Myles Kennedy contains multitudes. Between his myriad projects – including Alter Bridge, Slash Feat. The Conspirators and a solo career – he also has time to be one of rock’s nicest men and nurse a passion for British TV.
So, when the polymath recently flew into London as part of his Art Of Letting Go solo tour, Metal Hammer’s Liz Scarlett sat him down and indulged his passion for what’s been beamed over Blighty’s airwaves. From Doctor Who to Escape To The Country, prepare for a lovely stroll through programmes from the eastern side of the pond, guided by an American rock star.
Doctor Who (1963–)
“My first memory of UK television was Doctor Who as a child. They would show it on our Public Broadcasting System and the most compelling thing about it was the intro. The soundtrack was awesome! It was this futuristic thing with the keyboards and the synthesisers, which was kinda groundbreaking really, when it first came about. Mad props to whoever composed that soundtrack.” [The original theme song was written by Ron Grainer and performed by Delia Derbyshire. Geniuses both. –sci-fi geekery ed.]
Black Mirror (2011–)
“It just has very groundbreaking themes. It’s all over the map, obviously, but they’re always something special. One of my favourite episodes is Fifteen Million Merits, when they’re riding the stationary bikes. It’s been a while since I watched that particular episode but it left a lasting impression.”
A Place In The Sun (2000–)
“Very comforting. Both Selena, my wife, and I – when we come over here – there’s something about A Place In The Sun that makes it easy to power down. Just watch and relax.”
Escape To The Country (2002–)
“Escape To The Country, it’s the same exact thing. It’s genius! We come to London and Manchester and the major cities all the time, but going out and seeing how beautiful it is out there [in the UK countryside], it’s so idyllic.”
Grand Designs (1999–)
“[Presenter] Kevin McCloud is incredible. I love his commentary, so much insight. I’m kind of an architecture nerd and I think what’s fascinating is when you see these people who have these dreams – some of these episodes, they’re shooting for the moon and they may not have the things they need, but they still have that perseverance to see it through. To me, it’s inspiring. It highlights the human spirit and what you can really do when you want to achieve something.”
Myles’ new solo album The Art Of Letting Go is out now. Watch our full video interview with him below.
