TACOMA, Wash. — For nearly 50 years Glenn Tilbrook has been writing smart infectious pop songs and sharing the stage with Squeeze lyricist and best friend Chris Difford.
“There's not a day that goes by that I don't think how extraordinary it is that we lived half a mile from each other and managed to meet,” Tilbrook told Saint Bryan over Zoom recently, “and that the chemistry between us would be so apparent from when we met and still to this day.”
Squeeze brings their "Nomadband" Tour to Seattle's Moore Theatre Sept. 4, after a tour that started this month on the East Coast often sharing the bill with Hall and Oates.
In 1981, the year "Tempted" and the album East Side Story came out, Rolling Stone compared the Squeeze songwriting team to the Beatles’ Lennon and McCartney. It was a compliment that came with a curse.
"I think that's the only time in my life where I've ever felt slightly like I might be drying up for songs because that put incredible pressure on us," Tilbrook said.
Tilbrook's catchy melodies often provide a counterpoint to Difford's bleak observational lyrics.
"Do you have a favorite of his lyrics? Was there ever a moment when he handed you something and you were like 'Wow'?" Bryan asked.
"A song called 'I Think I'm Go Go' from Argybargy", Tilbrook responded. "The further we away we get from writing those songs, the more they become like diary entries for me and each verse in that song is about being either in London, New York or Amsterdam which is what we did within one week in 1979. Touring was relatively fresh to us."
Touring in 2021 is a different sort of beast.
"When we were rehearsing in London I had a sort of semi-permanent fear of everything being canceled," Tilbrook admits. "So when we finally got to play the Ryman in Nashville it just felt so special. You realize it's something you've always taken for granted and it's actually an incredible gift to play. I'm trying not to take anything for granted anymore".
The band may not do any meet and greets when they come to Seattle
"It just has to be that way," says Tilbrook," because we are not out of the woods by any stretch."
Fans can expect to hear many of their favorites with some surprise deep tracks from East Side Story. Most of all, they'll get to see one of pop music's greatest songwriting teams nearly half a century after they met.
"It's one of life's incredible coincidences and I can't help but wonder what if, what if, what if we didn't," Tilbrook says. "What would have happened then you know?"
Again, Squeeze plays The Moore Theatre Sept. 4. Tickets are still available.
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