Images Of Peter: Finding Peter Godwin, Part Two

Peter Godwin: Perhaps one of the major evolutions in novel writing and poetry in the 20th century was a new honesty and openness in the West about sexual themes, breaking old taboos. So when I began, as I said earlier, I had role models all over the world in literature and music who were doing this. So it was natural for me to explore this. And not only sex and sensuality, but combining that with new ways of telling the old stories of relationships and romance.

Pablo Neruda

Making no poetic separation between the sensual, the spiritual, and the psycho-emotional experience of love and desire. I think Jacques Brel had always done that brilliantly in French. The poet Pablo Neruda in his way in Spanish. And many, many others, some I’ve mentioned already. I see Truth in their work with a capital T! I always want to try to achieve that same truth, in my own way.

I hardly ever edit what I write. I don’t worry every word in a lyric or every note of a melody; I just tend to leave it as it falls on the page. It has always been with me that I enter a certain state of being when I write. I open a door and the song steps through, usually almost fully formed. . . if I like it, I don’t question it. I think “Images Of Heaven” was written in about 20 minutes or so. That’s not unusual for me.

Going back to the band, there is invariably some element of collaboration in most music. In Nuevo, the initial and principal collaboration is between Johnson Somerset and myself.

Perhaps what surprised me most about making this album, to address your question, was how effortlessly it flowed. There was no conflict in making this record, conflict being a familiar feature of bands, working with producers and in collaboration in music in general.

It was kind of telepathic, very little discussion and debate. It moved through almost wordlessly, apart from affirmations now and then about how much we were enjoying each other’s contribution.

Another delight and revelation for me, was Johnson’s encouragement for me to play as well as sing on the album.

I have contributed playing in the past—synth riffs, guitar touches, even a keyboard solo—one at the end of “The Dancer” on Correspondence is me, for example. . . but generally, I would invite other people to play for me, whom I considered more gifted musicians than me.

Because Johnson basically said, “Why don’t you do it?” I thought, yes, why not? I always hear it in my head, why not try to capture that and play it myself, rather than communicate it to someone else?

So I played Spanish guitar, steel string, electric guitar, piano on “Milonga Moon,” and even piano accordion. And the big surprise was that I had my own way of playing, my own style and sensibility, something different perhaps, certainly a feel that worked for the music.

So Johnson definitely let that genie out of the bottle!

Click here to read more from Peter Godwin on. . .

Music Video Influences
Maturing inspirations
Poetry and Collaboration
Artistic suffocation
Chemistry and Alchemy
Old souls
Catharsis
Changes
Transcending technology
Everything Is Possible

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