2011 was an interesting year for you with the amount of
praise and buzz you have been receiving. How do you respond to the high praise?
There seems to be something new and
exciting happening every day! As far as high praise goes we try to take it all
in context and not let it go to our heads. We're still just a little indiepop
band after all!
Hailing from Leeds, so many bands have come
from that city and made a mark and name for themselves. Do you feel that you
have to live up to the legacy of bands that made their mark there?
Not really. We're more excited about the bands that are around
us in Leeds right now, like Just Handshakes (We're British), The Birthday Kiss
and The Seven Inches. I just guess historically there just isn't that much of a
legacy of Leeds bands to us, not as much as there is in, say, Manchester.
There have been many comparisons to you and The Cribs,
after a while does it get annoying or are you flattered to be compared to the
Jarman clan?
The Cribs are an excellent, ground breaking Northern pop group
so we don't mind the comparison at all! It's flattering to be compared to
someone so good and that we really love and admire.
You wear your influences on your sleeve. With you writing
a song about Paul Simon, taking your name from a Beat Happening tune,
discussing The Pastels in a song, do you feel this is a way to pay tribute to
those that have shaped you?
Definitely. It's just a big part of my life, it has always
seemed natural to write about my favourite bands because that is my life
experience. I'd love to be as wonderfully experienced as a writer like Bruce
Springsteen and write songs about working until my fingers bled and life on
great American highways but my life is pop records and working putting files in
cabinets!
Who else has been a big influence?
We're influenced in various contrasting ways by people like
Jonathan Richman, Daniel Johnston, PJ Harvey, Otis Redding and Jackie
Wilson and bands like Gang Of Four, Hefner, Spearmint,The Slits, Joy
Division and tons more.
How exciting right now is it to be in a band coming from UK
with the current boom of artists coming from your country?
It's pretty exciting, no more than normal. I think the UK has
always had an amazing live scene because each town has a dedicated core of
people putting on DIY nights so they can hear the music they want to in their
small town. And its pretty easy and quick to get anywhere in the UK, especially
the north where most of the big cities are only an hour or two away from each
other. So its exciting that we get the opportunity to play to new people quite
a lot.
Is it a big deal to still try and make it in the US?
I think so. Its still seen as the next step for UK bands to try
and make it in America and always will be. Its one of those things where you
prove yourself as a 'real' band. And the UK is so immersed in US culture, especially
music, so its natural that UK bands would aspire to go to America. America is
so vast compared to where we're from that it seems like a bit of a challenge
but we love a challenge!
What has been the best thing about being in this band?
Having fun! Gigs are basically a chance for us to hang out and
mess around, and the fact that people like seeing us do that on stage is
amazing! Anyone at all taking an interest in the music we make outside of our
family and friends is just ridiculous and so flattering. I think that is the
best thing.
BURNING QUESTION: How many boyfriends is this many boyfriends?
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