1985 (!). I met Marc Bolan many times. The last time we met - August 1977 - I told him that my band were going in the studio to record our first single. He said, "When you've done it bring it to me and I'll do everything I can to help!". Swell Maps recorded Read About Seymour on September 14, 1977. Marc Bolan died on September 16. Things would have been very different if he had lived. I still listen to T.Rex a lot. I still listen to Can. Both of them were great, great bands.

According to Kevin Junior, Epic Sountracks had a huge collection of records. What happened to them? Who is taking care of them now?

Epic had thousands of vinyl albums and thousands of vinyl singles. He also had many, many videos and CDs. My parents didn't have anywhere to keep them. I didn't have anywhere. The vast majority of Epic's collection was sold. It's sad, but it was necessary.

I think it mainly consists of Vinyls? Did you ever count how many there were?

I expect Epic knew... And that was what is important...

Was the tribute concert of Epic Soundtracks right after his death, recorded?

It was recorded on DAT. The tape sounds good. Whether it will ever be released is another matter. I very much doubt it. Richard Earl, Jowe Head and myself went in a studio in Berlin with a German drummer and recorded some new songs after the second Epic Soundtracks tribute show in Berlin. They will come out one day.

Did you not hesitate about releasing Epic's posthumous work, Good Things on the American label, Innerstate?

I thought about it for quite a long time. Kevin Junior had the tapes and he was willing to work on them - to make them up to releasable standards. Epic would not have wanted his demos released but he left us little choice. Artists have no posthumous privacy...

How did you consult Kevin Junior who collaborated in "Good Things"?

We talked on the phone. We met up in Seattle last year. I trusted him to do the best he could for my brother. John Rivers and I will remaster the results in Mat 2004.

To release it as a CD, you probably have to re-edit and dub it again. Who is in charge of this and how is this person deciding on the actual process?

Kevin Junior worked with engineer, Matt Snow in Los Angeles. I will work with engineer, John Rivers, in England. I make the final decisions...

When will the new best album of Epic be released in Japan?

When it's ready... It'll be put together at WSRS in Leamington Spa in May. Then I have to organise the cover artwork. It'll be out by the Autumn.

Swell Maps' re-issued version of CD for Japan contained PV. Are there any audio-visual records of Epic left?

Yes, there's a lot of footage of my brother. One day I will have to watch it all and put together a DVD...

What is your reason for writing Ron Wood's biography? Did you inverview him already?

Ronnie knows I'm writing the book... I've told him enough times and Ian McLagan has also told him. It's not a RW biography.... I've interviewed some of his friends and fellow musicians but still haven't sat down with Woody yet. I started writing the book because I I've always loved his first two solo albums, I've Got My Own Album To Do and Now Look and was fascinated about him leaving the Faces and joining the Stones... And no one else had written a book about the subject... So I started. I've written about 115,000 words so far. The book is maybe half finished. I need to interview Woody next...

Epic also interviewed Alex Chilton and wrote about Brian Wilson and his music. Are you too not satisfied with music playing only?

I write for a few different magazines. I do a monthly column for Russian magazine, Rockmusic.Ru - I also write for various 'fan' magazines such as It's Only Rock'n Roll , Bucketful Of Brains, Superstar, etc., etc. There's so much living to do that you have to try more than one thing.

I believe you know Alan Merrill personally. He is known in Japan for his rock band, Vodka Collins that was active in the early 70s. Have you ever heard their recordings?

I've not actually met Alan Merrill but I used to watch The Arrows TV show on English TV when I was young. We've communicated quite a lot and hope to meet soon. I still love The Arrows and I like what I've heard of Vodka Collins. I hope to meet Alan when I'm in New York next month.

Do you have any chances to communicate or/and to play with Japanese musicians at all?

I'd love to play with Tetsu Yamauchi, the great bassist from Free and the Faces. Apart from that I know Hiroshi (from the Golden Arms) and Naruzy from the Lipstick Killers. I've only spent five days in Japan in my life. It's not enough...

Is there any possibilities for you to give concerts in Japan in near future?

I'd love to play in Japan again. The last time was about 14 years ago. If anyone wants to arrange some shows I'd be happy to play them. Either solo, with the Last Bandits, or with Dave Kusworth as the Jacobites!