White Denim Interview 16/11/2008

I caught up with White Denim at the start of the British leg of their European Tour, at The Cluny!

Christian: So how did you guys first get together?

White Denim: Our old bands, Parque Touch (Josh, James and Lucas) and Peach Train (Steve) played together back in 2005 and Lucas got Steve in on bass. Then Lucas moved to Russia and we changed our name to White Denim.

Christian: Who would you cite as your main influences?

White Denim: We’re all really into Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix Experience, XTC, Stevie Wonder and all that kinda stuff.

Christian: If you could learn a new instrument for the next album what would it be?

White Denim: (James) I’ve always wanted to play tenor sax or maybe a sitar

Christian: When I caught you in Bristol you were so energetic, any secrets on this?

White Denim: Coffee’s a big thing for the band. I think maybe a lack of energy we have throughout the day in our tour contributes though. It’s only really those 40mins while we’re on stage that we really move. So it all kinda builds up throughout the day.

Christian: Any tips or advice for the students of Newcastle and Northumbria University?

White Denim: Just try to finish, because it gets tough. I don’t know I think going to class always helps, 3 years into university I figured that out.

Christian: Any wild stories you want to tell of previous experiences in the U.K?

White Denim: Chicken fights where Steve (bassist) lost his wallet, that was a big one. In Nottingham there was some nonchalant throwing up. In Glasgow actually one of us threw up in a box, only to find it had been taken a few hours later.

Christian: Next time you’re in the U.K are there any bands you aspire to tour with?

White Denim: There are a lot of great bands, a well established band like Stereolab would be good. Or Rob Wyatt would be cool to play with, if he’ll have us.

Christian: Which bands should be checking out at the moment then?

White Denim: Dirty Projectors are a great band. Harlem are another band, they’re from Austin and haven’t had too much exposure yet.

Christian: Complete the sentence, you should be in a band because….

White Denim: James: You learn a lot about yourself when trying to write music

Josh: It makes you better at maths

Steve: There aren't enough good bands out there, we need more.

Christian: Thanks for the chat White Denim

White Denim: Thanks alot.

Tourdates

I caught up with Jarrod from the up-and-coming London based music website to check out Tourdates’ benefits for us and how we can contribute all the way from Newcastle.

E: What were your motivations for starting the website?

J: We came up with the idea in 2001 from being frustrated musicians ourselves, and seeing how we and others had little chance of exposure when we were unknown. This was before blogs, of course.

E: So how does it work?

J: It’s like myspace, but without profiles of cats, dogs and pole dancers! It’s just all about the music.

E: What can we do on it?

J: As it works similarly to myspace, it’s like a music community for bands and listeners- bands can add their gig dates, mp3s and videos, and everyone can have their own music blog.

E: So… how does it differ from myspace?

J: We have transposed the form of the website into free zines in London called ‘London Tourdates’, of which 35,000 copies are distributed weekly. Although this is currently restricted to the capital, we are hoping to expand the magazines out of London in the future and get all our online content published. As well as this, the music plays continually when you are on the website, not breaking off when you are searching through the sites pages as on myspace.

E: Has it been successful so far?

J: Yes, 7000 unsigned bands are now featured from being online just seven months. The influences of the unsigned bands direct the users to artists with similar influences, so unsigned bands are made massively available to users. We have had 1.5 million visitors since the start.

E: What other features does the site have?

J: It has an Unsigned Chart [check out here!] which we are eager to expand awareness of. It is created genuinely, from plays and download numbers, instead of the commercial marketing of the real charts. Our RSS feed helps to expose this top 40 to as many people as possible, so real talent can be discovered from it.

E: What are your future plans?

To expand the website further afield, and also get more bloggers- anyone can sign up and if we like their writing they can be promoted to featured writers and get published in the magazines!

Kid Carpet

As an artist who comes from Bristol, us lot in Newcastle haven’t been exposed very much to the toy-instrument playing, sleeve-tattoo wearing Ed Patrick, or as better known as disguised in his acronym, Kid Carpet. I caught up with him post-US Election day to talk Daniel Johnston, Dan le Sac and the Europeon Song Contest.

