Thanks so much to Stuart Williams for the interview! Some time ago I wrote a small piece about this Kent band and Stuart was kind enough to get in touch and shed some light about his band. The Lemon Sleepers released the one 7″ back in the early nineties and included in it was the fab A side, “The World’s Too Loud”. If you have never heard about them before, well, it’s time for you to discover them!

++ Hi Stuart! Thanks so much for being up for an interview! You were telling me that you have been playing together for 23 years now?!  And that you just call it a day last April? How come?

We are not quite ready to call it a day just yet, out guitarist decided he didn’t want to carry on playing anymore. We are currently rehearsing with a new guitarist so we will see how that develops.

++ But in these time you’ve changed the name of the band, right? I mean, there’s no information of a contemporary Lemon Sleepers band online!

Although up until recently the band line up had not changed in all this time, the name has had several changes. Following the The Lemon Sleepers we went under the names ‘Swell’ and for a short time ‘Hannah Park’ and for a while now ‘The Very Wonderful Long Teddies’. Don’t ask where that one came from!

++ So will you continue or not playing? What do you think will happen?

As I said earlier, we are not ready to give it up yet so we will continue one way or another.

++ You also told me that “The World’s Too Loud” was the only vinyl you ever released but that you had put out a couple of CDs. Care telling me a bit about these CDs?

These were just self made CD’s that we would sale or mostly give away at gigs. From memory one was titled ‘Ulibang Molash’ which contained three tracks and others were just compilations of various tracks.

++ And last but not least on your comment you linked me to a promo video for the A side of the 7″, for “The World’s Too Loud“. How did this video come about? And what do you remember from the filming session?

We used to gig at a college in Canterbury, Kent where they did media studies courses and we managed to convince the students to use us as part of their course work. They filmed us at a studio on site just playing a set of songs and then the video sort of came out of that. The concept was our idea where the van which we used to carry the gear around in was a nightclub. It was fun to make and they did a pretty good job with the resources and experience they had. It’s certainly something to look back on with fond memories.

++ Let’s go back in time Stuart, were The Lemon Sleepers your first band?

Yes, mine and the guitarists. The drummer, bassist and keyboard player had been playing together for about 7 years already and the bassist and keyboard player (brothers) a further 6 years before that, so a long history. I knew the guys previous to joining and had been jamming with the guitarist. When the two existing members left, we just kind of slotted into the vacancies.

++ And how did it start? How did you all knew each other? how was the recruiting process?

Think I kind of answered that in the last question. However to elaborate, I new the band before I joined, at that time they were called ‘Rupert and the Jumpers’ and I used to be their sound engineer. At that time the guitarist and I were looking to form a band, then the news came that the ‘Jumpers’ singing and guitarist had quit the band. I initially offered myself up for the singing vacancy and went to a few rehearsals. Then the guitarist came along and it all went from there.

++ What kind of music were you listening at the time? Who would you call as influences?

We all listen to a varied type of music, our main influences are the likes of House of Love, Teardrop Explodes, Talk Talk, Simple Minds, U2…etc

++ Where does the name of the band come from?

I’m not really sure, our bassist tends to come up with most of the band names and then books us on a gig under that name, then they just tended to stick. We have always let the music speak for it’s self rather than the name.

++ The credits for the songs on the label are for A. and G. Holliday. How did the creative process in the band work?

It tended to be someone would come up with a riff or hook line and the song would be built round that. The lyrics would then be written around the track. In recent years we have been doing more covers and not writing as much as we used to.

++ As we were saying earlier, there was only one 7″ released. It was self-released, right? How was that experience of promoting and selling a record?

Difficult really, we had the single in local record shops, but most of it was promoting at gigs.

++ The record included two fantastic songs, “The World’s Too Loud” and “International Smile”. Care telling me a bit about each of the songs?

‘The World’s Too Loud’ is basically a love song, its about being able to shut the world and all its noise out when there is just you and your loved one. ‘International Smile’ is about everyone just getting on and being one big happy world….yeah!

++ And what about the design of the sleeve? Who was in charge of that?

That was actually my father who was in the print trade and is quite artistic.

++ Tell me a bit about where you were based in Kent. Were there any other like-minded bands? What were the places or venues that you’d hang out more often?

We are mainly based in Maidstone and Faversham. In the 90’s there were a lot of bands around who all kind of knew each other and often played in the same venues. These would be clubs and pubs in the local towns which have unfortunately disappeared over the years.

++ Has it changed much to this day?

The only places to really play these days is pubs and these more often than not want covers bands.

++ Tell me about gigs. Did you play many? What were your favourites and why?

We used to do a lot more than we do these days, on average we did 30 -40 gigs a year. We always try mainly to have a good time which I think spills over to the crowd and makes the evening more entertaining. Definite favourites would be supporting Kula Shaker on their university tour and headlining at the Maidstone River Festival in 2011 where we have played every year for the past 15 years.

++ And looking back in time, in the long career of The Lemon Sleepers under a name or another, what would you say was the biggest highlight as a band?

Lasting as long as we have really and as mentioned previously the Headline slot at the River Festival, where we play on a floating stage moored to the river bank.

++ Aside from music, do you happen to have any other hobbies?

I have always been interested in music production, recording and mixing the demos for us and for other bands.

++ The only place I’ve ever visited in Kent is Canterbury. What are other places in Kent that you’d recommend one visiting?

There are plenty of places to visit, Faversham is an old market town which has the oldest brewery actually in the town and numerous pubs to sample the local ales. Then there is Leeds Castle outside of Maidstone which is a real piece of English history. We are only about an hour on the train away from central London, so you can visit there and then return to the calm of the Kent countryside.

++ And one last question, how do you see England performing in this World Cup?

Sorry, by the time I answered these questions we were already out. Thought we would have got through the group stages but not much further.

++ Thanks again Stuart! Anything else you’d like to add?

Just thanks for including us on you website and your interest in our music. I will email you some more tracks and hopefully people will like these too. Many thanks form all the guys.

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Listen
The Lemon Sleepers – The World’s Too Loud

Last post about NYC Popfest. Now almost a month after.

It doesn’t feel much of a blur now that Sunday night at Littlefield. Perfect weather, a good vibe and an excitement that had been building since day one of Popfest. Elin had already left to the airport. It was a bit late too and many people were leaving as well possibly because they had to work on Monday. That didn’t stop The Spook School having an almost packed venue for a thrilling performance.

