DEEP PURPLE Bassist: 'Every Song I Write Is An Achievement'

icWales recently conducted an interview with DEEP PURPLE bassist Roger Glover. A few excerpts follow:

On the band's popularity:

"Someone asked me recently how come we don't write songs like 'Smoke On The Water' anymore. But the truth is we do. What's changed is our profile and there's little we can do about that."

On the band's success:

"I never look for achievements. I just look to write songs because every song I write is an achievement."

On the group's changing lineup:

"Putting it mildly, as a band we've had a few ups and downs. But over 40 years you show me a life that hasn't. Whatever people think of us, right now we are really happy playing together and that's the best reason for doing this."

On his successful solo and production career as well as passion for art:

"As an artist, in whatever field, you often see things that other people overlook. I love a blank canvas because you start filling it from nothing, sometimes with no idea of where you are going, and it ends up as something. It's the same with an album — you start off with an hour of silence that you have to fill and you don't know where to begin. Pretty much all our songs are accidental. You can sit down and maybe write a few chord progressions or a riff, but it's always the unwriteable interaction with a band that creates that magic. That accidental art is my passion."

On what advice he would give the naive younger version of himself if he had the chance:

"Enjoy yourself more. When you get attention from people, journalists or photographers, it's hard to stick to yourself because you want to look cool. You spend a lot of time projecting an image but the beauty of maturing is that you are just happier with yourself."