E: How would you describe your sound, in a sentence?
KC: Disco-punk-standup-fall down-music. Casino keyboards, small battery operated lightweight devices...


E: Wow, why did you get started with playing these instruments?
KC: Simple enough reason really; so I don’t get a bad back! I can walk to a show, and there is no need to hire a van.

E: What about the sound they produce?
KC: Yeah- they work well, because I’m no maestro guitar player so it made it easier for me.

E: So with this sort of unique sound and bizarre use of instruments, it surely would hard to pin-point what your influences are…
KC: Well, not wanting a job and not wanting to be on the dole.

E: What about music wise?
KC: Ah music- The Kinks, Daniel Johnston… [An inspiring solo artist from America who has severe mental health problems]… I like the solo organ and singing, but I’m obviously not a manic depressive

E: Ever seen the elusive player himself?
KC: Yeah I saw him in London once, it was amazing! Me and my friends kept shouting out for him to play “Speeding Motorcycle” and he ignored us for a while, then shouted back [at this point he re-enacts Daniel’s emotion-ridden voice] “I don’t play speeding motorcycle anymore!”

E: On another note, you recently toured with Dan le Sac, how was that?
KC: Amazing, they were lovely people to hang out with and had perfect audiences for my style of performance- primed for spoken word and for partying. I’m prone to telling stories and babbling between songs, and because they were used to the spoken style of Dan le Sac it didn’t faze them in the slightest.

E: Ok, back to the gadgets, how do they work in live performance?
KC: Well I’m sometimes prone to knock things over and batteries will fall out, but I’m not a technical wizard so I can’t sort it out!

E: I heard a rumour that you applied to the Eurovision song contest last year, is this correct?
KC: Well I had a song I thought would win so I applied to Slovenia, Andorra, a couple of other places- they didn’t go for it.

E: Aw shame, did they even get back to you?
KC: Er, no!

E: That’s unfortunate! Just one final question- I hope you are considering coming to Newcastle again soon?
KC: Yeah, I hope so too! I will be touring again in late February, March.

If Kid Carpet is anything as good as he sounds, his performances will be incredible; so don’t miss him next time around!

Eliza Lomas

Florence and the Machine Interview

3.11.08 The Other Rooms

Louise Morris & Kate Edwards

L: How do you feel about becoming successful coincidently at the same time as other musicians from your school, Alleyns? (Jack Penate, The Maccabees)

F: Yeah loads of people from Alleyns have gone on to be really successful, I see Jack all the time.

L: They used to put up all the news releases about them on the school notice boards

F: No way, that’s weird

L: Your lyrics are quite dark and interesting and I wondered where you got the inspiration for them from?

F: Like nightmares and fairytales and having a bit of a twisted imagination. Like a lot of the time I can’t sleep and nightmares keep me awake.

L: Did you have an imaginary friend or anything like that?

F: I actually had a seagull

L: What was its’ name?

F: It didn’t really have a name it just attacked people in my class that I didn’t like...but I didn’t have an imaginary friend. I had lots of imaginary games that go on every day like, when you like have all these magical powers and you’d end up laying on a trampoline and one of those powers would be flying, but then you go down again then up again and down again really quickly, so you’d be flying.

L: Your song Donkey has an odd sense of ancient folk tales and morality stories: Do you ever read folkloric tales to inspire you?

F: Grimm’s fairytales always really affected me as a kid um, like fairytales always have really...even The Little Mermaid; the original is really

L: horrible

F: Yeah really horrible she dies and becomes...

L: Sea foam

F: That’s it she’s sea foam! She’s so heartbroken she just...expires and dissolves. I think a lot of fairytales have a much darker reading. I mean think about Bambi, Jesus Christ, [getting more animated] like wasn’t that one of the first Disney films ever made and the mother shot, brutally...

L: quite traumatising

F: And you know the Lion King, Mufassa...I mean I saw that in America when I was quite a bit younger and I remember having to be taken out of the cinema crying. Death and retribution in Disney films

K: Those feelings like that almost make you want to recreate them...

L: Twisted fairytales

F: Yeah, I guess so [more pensively] just I think its a way of explaining what’s going on internally in a visual way, it’s like taking it all and making it into a fantasy world which makes it a bit easier to handle.