I had seen The Spook School at Indietracks before. They were truly amazing I thought. Definitely one of the most fun bands around. They energy is contagious and their songs are catchy as hell. But to think that the shy group I had seen before would dominate the stage with such presence, with such personality, well, I wouldn’t have guessed that! The Spook School were like a nuclear missile this time around, fast, punchy, punky even! They had an attitude that I haven’t seen in many bands. They were here to take NYC by storm. And they did.

Niall as always was making the crowd feel at ease with his jokes, everyone laughing at his stories about his adventures in NYC. Nye being political and firm about his ideas about sex and genre. There was a perfect balance of seriousness and easiness in the band. They were friendly and approachable, at the same time they had drawn a line. They weren’t a funny band. Their songs say things that you need to listen carefully. And through a powerful show they were going to win more fans. And that’s what they did!

I saw them later too, a week after, on a Saturday at Matchless bar. They had just arrived back to NYC after touring many cities in the East Coast. This was a more intimate show, maybe 20 people were in the crowd. The venue was smaller too. Also they finally had some merch, some beautiful t-shirts that I duly purchased. Even in this situation, when you could think they were going to be tired after so many trips, or quieter because the venue was smaller or shyer because there was a smaller crowd, they were loud like a bazooka, they were bombarding us with top pop songs.

The question of course it’s what’s next for this fantastic band? They’ve been evolving and getting better by the day. And they are still able to write fresh pop hits, all bundled with hooks and sing-alongs. One can only keep waiting to see what surprises they have in store.

Of course nothing is perfect. Some old babies came on stage during the concert to throw themselves to the floor and to “dance” (if you can call that dancing) and make the gig a bit more like a silly indierock gig. Ah well, I guess they were having fun, but it looked ridiculous. Anyways…

And then it was the time I had been waiting for. The Popguns were next. I was like a kid with a new toy, I was excited. I couldn’t wait. At this time a lot of people had left the venue. They, I’m sure, will lament this, because they missed one of the best gigs at Popfest. There might have been around 50 to 70 people I suppose. And then “Because He Wanted To”‘s first chords were heard. My heart skipped a bit. And suddenly Wendy Morgan was enchanting all of us with her one and only keening vocals.

The hits continued, one after another. “Landslide” came in second and you can only imagine my happiness, recording the song with my cheap camera. I danced. I hugged my friend Vickilín. I told Mariana I was just way too thrilled that I couldn’t really explain why I like the Popguns so much. I can’t actually remember when I discovered them. I do remember an episode way back in Miami when I discovered this record shop called Sweat Records that I found were carrying many Cherry Red CDs. I asked them how come. They told me they could get me any record I wanted from some website they had for record shops orders. I remember I asked them to get me The Popguns stuff. Why? I don’t know. It was the first band that came to my mind. I went a week after to the store. No luck. And again. And again. They never carried The Popguns that I asked.

Of course eventually I’ve tracked most of their releases, even those not very pretty single-sided 7″s on Midnight Music. But those are things one buys when you love a band, right? The day I read they were reforming to play some special London shows (I think it was at ICA, right?), I in shock. I imagined many bands reforming but I never thought of The Popguns as one. Then of course they played some more gigs and I wondered if I was going to be lucky to see them. I met Shaun at Indietracks last year, because of him playing drums now for The Fireworks. He told me that The Popguns would love to play Indietracks too, so most probably I will have to come next year I thought. But it wasn’t 100%. My friends in France, Another Sunny Night, booked them and from what they told me they were just plain fabulous. I was starting to get jealous. And of course St. Maz booked them for NYC Popfest. I was speechless. Some days later they were also announced for Indietracks. That was awesome news, but even better when Pat on some Facebook group said that they were planning to play two different sets at NYC and Indietracks for the few that were attending both. That’s a band that cares I thought!

I get goosebumps when I listen to Wendy’s voice. Have you heard this by the way? It gets all so chilly around here! But yes, the concert was on it’s way. “Someone You Love” was next. And then one of my favourites of mine, a staple of many of my mixes years ago, “Still A World Away”. Then more classics and more. They tell us that they are recording new material that will be coming out on Matinée. Good work Jimmy! They play their new song “Lovejunky” and fits just perfectly with all their fabulous songs of the past.

And then their A Tribe Called Quest cover of “Can I Kick It?”.  Haha, my friend Viki doesn’t understand what’s going on. But the crowd is going crazy and knows the lyrics by heart. And me too. And we all sing. And it is such a great moment. But it was just all building up for the best moment of all. The last song. And you guessed right. “Waiting for the Winter” was monumental. At least for me it was. Time stood still and I didn’t want the song to never end. I sang and I danced. Clumsy and all. And then it was over. They turned on the lights. It must have been like midnight by then. But Maz told them that they could play another song. But that is a bit of a blur to me. Can’t recall what song it was now! At least I remember that it was one of those gigs that I like to call, “gig of the year”.

Popfest was over. I went to the merch tables and bought a bunch of things. Talked a bit with everyone that was left. Sold some more records. And then I gave away some records. I hugged people around and said bye. Time to go home. On the train platform, waiting for the N, we randomly stumbled upon two of the Stars in Coma. The ride felt so short. My brain was still going at full speed remembering every moment of a great weekend.

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Good afternoon for all those pop treasure hunters. Here’s another 7″ I have barely any idea about. My clues are limited but both A side and B side are on Youtube. So that obscure it can’t be.

The record has no proper sleeve. It came on a white paper sleeve. The band was called Officers and Gentlemen. An odd name.

The 7″ was released in February 1985 according to 45cat that does list it. The record was released by GAP Records. Catalog was 001. So most probably a self-release. The label logo has two flags, the Union Jack and the American flag. Maybe there was an American in the band? Or in the label?

The A side was “That’s Life and Love” and was composed by Gareth Hobbs. The B side was “Noise” and that one was composed by Mark Bushell. Both songs were produced by R. Boden. Both songs are very catchy, they have that certain pre-c86 vibe, a bit more post-punkish than jangly perhaps but it has danceable element that I really like, especially on the B side “Noise” with that bouncy “We make nooooooise” line that I can’t get out of my head!

Gareth Hobbs seems to have a Youtube account and has uploaded some live footage of the band, a full gig at Macclesfield Leisure Centre. Worth watching of course!

And that’s all I could find about them. I saw a mention that they once played at the Lido on another Youtube video, but that doesn’t help much in unveiling the mystery about this band. Who were they? Whatever happened to them? Were there more recording? Anyone know anything else?

