A prog legend’s daughter and The Clash’s former bassist aren’t the most obvious collaborators. But in 2023 Galen Ayers and Paul Simonon released Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day? which featured a laidback Mediterranean vibe reminiscent of Galen’s late father, Kevin.
Produced by Tony Visconti and featuring guest spots from Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) and others, the album had its roots in a Mallorcan fishing village, where Simonon stayed during lockdown. Just before its launch the pair told Prog its story.
How did the collaboration come about?
Galen Ayers: After the hard Covid lockdown, Paul was just coming back to London from Spain and I was coming back from Greece. We’d both been writing songs. We started chatting and realised we were in the same place. The fun thing, I think, is this third space that opens up in any good collaboration, because you’re being pushed in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily go if you were just alone.
Paul Simonon: It was quite intense in a way, because you open up completely. We both agreed from the beginning that we should be totally honest with each other. That seemed to be the best way to move forward: going by gut instinct.
So is Mallorca a key place for both of you, creatively?
GA: Sure. I grew up there with my dad, I lived there with my stepfather and my mum and I went to school there. I was practically a Spanish girl and spoke the local dialect, Mallorquin.
PS: The record really started off there, after I’d gone to Mallorca to paint. I had a guitar with me as well, so it was an alternative way of being creative. It’s the same thing – the element of thought and feeling and expression. And I’ve always been open to European music. Jacques Dutronc and people like that. My dad used to play things like Francoise Hardy and Jacques Brel.
But you wanted to be a painter rather than a musician, right?
PS: Yeah. I got to art college, met Mick Jones [Clash co-founder] and somehow ended up playing bass. Mick said, “You’re a bit like Stuart Sutcliffe.” I went, “Who’s he?” He said, “The one that was in The Beatles. He couldn’t play bass either, but he was a good artist.” So that was sort of my inspiration in the very beginning.
Was it always going to be a musician’s life for you, Galen?
GA: No. I rebelled against it. At first I was always singing and I toured a bit with my dad. But then I saw the human cost of the life and I didn’t want that. I was quite a strong academic – I have two masters – and I was adamant to find a different path. But eventually it just came naturally that, as a writer, adding music is another form of expression. Now you have a whole other layer of emotion.
Was prog ever on your radar, Paul?
PS: My brother used to be into Yes and things like that, but it just didn’t speak to me. It didn’t represent anything that I felt. They knew too many chords, that’s the problem! Galen and I are really from two different worlds
Kevin shoved the guitar towards Galen and said: ‘You’re on your own now.’ That’s a great attitude!
Paul Simonon
GA: But we did find some middle ground. You enjoyed the early Syd Barrett albums I played you.
PS: Yeah – it’s like your dad’s stuff.
GA: It’s more song-based. When I started getting interested in songwriting there were progressives in my house at all times.
Didn’t Daevid Allen used to be your babysitter, Galen?
GA: They all were! I went to see King Crimson a few years back and met Robert Fripp. I said, “I’m sure you were our babysitter at some point.” He goes, “Well, you didn’t look like that!” Sometimes I dread it when I go to these get-togethers of like-minded people, because it’s either, “Your dad owes me money!” or “Your dad slept with my wife!” or something. I’m like, “It’s not my fault! I didn’t do anything!” But it’s always said with a smile, y’know? He was well-loved. I think Kevin was just way too sensitive to be a business person. There was this burning fire, with no compromise.
What kind of things did he teach you?
GA: He wasn’t very fatherly in terms of giving advice. But he wrote this beautiful letter to me, where he likened being a songwriter or an artist to being a tightrope walker. You just have to live a life where you don’t have a safety net. If you get scared or stop, you fall; so you just push forward.
PS: I love the story Galen told me about him. There was a guitar on the floor and he just shoved it over towards Galen and said: “There you go, you’re on your own now.” I think that says quite a lot. That’s a great attitude!
GA: Kevin was unconventional in terms of presents. On my 21st birthday he was playing his J200 Gibson that Jimi Hendrix gave him. It’s the guitar I’d grown up with, a beautiful-sounding guitar. He just put it in the case, closed it, kicked it softly across the floor and his exact words were: “Take over, kid!”