interviews

Martin Carr in Conversation

Did you wake up this morning with a smile?

It all depends on the kind of night I've had. If we've spent the night comforting babies and listening to them cry or if I find myself trapped within the suffocating grooves/eternal loop of idee fixe, usually focusing on a small event in my past where I was faced with a fork in the road and I took the wrong one, these things can have a detrimental effect on my ante meridiam tenor but it doesn't last long. Once I'm up I'm ok and kids are great at raising the spirit. Before I had children I would get up before six anyway but in those days I had the sweet luxury of an afternoon siesta.

*Reads question again* Oh, did I wake up this morning with a smile? No.

How has the new record been received and what is the idea around issuing a series of singles rather than an album?

It was reviewed, it got played on the radio, it sold a few. That's what it's all about. I can't make a whole album on my own, I've got the songs but I'm too distracted and it takes too long. Working on two songs at a time is much easier. I haven't released enough music over the last few years; I need to step it up.

The current single is just available digitally. With such a delightful cover, why is that and, any thoughts about a 7” Vinyl version?

I would love to release seven inch singles, the seven inch single is the pinnacle of human endeavour, but I can't afford the outlay. It's an ambition, no, a cacoethes!

Cameras from Sydney

Questions answered by Fraser Harvey of Cameras

Hello and how the devil are you today and what’s the view like?

I am well thank you, but I'm packing to move house, so the view is one of boxes and mess.

So, you come from Australia, tell us about your home town / City and if there is any influence in your music, from the places you reside in or come from?

We live in Sydney. I'm sure we are influenced by this city, in some ways. Everyone associates the city with sun and beaches and things, but that's not exactly where we're coming from.

How did you come together as a band and with what hopes/aim?

Eleanor (Dunlop) and myself started writing together, I don't know if we had any ambitions when we started - but I think we received enough encouragement in those initial stages to spur us on a little bit. I think the best part of that time was that we didn't have any expectations or particular aims, just to write.

Your debut album, In Your Room is out on Manimal Vinyl on 6th August. How important do you think it is to have a record label deal as against the indie DIY approach?

It helps to have a label behind you, even if it's just for the extra support, but we're still very much a DIY band - we still do most things ourselves.

Naoko of Shonen Knife tells us about the band

Hello, how are you all today, and where are you?

Naoko: I'm in Osaka now. It's a nice weather. Ritsuko is in Osaka, too and Emi is in Kyoto.

The new record Pop Tunes is now out. How did the approach differ between making this album and your early albums also, did you still have the same burning ambition to make music this time around as you did in the Eighties?

Our new album "Pop Tune" became a very pop album as the title. In these 3 albums, Super Group, Free Time and Osaka Ramones, tend to like Punk but for this time I wanted to make a pop album. I never look back and am always fresh. I don't have conscious that I have burning ambition but I'm just having fun. I have a poor memory and forgot the past.

You have toured in many different countries and lots of different venues. Do you have a favourite/most memorable venue to play at overseas? How about in Japan?

Hmm... I love outdoor music festivals. I always enjoy them. We've have performed at many big rock festivals in the 90's and we played at Fuji Rock Festival in Japan last year. It was fun, too.

Is there a city/venue that you have not yet played in that you would like to?

I like to play in South America, more cities in Italy, France and summer festivals in Europe.

Martin Cohen of Nine Black Alps & Milk Maid has a chat

Hello Martin and how the devil are you today?

A little stiff. Going for a swim soon so that might help.

You are based in Manchester, still the capital of music in England?

erm, I’ve got no idea! There are some really good bands here at the moment but that's the same everywhere if you know where to look. We’re still waiting for a good guitar shop.

How and when did you decide to make music your career and with what hopes/aim?

it's kinda just happened. I finished a course at university and then Nine Black Alps got signed a couple of months later so it wasn't really a decision. after the last Nine Black Alps tour we did we didn't know what the band would be doing next and I wanted to keep playing music and the only way I could do that was by starting to write songs myself, so Milk Maid kinda happened by default. Initially I just wanted to write a few songs and maybe get a live thing together. Now I’m slowing thinking about getting another album done.

david j of White Manna has a chat

Is heavy sonic psych rock the new sound of California, have the days of love & peace all run dry?

There is still plenty of peace and love in California, I'm stoned right now. Perhaps there is simply more urgency inherent in many current bands, not just limited to California....

Is that how you would describe your sound to people that had not heard your music yet?

If someone asks me, I usually just say psychedelic rock....

There are a lot of bands making a lot of noise out there, Wooden Shjips, Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Black Mountain what makes White Manna different?

We're named after a hamburger diner in New Jersey....