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Listen
Officers and Gentlemen – Noise

It’s so hard to find time to blog when there’s World Cup, as I was saying earlier to a friend, in this extreme case indiepop comes in second. And blogging at night is really not my thing, but let me try, hopefully my memory is sharp enough to remember perfectly what happened three weeks ago at New York Popfest.

Don’t Cry Shopgirl had finished playing. I had grabbed their setlist, and kept close to the stage while chatting with John for a bit. Time for refilling my beer. There’s no happy hour at Spike Hill and that of course annoys me. It’s still early. Cheap beer time. I decide to stop socializing a bit and I go to check the merch table. I must say I haven’t been checking much the merch since the festival started. It surprises me to see that the Gingerlys 7″ is available. Ed Shelflife told me some weeks before that there was a good chance that they would arrive on time but not to hold my breath. Luckily they were there and grabbed a copy. Naturally, Gingerlys were next on the bill.

I’ve meant to go to many of their shows for months. They are from New York and you would  have thought I’ve seen them before. But I hadn’t. For a reason or another I never went to see them. Most likely because they were opening shows too early and that conflicted with my work hours. But now at last I was going to see them and judging from the recordings I had heard on Bandcamp they were definitely a band to keep an eye to. The vocalist sported shades and had an icy style on stage. Reminded me a bit of The Manhattan Love Suicides’ vocalist. The music of course is much different: a sped-up and updated to shoegaze a bit Bouquet perhaps? A bit of Pia Fraus thrown in there as well? Something like that. Live they sounded a bit rockier compared to the their recordings. It was still enjoyable to see them, you can tell they have a lot of potential. And hearing live that immense song that is Summer Cramps was enough for me. That one did sound more faithful to the recordings I liked very much and kept my hope intact for this band. Definitely the best new band in the NYC (almost ghost-like) indiepop scene. And their 7″ is tops! Totally recommend it (“Jumprope” should be a classic song!).

Afterwards there was some time to burn before heading to Cameo and the evening shows. With Vicky, Diego, Juan Julio, Lisle and Kristine we went to the park overlooking Manhattan. On the shores of the East River we took some photos and rested a bit. Then we went for pizza. Suddenly it was already time to go to Cameo and to notice that the air conditioning wasn’t working. Some fans were trying to solve the issue but as soon as the place was going to get packed we were going to feel like a sauna. Was it a trick to sell more beer? It’s always suspicious.

I stayed at the front for the first two bands chatting with friends and catching up, reminiscing about the past two days of Popfest. I remember someone wanted to buy off from me my Veronica Falls t-shirt. Years ago in London the same had happened with a Cats on Fire t-shirt I was wearing. Also I had received from Jeremy a brand new The Haywains t-shirt, with the badger logo on the front and the tour dates on the back. I think it’s the first t-shirt I own and wear that has the tour dates on the back. I kind of feel like a proper fan now.

Anyways it was time for the long awaited Garlands first ever gig in American soil. It’s been years now since I’ve been talking to Christin to come and play here. Finally it was going to happen. The line-up had changed a bit since last time I saw them, Thomas was replacing Patrik on guitars and Gustaf replacing Robert on drums. Still around was Christin on vocals, Maria bass-extraordinaire, and Einar the guitar genius of the band. Rapidly all doubts one could have about the new members were long gone. The band sounded tight as ever. The only difference was that Christin was the one who had to tell the jokes now, though Maria joined and talked to the public and told us that her favourite thing about New York had been the food. I could only agree with her. That’s the best in this city hands down. After playing all their hits, after me rooting for Christin (a classic thing in my book since the first time I saw The Garlands play ages ago in a London Popfest), the gig was over. It went so fast. I wanted more songs, but that was going to do it for now. Only one gig in New York and it was over. A shame. I hope they return one day. Definitely one of the best gigs of the Popfest, no other band can bring that thrilling fast and precious pop to the table these days.

Time to get some air. It was a sauna already. Cameo was way too warm. A small break because one of the bands I’ve been hoping to see for many years was going to perform in minutes. That was Spearmint. And the wait was worth it. They played almost all of their hits but not my favourite “The Flaming Lips”. People knew many of their songs by heart and that was really exciting. This of course surprise me because I never thought they were a band that had this much following. I mean, I imagined it, but it’s not a band people talk or discuss, at least my indiepop friends don’t. Anyhow, it was fantastic. I noticed they had a new album, but I didn’t buy it. They also had a book that looked like a graphic novel. I didn’t buy it. What’s wrong with me? I don’t know, I should amend this at Indietracks. At this moment I thought this has been a great Saturday, this has been a powerful gig, started a bit slow with the new songs but ended in a high mark with songs like “We’re Going Out” or “Sweeping the Nation”.  Oh! Question for Maz, did you check out Said Liquidator? I always wondered if there was a connection between the two bands? Anyone know?

Then it was the turn for the dance party. I must have danced until 3am or something. I can’t remember much. It’s all hazy about this night. The only thing that I remember was that the crowd was very Mondo-like and not that much Popfest. I missed the bands and my international friends. They didn’t stay for dancing. Were they too tired? Did they have jetlag? I wonder. They just missed a good time.

Sunday started with me trying to organize a box of Cloudberry releases to sell at the merch table at Littlefield. I had to leave pretty early eventually by pressure from the first band that had left their pedals and instruments at my house. How did the pedals ended at my place, who knows. So half prepared for the merch table, and carrying more bags and boxes than Santa Claus I left home just past noon and took the one hour or so ride from my place to Atlantic-Barclays station. Upon arriving to Littlefield, I guess because of all the things I was carrying, the doorman thought I was from a  band and just stamped me, no questions asked. I left all the stuff backstage. I started to set up my merch on the tables and Maz noticed there was going to be needed more tables. The three tables weren’t going to be enough to all the merch that was going to be on display this Sunday. So we moved everything around and added more tables in the front room. Suddenly The Popguns are soundchecking and my heart skips a beat. I couldn’t believe the beauty I was hearing, “Still a World Away”!!!

I saw Howard behind the DJ decks and said hello. He played a lot of top tunes in between bands. Then I decided I wasn’t going to wait around for people, and decided to have some food at an Ethiopian restaurant around the venue. I knew this place and knew it’s quite good, so I was going to treat myself to some tibs. With a happy stomach I returned to see Lost Tapes perform at Popfest. A pretty strong show as always with Poetry Dates as the highlight song and also closing song. Jangly and chiming the Spanish duo were pretty good though their pleas for a louder audience weren’t answered. I think it was a bit too early for fans to go crazy or maybe they were just hangover and tired. Either or.

