SINGING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES.
Faced with a load of boring questions, most bands would probably scream: ‘Let the music do the talking.’ So this month we thought we’d try just that.
Instead of a tired journo reeling off the same stale pap, we’ve taken the six notes that make up many a great guitar riff and used them to give some of the hottest up-and-coming bands a voice. Each note – E, A, D, G, B, E – represents a question and allows each act to have their views and opinions heard by the people that matter most, the fans.
What did this month’s groups think of our new material? Find out below:
3RD DEC
Whisky Works
Ethos of your music?
Currently unsigned and do everything ourselves. A lot of our collective influences share a similar ethos such as: Fugazi, Husker Du and more currently the Big Scary Monsters record label.
I think with the current state of the music industry, it's getting more and more important for bands to be self sufficient and self aware. Although the record industry may be in decline, there are better opportunities for bands at our level to do things by ourselves and the way we want to.
That's not to say we are immune to help! If the right people came along and cared about our sound, we are all ears! We pride ourselves on our live performance, if we don't come off completely shattered and covered in sweat then we haven't done it right.
Ambitions for 2010?
Too tour…Lot's. To let as many people as possible hear our Mini Album which is released officially next year. We are also planning a single/video launch early next year. Around summertime we will be starting to think about our first full length record too, really busy!
Do’s and don’ts of touring?
Do bring multiple changes of clothes! Tour with lovely, honest people! Plan everything way in advance! Keep clean and resist the temptation to have fast food every day! Be careful in Dundee.
Don't tour in a Ford Focus. Have four guitars across everyone's lap in the backseat. Play with promoters you don't trust. Join a random band line up.
Greatest band playing today? & why?
Most of our favourite bands have split up. Couldn't possibly name the greatest as that's an impossible question. My personal favourite at the moment has to be The Fall Of Troy but collectively we all adore At The Drive In!
Biggest tune? & why?
'Pattern Against User' is vintage At The Drive In. Its so full of energy! Alternatively, our own biggest tune has to be 'Electric' as huge is the only word you could use to describe the chorus!
Songs of the last 20 years you just can't ignore though, include 'Just Like Heaven' by The Cure, one of the greatest love songs ever written. Our drummer would have you believe it is 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper but he is wrong….
Eurythmics or Human league or neither – if neither, why?
Eurythmics every time. I don't feel guilty about having 'Thorn In My Side' on my I Tunes playlist!
3RD DEC
Trapped in Kansas
Ethos of your music?
We try to write songs that will engage the listener, challenge their perception of music by offering jazzy time-signatures and tempo changes, as well as interesting guitar work, whilst making sure they can still sing along! We really just try to challenge ourselves most of the time though, just to try and keep things interesting!
Ambitions for 2010?
Do as well as we did in '09! Try and get round the festivals we missed like Wickerman, Belladrum etc. We definitely aim to get a proper physical release out sometime early next year too!
Do’s and don’ts of touring?
From experience…
DO: sort out accommodation (car boots aren't comfy) Overestimate how much money you'll spend, you'll still exceed expectations through the blissful medium of fast food.
DON'T: Steal things from your drummer Stay in university halls and expect to leave with everything intact. i.e eyebrows, limbs etc.
Greatest band playing today? & why?
For me it has to be either Frightened Rabbit or Biffy Clyro! I really feel, in both cases, that everything they do is incredible, they both gig frequently and are both constantly releasing, which keeps me happy! Thye music is easy to relate to for me too, as being a fellow Scot makes it easy to identify both bands' authenticity, which is really important. If a Scottish band sing in American accents it isn't authentic and vice versa, it's just good that the accent is coming through more and more these days and both Frabbit and Biffy seem to be leading the way!
Biggest tune? & why?
I would say our biggest tune is Tower Block. It hasn't been recorded as of yet but it has such a catchy chorus that everytime we play it, people are always singing it hours later. When it does finally get recorded, I really think it will be huge for us!
Eurythmics or Human league or neither – if neither, why?
I am going to say neither, for the sole reason that they're both pretty dated now and innovation is key to good new music!
The Mill Edinburgh
10TH DEC
Homework
Ethos of your music?
To make something memorable, inventive and original and to carry on the making albums. Not just releasing MP3s. If people leave your gig and have at least one of your tunes stuck in their head you know that tunes a keeper.
