Dave McCabe, the frontman of The Zutons, has opened up about writing one of the biggest hits of the 2000s and overcoming his struggles with drugs and alcohol. The Liverpool band rose to fame during the 2000s, becoming one of the city's most beloved acts.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Growing up in Knowsley with limited opportunities, McCabe found solace in music. He quickly took an interest in bands like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Pantera to escape the boredom of school. McCabe, now 45, recalled: 'I didn't do very well in school because I've got the attention span of a toddler. I was just very excitable and other times not interested.' He changed schools frequently between ages seven and nine, eventually settling at Prescot, where he still got into trouble but avoided further moves. He criticized the education system, saying: 'When you send kids into a white room for five to six hours a day, it's a recipe for disaster.'
After leaving school, McCabe worked various jobs on industrial estates in Kirkby and Knowsley while studying at college. He realized his difficult personality suited music: 'I soon learned that I was quite hard work, and other musicians were as well. That's what led me back to music because it was good hard work and worth arguing about.'
The Turning Point
Despite his growing interest in music, McCabe never considered it a full-time career until a conversation with his friend Alex Dixon. 'I'd go watch bands every week at the Cavern, have a few ales, go home. Alex said, "If you don't start joining a band, you're never going to be up there doing it." It stuck with me.' He then joined several bands, eventually forming The Zutons at age 19 or 20. He praised his bandmates: 'Luckily, I met really good musicians in Sean Payne, Rus Pritchard, Boyan Chowdhury, and Abi Harding. I landed on my feet.'
The band was discovered by renowned record label boss Alan Wills, who had previously signed The Coral. Wills challenged McCabe to write 'singy songs' like The Beatles or Neil Young, warning: 'If you don't write some hits, you're getting dropped.' Three years after forming, The Zutons released their debut album Who Killed The Zutons?, which peaked at number six in the UK charts, featuring hits like 'Pressure Point' and 'You Will You Won't'.
The Story Behind 'Valerie'
Their most famous track, 'Valerie', came from their second album. McCabe recalled: 'We were messing around with the riff, and on the way home, I wrote it in the taxi. I got into my mum's house, ran upstairs, picked up the guitar, and wrote it in 10 minutes tops.' The song charted at number nine, but it was Amy Winehouse's cover a year later that turned it into a global hit. 'Amy Winehouse had a massive hit with it, and after what happened with her, that immortalised it,' McCabe said.
Struggles with Addiction and Recovery
After The Zutons split in 2009 following their third album, McCabe's life spiraled into heavy drug and alcohol use. However, he has since turned his life around. 'I haven't drunk for about five, nearly six years. If you don't drink, you generally don't do drugs. When you drink, it opens the floodgates. So I stopped drinking, and everything else stopped with it.' He credits his son, Louis, for his transformation: 'Having my son made me realise if I don't get my s**t together, I'm going to be a bad parent. And I'm not a bad parent; I'm a great parent.'
Reflecting on his journey, McCabe said: 'I wish I'd have gotten sober quicker. That is my one regret. God, I wasted a lot of time with that. But everything happens for a reason.'