Dennis from Candy Twist was around at last. His first NYC Popfest gig. We had some Shiner Bock beer and talked a bit. Love when international friends just pop up all of a sudden at festivals and gigs. That’s what makes this scene so exciting, how connected it is. The turn was for Marine Life, a California band that I knew nothing much about, but was really in love with the song that was included in the Popfest Mix. I hear they have a 7″ slated for release on Elefant and that’s good news. This I would say is one of the bands to follow, one of the best new discoveries of the year. They also know their stuff, they made a sublime cover of Strawberry Switchblade “Since Yesterday”.

Then it was time for the gig that many said made them cry. Bart and Pam on stage playing Cat’s Miaow and Shapiro’s song. It was a beautiful moment. It was close to everyone’s heart. The time stood still for a bit and we were all enchanted, as if hypnotized, but Pam’s beautiful voice, by Bart’s guitar, by those lyrics of daily vignettes, of life represented.

Gold-Bears was next for me. By this time I had already got the LP and CD version of the album. Had to skip the tape version, I don’t have a tape player. What can I say about the Atlanta-based band that you already know? I’ve seen them many many times now and they always have that explosive and catchy power. The new songs just continue the trend. The new album is remarkable, but a review perhaps belongs to another post. Another top performance for Jeremy and the gang.

Time for dinner. Went to a Korean chicken wings joint a couple of blocks away. Spicy. Delicious. Messy. Also the wings were huge. Lots of food for cheap. Now I caught Colour Me Wednesday. I have seen a bit of them a couple of years ago at Indietracks and wasn’t hooked. This time around I bought the album and a t-shirt. There has been a big change in me? Or what? Anyways, they were pretty good and I enjoy very much, it makes me happy, even proud, that they are so into their politics and beliefs. I respect that even though I’m definitely not a vegan. Their attitude and the way the came across was very strong. I learned then that they were touring a whole bunch of US cities. Are they that big to even go play Kansas City and Madison? That was a true surprise. Do they play a lot in UK? I can imagine doing so, as their gig was tight and it shows so well that they know what they are doing. The three girl-one boy band was for me a surprise, and would love to hear more. Will need to investigate, bands that are brave enough to combine pop music with politics, are something I can only cherish.

And now I need to stop because again this is getting too long! It seems I will need a part 3!! Who would have thought!

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A bit of obscurity from Sweden this week. And not from ages ago, just a decade ago! This is Citylights!

Last.fm: A disbanded [1998-2006] dreampop band based out of Gothenburg, Sweden. Two former members now play under the name Boat Club.
Boat Club Facebook: Formed in 2006 by the remains of Citylights to please the jet-set crowd of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Those two members are of course Andreas Christakis and Magnus Wahlström. I was a fan of this band back in 2004, 2005. I had found them on Myspace. We all know the story of Boat Club. Or we do more or less. We love their few releases, they are classics already on my book. But Citylights have been forgotten. They didn’t release anything so it kind of make sense, but I find pretty interesting that it was the seed that would later grow into the dreamy sound of Boat Club.

I had forgotten about them to be honest. It wasn’t until two or three years ago that I remembered their songs. I started compiling the second volume of the Sound of Starke Adolf. First I thought I should include them in Volume 3, but later I decided that they were best suited for the second in the series. I contacted Magnus. He seemed keen though it seems the rest of the members weren’t. Then I waited to see if they could be convinced I think. I waited. But then never heard back. A shame. Still the 2nd volume is waiting for a bunch of bands that should be included. It’s still waiting to be released. First volume of course is long sold out. The last copy I had I gave to Silke now that she was visiting me.

Citylights as far as I know recorded seven songs. These were: “Have You Seen the Rooftops”, “Leaves”, “Memories”, “Poor as You”, “Reset”, “Atmosphere” and “Citylights”. But it seems there were dozen of demos according to another blog:

Magnus Wahlström and Andreas Christakis formed Boat Club in 2006. The duo’s former project Citylights disbanded after the departure of drummer Hannes, and, although there was no ‘official’ release in their seven year existence, the DNA for Boat Club’s sound was ever present. Combining the fuzzy naval gazing tones of peers The Radio Dept. with a more conventional approach to pop song structure, Citylights would record dozens of demos in vain. As the strains and impracticalities of converting the sonic ideas into a full band situation started to take their toll, Magnus and Andreas purged their efforts towards a more electronic direction and, Boat Club was born.

I’ve also read that some of these demos became the songs on the Boat Club release. Anyone know which ones are those?

It’s also important to note that Magnus during the time he was in Citylights was also pretty active with Diktendo. Was Andreas in any other bands at the time?

I don’t know much more about this project. Did they ever play live? Why weren’t these fantastic songs released? Just listen how beautiful “Citylights” is. I can’t believe this has been under the radar. Perfect pop!

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Listen
Citylights – Citylights

 

It’s been two weeks now since the last blog post. Yes there’s been a couple of interviews but no obscure band, story, rant, or anything else that’s not an interview. Right. Well, I had guests, and then there was Popfest. New York Popfest. And then I needed a week to recover. Fair enough I think. It was a pretty exhausting one, perhaps the one that sucked the most of my energy ever. Is it because I’m getting older? Or why?

Well it started early for me. If Popfest was going to start Thursday I was already out watching bands on Wednesday. Wednesday was the release party for the new LP by New York’s best indiepop band Pale Lights. I’ve already recommended the album on the blog some time ago. Getting the chance to listen the newer songs live was fabulous. A bit strange though that they didn’t headline their own gig. But who cares, more time to catch up with friends that were already arriving for Popfest like Mr Scott Stevens from the Summer Cats who I met for the first time that night, after so many years of correspondence!

The band who opened the night was Franny & Zooey. With a new lineup and a bunch of new songs that now recall Talulah Gosh and The Fat Tulips I feel the Dominican band has stepped up to another level. Fast and fun, the band is finding itself. Looking forward very much to their next recorded effort. I hear there are a couple of releases in the works. And then a terrible idea. Late night White Castle. Because well, it was open, and it’s been so many years that I was that “adventurous”, and Elin should try it. She and her Norwegianness were my other guests that week.

