Robyn Hitchcock, the 73-year-old cult psych rocker, has released his latest album The Confuser, recorded in Nashville with a crack team of session musicians. The album opens with the Lennonesque powerpop track "I Am This Thing," which begins with the line "I owe a lot to a dead man's cock." Hitchcock lives in Nashville with his second wife, Australian singer-songwriter Emma Swift, where he runs a boutique record label.
Hitchcock's Nashville Journey
Hitchcock reflects on his move to Nashville, stating, "Making it work in Nashville means I actually am a real musician songwriter in the real musician songwriter town." He recalls wanting to go to Nashville as a 13-year-old boarding school boy after hearing Bob Dylan records made there. "A mere 60 years later, here I am!" he adds.
The dead man referenced in the song is likely Hitchcock's father, Raymond Hitchcock, a bohemian artist and satirical novelist. The penis in question may refer to Raymond's or to Percy, the eponymous hero of one of Raymond's novels, later filmed with Hywel Bennett and soundtracked by the Kinks.
Influences and Legacy
Hitchcock's influences are rooted in the 1960s, particularly Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, and the Beatles. "Although my prime influence was Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett showed me how I could be it. And I actually wound up sounding like John Lennon," he says. He describes himself as "the last high-functioning one" among the "old dead English blokes," adding, "I didn't invent this field of music, but I've perpetuated it."
The Soft Boys' second album, Underwater Moonlight (1980), has become an all-time classic, influential on the American indie scene. Hitchcock later achieved college rock stardom in the US with hits like "Balloon Man" and "So You Think You're in Love."
Memoirs and Personal Reflections
Hitchcock's recent memoir Stranded in the Future details his early career and personal struggles. He admits, "I was a self-centred, entitled little horror and arguably I still am." The book explores his tendency to create a personal myth, with some events "technically couldn't have happened at all."
In a conversation with comedian Stewart Lee, Hitchcock reveals his approach to performance: "I just rise to the bait of attention. Someone wants me to perform." He acknowledges a degree of narcissism necessary for his work.
New Album and Tour
The Confuser, released via Tiny Ghost records on 24 July, features Nashville session musicians and explores new sounds, including a walking bass and cowbell groove on "My Dead Astronaut." Hitchcock tours the UK and Europe from September. Stewart Lee's tour Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf continues until the end of 2026.
