Noel Gallagher
Serving the song
with V Collection 8
When it comes to creating a song, Noel Gallagher possesses a golden touch.
Considered one of the world’s greatest living songwriters, he’s penned anthems that transcend genre, culture, and era with Oasis, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and beyond. Sometimes, the creative momentum he needs is one lyric, one chord, or one sound away. It’s this search for the spark that brought V Collection into his process, and he hasn’t looked back since - we caught up with Noel in the studio to talk synths, songwriting, and his stellar career.
Flying
high
A seasoned guitarist who can rouse a stadium-sized crowd with a 4-chord sequence. A gifted vocalist who’s been center stage in every corner of the globe. But above all else, Noel Gallagher is a songwriter - and we’re not talking catchy melodies and fun lyrics. We’re talking about the kind of song that can unite young and old in euphoric chorus without so much as the word ‘maybe’.
From Noel’s perspective, this is his creative purpose. As the sole songwriter behind the vast majority of Oasis’ colossal hits, his credits speak for themselves. Despite this, he’s never been one to showboat, and it took time and perseverance for him to discover his own talent.
The same can be said for Oasis as a band; formed at a time when cassettes were the dominant format of released music and cell phones were a relative rarity attached to the belts of businessmen and women, the band had to work hard and hone their sound to get the attention they deserved. In today’s world of instant gratification and the virality of media, it might not have happened the same way.
With Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, he’s done away with major label support, releasing music on his own Sour Mash Records. But NGHFB isn’t just about embracing the way the business works nowadays; it’s Noel’s way of embracing absolute creative freedom.
Today is gonna
be the day
After several decades at the top, and with no signs of slowing down, Noel knows exactly how he likes to do things. Rather than sharpening the songwriting process down to a fine point, he’s surrounded himself with the right people, the right environment, and the right tools. With those in place, the barriers are removed, and the music is sure to follow.
This no-nonsense approach to crafting songs, in Noel’s experience, strangely efficient. By striking a balance between keeping an open mind and knowing where to draw the line, he’s got plenty to work with without overthinking things. He’s also honest with himself - it’s not going to magically happen every day. The process requires patience.
She’s Electric
For Noel, venturing beyond Britpop has been both a process of both cause and effect. The search for new sounds has driven him to incorporate synth and keyboard sounds in a way that took him by surprise - enter V Collection. Not only did these sounds facilitate the sonic diversity of his latest projects; they’ve become an integral part of the inspiration behind his songwriting process.
In the studio, we move onto the topic of playing keyboards. Noel is upfront in saying that he isn’t a keyboardist - but also that that doesn’t prevent him from enjoying the experience, the process, and above all, the sounds. Better still, he feels that the fact that he isn’t a player means he approaches it from a different angle, often yielding more interesting results.
Exploring the sounds of V Collection, both during songwriting and with other musicians, offers more than just a fresh set of sounds. As Noel notes, he’s been in the business for a little while, and it isn’t easy to find that new lease of creative life at the best of times. But V Collection’s ability to bring new atmospheres outside of his sonic comfort zone is uniquely energizing.
On V Collection
We spoke to Noel about what V Collection means to him; how and why he uses it, his favorite features, and how it benefits his music.
On quality
As an artist who’s lived and worked through the transitional period of music production becoming more and more software-orientated, bringing software instruments into the fold was a leap of faith. Luckily, as Noel notes, V Collection’s sound speaks for itself.
On presets
Part of the beauty of hardware synthesizers is the experimentation and exploratory nature of finding your own sound. By extension, you could say the same about V Collection’s instruments, designed to be just as intuitive and flexible - often more so - than their hardware counterparts. Some music makers, like Noel, instead prefer to be presented with some options. V Collection’s presets equip any artist with an all-you-can-eat selection of sounds and timbres to suit any style.
HIGHLIGHT: Jup-8 V
While discussing presets with his studio engineer Callum, Noel briefly becomes immersed in a subtle vibrato organ-style patch on Jup-8 V, soft and pad-like in its sustain.
HIGHLIGHT: Mellotron V
HIGHLIGHT: Synclavier V
Songwriting
revolution
For Noel, V Collection amounts to more than a library of sounds, and more than a selection of classic instruments reimagined.
These have become essential tools in his songwriting journey, both embellishing his existing ideas and inspiring brand new ones. And, whether it’s spending hours cycling through presets, or simply trying out new ideas with a different instrument, if it’s in service of the song, he’s all for it.