It was imperative for me to see Franny & Zooey that Wednesday. On Thursday they were opening NYC Popfest at 8:15pm. I would still be at work, I was going to miss them. And so I did. I only arrived at the Cake Shop at around 9:00pm. In the meantime my friend Silke, one of my guests had forgotten to bring an ID to show that she wasn’t underage. Guess what, the Cake Shop people wouldn’t let her in. She went home. Terrible. Kind of a bad start for her. Elin did stay.  Je Suis Animal chanteuse. At the Cake Shop I admit not being that much into the gigs. I saw half of Tape Waves and sounded nice. Martha was definitely not for me. Too rock. The Besties I liked them on record (I like very much their first album) until I saw them live once and the singer was all over the place, rockstar style, jumping up and down, shouting, and well, I’m skeptical to see them again. And Dressy Bessy was a bit of a hit and miss. Their classic songs of course I love. The newer a bit more rock too. Mature sound some call it. Not into it.

Instead I spent my time catching up with friends that were arriving. Astrid and John came even straight from the airport with their luggage. Saw my dear Christin. Wow! First time in New York Christin! What a star! Maria, Einar, Ingrid, the Garlands gang. A beautiful gang. I got to meet Colin from Gingerlys. They were lending so many instruments to a handful of bands that were coming from abroad. So I introduced him around too especially to the swedes. It was a calm night, a good start. We went to a 24 hour diner afterwards and call it a night.

Let me stop here. Can I say that Maz is the best indiepop organizer out there? This year I learned a bit the hard way. I release records and support the scene and all. But I’ve never had to take care of bands, organize things for them, or more importantly deal with their egos and needs. It’s tough. And demanding. I had some issues this year myself with a band, and it was just one band and I ran out of patience. Maz deals with 30 or so bands and keeps his cool. And everything seems to run so smooth. That’s amazing. On top of course he has a hell of a lineup every year.

I do hear sometimes silly people complaining that is bad that he books the festival in different venues, in bad venues, stuff like that. Silly people that once played at Popfest and never attend or just only when their friends play or they are invited to play one instrument on stage. Well, as it was that easy. The competition here for gigs and events is tough. And which venues are going to risk having a whole weekend entirely to have a bunch of indiepopkids that most of them are broke and won’t spend much on drinks. I don’t know. Some people are unrealistic sometimes. I’m thankful to Maz, he doesn’t compromise, he books the best of the newest crop of bands as well as classics. And he keeps it indiepop friendly. No ukuleles, no hippies, no nonsense. And barely repeats bands (Cats on Fire, Secret History and Gold-Bears being the exception). Quality.

Anyways, Friday. I had a long day. I started taking the tram to Roosevelt island and then walking south all Fifth Avenue stopping at Grand Central, the NY Public Library, the Empire Estate, ending at Battery Park. Kind of a New York in a day. Tour guide. I’m becoming good at that. We had a beautiful Brazilian lunch and then a nice Peruvian dinner. Then we headed to The Knitting Factory. Last year I had a fantastic time there. Will this year be the same? Well, with the Friday lineup it was looking like that. Bart and Friends was lovely, Scott always so cheeky, joking around with Bart and Pam. I never thought he was so talkative. I assumed he was so shy! But no, he is truly a frontman. Actually Elin thought he was Bart! Can you imagine?! It was a sweet show, pure class. Then The Haywains. FANTASTIC. They were one member short this time, Rachel couldn’t get here. So Johnny, the drummer, did the backing vocals. Of course it sounded different to the show I saw in Madrid, but for those who had never seen The Haywains before this would have been heaven! They have so much energy on stage that can only be contagious. People were singing along and going nuts! Even with songs that I didn’t know people would know by heart. The energy was high then. And we were just waiting for the best gig of the festival now.

My Favorite. No Andrea. Doesn’t matter. For me, who are seeing them for the first time, it doesn’t matter. I can’t really compare. Michael is stealing the show. His dance moves. His boxing gloves. His mask. Le Monster. Daniel is close to me. Biggest My Favorite fan I’ve met. He is so happy to see this. To my right Christin and Maria know the songs by heart. It’s powerful. They play Absolute Beginners Again and I feel how lucky we all are. Then is just a string of classics. Claudia Gonson from The Magnetic Fields joins to sing Homeless Club Kids. It’s a party now. The Suburbs are Killing Us. And Working Class Jacket. And the moment when the whole crowd sings to the top of their lungs Burning Hearts. It feels like they are ready to keep playing more gigs, more festivals, more and more. The LPs were ready that night, and we sold many. The official release is in July. Only yesterday I got a box at home. I will update the website soon. And you’ll be able to pre-order. This was the event of the year wasn’t it?

After The Flatmates we all headed to Trophy Bar. It was still early, around 11 something PM. It seems the Knitting Factory had another event later that night. It was a huge group of indiepopkids that walked together the 10 or so minutes that takes to get there. There was a dance party there. And I didn’t dance much. I remember dancing to Pristine Christine. A true classic when I dance with Christin. Then of course The Garlands were played but the song didn’t finish. It was stopped halfway through! Ah these Djs! Around this time I started having issues with some band nagging me. And my Popfest went a bit downhill trying to solve some problems and being a bit of a nanny. To think that on Thursday I had a conversation with a girl that had been terrible to me years and years ago and handled it alright, and now this would seem more mundane, but it wasn’t. It started getting annoying. At least my good friend Felix showed up and he always brings happiness even in bad times. That was nice. I haven’t seen him in weeks.

Saturday I was finally going to see Kristine and Lisle. So I forgot about any bad things and I was happy once again. Among the best friends I’ve made in indiepop. Including Scott and his girl, Elin and Silke, all of us went to have brunch at a Mexican place not far from the Spike Hill venue. It was great to catch up with all of them. It was funny to see Elin complain that eggs can’t go together with tortillas, that that is a weird thing to do. And Silke enjoying her sangrias. It was lovely really. I kind of enjoy these eating reunions with friends a lot, as much as going to gigs, or even more. Sharing table with so many talented people, doesn’t happen to often, right? Then we went to Rough Trade. Bought the Avocados 7″ (weird, I know). And played some table tennis with Kristine. Time to head back. We stop at a small store that sells everything 90s it seems. Comics, toys, candies, etc. Lots of “stuff”. And now what. It starts to pour. We sadly miss The Arctic Flow. We make it on time for my new favorites, the band I would like to spoil, Don’t Cry Shopgirl. Their first gig ever. And they are a bit nervous. You can tell. Astrid even drops the guitar. Bam! Pum! They are funny though, and charming. And even if they made a mistake it doesn’t matter. They have fantastic songs, and that’s enough to carry on with the gig. I can’t wait to release them. One of the most honest shows the whole festival, and so down to earth. I was charmed.

