This week I have special Guest Blogger: Ben Hutton.....

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Ben is the frontman songwriter for Paperadio- that’s the band I used to be in before I went Solo. Ben and I have been playing music together for 15 years. I learnt a lot of what I know from this guy, and the band Joel and Ebow. Thrilled to call them friends.....

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This Friday night in London, Paperadio are doing their farewell show. After so many years, a stack of songs recorded, including a killer album called ‘Novella’ (2008), and some amazing live shows, They’re calling it a day. I will be there with bells on at the Borderline on Friday night, and so will hundreds of others. Only 7 quid but get there early as it may sell out.....

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Check out the songs at www.myspace.com/paperadio or buy ‘Novella’ on Itunes. I kid you not it is an amazing album.....

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So now over to Ben, the author of Fever, who kindly loaned the song to me for my album ‘Based on’....

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FEVER:
I like the word 'Fever' for love - hot/cold/sweaty/a little crazy/better with paracetamol.

My brother (ebow) and I wrote it in Australia before some sessions we did in Melbourne with David Carr.  Sometime in the past of Paperadio - circa 2001/2.  It was a song that started after Ian had been listening to quite a bit of Muse's first record - Showbiz and so there is a bit of that grandiose melodrama in the song.  David softened it a little into a more palatable earnestness.  The theme is pretty simple - love and all its idiocies.  Loving someone like a nicotine addiction but seeing and knowing their ability to turn you into a wreck-  or something like that.

What we went for in the end was a feeling.  We wanted something that felt dreamy and in lilting 6/8 to create that sad, resigned vibe.  Most of that is down to Dave's production and one morning we came into the Melbourne studio to find he'd sorted the middle section's vocal idea 'is this love ooh...yeah' on the top of some fancy chords i'd worked on earlier in the day.  It was love at first listen.  Ebow played most of the electrics and I think we had an average sized studio argument about making it heavier and less 'neutered'..... I kind of preferred it lighter and Ebow wanted more big guitars.  

…the 'lightness' won.

Benjamin Hutton....

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Have a listen to fever here.

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So see you all at the Borderline on Fri night. I’ll be the guy down the front with the teary eyes.....

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Steve....