L: You did a cover of Cold War Kids and I was wondering what is your favourite cover done by a band?

F: I think... [mutters] what’s my favourite cover?..Oh, I think Fucked Up did a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone and [starts death metal-esque screaming] SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GOOONE!

L: If you could have a gig absolutely anywhere, with no limitations, where would you have it?

F: I’d just like to do it in a gigantic cathedral, I think that would be amazing, or in a big cave, one of those huge caves with loads of stalactites and stalagmites, and there’d be loads of candles everywhere and lights and stuff, so it would be like when people have those weird ceremonies in caves, like..Uh in Mexico when they bring all those people into caves and have weird rituals and ceremonies and decorate them and shit...

K: So it’s more like an experience?

F: Yeah, yeah... [drifts off into thought]

L: Like Union chapel in London

F: Yeah, actually I’m doing a gig there soon

L: I went to a gig there recently and they had an interval when you could get cakes

F: Cakes...yeah, we don’t give people food.

L: Would you like to make gigs a little more retro with extras?

F: I don’t want to give people food. I don’t think that’s good, I wanna make people sick.

L: So, living in London do you find that there’s a real community of singer/songwriters around you?

F: Everyone knows each other, it gets confusing..It’s like a bit doo der doo der der, sometimes you have to step out of it, it can get a bit..Like if you’re doing a festival season and you see everyone back stage and you’re all like “Hey, hey” but no one can really remember each others’ names...well me.

L: What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done in that situation?

F: ooh, just really me not remembering people’s names. There was a rumour going round, it was a rumour, that I couldn’t remember one of the girls from Ipso Facto’s names so I cried!

L: Oh!

F: Well it was, I didn’t cry...i think i did get really embarrassed...it’s cos i’ve met her four times [whispers] fucking hell. I felt so bad, but I didn’t cry [laughing]. ..And they all look exactly the same.

L: I’ve noticed you’re a big fan of dressing up and costumes...

F: Yeah I like dressing up

L: What have you dressed up as recently?

F: Oh God I was dressed up as a sort of gypsy sea monster...but I don’t really choose something to dress up as, it just sort of, things come and I wear them and it sort of creates an outfit [now speaking in a deliberately posh accent] of its’ own accord.

L: What did you wear for Hallowe’en?

F: I went in a clown suit, unsurprisingly, yeah. But it was because I’d been wearing it all day and I had to go to a party so just went as I was.

L: Are you nervous at all, as this is your first headline tour?

F: I was really nervous when I came on tour but it’s kind of been getting easier, I think you just learn to become a bit desensitised. Its’ really cool though, I’ve enjoyed it.

L: And you like to provoke a strong reaction from your audience?

F: Yeah, it was really great yesterday.

L: I saw you at the Shoreditch music festival...and I was the girl who passed out in the front row...so you did provoke quite a strong reaction!

F: Oh no, I’m so sorry

L: Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault, it was just really hot that day and I just conked my chin on the bar and fainted into the crowd

F: That’s proper rock’n’roll. Were you carried out?

L: I was caught luckily! So that kind of winds this up, apart from; what are your influences?

F: Disney films: The death of Simba’s father in The Lion King. It was nice to meet you again.

L: You too, good luck with the gig!

Reemer Interview – Newcastle Metro Arena. Saturday 8 November

If gongs were handed out for enthusiasm, then Reemer at the start of their first major tour would win easily. I caught up with the band at the Metro Arena before the second night of the tour with McFly.

Bassists Max, drummer Dan, guitarist Nick and singer Dave are holed up in their dressing room doing rounds of press interviews, however spirits are high. The band’s ringleaders Nick and Dave explain that there is great buzz about the tour and it is an “amazing experience” even though it is only the second night. Max is the listener of the group- gauging the conversation and then weighing in with a crafty comment or funny line. Dan on the other hand is the nub of the jokes- he said so himself. On being asked who the worst dresser is the band agrees than Dan is the answer. Dan amusingly agrees promoting Nick call him a hero and then sadly admit he is the least hygienic of the group. The band continue in this fashion throughout the interview, regaling stories about Nick being willingly tied to tree for an hour by the others or that he also owns a lovely pair of mousse slippers (which I had taken from the tour bus and presented to him) . This openness between the member rubs of on everyone around- nevertheless, as a band they are together, focused on their goal of being bigger than Busted.

