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| Photo credit unknown |
๐ช๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ง?
๐ข "Yeah I counted the amount of gigs I did under the influence of whatever and it was a thousand gigs that I did not sober?“
๐๐ข๐ช ๐ ๐๐ก๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ?
๐ข "Well it's been for Battle For The Sun and Loud Like Love sober.”
๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐?
๐ข “I'm too old to join the 27 club I also think it's a waste of life and it's terribly hard on people around you. I think humans are doomed to repeat history abut I'm trying to prove history wrong…. rock ‘n roll death, rock n roll suicide… I don't think that that's cool any more. It's been done so take care of yourself, and hold on to music.”
๐๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง... ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ต๐ต๐ฐ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง?
๐ข “Yeah we were 19 and we started it in his council flat in Deptford as a little art house band with a Tascam four track surrounded by cheap broken guitars and keyboards. It was an artsy little band - Brian had studied drama.“
๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐?
“๐ข Brian refused to get a "normal job", his Dad's a banker. So is mine I mean we had to do summer jobs here and there when we needed it but nothing much.“
๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ข ๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ๐๐ก๐๐? ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก, ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ข๐ก'๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฃ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐.
๐ข “Yeah we have ultimate freedom and dare I say it there have been instances in the past when the record company have told us ‘Yeah come on do this, have this line, have a beer before you go on stage.’ We really needed to be confrontational tonight. Sometimes the record companies are at fault. I'm still in disbelief record companies can endorse and make the artists do more harm to themselves.”
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| Photo credit: Joseph Llanes |
๐ ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ข ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ. ๐ง๐๐ “๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐“ ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข “๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฌ“... ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ'๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฆ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐. ๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐?
๐ข “I think as a writer, if you're a novelist, or filmmaker or musician the most direct way to reach an audience is to base it on personal experience. In all of these songs there is a grain of truth and kind of autobiography on Brian's part. I think once we reached Black Market Music the lyrics on that whole album it's naming all the different pill boxes we had in the medicine cupboard…. [pauses] Relatable? Yeah sure. I have an issue with drugs being illegal because people are always going to be trying to find drugs, what happens is that they buy them on the street and they're impure and they die from the rat poison that's in them. It's the same thing with prostitution. Prostitution is never going to go away. They force it on the streets which makes it less safe for the prostitutes and also drives it underground to a murkier, more dangerous place where human trafficking definitely plays a part. Alcohol is a big killer. I've had more friends who've had serious issues with alcohol and more friends that have died from alcohol abuse and that's perfectly normal. It's like 'Come on! Wake up'“.
๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐. ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ? ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐?
๐ข “I mean at one point we were basically living and breathing Placebo. We had no family and what we would do is we would lock ourselves in a windowless basement and write and record and it was in the centre of London. So what we would do is we would go in in the afternoon play a bit go to the pub, play a bit more then that night we'd go and check out other gigs if it was Scarfo who are The Kills former band, or if it was the Pumpkins or PJ Harvey and then come back inspired and write. So it was pretty much 24/7. And basically every day in a musician’s life is a Saturday night.”
IS THE REASON THER'S SO MUCH ADRENALINE ON YOUR MATERIAL BECAUSE OF THAT LIFESTYLE?
๐ข “Not necessarily. I think we were drawn to the post punk of Sonic Youth and kind of Fugazi - the visceral punk. Not the Sex Pistols but the visceral energy that comes with playing at breakneck speeds and then kind of mixing that with catchy melodies on top. It's still there with us and yeah we just naturally were drawn to that.“
๐๐ก๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข?
๐ข "It's a state of mind. You have to make a conscious effort every night when you're on stage to think about the fact that some people have never seen you before and also people have paid good money to see you so you owe it to the audience."
๐๐๐๐จ๐ -๐ช๐๐ฆ๐, ๐ช๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐ก๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ช๐๐ฆ๐ก'๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ?
๐ข "Yeah. There are certain songs that looking back on it now I wouldn't have included on albums. What we've done over the past two years is we've remastered them for vinyl I've got the good monitors so I've had to listen through to all the records and certain songs you're going what the fuck were we thinking I don't like that song ...so yeah."
๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐, ๐ฆ๐ข ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ก ๐ณ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ?
๐ข "Brian basically said, ‘Hey Stef, I can't stomach listening to all these songs can you do it?' And Brian's more of a visionary when it comes to artwork so he was taking care of the visual aspect so we complement each other in that way."
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| Photo credit: Screenshot from the video Jesus' son |
๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐๐-๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ-๐ฉ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ก?
๐ข “I think so. He definitely has a troubled relationship with his past lyrics. Because like the line: "A friend with weed is better" on ‘Pure Morning’. He wouldn't write something like that now, but he did back then. For him it's being able to walk on stage and sing with conviction without smiling or without making up different lyrics you know.“
๐ฆ๐ข ๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ.
๐ข “What we tend to do is cover ourselves with quite a few versions of our songs that we've released. One of our first singles, 'Teenage Angst', has been done in piano format, it's been done in the rock format, and it has this stadium rock format. Then we went back to an electric bass led version. So in order for us to remain interested in our back catalogue we often change them and adopt them to how we feel. Sometimes a song when we record it, it's in an embryonic form it tells you ‘Listen, I'm supposed to be played this way.'”
๐๐ข๐ช ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ?
๐ข “Brian did the track listing.“
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ?
๐ข “I mean when you master something in the ‘90s it's very different to now. Now you've got to compete with so many other, especially American releases which are pumped volume-wise. Also a lot of people listen on laptop or on headphones.“
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฃ, “๐๐๐๐'๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง“... ๐ช๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง?
๐ข “They were us having fun in the studio. We chose some covers that we were fond of. Also we did two versions of '20 years'. One that was recorded in Russia and a live one that was recorded in France. Also, we're children of the 80s so a lot of the covers we chose are from the 80s.“
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐?
๐ข "Yeah I mean the tour is going to take us into 2017 so by the time it finishes we're probably going to be Xmas 2017 and go back into the studio after that."
๐๐ข๐ช ๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ?
๐ข "Both me and Brian want to approach the next album outside of the box. We feel like we've stamped our identity on the world so let's go outside of the box. Approaching the writing process in a different way."
๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ช๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ง?
๐ข "Yeah for example songs like ‘Too Many Friends’ and ‘Battle For The Sun’ like you said were written on an acoustic guitar in a classic manner. But when me and Brian get in the studio we surround ourselves with tools and synths and broken guitars and different types of guitar and the drum machine and we just follow something we both get turned on by, be it a sound or be it a loop so we're going to try doing it in that vein."
๐๐ข๐ช ๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ฅ?
๐ข "I’m completely excited about playing old songs: I like it. I think I want to see people's reactions as well."
(Gigwise, September 34rd 2016)
Post by Silke
