In the last 30 years, the UK has had few songwriters who can connect with audiences like Noel Gallagher and his J-150. It's clearly not lost on him, either, and with Liam heading out playing the raucous side of their old band with a Definitely Maybe tour in 2024, The Chief is leaning into his mellower side. And he's doing it ruthlessly.
"I’m back in the studio – not rock, the acoustic stuff. I’m doing it for fans really," he told friend and comedian Matt Morgan on the latter's podcast.
“I’ve had to take all the electronic equipment out of the studio… because I’ve tried to make an acoustic album three times, and every time [I’ve failed]… so it’s just acoustic instruments in the studio.”
The key word there is instruments, though. By his own admission, Noel gets "bored" listening to acoustic guitar songs so he's livening it up with some layers.
"I’ve come up with working just with acoustic instruments, so instead of a bass it’ll be a double bass," he told Morgan. "That way I can say, ‘I’ve made an acoustic album, but it’s used all acoustic instruments."
But if you want a preview of what's to come – Noel has revealed two of the songs in contention for the album are already out there, in demo form at least.
He confirmed he's written six songs and one, God Help Us All, dates back to 2005 when he was still with Oasis.
"But there is a demo of it when a load of EPs came out. Then there’s one that was bootlegged called Just Let It Come Down Over Me, which is quite country. I’ll do that, but the rest of it is all new stuff."
You can hear both above and below, respectively.
Elsewhere in the chat, Noel revealed how he felt creatively restricted in Oasis – his solo song The Death Of You And Me is one he wrote when he was still in the band, but Noel claims that Liam vehemently rejected it.
"For example, you know that song The Death Of You And Me off of my first solo album? Well I wrote that when I was still in Oasis and demoed it… and I remember Liam saying, 'What are you doing? What the fuck, who's gonna listen to that?' And I was like, 'But it's one of my favourite, best ever tunes.'"
Noel Gallagher talking about if Oasis ever get back together and singing his version of Liam's new song 📹 Matt Morgan Podcast pic.twitter.com/ITOfPNOr78January 20, 2024
Warming to the theme in the clip above, Noel then breaks into an impression of Liam.
"'What's that? Fucking what? Rag-time?! What's that - fucking hell, jazz band now are we? How am I supposed to list the colours of lollipops to that shit?'"
That last comment seems to be a cheeky reference to Liam's new single Just Another Rainbow with John Squire, where at one point the younger Gallagher sings a list of the colours in a rainbow. A reference Noel returns to later in the clip you can hear above courtesy of Oasis Mania on X.
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