There is a great unity between them stemming from their time at school together. However, the band only formed four years ago, along the way there have been fights with the band admitting “this is the first time they’ve seen” each other since the previous night- with tongue firmly in check.

Manchester is home for the band is big influence on where they are coming from. They are fans of the Manchester music scene especially the Ting Tings. For them they what they aspire to be- “alternative poppy vibes” which is “accessible”. Nick explains “its good healthy competition” and “you can’t helped but be inspired” by what is happening in Manchester and across in Liverpool. Quizzed whether they could beat The Wombats in a fight, the band come over all timid saying they are “soft” and The Wombats would win. When asked about the sports scene in Manchester, Max slinks off- Nick wades in with “Jean Claude Van Damme’s is your (Max’s) biggest sporting hero and acting hero” to much laughter. Although playing Newcastle this evening, the gig in Manchester is the big one for them- the sense of expectation is massive even though the gig is not for a few weeks.

Despite it only being the second night of the tour, the band has found McFly to be “horrid” which is quickly retracted and that actually they are “one big family”. Nick quips that “it’s only the second date, they’ve got be nice”. Sadly because it only the second night they have not got any dirty on the McFly boys, however they said they “would come back” to us when they tour next February. As the conversation continues, we hear the sound of girls screaming as the McFly tour bus arrives. They all admit they want the success although they want the girls behind the fence or iron gates- yet more of Reemer’s humour and general japery roars around the room.
Tea drinking is name of the game for Reemer along with bisect eating and frazzles crisps. There are no airs and graces, just four lads at the start of a magical mystery tour into showbiz, girls and music.

George McSorley 

Black Daniel Interview

On November 1st 2008 Solveig of NSR had the chance to interview Black Daniel when they played at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.

Black Daniel Interview - NSR by Solveig

Peter Brewis Interview

Ben Lowes-Smith speaks to ex-Field Music main man Peter Brewis about his ambitious new noir-pop album, ‘The Week That Was’


Q: Peter, I understand that you subjected yourself to some rather unorthodox conditions when writing the album...
A: Ah, that press release...I wish I’d never written it in a way. I think it blows things out of proportion to catch your attention. There was nothing that romantic about it. The thing is, I never owned a television anyway, and basically, I just shut myself in the house for a week to write it. A week in my dressing gown at the piano...and that was ‘The Week That Was’, if you like.


Q: I feel the lyrics on the record are a little misanthropic , particularly in regard to modern life, do you think the process of shutting yourself away for a while influenced that aspect?
A: I know what you mean, to an extent, but it was never really my intention to complain about modern life or technology or anything. I’m not very cool or clued up on technology, I probably don’t know as much about politics as I should...but the stuff that seeps through that I register on my radar I find....fascinating.


Q: All of the records post Field Music’s hiatus are coming out unser the ‘Field Music Production’ moniker...
A: Ha, yeah...that’s quite pretentious really isn’t it? We stole the idea from heaven 17. When Field Music went on hiatus, it wasn’t that we were bored of Field Music as such..not at all..I think we were bored of the idea of being an ‘indie band’. You see so many bands get trapped into the process of writing and touring, and gradually wallowing in mediocrity. I never wanted that to happen to Field Music, so it was a process of breathing new life into it.

General Fiasco Interview

On the 23rd of October Solveig interviewed General Fiasco for NSR

General Fiasco Interview - NSR by Solveig

Read Solveig's gig review here.

Natty Interview

On October 19th 2008 Christina and Alec had the chance to interview Natty for NSR when he was in town. Click here to download or listen to the podcast. 

Read Alec's gig review here.

Interview with Post War Years

Christian: How did you guys get together?
PWY: We’re all Lemington Lad’s originally; we all went to different schools but it’s a place where you end up knowing everyone. That’s why we moved to London in the end.

Christian: So did you feel you had to leave the shackles of Lemington Spa?
PWY: It was really just a change of scene. After Uni we all just reconvened there and decided to move down to London because of the chance for more gigs and more expensive rent.

