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Band Q&A
CO+K caught up with Les Fauves to hear about their music.
Who are you and where do you come from?
We're an Italian band with a French name, English lyrics and a German appearance.
Where does your name come from?
In French it means "the beasts" and it was also a pictorial movement.
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
It's made of me, Roberto Papavero (guitar and vocals), Paolo Pugliese (keyboards), Davide Caselli (drums) and Silvia Dallari (bass). In Italy we live quite close to each other, but at the moment we're sharing an apartment in London.
How would you describe your music?
A wierd collage of things that normally would have nothing in common.
What makes your band unique?
It's definitely the fact that it can't be listed in any existing genre and it keeps on evolving contiuously!
Who are your musical influences?
They're definitely too many to be listed. We don't have specific reference models, we just try to get the intriguing cues in the bunch of stuff we listen to.
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
Stating the title, Liquid Modernity, the album is a spicy puree of melody and ever moving energy, where nothing is forever and where you become conscious that the smile our music caused you could vanish anytime soon and turn into something absolutely unexpected.
Where are your favorite places to tour?
The best place to tour is definitely the one in which you haven't played yet. We're tremendously charmed by new locations and new people.
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
Everywhere and nowhere. Alone or in a crowd... freely. You can always find a moment to take out what is nestled deep inside of you.
Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
Willy-nilly, we've always been crafty from the very beginning.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
We would be probably wandering along other artistic paths. With a costant ear on music and wondering about why the hell we'd never learned to play an instrument.
What was the last record you bought?
I don't really remember, maybe Yeasayer or Grizzly Bear.
Hopes and dreams for this year?
We wish to live through London, record a new incredible homemade album and play play play play!
What's next for you?
Rock'n'Roll :D"
The band's new album, Liquid Modernity is out on 28th October. Check out their website for more.
CO+K chat to London-based singer and songwriter Ashxyz.
Who are you and where do you come from?
I am Ashxyz, and I live in London.
Where does your name come from? When I was 19, my parents asked me what I wanted for christmas. I was going through a sort of existentialist phase and told them 'no presents'. We were having sunday lunch and for some reason I asked them why I was never given a middle name, so that's what they decided to buy me. They changed my name by deed pol to Samantha Ashleigh Hayhurst, and I adopted the 'Ash' bit as my name... the xyz comes from how I used to sign off letters when I was younger.
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
Right now it's just me, but I've been joined by Rebecca Arnold for gigs. She's playing piano, and singing backing vocals. We met at London Metropolitan University where we both trained to be music teachers.
How would you describe your music?
A sort of cross between Sufjan Stevens and Au Revoir Simone ... Folky, but Poppy, with recurring threads of melodies that come back to haunt other songs.
What makes your band unique?
I can't for the life of me think of any artist who I really sound like. I either need musically educating (bad news for a music teacher) or that makes me unique!
Who are your musical influences?
Rachmaninov, Sufjan Stevens, Aimee Mann, Carolyn Anona Scott and Andy Thomas. I knew Carolyn and Andy when I lived in Edinburgh and they both write the most wonderful songs. I admit I had a few jealous temper tantrum moments!
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
I've just finished writing 'Paper Aeroplane', which is a 4 song EP. The songs were being worked on while I was moving from Scotland down to London, and it sort of maps my thought process during that time. I recorded everything on my little multitrack studio, so everything is played live. Which was a nightmare when I wrote 'Glue', because there are a lot of loops in there, which I had to keep repeating, and re-recording! The title song has a lovely story to it though - I joined Twitter a few months back, and started following Stephen Fry. Being a bit flippant, I tweeted at him, saying I would write a song about him if he gave me 5 words to go in the lyrics. It was fantastic, he replied with "Cheerful, princely, thighs, cherish and smell. But not necessarily in that order". I couldn't believe it. I had a lot of fun writing that song, and he said that it was lovely, so I think he liked it.
Where are your favorite places to tour?
I'm a bit lax with gigs, I've never toured. But I would love to get a camper van and tour the UK.