And so here I stop again. We have World Cup this week! Let’s think about that now. The second part of my NYC Popfest review will come next week!

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Here’s a very obscure indiepop band from the 90s. I don’t own the record sadly and I haven’t been able to find the sleeve to see if there are any credits listed. It’s not even listed on Discogs or other music sites. It’s a shame.

The only mention I’ve found is from Roger’s old blog. Of course, who would know so much about 90s Swedish indiepop other than him? But maybe someone out there remembers them and can give me a hand? Would be great to know a bit more about them.

Théhuset released one 12″. The songs included were “Egen Varld”, “Tänk på nåt Annat” and “Vid Din Fot”. They have a nostalgic sound. It reminds me a lot about of the obscure 80s UK band Some Other Day. It has that classic combo of boy and girl backing vocals. Truly beautiful!

The cover also evokes that period of greatness of jangle, of guitar pop. A sepia tone and white. A timeless portrait of a girl. Who is she? Maybe a famous Swedish actress?

It seems that at some point the band had a Myspace. From there I know that these songs were released in 1992. It says Genre: Torch Songs. I assume that was the name of the label? Though Roger lists the label as AMBUSH.

Then there’s one last mention I found online, this time from the National Library of Sweden (this place comes back and back to me). Here, in their database, they list  a name connected to the band: Johan Gille. Johan would later form Able, and I know a bit more about that band, I do have one of their albums. It seems he wrote the songs and music for Théhuset. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to track him and ask him!

That’s all I could found online. Now why not enjoy this pretty song? And if you know anything else about them please get in touch! Would be great to know the story about this Uppsala band from the 90s.

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Listen
Théhuset – Egen Varld

 

Thanks so much to Sumire for being up for this interview! Sumire runs the lovely Violet and Claire store that stocks and supports many indiepop labels. Also she is now part of an indiepop band Black Tulips, has released records under her own label, and she has been writing liner notes and books about indiepop. A true indiepop activist of these days!

++ Hi Sumire! How are you? Thanks for being up for this interview. It’s been a long time since I saw you, might have been Indietracks and NYC Popfest the last times. How do you remember your adventures attending international festivals? What was the best of it?

I’ve been to Indietracks 3 times and I really loved atmosphere of festival. But I prefer NYC Popfest ’cause I grew up in city and love to walk around Brooklyn with my good friends and see gigs. It’s not Brooklyn but I love Cake Shop is the best venue all the time. It was the best moment to see Veronica Falls in NYC Popfest 2010.

++ And how come there are no indiepop festivals in Japan? Do you think it will happen soon?

I’m always wishing to have indiepop fest in Japan! I think we have to have more Japanese indiepop bands here. When more young bands coming out it can be happen.

++ You run the Violet and Claire store were you sell a wide array of things. You carry clothes, books, magazines, music, and much more. Tell me a bit how the store started and who curates what’s been sold at the store?

After graduating university (I had studied English literature there) and work for my dad’s urban development company, but I thought it wasn’t challenging job.
At the same time, Toshiko from Apple Crumble Records ask me to have my shop (She wanted to close her shop),One year later, I quit my job and started my own shop. When I was working at record shop, there’s chance to visit London many times, It was the time of “Twee As Fuck”, I love London girls who have very good taste of music,books and clothes and I wanted to make Japanese Girls like that.

++ And where does the name of the store come from?

I’ve lived in LA when I was 6 to 10 years old, My dad had transfer abroad with my family so. I was obsessed by Young Adult Novel such as Weetzie Bat Books, These novel was written by Francesca Lia Block. “Violet And Claire” is one of her great work. I always ask by people about Violet come from my name Sumire (Japanese Violet) but it doesn’t relate at all.

++ You don’t also carry other people’s products but you also do your own, from brooches to tote bags and everything in between. Who takes care of the design and production of these?

Some of them by me but others by Eleonora Marton, She is wife of Neil Kidgell, Both are very great designer and work for Young And Lost Club’s design too.

++ Through your store you support indiepop, your favourite kind of music. Do you think then that indiepop can be successful at being sold in stores as physical records? Everyone is so pessimistic about this!

I think it’s YES, the situation of physical records sales getting better now. more girls buying records recently. I’m not sure for boys! boys are always buying records so.

++ Talking about indiepop, when did you get into it? And what are some of your favourite bands?

I was big fan of British Rock when I was small because my mom loves them. She loves Style Council all the time! When I was junior high school student, I love more psych 60’s garage,mod music more than indiepop but when I collect of vinyls 80’s music seemed more interesting for me. Obscure/DIY music isn’t under-control and sounds very free.

My favorite bands is so difficult to choose! Glo-Worm, New Colours, The Times, Orange Juice,Veronica Falls, The Pains, Blanche Hudson Weekend, Sea Lions, Belle and Sebastian, Dolly Mixture, Anthony Adverse, The Pastels, The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd,The Divine Comedy, Pale Fountains,Dislocation Dance… much more!

++ You’ve released some records too. Tell me a bit about the ones you’ve put out and if you have any plans for the future.

I am talking with Nick to release Catwalk material as vinyls and CD album. Catwalk is one of my favorite band but it takes time to finish songs…so have to be patient for his response.

++ Nowadays you are also even in a band called Black Tulips. When are you putting out a record?! Who are the members in the band? And where can one listen to your music?

We finish recorded so now we are at pressing record, Nana (from Twinkle Twinkles), Ai and Riko (illustrator). Nana lives in Australia for a year now. There is 8 original song and we do Monochrome Set cover (because of my El taste!) not proper record songs not on-line but hope it’s soon! http://theblacktulips.tumblr.com/

++ Is this your first time playing in a band by the way?

I was in band when I was in junior high but I quit playing for long time, I was in Girls Pancakes and did few gigs with Sea Lions.

++ You seem to do so many things, a true indiepop activist. Another facet of yours is writing liner notes for Japanese edition of various indiepop records. How did this happen for the first time? And how do you like doing this? Do you consider yourself a good writer?

I really hope to be good writer, I cannot define by myself but I always love to read Japanese edition liner notes, and wish to be kinda journalist for music. Started working indie record store when I was 17years old, Owner of record store gave me chance to write, and I felt this is what I was waiting for. Now there are many male music writer but not many female. I love Chickfactor and wish to be like them!

++ And talking about writing, there’s been two books that you’ve contributed too the Indie Pop Lesson book and the 80s Guitar Pop Guide. For those who don’t know these two fantastic books can you explain a bit about them and where to get them? Also, any plans for more guitar pop books in the way?!