Christian: Your name conjures up dreams of a world with no war, were there any other names suggested?
PWY: One of us was obsessed with being called Post War Cartel and Post War Heroes was another name being thrown about but we ended up settling on Post War Years. There aren’t many Years bands but it does cause some confusion, we’ve been billed as Cold Year Kids before!

Christian: If you had to give a piece of advice for Newcastle University students what would it be?
PWY: Get a Cluny burger! And drink before you go out, but responsibly of course.

Christian: What would you suggest students listen to at the moment?
PWY: Late of the Pier are a cracking live band, Gold heart assembly, We Have Band and Wave Machines!

Christian: How has the tour gone so far, any late night shenanigans?
PWY: In Nottingham we ended up spending the night with Late of the Pier and there techie in their mansion of a house.

Christian: When can we expect to hear an album?
PWY: Yes, next year seems to be the date, but of course that requires us writing the album first and then recording and then everyone agreeing on every feature of it.

Christian: If you weren’t in a band what would you be doing?
PWY: We’d probably be a lot happier. Perhaps living in a place like Barcelona owning a small bar sounds a nice idea.

Christian: How did you think the gig went tonight then?
PWY: It’s difficult to tell being the first band on but it seems a good crowd tonight and the Cluny is a great little venue.

Interview by Christian Allen

Hot Club de Paris Interview

On October 15th 2008 Hannah and Izaac had the chance to interview Hot Club de Paris for NSR. To download or listen to the podcast click here.

Read Izaac's gig review here.

The Automatic Interview

On the 1st of October Solveig had the chance to interview the Automatic for NSR

The Automatic Interview - NSR by Solveig

Read Solveig's gig review here.

The Hoosiers Interview

The Hoosiers are not a normal band. Their rider consists of hummus, nuts and raisins, fruits, red peppers, pitta bread and water. The customary bottle of Jack Daniels stands to the right, but as far as I can tell, it’s untouched. Upon commenting on the randomness of the spread before us, we receive the reply that touring for weeks and eating rubbish makes them fat - so now they ask for the healthy stuff.

Introducing themselves are Irwin (vocals and guitar), Martin (bass, guitar and more instruments than you could fit on a page: ‘Grade 8!’) and Alphonso (drums). The band are chatty and in a great mood; maybe something to do with the break that have just had prior to playing this gig in Newcastle - they did the festival season in Belgium.

As we entered their dressing room, we noticed lots of furry amps on the stage. What’s with those, anyway? They decided that lots of bands had big amps on stage, and decided to dress theirs up. The furry ones are Yetis, and now they have a robot They’re getting a bit bored of the Yetis now, though, and want to change the general theme.

The next thing we do is enquire into the origin of the name ‘Hoosiers’ (and who doesn’t, apparently). At first Alphonso is indignant, claiming that we should have done our research (the reason is on their MySpace). After a brief pause, they decided to explain anyway! Some of the band spent time in Indiana, which is known as ‘The Hoosier State’. The band then go on to say at least they weren’t in ‘The Wanker State’, but choose not to elaborate, and we don’t ask (some things are better unsaid).

In keeping with the Freshers’ Week theme, we asked them to talk a bit about uni and their own Fresher’s experiences. Well, Martin didn’t go, Irwin did Performing Arts and Alphonso did Creative Writing. According to Irwin, if you remember your Freshers’ Week, you probably weren’t there. This may be because he missed his, as some of the band were still in America, and he only arrived as lectures were starting ‘after a change of heart. We decided to go back England and not spend another 3 years in the States’. So maybe his statement was more to do with absence than drunkenness (but he had a point)!

We then ask the band to tell us something they have never said in an interview before. This usually produces amusing/interesting results, but the exchange below was one of my favourites.......

NSR: Tell us something you have never said in an interview before.
Irwin: CUNT! I’ve never said ‘cunt’ in an interview before!
NSR: Doesn’t he normally swear?
Band: Not normally
(pause)
Band: Oh.... the Hoosiers aren’t touring. We never say that.
Irwin: I’m sorry for swearing... in front of girls as well!
Band: The Hoosiers are shit!