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
Most of the time inspiration just happens when I'm open to it, so instead of looking for it, I prepare myself. It sounds silly, but it's always good to have a page of free-associated ramble on whatever subject you think you might write next, and set things up ready to record with so you can just go, and let the moment take you.
Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
I almost made the EP cover myself, but then realised it would take a while to do 250 of them! If I had more time, I would. When I do the album, my friend Chloe Slater is going to paint the artwork, and I'm sure we will get creative with the process. I really love making my own clothes and cards and things, and I sewed a CD case for my mother out of card and scrap material for her 50th birthday. I also love knitting elves and things :)
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
I'd be a full time music teacher, which is what I will be unless I get famous first.
What was the last record you bought?
Mahler - Symphony no. 9 in D major
Hopes and dreams for this year?
Exposure! I want to get out there more.
What's next for you?
Re-recording the album songs in Sam Slater's studio, and getting that out on itunes. I'm also finishing my teacher training and heading to New York for my brother's wedding.. and hopefully I'll be playing at some festivals next summer.
Check her out on MySpace now.
Who are you and where do you come from?
Russell - I'm from Manchester; but now live in London, near to David, who is from London.
Where does your name come from?
David - the name was given to us by the Ancients of Mu Mu.... via the KLF of course.
Russell - The name holds a dual meaning for us; combining a shared fascination with the future as seen by Orwell with the idea of a musical autocracy; autoKratz being the result of two people who are tyrannous over the music they create.
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
R - It's Me & David. I was stumbling around outside a club and was feeling extremely worse for ware, and was violently and uncontrollably sick. Unfortunately through my druken haze, I realised that it was all over this mans shoes, and that man was David. He was probably about to beat the shit out of me when he notiecd my devo t-shirt - probably saving my life (he has a crazy look in his eye). We started to talk about music, and our tastes were strangely identical.
How would you describe your music?
D - Electronic Rock & Roll
What makes your band unique?
D - We dont try to fit into any scene or movement, and just aim to make honest music that makes us genuinely excited. We let our songwriting run wild and don't restrict what approaches we can take....We don't create any musical boundaries for ourselves. Therefore we can achieve a variation that is not seen in a lot of other electronic bands.
Who are your musical influences?
R - We don't ever really try to create a particular sound, or to emmulate anyone else or a particular scene. We couldn't do it like that - as a band we need it to be fresh and innovative... it needs to be music that we can get excited about.
Tell us a bit about your current album and the themes behind it?
D - We are extremely proud to have created a diverse and varied album. It has lots of different levels yet something the ties it all together. It's an honest album about us as people, and I think thats why it works. But there's no overall theme. If you tread the road of concept you may well find yourself on Bat Out Of Hell corner. Which is more of a junction. With all the signs facing in wrong directions. And the scent of a fat man with breasts wafting in the breeze.
Where are your favorite places to tour?
R - We love every show, everywhere. The live thing is so important to us as a band; and we are really passionate about it. It's great to have the opportunity to play your music to people and convey some of the energy in the tracks at the same time through our performance. I'm so bored of faceless electronic musicians stood static behind banks of machines; for autokratz playing live is about 10000 mile an hour rock and roll. Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, UK...; people are great to us everywhere so to pick a best place isn't what its about for us.
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
D - It's simply our lives and the people around us. It has to be natural, or the music won't work for me.
Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
R - We do want it to be very much about getting close to people, and our fans. That's why we love being in direct contact with them, whether that's in intinate shows, or online or just out and about at shows. We want to be inclusive, and make people feel involved in what we do, because it's the fans that have got us this far and that warms my heart. There's therefore no chain of major label bureaucracy, and we are properly involved in the band constantly on a day to day basis.We are really passionate about our band and excited about our music, and want people to feel part of it.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
R - Watching my soul rot away.
What was the last record you bought?
R - Super Furry Animals - Dark Days / Light Years
What's next for you?
R - Continuing our year of non stop touring at festivals throughout the Summer, and doing full tours of UK, France, Germany, much more of Europe and then Japan and Australia from September! Hope to see you along the way.
