High Flying Birds is an instant classic by any standard, with highlights like “If I Had A Gun” and “The Death Of You And Me” sitting comfortably next to any of Gallagher’s best songs from his tenure with Oasis. “He’s non-stop. You can’t imagine it,” Sardy says. “Guys will say, ‘Oh yeah, we had 45 songs to pick from.’ Noel really does, at all times, and usually new ones. And they’re at a high quality. Even if the song isn’t finished, or it’s kind of like an unfinished great idea, every demo will just sound hard to beat.” He continues, “Noel’s songs are to him like messages in a bottle and, from my perspective, he’s not always ready to send a message out. Sometimes he has songs written, but most of the songs on [High Flying Birds] I watched him write and rewrite.” Sardy says Gallagher’s process should be a model for any young songwriter. “Noel knows how to have a career,” he says. “He doesn’t warm up. He writes music. When you’re going to do a take with him, he sits down and starts writing, practicing, and working on the song for an hour and a half before he’s ready to run a take. It sounds ludicrously straightforward and simple, but I can’t tell you how many artists I’ve met, or people I’ve worked with, who don’t get that that is what you are supposed to do with your time. Work out some songs!”
Interview with Jeff Slate for Tidal, 6 March 2015.
