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