Louise Wenner
This Time Tomorrow is Sleeper's 5th full length studio album, and technically a prequel, the ten tracks were recorded between 1999 and 2000 in North London, and finished in Brighton during lockdown, 2020.
Le Document were delighted Louise from Sleeper was up for answering a few questions ...
Do you have a fave track on This Time Tomorrow? Is there one song in particular that you're keen for people to hear?
Louise Wener: Tell Me Where You’re Going. It’s the one I’ve listened to most in the intervening years and it’s always affected me to listen to. I feel really connected to it. Even though it was written so long ago, I think it sums up the feeling of life on pause that we’re all experiencing at the moment. And essentially it’s hopeful. This time tomorrow, we’ll could be there…
How has the lock down been for you? What have been the highs and lows of this Winter lock down?
The highs have been working on this record and putting it out. It’s been the best distraction we could have asked for. Music lets you travel and imagine, and it’s been an emotional escape. There have been lots of lows. I think it’s important to acknowledge how weird and hard this is for everyone. We’re definitely not in banana-bread land any more.
Do you think the 90s was a great decade for music? Do you look back with fondness?
Very much so. I think it’s partly to do with those times. There’s an optimism that surrounds it. It feels like the 90s was a golden period in so many ways.
Can you talk a bit about producers James Jackman and Niall Flynn? How does working with them differ from working with Stephen Street? Do they have different approaches to getting the job done?
Sonically we were building backing tracks in different ways: programming, rather than a band working things out in rehearsal. But it was very similar. James and Niall were both very organised and hard working. Stephen’s the same. Incredibly driven and precise.
How do you feel when you hear George Michael's backing vocals on 'We Are Cinderella'? Were you able to chat to him and have a laugh or was he quite a serious fellow?
He was warm and funny. Full of great stories. And then, when we were working on the track, he was incredibly focussed and knowledgeable. It’s a relief to meet someone you admire and discover they’re lovely. But it’s even more interesting to watch them work and see a snapshot of their talent up close. It feels like a special moment listening back to it now.
Do you intend to write another novel? Or these days do you tend to find yourself writing new lyrics and coming up with ideas for songs?
I’d love to write another novel but I’d want to write it in a giant, open-plan office surrounded by people. I don’t think I ever want to work at home alone again after this is over!
I love Elvis Costello’s cover of What Do I Do Now? do you remember hearing it for the first time? Is that the best cover of a Sleeper song you know of?
It’s a gorgeous version. I remember first hearing the recording and being blown away. It’s very intimate which makes the lyric feel more stark and direct.
Are there any new bands or young singers that have impressed you lately?
This week I’m going on long walks with Big Thief and a bit of Arlo Parks. Mostly to escape the squeaky Tik Toks coming out of my teenager’s phones.
Is there any advice you wish you were given when you started out in the music business? Were you looked after by labels and managers?
We had managers and labels but I’m not sure “looked after” is the right description. My advice would be to inform yourself as much as possible. There’s this feeling among bands that they need music business people to “enable” them or legitimise them. They work for you. Your skill is everything. And it’s important that you control as much of your career as you possibly can.
What ambitions do you have left / or have all your dreams happened?
I’m lucky in that I’ve had a chance to do lots of the things I dreamed of as a kid. Not all of them worked out the way I’d planned, but going back to music after such a long break feels particularly special. My dream at the moment – to play a huge festival in the sunshine. Be back in the pub with some friends!
Illustration by Leonie Woods