King Charles is a musician and songwriter based in London. We caught up with him to hear about his music.
Who are you and where do you come from?
I am King Charles: I was born a Londoner and bred as an Englishman.
Where does your name come from?
It was given to me when I started making music. It stuck for a number of reasons; Prophecy, calling; Powerrrrrrr.
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
My backing band consist of a few boys, a few girls, a few laptops, we all met over the space of two or three years through friends, studios and the Apple store.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe it as a channel, or a vessel through which I can pipe ideas. The sounds you hear from the record/live show are a solution of these ideas designed to carry the idea to your ear where it will be distilled and directed to your head or your heart.
What makes your band unique?
Absolutely
Who are your musical influences?
There are people/musicians/bands who inspire me to play the guitar, to write songs, to learn different instruments; to think. From modern pop songs that mean nothing to me to Bob Dylan who means everything to me, I've learnt something from everything.
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
It’s my first album, 'In The World but not Of The World'. This album is solely inspired by girls and God, that’s what I was thinking about when I wrote it, and I'm still getting to grips with the identities of each. There are different themes within it but they all derive from the same stem.
Where are your favourite places to tour?
Kenya, The Caribbean, Bali, Capri between June and August.
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
Inspiration, generally speaking, comes to me as a surprise, found in something or a moment when I wouldn't expect it. In my experience when sought, it can be elusive.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
Spearing crocodiles on the Malagarasi.
What was the last record you bought?
Friska Viljor, Tour De Hearts .
Hopes and dreams for this year?
More fire on my head.
What's next for you?
Subtle summits.
You can find out more about King Charles and listen to his music on MySpace.
Who are you and where do you come from?
I'm Heather D'Angelo and I come from the Tri-state area.
Where does your name come from?
It's a line from the movie 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure.'
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
Me, Annie Hart, and Erika Forster. Annie and Erika knew each other before the band started because Erika played in the band 'Dirty On Purpose' with Annie's boyfriend (now husband) Doug Marvin. Erika and I knew each other from the neighborhood and were friends. Annie and I met at our first band practice. We all got along well from the start.
How would you describe your music?
Dreamy, electronic, folk music.
What makes your band unique?
We're the only all girl all keyboard band that I know of - I might have to do more research though. If it turns out we're not, than I'll say that we're all unique just like snowflakes are.
Who are your musical influences?
I'm like a sponge so pretty much everything I listen to is a musical influence. I don't know, the list is incredibly long. Top of the list though would be Bjork, Air and Stereolab.
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
Our new album is called 'Still Night, Still Light.' It's about stillness, darkness and light, introspection, traveling, loss, perspective, relationships, acceptance, peace, happiness, sunshine, regret, joy, quiet conversations, love, positivity, and the calm.
Where are your favorite places to tour?
I love touring in Italy because it's like a vacation. I love touring in Japan because it blows my mind.
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
Inside.
Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
We used to have a lot more time on our hands so we were crafty all the time, for instance, our first album 'Verses Of Comfort, assurance, and salvation' was originally burned on Erika's computer and then put into little sleeves that we screen-printed ourselves. We also used to screen print our own tote bags. We did a screen-printing run for 'reverse migration' too. Any time that we have the time to do it ourselves, we choose to because we all love the satisfaction of creating something that has a personal touch.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
Finishing up my degree in astrophysics.
What was the last record you bought?
Yikes, I don't remember... I downloaded Dirty Projector's 'Bitte Orca' which I have every intention of buying once it comes out.
Hopes and dreams for this year?
I try not to hope too much because I hate being disappointed. I'm more inclined to close my eyes and make a wish for something, then forget about it immediately. I just take it day by day, meeting goals slowly and steadily.
What's next for you?
A long battle with jet-lag. We just got back from Europe, where we were touring for a month, so my sleeping patterns are completely messed up. By the time I'm sleeping normally again, we'll be back on tour. Next stop is Canada.
You can find out more about the band on their website or listen to their music on MySpace.
Who are you and where do you come from?
