Recently I was fortunate to chat with Peter Hook famously from Joy Division and New Order about indie music and his own history as a DIY musician.

http://www.myspace.com/peterhookneworder

Peter’s irrepressible energy and on going love for music makes him a prominent figure in the industry with an enthusiam and drive not even God himself could curb.

Hi Peter, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to have a chat. Let’s do what I always like to do in interviews and go back to your beginnings…

Back in the days of Joy Division before you had a manager or record deal what was the driving force for the band? Was it a passion for making and performing music or was it a desire to get famous?

It was music! That fame and money thing was an unknown quantity luckily.

Is it true Joy Division released an E.P called “An ideal for living” in 1978 on their own label Enigma Records prior to any involvement with Tony Wilson and Factory?

Yes.

As a fledgling post punk indie band how did you fund this release?

Ian got a loan, Barney did the artwork we co-ordinated the whole thing and folded the sleeves ourselves.

As Joy Division your first album “Unknown Pleasures” and the single “Love will tear us apart”, produced by Martin Hannett, put you on the map. However it’s a documented story that you hated its sound and what Martin did to the music. Would you say a producer is an integral part of any bands sound and its success?

Sometimes depends on the producer and the band, generally I’d say if they agree you’d get an inferior product!

Anyone who is familiar with the story of Joy Division and New Order will know how important a role Rob Gretton had as your manager. Would you say that these days a manager is just as important for bands?

Good ones are hard to get, I still don’t have one. Rob was a very interesting manager but I’d say with two bands like us you couldn’t go wrong!

How instrumental would you say that Tony Wilson was in propelling bands in front of the masses be it gigs, on TV or Radio?

He loved punk rock with a passion and he used his positio to champion it! God bless him, VITAL!

Would Joy Division, New Order and Factory Records work in today’s society with its mp3s, file sharing and constant stream of manufactured pop bands?

Good music works on every level, BRING IT ON!

Factory Records granted you total freedom as Joy Division and New Order. Is this freedom important to musicians and their development?

VITAL!

If you could do it all again would you change anything?

No.

What advice would you give to today’s indie musicians?

Wrote great songs.

You’ve been very busy lately with FAC 251. How are things progressing and what can we expect?

The unexpected, it’s going very well fingers crossed.

Will we be seeing you at Creamfields this year?

Hopefully Ha Ha!

Thanks for taking the time to chat to BrandNewMusicUK.com Peter and the best of luck with your projects and especially FAC251 – we’ll see you there soon.

http://www.myspace.com/peterhookneworder