Liverpool’s John Witherspoon is back with his most emotionally intricate single yet, ‘My Baby’, releasing September 19th as the final preview of his third studio album, One Of Them, due October 31st.
Serving as the album’s closing track, ‘My Baby’ blends intimate vulnerability with expansive musicality, opening with lullaby-like softness before building to a triumphant, live-band crescendo. Witherspoon’s sultry vocals and the song’s subtle nods to contemporary indie rock create a bridge between nostalgic romance and modern sonic sophistication.
I spoke to John about the creative process behind ‘My Baby’, the album’s themes of disconnection in a digitally saturated world, and the evolution of his songwriting since his previous releases:
Tell us about the new album One of Them and the evolution in your songwriting compared to your previous albums?
The writing process was largely the same as my previous 2 albums, except for You’re Alright which almost feels like my first co-write (with Kurran Karbal). The others I chipped away at alone, making my GarageBand demos.
It depends on how you want to define songwriting though. I write the chords and structure, I don’t ‘write’ the exact bass parts, drum parts, all of the electric guitar, and ultimately I’m open to any suggestions any one’s got on the day. Hopefully I’m getting better at the craft the more I do it, so I hope there’s been a kind of natural evolution and growth to things. The previous record felt very lean and I didn’t linger too long in choruses, or in any sections. some of the songs had refrains rather than choruses.
This time I wanted to let the listener live in some moments a little longer. So, second album I was buzzing with myself when a track was barely 3 minutes long, with this one I’m equally proud that there’s a few 4 minute 30s or 5 minuters, and still not much indulgence or fat I could have trimmed.
That’s the hope.
Essentially I think I’m trying to write my version of pop.
The new single ‘My Baby’ emerged during a period of writer’s block – How did turning creative struggle into a meta-textual lyric influence the final composition?
It wasn’t really writer’s block, it was me coming to the end of the writing project, feeling I needed one more tune for the album but feeling lyrically spent, worrying I might have nothing left to give. In this case, my desperation to turn the chords and melody I had into a good song forced me into what I considered a cardinal sin, or certainly a cliche: the song about writing a song. That’s how verse one happened, and I loved it. It sounds fanciful now but that verse really was a spark, and the rest of the song just came through quickly from there. And the rest of the song had more to say.
The track was recorded live – was it important to you to capture the essence of your live sound on record?
It wasn’t my idea. Dave Ormsby (producer and drummer) gets full credit and he played a blinder. I was sceptical about the roughness and rawness of live band recording but this song was an absolute game changer. I loved the track so much that we did it again on All my Venom, and we’ve done it again on some new stuff since. At the moment I don’t see myself going back to overdubbing everything and saving vocals for last. The band sound amazing and it’s rare that I am able to accept and love my vocal performance as quickly as I did in this environment.
Technology, disconnection, and digital isolation are central themes of the upcoming album. How does My Baby fit into that narrative?
Disconnection and isolation are in there for sure. To pursue a life of often-solitary creativity is a self-interested life, I think this song is about the guilt and doubts that come with that. And if you’ve let yourself drift out of contact with someone, it’s not easy to make excuses these days. You could pull your phone out and attempt to re-connect on your choice of platforms, instantly.
I might be reaching but I think the chorus line “you don’t call you don’t write” translates well into modern times too. It’s obviously an old expression that refers to writing letters, but writing little letters to each other is what we do all day long now. So again, to not be dropping a text here and there to people you think you should, how do you let yourself off the hook?
You mentioned a more collaborative approach during the recording of this album. Did giving your band more creative freedom impact the sound of the record?
Hugely. Dave and his in-house band at Prodigal Son are a very tight group of long-term friends, and I think of us as all having been on the same musical journey to simplicity. They’re mostly in their thirties and not interested in showing off. They’re into restraint and making the tasteful decision that serves the song.
I’m relinquishing more control on the recording process. That feels great and it sounds great too.I still arrive with my GarageBand demos, but then we just press record and let these great players play. Without question, my favourite moments on the record came from Dave, Ilana, Joe and Jesse just bringing themselves, and trying parts out without interference.
Do you have any plans after the album release?
Not in a live sense. Not yet. I plan to write, record and share more music. This is what matters most, and what I plan to do until I’m very old and grey. If some people connect with it, that’s nice.
Listen to the new single below and keep an eye out for the full album!