Even if the only thing you have heard about the Hoosiers is this interview, it’s fairly easy to tell that they have a good sense of humour; their blog is fun to read, and Irwin appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks a while back. So what we wanted to know was: how does this humour relate to, and influence, the songs? Irwin explained that whilst they take their music seriously, and their lyrics try to include themes that are important to them, they don’t particularly take themselves seriously. They know they are ‘pop music’, but in doing this, you can also make real music. Some of their songs have ‘misogynistic lyrics’, and they laughed as they said that a few would never get played on the radio (as opposed to Goodbye Mr. A, or Worried about Ray, I guess!).

In addition to this, they state films & books as their influences, as opposed to ‘one band’, or just a couple of things. For life, Irwin says that Alexander Bell is his hero, as he invented the telephone. ‘A telly and a phone all in one! Where would be without it!’. They would love to support The Flaming Lips!

Their tour manager comes in, apologising that they have to go to a different interview now. I ask if there is anything else they would like to say? We have to all go to the gig they are playing in November. They know where we live, and will find us... Also: ‘Stay in school!’

The Hoosiers: Gentlemen, intelligent, talented and amusing. Not entirely un-insane. What more can you want from a band?

Katie Ashworth
Solveig J. Werner
Kate Edwards

Interview with Blaine Harrison of Mystery Jets 19/04/08

Blaine,could you give us some insight into how working with a different producer,, Erol Alkan, shaped the new record? How did it compare to working with James Ford? (Ford produced Mystery Jets debut, ‘Making Dens’)
Hmm..well I wouldn’t say one was for the better or worse. The thing about working with young, inexperienced producers is that they’re seemingly bursting with ideas; it feels like they’re doing an apprenticeship. It was Erol’s first record, and so his enthusiasm was really tangible. And when we worked with James, it was only the second record he’d produced.

Listening to your new record, 21, it’s seems a bit more disenchanted than the first....
Disenchanted? 

Hmm... I don’t know. I think the songs on this record seem a bit younger and simpler; poppier. I mean, it wasn’t like it was a considered as thinking, ‘right, lets sit down and write a pop record’, much more natural than that, the songs just come from a simpler place. I think we wanted to make a more chizzled, concise record.

Yeah, that’s true but lyrically, for me it seems a little more world weary...
Yeah, I understand what you mean. Henry (Blaine’s dad who was playing and touring with the band, but has taken more of a backseat for this album) wrote a lot of lyrics for it (the first record). We couldn’t write what we’re writing now because...because we’d never really had girlfriends, really. These songs are about falling in love for the first time and having your heartbroken..about growing up, really.

It’s a really beautiful record in that respect. There’s not a lot of age difference between us, so I can really empathise with the concerns.
Yeah, thanks, that’s nice to hear. Success for me isn’t how many records you sell or whatever, it’s about how you effect people. I think that’s why i really love The Smiths...you know their ability to translate quite dark human experience into pop music.

I’m sorry if I’m barking up the wrong tree, but the way you can turn a phrase..there seems to be quite a literary influence...
(Timid laughter) Well, I don’t really read all that much. I know Will (guitarist, lyrical contributor) reads quite a lot. But inspiration for me comes from life and personal experience.

I think what made you stand out from other guitar bands in the emergence in ‘04/’05 was that you sort of wore your rather diverse, obscure influences on your sleeves, in a way sort of ‘created your own universe’...
Yeah, I suppose we’ve never truly felt part of a scene, but then we’ve never purposefully attempted to marginalise ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are some great British guitar bands, we’ve toured with Arctic Monkeys and The Futureheads and I love them. But the idea of trying to emulate those kinds of bands just seems...pointless. Inevitably, what we do is a musical response. We grew up listening to Genesis, ELO, King Crimson...what we do is just a response to what we grew up listening to...

What are you listening to at the moment?
There ‘s a lot of exciting stuff coming out of America at the moment..sort of particularly New York, Brooklyn, specifically. Bands that don’t seem to be making a concerted effort to infiltrate the charts, just doing what comes naturally. I really love Yeasayer, The Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, stuff like that.

