Even as the contrived and patronising Susan Boyle story is strung out as a prelude to the inevitable album/calendar/ ringtone commercial cash-in, the indie world has been trying to nurture its own version.
The formula is straightforward: find a total unknown, throw in a hard-luck story, then fling him or her at some award/talent show and hope they’ll stick.
The search is now over. Come on down Nick Hemming, you’ve earned a one-way ticket out of nowheresville.
The much-coveted annual Ivor Novello award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" is the real biggie because it's voted on by songwriters. This year there are only three nominations: Elbow, The Last Shadow Puppets (side project of Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner) and a never-heard- of-them band called The Leisure Society. The latter are up for their debut single, T he Last of the Melting Snow(see it on YouTube unless The Man has had it taken down), which is the work of Leisure Society mainman Nick Hemming.
What makes The Leisure Society’s triumph such a big deal is it marks the first time in the awards’ 54-year history that a songwriter without a publishing deal has been nominated for a Best Song award. This particular category was won last year by Amy Winehouse; previous winners include George Harrison (Something), Lennon/ McCartney, Pulp and Sting.
Hemming seemed genuinely taken back by his nomination.
“I worked in a record shop for many years,” he stated, “and I can remember reading about the Ivors, thinking how it would be the coolest award to win as it’s decided on artistic rather than commercial merit. I went straight onto the Ivors website after I’d received the nomination letter and found endorsements from Paul McCartney and John Barry, two of my biggest musical heroes. It all feels a little surreal at the moment. I’m incredibly flattered that so many people have taken such a personal song to their hearts.”
Hemming, 36, used to be in indie also-rans She Talks to Angels (alongside future film-maker Shane Meadows) but his main job is in a fabric warehouse. He’s popped up every now and again over the years in different bands, without ever creating too much interest.
The fact that his song even came into consideration for the Novello is not because of YouTube/Facebook/ Twitter or any of that nonsense. It’s all down to good old-fashioned radio DJs going off-playlist and giving a chance to something new, different and very good.
The Last of the Melting Snowwas first picked up, ironically, by Elbow's Guy Garvey on his excellent show on BBC 6 Music on Sunday nights (you can hear it on the interweb). Garvey proclaimed the song to be the best tune of 2008 and would frequently read out the entire lyrics. The song was picked up by other like-minded DJ's and spread by word-of-mouth.
What may well swing the award Hemming’s way is that the song comes with a poignant(ish) back story.
A few years ago Hemming was visiting the small town in England where's he from and bumped into an ex-girlfriend. The two had been together for eight years, and Hemming had only moved to London because of the split. His ex invited him back to her house and he thought something was going to be rekindled, but she only wanted to tell him about her new boyfriend. Hemming returned to London on New Year's Eve, opened a bottle of vodka and wrote The Last of the Melting Snow. "I think that intense bit of suffering I went through brought out my creative side," he says.
Listen to The Leisure Society’s music and you are put in mind of an English Fleet Foxes or, at a push, Grizzly Bear. But Hemming doesn’t accept the comparisons. “I’m actually not a huge fan of folk music, even though I adore the songwriting and musicianship of Nick Drake and John Martyn. I’ve always been more into pop music, ’60s bands like The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Beach Boys and Love.”
The “Unknown Warehouse Worker Earns Ivor Novello Nomination” headline hits Hemming whenever he opens a newspaper, and much play was made of the fact that he had to ask for a few hours off work to attend the nominations announcement.
But enough already. I’m off to the bookies to put this week’s meagre earnings on the indie Susan Boyle to carry off the Ivor Novello.
