Caropop Ep192-Chris Difford on his relationship w/Glenn Tilbrook & how they work together in Squeeze

It was more than 50 years ago that this week’s guest, ‪@ChrisDiffordOfficial‬, posted an ad in a London sweetshop window seeking a guitarist for his nonexistent band. ‪@glenntilbrookmusic‬ answered the call, and the two of them formed Squeeze and became one of rock’s greatest songwriting tandems. Difford wrote the lyrics with a master storyteller’s eye for detail, emotional and otherwise. Tilbrook took the music in surprising directions, creating indelible melodies amid unexpected chord changes. Difford still lives in England and continues to perform and, on occasion, to record with Tilbrook and Squeeze. He also has several solo projects under his belt. In this conversation Difford digs into the origins and evolution of his and Tilbrook’s partnership. How did they come to divide the lyrics- and music-writing duties? When Difford writes a song, does he suggest a musical direction to Tilbrook? Did Difford know that “Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)” would turn out to be a rocker? That “Labelled with Love” would be a country song? That “Slaughtered, Gutted and Heartbroken” would be an old-timey shuffle? How did Difford and Tilbrook discover that they sound awesome singing octaves together? How did they decide on which songs Difford would sing lead? Were they surprised when “Hourglass” became their biggest hit? Difford also discusses the impact of producers such as John Wood and ‪@elviscostello‬ , why so many keyboardists joined and left the band, and the reasons Squeeze broke up and regrouped the first time. After a long hiatus, Squeeze returned with the albums Cradle to the Grave in 2015 and The Knowledge in 2017. How has Difford’s dynamic with Tilbrook changed? Is there tension over tackling more political topics versus Difford’s vein of emotions-driven storytelling? What current project is pushing the band forward while digging into its past? There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. Caropop is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love. #squeeze #chrisdifford #glenntilbrook #Caropopcast #MarkCaro Subscribe & donate at https://www.caropop.com/caropopcast