80’s Guitar Pop Guide was released when I was 16 years old and getting involved these music scene is my dream! It’s ultimate guide, featuring very obscure records from 80’s! Indie pop lesson, I hope more young girls to know great world of indie pop. There so many girl who has good sense of fashion but not music! Also It has been more than 10years from 80’s Guitar Pop Guide so I think we need to have kinda guide book for Guitarpop / Indiepop music.

Now I’m working on other book of music, it feats 18 female musician mainly from 80’s indiepop scene, Also I’m thinking to make 2nd of Indiepop Lesson in 2015! excited!

++ Let’s talk about Japan. It seems a good bunch of new indiepop bands have appeared in Japan in the past two years or so! Why do you think this has happened? And which would you recommend?

I think people get bored commercial rock music and have to move onto more independent music. There is small guitar pop scene in japan all the time, but I think they are too shy to spread their scene to others. I love Ykiki Beat / Jesus Weekend, they are young and very good taste (of music and fashion!)

++ And from the past what are your favourite Japanese indiepop bands?

I love TRANS ALPHABET and Satoru Ono’s 2nd Album He used be in Tenniscoats as guitarist. (http://satoruono.bandcamp.com/track/clown-song) and Citrus. I was not big Flipper’s Guitar fan.

++ Let’s talk about your city, Tokyo. Are you originally from there? And what are the best places to hang out for an indie kid in town? And if you want to go check some sights, what are the ones you’d recommend?

Now I move to Kyoto, but I go back to Tokyo, once/twice a month (It takes 2 and half hours by express train). I am originally from center of Tokyo,so very city girl I think! Shibuya is too messy to walk around but near by big Yoyogi-Park is nice to chill out. beside of park there is my most favorite coffee spot called “Little Nap Tokyo” also “EST” is my favorite Ping-Pong place! Kaoru from Comet Gain she loves to play Ping-Pong there too. Hi-Fi record store is not indiepop but it’s nice selection, in nighttime, I recommend to visit bar “Beat Cafe” I organized Veronica Falls DJ party and people there really love music.

++ Also what about Japanese food in Tokyo? What are your favourite restaurants?

That’s tough question, I love Sushi so Sushi-Stand is good to eat. I love to have dinner/lunch at cafe “Newport”, nice wine and foods also every Saturday night there is DJ and select tunes. Good food with good music sounds perfect.

++ And is there any Japanese beer you like?

I love beer but my favorite drink is Japanese whiskey “KAKU”. Kip from The Pains, he really love to drink “Chu-Hai” It’s nice but really easy to drunk…!

++ I guess you don’t have much time with everything you do, but I was wondering if aside the store, the band, the writing, and music, do you happen to have any other hobbies?

I love to run everyday. Listening to radio via iphone and think nothing just running. When I start working I’ll be very indoor person, so I need to move to refresh!

++ You once made a Cloudberry Cookie. That made me very happy! I still haven’t eaten it, can you believe? Can I ask you what’s your favourite Cloudberry release? And why?

I wish to make again! but it’s not safe to eat!!!!please DON’T eat! lol
The Parallelograms (I love song “Papageno” very cute melody!) and The Tartans (I love bands from “YAY” label and this is very crafty melody!)

++ Thanks again so much Sumire! Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank u for getting involved your blog! I’m big fan of this so very happy to be interviewed! I hope to see you soon in Japan or somewhere pretty soon!

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Listen
Satoru Ono – Ocean Song

Thanks so much to Olli and Ingo for this interview! A long time ago I wrote a small piece about this fantastic German band who released only one 12″ single back in the 80s. Soon afterwards they changed their name to Moscopeboys and continued promoting this record that included the absolutely great song “Machinery”. Strangely enough the song is a bit obscure, but it deserves to be more known! So Olli and Ingo were kind enough to reply a bunch of my questions and tell the story of Second View! Also don’t miss the unreleased song they’ve shared!

++ Wow! Hello Olli and Ingo, thanks so much for being up for this interview. I really love the songs by Second View. But tell me, are you still making any music? When was the last time you picked up an instrument?

To be honest, yesterday evening at our first meeting after a long time. We listened to some Second View demos in Ingo´s studio, played along the tunes, watched old band pictures and newspaper articles. Recently Ingo is more into electronic music production and Olli still plays the guitar in some bands, but it´s not so much the alternative thing.

++ How is Eschershausen and the Lower Saxony, the area you used to be based, these days? Has it changed much? Were there any other like-minded bands to Second View?

Basically it´s still like it used to be: a bit remote, a bit old fashioned and traditional but embedded in an incredibly nice piece of nature – very soothing! Still a place to come back an relax. We don´t really remember like-minded bands. Of course there were and still are local bands, but they are more into rock music.

++ Was Second View your first experience in a band?

Olli started in a kind of a school band together with Andreas, Martin and Martin’s brother in 1980. Ingo was a most wanted keyboard player because he owned a synthesizer, very rare at that time!

++ And how did the band start? How did you all knew each other?

The two of us met at school and decided to found Second View together with Andreas and Martin. Martin and Olli had been friends since early childhood and Andreas was a neighbour and the first New Wave-affected guy in town, really cool. In other words, it really was that typical „We are friends, we like New Wave music and we’re gonna found a band“.

++ What were you listening at that time? What were the influences of Second View?

On the one hand there were more the guitar-based bands such as The Smiths, Lloyd Cole, The Chameleons etc., on the other hand there were the electronic bands like Human League, OMD, Kraftwerk, DAF and the early Depeche Mode things. Andreas was more into New Order, Joy Division and Japan.

++ Where does the name Second View comes from?

Honestly we cannot recall exactly…, Ingo and Olli gave that name to the band… Ingo still remembers the message behind was that our music was always worth being regarded twice… funny enough that this „second view“ now happens after nearly 30 years.

++ You released only one 12″ and it’s brilliant. I was wondering if you could tell me the story behind these two songs?

We really appreciate your compliment! In terms of lyrics, one should better ask Andreas, but we think both texts are very close to his attitude towards life at that time. One should not forget, it was the No Future generation and he was the only smalltown punk). In addition, Andreas often felt isolated, led a kind of a withdrawn life and spent much time alone writing songs. Therefore, the gloomy atmosphere af the two lyrics reflects much of his life at that time. Talking about the music, the two of us developed and arranged the songs based on Andreas´ first ideas on tape.

