INTERVIEW: Levellers Frontman Mark Chadwick Talks About the Band's Greatest Hits - Part 1

In hindsight, I feel lucky to have been born in 1984, because it meant that I grew up in the 90s. It seems like it was all a dream now, but believe it or not, before the mass homogenisation of popular music, there was room in the singles charts for not only the likes of East 17 and Whigfield, but also for a gang of crust-punks from Brighton who played folk music. Things like this just wouldn't be allowed to happen in 2014. In the case of the Levellers, this was the last remnants of a counterculture having one last go at changing the world through the social power of music. The writer of this article was only 11 years old when he first witnessed the Levellers playing 'Just The One' on Top Of The Pops in late 1995. I put that single on my Christmas list immediately afterwards and have been guided through life by the band's music ever since. 19 years later I'm here talking to none other than frontman Mark Chadwick about the new Greatest Hits compilation that's being released to mark the group's 25th anniversary. "Getting our music out to as many people as possible, from the very beginning that's what we aimed to do, but we didn't think we'd last 25 years, I thought we'd last about three or four. But yeah, there you go" says Mark, "it's gone by in the blink of an eye".

In 1988, vocalist Mark met bassist Jeremy Cunningham in Brighton pub The Eagle, and bonded over mutual views on left wing politics as well as a shared love of drinking. After forming a new band with drummer Charlie Heather, they felt the need to make their sound stand our from the rest. It was the hugely underrated Brighton folk outfit McDermott's 2 Hours that inspired the band to recruit a violinist to add a more melodic element to their abrasive punk style, and in stepped Jon Sevink, who was the brother of Mark's girlfriend. It's still not entirely clear whether they named themselves the Levellers after the democratic faction of Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army, or in reference to 'The Level', which was an area near to where the band members lived. Their first two demo tapes were sold at gigs throughout 1988 and 1989, as the band's reputation quickly grew, along with its expanding army of dedicated followers. They set up their own label Hag Records to release the 'Carry Me' EP, with its brilliant lead track going on to be re-recorded a number of times over the years, the definitive, fuller bodied version from 1998 being the one deservedly picked for inclusion on the Greatest Hits. A fine example of the spirit that has kept them together for so long, it's a most addictive singalong that stands as the perfect embodiment of comradeship. The fury of the vigorous 'Outside/Inside' identifies with those trapped by society and the boundaries it puts in place, but no walls could contain the power of the Levellers, whose fanbase was beginning to spread far and wide. 'Outside/Inside' was the lead track on their second EP, which has become one of my favorite 12" inches of all time, containing three equally superb tracks that they couldn't find room for on this 2 CD collection. The 1989 version of 'Barrel Of A Gun' is especially brilliant, a raging anti-war anthem where Chadwick's vocals cut through like razorwire. 

Alan Miles was initially recruited on guitar, and the band recorded their debut full length 'A Weapon Called The Word', which was released via the French label Musidisc. As an album, it's more black and white in its musical approach compared to the records that followed, where the folk had a greater Celtic flavour, the indie vibes were stronger, and the punk rock had a slightly rougher edge, although 'Carry Me' and the equally fantastic 'Together All The Way' both provide scene-setters for much of their subsequent work. Like 'Carry Me', the beautifully uplifting 'Together All The Way' also highlights that sense of sticking together, and years later sounds like a wonderful snapshot taken at an early stage of a long and eventful journey. Topped with a blissful harmonica solo, it's a masterfully written song, as is the bustling 'World Freak Show', which was the first single to be plucked from the LP. Released in 1990, 'A Weapon Called The World' has over the years become one of the very few albums to achieve platinum status without ever making the charts. As an outfit who understood the potency of music as a social power, they walked it like the talked it and have always stayed true to their ideals. 

But having grown from a grass roots scene, certain people took exception to the band's growing popularity. Somewhat inevitably, the more well known you are, the more detractors you'll encounter. I wondered if the band themselves felt any conflicts of ideals when they eventually gatecrashed the mainstream. "No, not really," says Mark, "not as far as we were concerned. We were accused of "selling out" when we made our first independent single, you know what I mean? It was like that back then. And we've been accused of selling out constantly throughout our career but we never have... It just depends on your point of view." Indeed one of the most contradictive things about the punk scene is that while a lot of the music is about changing the world and making a difference, people don't like it when a band finds a wider audience... "Exactly. The messages we sang were from the band, so that was the point. You need to reach as many people as possible otherwise you ghettoise yourselves if you worry about things like that, and we were determined never to do that. And we lost a few people on the way because they thought differently. But we've always been smarter than them anyway..." One such person was Alan Miles, who quit the band after the first album due to their communist approach to earnings. It was a blessing in disguise, since it soon saw the arrival of singer-songwriter Simon Friend, a roadie for New Model Army and a musician well known on the same circuit, who turned down the offer of becoming NMA's guitarist in favour of joining the Levellers. The line-up has stayed together ever since. As well as the change in personnel, the early 90s also saw the group part with Musidisc and sign to China Records.

