To coincide with the release of the acclaimed LP, 'The Awful Truth' (Fire Records), we couldn’t be more thrilled than to share with you... 'It’s the Nightingales Week' in Outsideleft! Today's entry, Guitar Talk with Jim. We're the non-playing guitar nerds that can really appreciate dudes like Jim who think more about what the guitar can do than what it looks like, sort of thing or something, or why the next guitar I buy might make me play better vs. none of the practice in the world. It's guitar business today. (Probably should be underwritten by The Little Guitar Shop - a favorite.)
OUTSIDELEFT: I don’t love music documentaries but wait… I watch a lot of them, when they start they are irresistible. I’ll watch anything but that’s not my question… Which is, famously, Charlie Watts was asked in the Rolling Stones doc, what it was like being in the Rolling Stones for 25 years. “Five years of work, 20 years of hanging around.” A design for life I think. Jim, decades as a Nightingale, how would you describe that?
Jim Smith: I’ll watch any rock doc as well, it’s my dad’s fault, every day was pop quiz with him! I wouldn’t say that Charlie quote was a design for life, I’m sure he’d want it the other way round. There’s a really good Charlie Watts doc called Charlie Is My Darling where they follow the Stones round Ireland in 1965, worth a watch. I’m about to hit a decade in the Nightingales on May 14th, that’s 238 gigs, Four studio albums, a 10” mini album, a live album, a film soundtrack, a 12” remix and a couple of singles. I think we have a good balance of working hard and enjoying ourselves although you always want to do more.
OL: There’s this really beautiful Italian word, that I heard for the first time from Aiden, a colleague of your associate Mark (from WLV University) while I was there... I am so enamoured by this word, sprezzatura, and it sort of makes me think of the Nightingales… Maybe an outward appearance of chaos, but just tons of hard work behind the scenes to enable you to do what you do so well.
Jim: There is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes, obviously we drill the sets to make them as tight as possible. It took me a fair while when I joined to get my head around the non stop segued sets! Aside from playing in the band you’ve got Fliss and Robs organisational skills, and Andi’s sound engineering and touring chops. Fliss also does all of the social media and then you’ve got Mark on Merch. It’s a team effort for sure.
OL: Sometimes bands are the sum of their constituent parts, the whole is greater for the contributions of all the members. But you guys have had numerous members… Do you think that’s a strength, or a pain in the ass, would you recommend that to other bands?
Jim: Well this line up has been solid for a decade now so it’s hard to comment really. I would say I’ve had a lot of support from previous guitarist Alan Apperley when I’ve needed help with how old songs go and often ex-members do show up to gigs and say hello.
OL: Lets talk about guitars because, I can’t play them obviously, but I love them so much. What is your go to guitar, the one you just pick up to play, first, the whole time, in the studio, while you’re watching Downton? The one that’s done the most tours, played on the most records.
Jim: I’ve had the same guitar for live and in the studio for 25 years now. It’s a Watkins Sapphire made by WEM. I picked it up in a shop in Birmingham that normally only sold new guitars. This one was obviously from the 60’s, looked great and most importantly seemed to be massively underpriced.
OL: It’s possibly hard to believe but I don’t suppose I can be alone in thinking when I see a band, if the guitar is right and appears to be a considered choice, maybe I should listen harder to the band to see what they are all about? I guess that’s the aesthetics of rocknroll groups.
Jim: The look of the guitar is the main thing for sure. I’m a great believer that you shouldn’t look too hard for gear and that it should come to you and then you deal with the limitations. My guitar looks great but sounds like it was dredged out of a canal and goes out of tune really easily which is not ideal when you’re playing a non stop set. Despite that it’s kind of become my sound and I wouldn’t use any other guitar.
OL: Have you ever owned an SG and could it stay in tune?
Jim: I’ve never owned an SG, but my first guitar which I’ve still got was a Japanese Gibson Les Paul copy called a Columbus and it doesn’t stay in tune.
OL: Would it be woefully unfashionable to perform with an American guitar right now?
Jim: I don’t know but I’ve always liked 60’s British guitars, it’s that Joe Meek thing. We recorded the ‘Awful Truth’ in a studio in Germany whose main function was to provide back line for big touring acts like Suzi Quatro. They had a room with pretty much any guitar you could think of in it and I did get attached to a double neck Gibson. The twelve string on it is all over the album.
OL: Can guitarists see what's coming next?
Jim: Definitely not. The best state to be in when you’re playing guitar is when the brain switches off and the fingers are acting of their own accord.
Essential Information
The Nightingales Week in Outsideleft
An Introduction to the Nightingales Week →
Robert Lloyd: The Sunday Interview →
The Awful Truth: The 2025 Fire Records’ LP reviewed by David O’Byrne →
The Happy Shopper: Andreas →
Guitar Talk with Jim →
The Happy Shopper: Fliss →
King Rocker - review by Martin Devenney →
The Happy Shopper: Jim →
Three Big Bass Questions for Andreas →
The Happy Shopper: Robert →
Teethgraters: The records The Nightingales would go to the ends of the earth to never hear again →
