Blur's Graham Coxon: Finding Inspiration in Collaboration and Boredom

Graham Coxon, guitarist for the iconic Britpop band Blur, reflects on the band's dynamic and the challenges of navigating a modern world saturated with distractions.

In a recent documentary, Coxon spoke about the importance of making his bandmates proud, revealing a key motivator for his creative endeavors.

“It’s a weird thing, blokes in a group. Why are they doing it? For me, it was never for those reasons that people think,” he explained. “It was part of me trying to explore how I felt and putting it into a language that I really understood, and that language is songs.”

Coxon views his role as a collaborator, creating a musical platform for Damon Albarn's lyrics. “The guitar for me, or the backing vocals, are a place where I'm trying to make a really good landing strip for Damon’s lyrical aeroplane.” He emphasizes the importance of understanding Albarn's emotional intentions and crafting a suitable space for their expression. “I think I’m good at that,” he confidently claims.

The band's dynamic has evolved alongside their individual lives. Coxon reflects on the relative simplicity of their youth, a time when music was their primary focus. “In the 90s that was a little easier – as a young musician, you put everything into doing that, there are no other commitments. And there was a lot less distraction than there is now, a lot less focusing on phones, social media etc.”

While acknowledging the positive aspects of their early years, Coxon admits that it wasn't a particularly "enlightened time". He draws a parallel between the sense of frustration prevalent in the 90s and the current social climate, suggesting a reason for Blur's recent reunion.

“There’s quite a lot of discussion in the documentary about the way the country is right now, a sense of frustration that maybe parallels the 90s. Is that why now felt like a good time for Blur to come back?" he ponders.

“I don't know if Blur have that power to actually lift a nation’s spirits,” he admits. “People did need a bit of cheering up, but is a Blur concert going to do that?”

Despite his doubts, he acknowledges the band’s ability to provide a momentary escape. “It did for a bit, and people had a flipping great time, and they won’t forget it in a hurry. *I

won’t forget it in a hurry. I look back on it as a sort of out-of-body experience. It *was* really incredibly exciting and exhilarating, and we played great – thank God.”

Coxon reflects on the challenges faced by aspiring musicians in a modern world. “God, I don't know how people… there was a lot more time in the 80s. There was nothing else to do. So you sat and played guitar. Now there's too much to do.”

He confesses to feeling overwhelmed by the constant demands of the modern world. “I'm constantly overwhelmed by what I have to do. I don't really wake up until very late, and then when it's time to go to bed, I'm like, ‘Oh, really?’ And then every day is like that.”

Despite his busy schedule, Coxon recognizes the importance of boredom and solitude. “It actually is nourishing for me to be bored and have time to myself, but it happens quite rarely. I think everybody needs that. They need to catch up with themselves.”

When asked about what he loves about being in Blur, Coxon’s response is contemplative. This lingering question, left unanswered, suggests that the profound nature of his connection to the band transcends simple words.