With new life injected into the group, they set about recording their second album. The truly essential 'Levelling The Land' was released in 1991, and offered a highly accomplished set of politically charged folk-rock classics, each one as strong as the last. It was more multi faceted than the debut LP, and has certainly stood the test of time in the years since its release, and is regarded as the band's masterpiece by most fans. Despite not making the Top 40, the statement of freedom and identity that is 'One Way' became an eternal anthem among students, travellers and within the indie community. As with 'Carry Me', the version included on this compilation is a 1998 re-recording that is again the one that has the most impact. Despite the press release saying that this new Greatest Hits had been compiled by the band themselves, it is in fact history that has dictated the track selections, since it is a complete collection of all the singles released to date. But was it always the band who chose what songs would be singles, or was that decision sometimes made by the record label? "The band" answers Mark. "It was part of the deal that were able to do that. They didn't really make us do anything we didn't want to do". 
Although 'Levelling The Land' contains many more classic tracks, it's represented well by the four songs that appear on the Greatest Hits. Out of all the album tracks, are there any in particular that Mark wishes the band had put out as singles? "Singles are weird, it's strange because sometimes a song could be overtly commercial... and some of those I wish we hadn't released really. But I'm glad with a lot of the ones we did release. There's a feeling with a single when you've done it: 'that's the single, that's it'. Obvious for everybody."

Keeping the protest song alive into the 90s is the blazing 'Liberty Song', a defiant anarcho-punk stomp with an instantly addictive riff, while the pastoral, jaunty country-folk spirit of 'Far From Home' is backed by a relentless hunger. The mighty 'Fifteen Years' impeccably portrays the broken, self-destructive drinker who "sits on a stool that bears his name" to an urgent, powerful backdrop and entered the singles chart at number 11 in 1992. It wasn't originally included on the LP, but was added to later pressings following the song's success. But despite 'Levelling The Land' adding to the growing army of devotees, the music press were having none of it. "They are ugly, soiled and pimply. They dress in bizarre tribal uniforms, drink themselves stupid as often as possible, and they stink" declared one member of the press. Another review reckoned that they were "art-hippy poshos" who used "river metaphors and bad grammar."

"Nobody cares" said one critic. "Not even the music and style press, who ought to at least register their existence, can find a good word for them. Although they could try 'failure'." Ironic then, that the band would go on to score more gold, silver and platinum discs that any other UK act in the 90s, and a few years later, would play to the largest stagefront crowd that Glastonbury had ever seen. And unlike many bands of the era, the Levellers kept on going through the good times and the bad, and are still standing strong as ever now. A band who succeeded on their own terms, the Levellers managed it without an ounce of support from the media. They didn't need anyone's approval or permission to make their mark. 'Levelling The Land' went to number 14 in the charts and is regarded as a seminal record, and one of the era's definitive works of the early 90s. 1992 was shaping up to be a good year for the band: a hit single, packed out tours, an American deal with Elektra Records, and a much talked-about set at Glastonbury, which would secure their place on the Pyramid Stage two years later. But success is never an easy ride, as the group would soon find out...

You can read part 2 of this article tomorrow, as Levellers Week on RW/FF continues...

The 'Greatest Hits' album is available as a 2CD/DVD package, and a 149 track digital box set. Buy yours HERE. In support of the album, the band will embark on a UK tour with support from the brilliant She Makes War, and ska legends The SelectorNOV 11NottinghamRock CityNOV 12Bristolo2 AcademyNOV 13Londono2 Shepherds Bush EmpireNOV 14Birmingham o2 Academyo2 AcademyNOV 15NorwichUEANOV 16PortsmouthGuildhallNOV 18WrexhamWilliam Aston HallNOV 19Newcastleo2 AcademyNOV 20Sheffieldo2 AcademyNOV 21Glasgowo2 ABCNOV 22ManchesterAcademy
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