Scruff Myers’ Superhands is a great catchy Powerpop Punk-ish record , lots of great hooks! LOTS OF GREAT HOOKS!

How did this record come together?  

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I wanted total control of how the music I heard in my head was recorded. I did it to please myself; it would be a bonus if others enjoyed it too.  

Being busy touring with The Adicts meant I never had a long enough spell of downtime to record it. When my partner needed an operation, I missed a couple of tours while she recovered. It was this time that enabled me to finally get it done.  

The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?  

Neil Young once said that if you stay true to your original idea and do it, nothing is a failure; it is only a failure if you don’t.  

I made the record because I had to. I had to give something back to the bands and artists that made my life so much happier over the years. If Superhands music makes like-minded people happy, that is success to me.  

As an artist, you choose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?  

I think I write whatever comes out of my head, and most of the time, it sticks. As long as a line is not cheesy, I’m OK with most things.  

I like to put a couple of meaningful/emotional lines followed by a throwaway or humorous one. It may be honest or profound, but it doesn’t give everything away.  

You can pick three co-writers to write new songs with. Who? … and Why?  

My all-time two favorite songwriters are Tom Petty and Paul Westerberg. Tom has sadly gone, so one has to be Paul. His slacker-style songs have always felt relatable and musically a bit more achievable (guitar, bass, and drums).

Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), what can I say? The guy is a songwriting machine. The older I get, the more I understand that his way is the right way. His DIY Lo-Fi approach is something that is a big influence on me.  

Robert Forster (Go-Betweens). To me, he has a Lou Reed feel, a songwriter who manages to combine poetry, humor, and music so well. He also seems to be such a nice all-around nice guy.  

With all 3, I would just like to meet them, really.  

Those magical moments when you’re working in the studio. Which moment was the most magical?  

When Randall, our drummer, heard my demo recordings, he insisted that we work with George Perks (Producer) as he knew he was the right man for the job, which he was in every way. Randall, George, Craig (Engineer), and I had such an amazing bonding period during our first recording session. It was one of the most amazing times of my life.  

The record is done, and the music is out. Is the best fun done now, or is it just beginning?  

My original plan for Superhands was to try to release an album a year for the first five years. Then Covid happened soon after the first couple of gigs. I always try to be busy and constantly want to be doing something creative. Lockdown put that on hold from the performing side of things, so I wanted to keep myself busy in other ways. I managed to put out a couple of DIY online efforts. These compiled older, unreleased, pre-Superhands recordings that I like to refer to as “clearing out the ashtrays”. A third is now in the pipeline.  

The fun is just beginning; the new shiny vinyl is the starting point. From here comes the opportunity to play the songs live; if that isn’t enough, the next release is already being written!