The Mighty Roars, post punk pop from London and Sweden but we met in Berlin.
Where does your name come from?
We do a lot of harmony singing like the Andrews Sisters and Lara (singer) saw us in the mirror singing together like roars...
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
Lara Granqvist from Sweden and Europe plays bass and sings, David Pringuer from a pig farm in Wiltshire plays drums temporarily and sings and Martin Pilkington from Blackpool plays lead guitar and sings. Lara and David met in Berlin whilst Lara was on holiday and David was working as a truck driver. They met hitch-hiking.
How would you describe your music?
Loud, energetic and unhinged but pop.
What makes your band unique?
We are the pantomime horse.
Who are your musical influences?
A huge collision of things between Simon and Garfunkel and Sebadoh. Anything with life that sounds like it might burst out of itself.
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
This is our second album written after Lara's father died. we were lost for a bit and we toured in America most of it was written in the woods of Pensylvania where we had a disastrous recording session and ended up hiring a car and heading south to the sea to recuperate in South Carolina. We wrote so many songs and we are doing a separate acoustic album.
Where are your favorite places to tour?
As a British band it is really eye opening playing in mainland Europe. They treat you with a respect which is most unusual, especially if you are used to London. People genuinely are into coming out to enjoy themselves unlike the cynical audiences you get used to in London. Italy is fantastic cos of the food.
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
I use the great white telephone quite a lot.
Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
I think every band owes it to themselves to be DIY its almost a full time deal promoting yourself these days. Sometimes I wonder if I am a musician or a computer programmer. We always try to get on with promoters and develop relationships. Its all about relationships really and you dont have to be crafty but just interested.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
Lara is an animator (check out some of her stuff at themightyroars on youtube). Martin is a comedian. David would be that grumpy recording engineer who always knows better.
What was the last record you bought?
Official Secrets Act.
Hopes and dreams for this year?
World Peace.
What's next for you?
We aim to finally finish the scale model of the millennium falcon.
Check out more from the band on their MySpace.
Music to craft to? CO+K caught up with Kill It Kid to get the inside scoop.
Who are you and where do you come from?
We are Kill It Kid and we are from Bath, although originally I (Chris) am from Norwich, Steph is from Crawley, Marc is from Guildford, Rich is from Cardiff and Adam is from Loughborough.
Where does your name come from?
We are named after a Blind Willie McTell song. I bought the record of his last known recording session done in the back of a record store in Atlanta I think. The owner first recognised him touting songs in a car lot, and after a couple of attempts, managed to entice him in to his store with a bottle of bourbon to record some songs on his tape reel. Introducing his song 'Kill It Kid' McTell explains that when he was playing the circuit in NY, in one particular bar one of the local barflys would shout "Kill It Kid" as he went up to take the stage.
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
The Band are Chris Turpin (vox and guitar), Stephanie Ward (vox and keys), Richard Jones (violin and bk vox), Marc Jones (drums and perc), Adam Timmins (bass and banjo). We met at Bath Spa University where four-fifths of the us where studying music. Me and Adam started Kill It Kid as a two piece acoustic act, and first we met Rich after we asked him to do a couple of sessions for us on some recordings we were doing. Steph too joined in after I played guitar behind her for a jazz concert she was putting on. I also met Marc relatively early, he approached me after show at The Porter in Bath... a couple of weeks later he was playing a few shows with me! It made sense to bring everyone together, so about Febuary 08' we formed 'Kill It Kid' the 5 piece.
How would you describe your music?
It a mix of heavy country blues and alt rock rooted in the folk tradition.
What makes your band unique?
We are trying to drag roots music back to the fore... especially in a live context. Having violin and heavy drums taking such a leading role is different. Also sharing the lead vocals between two singers who are hooked on early jazz and blues records must be rare.
Who are your musical influences?
Everyone in the band has different musical influences, from Blind Willie McTell to Etta James, Zeplin to Grappelli and Ben Harper to The White Stripes, we all cover a pretty vast area of music, and somehow they weave together!