Something a bit more frivolous now, What is the first record you ever bought?
The first single...Don’t Speak by No Doubt. What a song! I bought it on cassette. My sister and I split the price, she ended up keeping it, though! Album... I bought the Eagle Eye Cherry album and an Ace of Base albums on the same day. I can’t remember the names, sorry, I think it will have been about ’96, ’97... (giggles) I’m sorry they aren’t more tasteful!

That’s all right, I remember the first record I bought was that ‘Boom Boom Shake The Room’ thing in about ’96-’97...
Oh, yeah, I remember that! Tune!

You’re playing much smaller venues than I expected you would be on this tour.
Yeah, we had our initial concerns...but it’s nice to play to a group of diehards. I mean, when you play 1500-2000 capacity venues, some of those people might have just hear ‘Young Love’ or something on the radio, and thought ‘Yeah, I like that, I’ll go and see them’. Which is fine, of course, but there’s just something about knowing a group of people in an intimate venue of people will be singing along with every word to the new songs and the old ones....

What about festivals this summer?
We’re doing Reading, Bestival, Glastonbury, Fuji Rock, Summer Sundae, T...but i don’t think that’s quite confirmed yet. Maybe some in Europe

Wow! That’s a busy summer!
Yeah, there’s one weekend we’re playing four festivals!

I read a really charming story about your dad showing you a magazine with Supergrass on the cover, telling you it was evil.
(Laughter) He did, yeah. I suppose when you’re growing up, you’ve got someone who you think is the coolest person in the world, and for me that was my dad. Whatever he said was word, and If he said Supergrass were evil...they were evil. My father’s record collection was just really formative for me. I did buy ‘I Should Coco’ (Supergrass’ debut album) later on though, It’s a brilliant album.

Blaine, thank you very much!
Thank you!

Ben Lowes-Smith

Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong Interview 03/02/08

So I meet guitarist Tom Dougall down at Newcastle Carling Academy ahead of a mega night of this mammoth tour, the NME Shockwaves tour that is...

So how is it going so far?
It’s only just started, we’ve been to Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow and it gets better each time. You get more confident as it goes along, I think that’s the case with all bands on tour.

And everyone gets on really well?
Yeah, it’s good ‘coz all the bands’ music is really different but we all get along great.

Any sneaky antics backstage?
No, we’re not very rock and roll.

So, you have a Panda in the band (the bassist) and Bummer Jong (the drummer), what’s with the dodgy names?
Well our bassist resembles a Panda, that sounds harsh, but he does! Bummer was always called that, just one of those things.

And the band name?
I don’t even know where it came from; it just sounds like a fun name. It’s better than being called The Shins or something!

So Joe Lean was in The Pipettes?
Yeah but he left, my sister was in the band too but she’s left now!

Why’s everyone leaving The Pipettes?!
I don’t know! They both just wanted to do their own thing, Joe Lean does this and my sister writes and records songs too.

You have quite the musical family?
Yeah actually, my dad’s a musician so we just kind of did the same.

The band are based in London, do you have a big following there?
I’m from Brighton but yes the band is based in London, there’s a lot more going on there. We don’t really have a big London following though. We haven’t done that many shows there, we play more up North! It seems in London and Brighton people are more cynical whereas up North people just want to have fun, I seem get on with Northerners more! We got put on tours quite quickly, they’re great for seeing new places, we’ve been to Paris too, and are heading to the US for SXSW.

How would you describe Joe Lean and the JJJs musically?
Difficult question! I guess it’s on the boundaries of what you’d call indie pop but we’re trying to push it as far as we can. Sort of new-edgy. I think we’re getting better and more unique as we go along, I don’t think we’ve achieved our full potential yet. We’ve recorded our album and it’s a really good pop record, but the stuff we’ve been writing recently is quite different. The album is great because it captured us at a band when we were in those early stages, like a snap shot. B-sides are a really good way to keep getting new stuff out there as well as that.

And how would you describe yourselves as a live act?
I think that’s where we come into our own, it’s really exciting, and obviously the more we play the better we get.

Do you prefer playing the bigger venues or the smaller ones?
We played a headline tour and played some pubs. Sometimes the crowd can be shit at a big venue; at smaller ones you can tell when they’re having a good time and when we sound good too.

