Define your genre in five words or less:
Rock’n’roll, gothic soul.
What do you love about making music?
Moments when the band is moving, and everyone is thinking inside and feeling the space. Feeling elevation in all my fibres, when I’m completely immersed in what I’m doing.
What do you hate about the music industry?
How little respect we show recording; the sound of a lot of records is so distressed and abusive. Neil Young said in an article; “We’re gonna look back on the music of the ’90s and now in 20 years and wonder how we fucked it up so bad.” I’m not hating on modern-music, I just despair over how temporary the recordings are.
If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?
At the moment I’m obsessing over Martin Hannett’s production for Factory Records in Manchester, because I’d like to see what he do to us (he was a headcase).
If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it be and why?
I wouldn’t give a second thought to offing Pitbull. Go and listen to International Loveand imagine having to teach it (on guitar) to kids for weeks in a row, and then ask, ‘Why?’
What inspires or has influenced your music the most?
Revisiting music after time, making new findings. Recently I saw Bodhi from a band called Mother & Son, and I was turned on to guitar again. I love the guitar, but I lost the spark that lit the fire inside me to push it for myself.
What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed?
You can’t go wrong being good looking, I can tell you that much. Not like a Gucci model, but good looking.
Where would you like to be in five years?
I’d like to own a house. I want to be able to say, “This is my house! Please, come in” (or “Please, sod off”). Musically I want to have released as much as I possibly can, that’s the essence for me.
When’s the gig and with who?
The show is on Friday October 19 at The Workers Club in Fitzroy, with Jeremy Neale (Party Dogs FTW), it’s the first show on our National EP Tour.