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
Well, we had about 5 months to put the album together. We were picked up by our label at such an early point in the bands development that what people will hear on the record is literally what we had at the birth of the band, we had no opportunity to overthink it, it's what the five of us were doing at that point in time... which is quite liberating but also absolutely terrifying! We wanted to pull a new sound out of the old country blues and jazz records of the 1920s to 1940s, trying to build on this anthology of music but approaching it with a aim to make it our own. Recently I became fascinated with the wealth of music in the 'Great American Songbook', and I became totally absorbed and immersed myself in their songwriting. A lot of our songs, just like the blues or country ballads, focus on love and loss. However I wanted the protagonist to take an assertive, almost aggressive tone placing them in a position of power. It lifts the songs out of the typical 'I've been hard done by, but I still love her' mindset that dogs people coming out of relationships.. and It sounds pretty scary.
Where are your favorite places to tour?
We will tell you at the end of this summer!
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
It usually comes to you... focussing on what's aroud you, what you read. Often when you begin to play a new piece of music, words begin to form that fit around what your playing... You have an idea that forms and you just wait for the right music to come to you.
Are there anyways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
We sleep on a lot of people's floors rather than hotels! Also, we were going to try and use a home made trailer to cart our gear around, but after some thought we figured it wasnt the best idea.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
We don't dare think about it, we could have been graduating about now!
What was the last record you bought?
'The Boatman's call' - Nic Cave Hopes and dreams for this year? To take this as far as it will go!
What's next for you?
Watching this album and our singles being released and touring touring touring.
Check out the band on their MySpace.
Music to craft to? CO+K chatted with Glasgow based, We Were Promised Jetpacks to find out about the band.
Who are you and where do you come from?
We are We Were Promised Jetpacks from Glasgow.
Where does your name come from?
We spent ages trying to decide and this is the one we settled on.
Who's in the band and where did you meet?
We're Adam, Sean, Darren and Michael. Ee're all from Edinburgh and met at school, where we starting playing music together.
How would you describe your music?
It's kind of loud and quiet at the same time. It's loud guitars but playing melodies. Hopefully it's pretty heartfelt and soulful too.
What makes your band unique?
We're not sure! We get this question quite a lot and can never answer it properly. Hopefully we are, but it's really difficult to tell from our end. You could argue we're totally unique as it's the four of us playing in a room; or not at all unique as it's essentially pop music!
Who are your musical influences?
Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad, Born Ruffians, The National. Lots of "current" bands, rarely anything old.
Tell us a bit about your current album and the inspirations behind it?
It's called "These Four Walls". We recorded it in late November with Ken and Jolyon Thomas, and it was mixed by Peter Katis. It is our debut album. It's basically all of The songs we had up until this point in our lives. It's all about beginnings and starting points and it's out in june!
Where are your favorite places to tour?
We've only been on one little tour, but we loved Brighton. Our label is based there and we had a lovely day off by the sea. Can't wait to go back there!
Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting?
We write all the music as a band, together in a room. It's usually about making it sound better than the last song we wrote. Well, maybe not "better", but at least more exciting for us. And we sometimes have an idea beforehand, like "lets make this one sound huge" or "lets try and rock out as much as we can". But then they all sound the same in the end anyway!
Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty?
No not at all! We're really bad at that, which is a shame. All the information on the back of our album artwork is handwritten, and we struggled to even do that, we made dlt the artwork guy do it for us! I remember once in school we were supposed to make something in art out of paper, and I made these great glasses. They were just white paper cut out so they sat on my face like glasses do. They were great.
What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
Very very little. Three of us are still at university, so doing that, and they having a little panic once we leave about having to get a proper job.
What was the last record you bought?
The Sky Larkin album. I've listened to it once and it sounds good. The song "Matador" is glorious.
Hopes and dreams for this year?
That the album does ok, well enough that we get to make another one in a year or so. We're all really looking forward to just being in a band for as long as we can.
What's next for you?
Our first single comes out in May, then our first headline tour in June, with the album release, then some summer festivals. who knows about after that...
Check out the band on their MySpace.