Ambitions for 2010?
We have just finished writing the album so the first half of the year will be spent getting it all recorded and the second half promoting its release. A manager and a label interested in releasing the album would also be high on the list.
Do’s and don’ts of touring?
Do play outside of the normal circuit; Do get everyone’s email address; Do try and get paid for your gigs; Do it with another band; Do take photos
Don’t share certain photos
Greatest band playing today? & why?
The Flaming Lips – Because they do what they want. Amazing live show. Inventive production.
Daft Punk – Peerless, well maybe apart from Chemical Brothers.
Wilco – Have you heard A Ghost is Born?
Radiohead – Everybody says Radiohead and In Rainbows just blew everything else out of the water when it came out.
Biggest tune? & why?
Changes from week to week, month to month, year to year.
Eurythmics or Human league or neither – if neither, why?
Take Depeche Mode, Gary Numan and Kraftwerk before either of them. They were always on the darker side of the synth.
10TH DEC
Kid Canaveral
Ethos of your music?
We want people to have fun and dance like idiots. We're anti the Mayor in Footloose. Go Kevin Bacon.
Ambitions for 2010?
Release our album. Tour our album. Let as many people as possible hear our album. Choose Life.
Do’s and don’ts of touring?
Do eat plenty of fruit and vegetables when the opportunity presents itself. Service station's breakfasts will shorten your life expectancy. Shower whenever possible.
Greatest band playing today? & why?
Spinal Tap. There is no why.
Biggest tune? & why?
At the moment we are all loving Brow Beaten by the "mysterious and elusive" Silver Columns. It's a real floor filler.
Eurythmics or Human league or neither – if neither, why?
Surely the answer is both. Love Action, Thorn In My Side, Fascination, Don't You Want Me, Who's That Girl, There Must Be An Angel…. we could go on…
17TH DEC
Sparrow & The Workshop
Ethos of your music?
3 people can make a big sound
Ambitions for 2010?
Well, 2009 was a busy year for us; 2 releases, 3 tours, 90+ gigs and a whole round at the festivals – glastonbury, end of the road, belladrum, kendal calling… So hopefully 2010 will be that plus more - we'll be releasing our full-length Album, so hopefully that will be a good incentive to tour our hearts out around the land – and fingers crossed further a field!
Do’s and don’ts of touring?
Get Directions! – We've turned up to a Gypsy camp at 1am, looking for our hotel. And bumped into Timmy Mallet down a backstreet in Newcastle when lost!
Eat! – it's the one thing we forget to do, or we end up eating right before we go on stage, and spend the entire gig avoiding burping into the mics!
Chin-Up and take a punch-bag! – when you rock up to a town and despite driving 7 hours to get there, the promoter's an ass, you're broke and there's only 2 people in the audience.. you'll want to hit something.
Greatest band playing today? & why?
Flaming Lips certainly put on the best show on earth, saw them at the O2 and it was mind blowing!
Biggest tune? & why?
Right now I've got the Flaming Lips 'She don't use jelly' in my head – we were lucky enough to get taken to the stage wings for that song at their gig at the O2.. seeing the guys backstage loading the confetti canons and blowing up balloons!!
Eurythmics or Human league or neither – if neither, why?
I'd be inclined to say neither, but you got to give it to Dave Stewart, purely on the grounds of sticking with that beard 20 years on.
The Mill Glasgow
17TH DEC
Invisible Republic
Ethos of your music?
To create music which is both classic and contemporary, which gives a nod to the past but with an eye on the future.
Ambitions for 2010?
In 2010 our ambitions are to get signed to a record label, record our album and to do a tour of Britain and beyond.
Do’s and don’ts of touring?
Having not yet toured to any degree, we have yet to be exposed to the highs, lows, opportunities and pitfalls of life on the open road.
Greatest band playing today? & why?
Wilco – They are both traditional and experimental and are not afraid to take risks. A fact borne out by them being dropped by their record label on delivery of their ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ album. They combine great songwriting with experimental production values.
Biggest tune? & why?
Either Way’ from their ‘Sky Blue Sky’ album for it’s arrangement and sound. A fantastic song with a sparse, ambient arrangement and some virtuoso guitar work.
Eurythmics or Human league or neither – if neither, why?
The Eurythmics. ‘Cause sweet dreams are made of this. Keep your head up. Movin’on.'
