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So basically you can be yourself in Sheffield and there's that unspoken understanding...

Well to be honest, which I often am to my own cost, but I nearly lost myself totally from touring, too much drinking and partying all the time, I really lost the plot.

When I finished that tour of America in '97 I was like a gibbering idiot, and then two days later Cocker [Jarvis] rings me up and asks me to go around the world... six years later I was still with them but working with them [Pulp] kinda saved me really.

I guess it's Pulp who you came to prominence with - what was the transition like from playing huge venues, headlining Glastonbury to then stepping out on your own?

I kinda forced myself to do it, I was offered the tour with Charles Black and I was already leaning towards a lot of this mellow stuff. So I thought 'that's an insane idea, I'll do it' and I played on my own with just a guitar to all these crazed surf kids that were into hardcore, punk and all that and that was really nerve wracking.

But I've always done that, put myself under pressure to do things because if you don't do that in life you can become really lazy and soon drift out of connecting with being creative being relevant as well.

I've noticed your voice has changed, more of a Barry White, Johnny Cash sound - has that changed the way you write?

Well I stopped singing for years, I did a little bit of backing vocals with most artists I worked with 'cause they knew I could sing, but I never really used my voice ever, It didn't really get flexed for well over a decade.

I'd sing at home and I've always written songs since a kid, but because my voice sounds the way it does I thought people would laugh their heads off - eventually I got to the point where I could hold off no longer, I'd got a lot of encouragement from people around me saying I should do it.

My ego's not that big and lead singers I'd worked with, with the exception of Jarvis had been a right set of... whatever, and I never wanted to be like that, I just wanted to be one of the lads and get on with people.

I'd always mind my p's and q's and say thanks to people that did stuff for you. And whenever I go back to venues now they always remember you and I don't do it for that reason, I do it 'cause that was the way I was brought up and I hate rude people, they drive me mental. I'd hate people to think I'm a horrible person, I couldn't sleep at night, It'd upset me.

Hawley constantly challenges himself

You've worked on a lot of projects for other people, where do you find the time to produce for other people?

Well, I have to split myself in half [laughs] it's increasingly difficult for me to do side projects 'cause the focus is on my own solo music now.

I worked with Jarvis on the Relaxed Muscle thing, produced Nancy Sinatra, A Girl Called Eddie and obviously Hoggboy and various other bits and bobs. I think I'll get around to it again.

How did a bloke from Sheffield end up working with These Boots Were Made For Walking? [Nancy Sinatra]

Mm, well I don't know how exactly it happened but I know that Jarvis was either asked or he said 'I've written some songs for Nancy', and basically he asked me to go over and work with Nancy.

But funnily enough I'd already worked on one of the tracks off the album... I played guitar and harmonica on one of the tracks unbeknown to Nancy - and then me and Jarvis flew over to New York to work with Nancy and it was one of the best experiences of my life - it was fantastic, she could have come from Sheffield, she's like my big sister, she's great, I've got a lovely story about her...

It was close to Christmas time and couldn't get a lift to the airport for love nor money, Nancy gave me a lift in a big black limo - after about a month of being back we got this massive package, it was about a five foot rectangular box and inside were these hat boxes, and when you put them all together and it made a snowman that her and her daughter had made for the kids and we still have Nancy's snowman next to the tree each year.

So what's it like playing to a home crowd?

Well my fans are pretty hardcore, you do get a lot of people with crossed arms saying 'go on then, impress us' which I don't mind really, they're not going to clap any old trash so it's a challenge.

I supported REM at the Arena and was more than honoured to play with them, they were fantastic people as well. They bought me this bottle of wine that you're supposed to stick down, and I've never had one of them in my life and they cost a fortune. I left it in the dressing room and all the lads supped it! [laughs]

So you've not got a cellar at home full of wine then?

I've got a cellar, it's got a fridge in it and old bike parts!