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Aim

Aiming high

First things first, why have you parted company with Grand Central?

"I just felt the whole thing had run its course. They were downsizing while I was looking at really stepping everything up for this record. I was on the label for 10 years and saw a lot of changes - some good, some not so good - it just got to the point where I felt I needed a fresh start somewhere else."

What made you decide to start up our own label?

"I had two choices. I could either look around for another deal or start up my own label. Whilst a new label might have helped financially and stress-wise in the short term, doing it myself meant I could control every detail of the process.

"Also, I knew who I wanted to manage the label and luckily he was up for getting involved. We started it last June and it's taken a lot of setting up but with the release of my album, we've finally got something to get our teeth into."

Your new album's due soon. Why's it called Flight 602?

"It's the number of the flight that Charles Bukowski took to his first poetry reading in Germany."

The first single from it, Northwest, suggests a real move-on for your sound. Has there been a conscious effort to evolve your music?

Aim and Niko at the Roadhouse last year

"To be honest, yeah, there has. The last thing I wanted to do was rehash the first two albums. I spent a lot more time on the arrangements and really making sure the drums were as fat as they should be. There's quite a bit of guitar in there and Niko has done five vocal tracks.

"I think my mixing has come on quite a bit too. After Cold Water Music, which Steve Christian mixed, I knew I had to learn how to mix and engineer my own stuff so I could try and get closer to the sounds in my head. Hinterland was my first effort and it came out pretty good but I think Flight 602 is a real step up.

"Another reason for doing it on my own label was that it meant I could take as long as I needed to get the tracks for this record as good as I possibly could, listening back to it I think it's really paid off."

You've got a side project, Paperboy, going on as well. Why do you feel you need the second creative outlet?

"I think I've pushed the Aim sound pretty far on Flight 602. It's more song based, there's lots of guitar parts and even an acoustic track on there. I don't want to completely change the sound though, it is what it is, it's become it's own thing.

"The thing is, I've always had a love for certain guitar-based, more traditional music and Paperboy is a way of exploring this. To be honest, I never listen to hip-hop or dance stuff any more. The only bands that really turn me on these days are Nirvana and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I think of the newer bands, Arcade Fire are out on their own, their Funeral album was a classic."

You've taken Niko with you to your new label. What made you do that?

Niko

"She's the most talented singer I've ever worked with. She has an amazing knack for harmonies and melody and her next album is going to be massive. I've heard the songs she's been writing and she's moved on so much since her last record; she's really finding her own sound now and writing for herself, instead of trying to please other people."

The Manchester show will be one of the first since starting down your new road. What are you expecting from the show?

"I reckon it'll go off to be honest. We've always had good crowds at our gigs and even during the really slow stuff, they'll nod appreciatively, but this time round we've reworked the set and it's a lot more energetic, there's some really big tunes this time.

"Also, the band went through a few personnel changes over the years but it's finally settled down to a solid unit. It sounds really heavy now. We'll be doing quite a few tracks from the new LP so it will be interesting to see how they go down."