Festivals this year?
All of them! I don’t know, no one tells me till a few days before...

You’ve not been together for long and have become popular quite quickly, do you think the internet has helped?
We’ve been together only just over a year. It’s really strange how it’s happened, we’re just lucky. Obviously the internet helps, but every band has a myspace page now. It’s a combination of everything.

Could you see yourself doing anything else?
No I’m useless! This is great ‘coz everything gets sorted out for you and I get to play guitar, it’s the only skill I have!

Joe Lean appeared in Peep Show?
Yeah, he doesn’t see himself as an actor though; I think he did it for the money. It’s quite boring waiting around on a set, even for music videos.

How do you all know each other?
Mostly from college and hanging out. We just started playing guitar together, and Joe used to go out with my sister.

Finally, hopes for 2008?
Just to carry on, the album comes out in May, I really like it. Loads more shows to play, new music coming out all the time and promising things to come, so I hope it works out!

Marzena Dabrowska

Interview with People of Santiago

On the 16th of January 2008 Newcastle Student Radio had the pleasure of interviewing the local band People of Santiago. The atmosphere of the interview was pleasant, held in the café part of the Cluny. The interview was not static it seemed like we had a good question round in between friends.

How long have you been together as a band?
Andy: We have been making music together for two and a half years but only about one in the current lineup.
Sparky: We tied out some people, sacked them…

So you give them a trial time like in football?
Sparky: They don’t fit in you got to put them in the outside team, so yes like football.

On the topic of football, do you do any sports?
Andy: I play some football.
Sparky: I try to run. I am good at the Sauna.

Is that a sport?
Sparky: It gives you a good sweat

What’s your favorite food?
Phil: Pizza
Sparky: Family size of Galaxy
Phil: Doesn’t that make you sick?
Sparky: I like it when it melts
Andy: I like all food

Matt joining us a bit late
Matt: I’m Matt from people of Santiago, I had to do my hair!

Is that why you are late for my interview?
Matt: I had champagne


What’s your favorite band?
Phil: Simply red
Sparky: Just like songs

What’s your favorite song then?
Sparky: At the moment? Velvet underground
Matt: I really don’t know
Sparky: I think he likes the Sugarbabes and Sugarcubes

Do you like Joy Division?
Andy: Yes I like Joy Division.
Matt: slipknot
Sparky: I like the Cure, a bit of Depeche Mode, a little bit of Kraftwerk.
Andy: We like a spectrum of music.
Matt: We all like different things.
Sparky: I like TV.

What are your favorite TV series?
Matt: I like friends
Sparky: Scrubs
Matt: Shooting stars, it’s back on

Sparky: Do you watch films?
Yes Kevin Smith films
Matt: Oh he is great! There is a new one coming out isn’t there?
Sparky: I prefer films to music but well I play the guitar

Would you rather act than be in a band? (To Sparky)
Sparky: Yes if I could do it

(...)
Sparky: I like the John Copland film, Halloween the thing
80s horror movies
Andy: that’s where we steal our tunes

You steal your tunes from films?
Sparky: They are forgotten movies

So, your music is it influenced by films?
Andy: All music is to be fair I think
Matt: Except for McFly
Sparky: We just strip down film soundtracks

If you were pork what would you like to be worked into?
Andy: I’d be bacon
Andy: We are all vegetarians and we all like the environment

Where would you go if you could have a concert anywhere in the world?
Sparky: America and Japan … Each band member in a different state
Matt: No point in going to France, or to Germany, Germans like Hasselhoff too much.
Sparky: I think we would do well in Germany
Matt: We had a number one in Czech republic
Sparky: I’d play Australia, Steve Irving Memorial concert or something

After the interview we went into the venue and tried hard to sell some merchandise, by the end of the night we managed to sell a couple of singles, they also managed to get me drunk. The fact that I was drunk makes it rather hard to recall the entire gig. I have no real memory of the opening bands. What I do remember is that People of Santiago put on a really good set, paying the deeds to their electro rock forefathers Dave Gahan, Robert Smith and Ian Curtis amongst others. They are definitely a band worth seeing play live.

Solveig Werner