++ The record was self-released on your own label View Records, right? I’m curious why did you go this way and also about the very strange numbers for your catalog number F 669.602?

We founded our own label and released the single by ourselves because there was no label within the next 200 miles who was interested in that kind of music. So we did all the work, which was tough but interesting. The catalogue number was set by EMI, where the records were manufactured. It´s just a prduction number and never appeared elsewhere.

++ Then you found a manager who asked you to change names. I wanna hear who was the manager and how did your relationship start?

Ingo went to university in Münster, where he got to know the Axels Seitz of the Fun Factory label. He liked the record but didn´t liked the name.

++ You changed the name to Moscopeboys. Where does this name comes from?

A dictionary. We were under time pressure and had to decide quickly. So Olli scrolled through an English dictionary, Ingo said stop and there it was: the word „moscope“. Having laughed about the other 20 words before, this was best match.

++ You were telling me a very curious story. The remaining copies of the Second View that you had in stock were then placed in Moscopeboys jackets. So it’s really the same record all in all. Who made this decision? And looking back was it good or a bad idea to change names? Did you lose any following?

Yes, that´s all true. Axel convinced us to make that step and make the whole thing more professional and possibly profitable. Looking back we regret that decision. If we ever publish any other material on youtube etc., we will definitely use the old name.

++ And was Fun Factory, the label that ‘released’ the Moscopeboys 12″, ran by you guys as well?

No, not at all. It was just a deal.

++ You used to drive for hours to find good record stores. So I wonder, what record is your most priced possession? And what kind of car did you drive back in those days?

Olli drove an old Renault R5 and Ingo had a Datsun Cherry. There was really good record store in Hanover where we bought our records. Another good opportunity was mail order from Britain. We are not quite sure about the records but we bought some incredibly expensive bootlegs of The Smiths.

++ Tell me about gigs. Did you play many concerts? Which were your favourites and why?

We played some 15 local shows before we recorded Machinery. After having the management we played around10 concerts in the west and the north of Germany. Ollis favourite concert was a show in Osnabrück because the sound was good, there were more than 1000 people and a fantastic atmosphere. Among the fans there was a very nice group of young people from England who met us after the show in the backstage area. Ingo agrees to my choice but would like to add that there was another big and exciting festival in Münster together with Element of Crime, a band that is still very successful here in Germany.

++ And how was the creative process for you guys? How did songs shape up? Also, was there any thoughts about making songs in German?

Actually we started in German and then changed into English. Usually the two of us came together and one of us brought a new idea. Then we worked on the new song, changed things, added things, so, the usual process until we were satisfied with the result. Then we gave it to Andreas for the lyrics, if he had not already been with us thinking about a text while we were working on the song.

++ During the lifetime of Second View there were some lineup changes. Who left and who came in, and why?

In 1987, Thorsten joined the band to play the second guitar and to do the back vocals during live shows.
Martin left the band in 1988 due to his career as a mechanic. For a short time Fred Lemke from Hamelin joined us and played the drums during the studio sessions for the longplayer. But we never performed together on stage.

++ Then in 1987, in Leverkusen while recording, the band split up. Why did this happen? And did the band left many unreleased songs that never got released?

We recorded in Leverkusen at the Bayer Studio. The company supported newcomers and let them record at their excellently equipped studio for a fair price. The problem was that we only had time to be there at the weekends. It was always difficult to find dates fitting for all people involved. At that time Olli and Ingo recognized that in this difficult situation Andreas was more interested in other things than in the band. After a few months in which we had been trying to save the project we decided to split up. We could replace the drummer but we did not have any clue to replace the singer and the writer of the lyrics.

++ After splitting, some years later, you started Ultramarin. How would you describe the music of this new project of yours and how different would you say it was from Second View/Moscopeboys?

Olli needed some two years to recover from all the frustration that the Second View thing brought with it. Then, in 1991, he asked Thorsten to perform some songs in a kind of a duet. A year later, after having written some new songs with German lyrics, Ingo joined Ultramarin. But Ultramarin has always been more a project than a band. We invited many musicians to do recording sessions with us and it took over five years before we could master and release the CD. Ultramarin only played two live shows with guest musicians. It differs from the Second View sound because the songs are in German, it is more a soothing, acoustic music with many instruments that are not typical of an alternative band (i.e. trumpet, cello, flute). And, it is a different singer.

++ You released one CD with Ultramarin but you say you don’t plan to release anything else with them. What’s the reasoning behind it?

It is just that we all live in different parts of the country and over the years it has become more difficult to meet and perform. We all have correct jobs, families and other pleasant things that keep you away from meeting.

++ So looking back, all these years making music, what would you say was your biggest highlight?

Indeed there are two: We still remember our car drive back from the studio in Detmold to our hometown listening to the first fully mastered tape of our record. It was a 60 minutes car drive and only the two songs were played again and again… great! The second highlight was Ingo’s phone call when he told me to switch on the radio and listen to Machinery.

++ And these days, aside from music, what other things do you guys enjoy doing? Any other hobbies?

It is still the music thing! Apart from that we enjoy spending time with our families.

++ I’ve visited Germany so many times but I’ve never been close to the area where you are based. I was wondering what’s the typical stuff there, what are the good beers, and the traditional dishes? And what about the sights? I’d love to visit some day!

If you ever come to South Lower Saxony you will recognize that apart from the beautiful landscape there are ancient and nice towns like Hamelin. In addition, there are some local breweries such as „Einbecker Bier“, which is well-known all over the country. Local food for example is deer.

++ Thanks so much for your answers! So great to have learned a bit more about your band. Anything else you’d like to add?

We are deeply thankful for all the interest you put into our music and the time you spend on this blog project.

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Listen
Second View – December Sky

Approaching now to Popfest weekend. I’m not sure if there’s anything else to talk about at this point. I know a bunch of friends were last weekend at Copenhagen Popfest, and from the photos I’ve seen, it looked like a great time. They had a fantastic lineup. This weekend another bunch of people will be enjoying San Francisco Popfest. But for me both of these festivals seem to be a galaxy far away. My mind, my heart, is already looking forward to next week’s NYC Popfest.

The lineup is brilliant once again. Some weeks ago I went over it and mentioned the bands I really wanted to see. I missed one. And I want to apologize for that. How could I?! You know I’m talking about The Garlands.

I remember the first time I listened to them on Myspace. Would have been 2007.  Or even 2006. I think Andreas Olsson sent me the link. There was only a pre-Raphaelite painting as the profile photo. I didn’t know who the Garlands were. The day I contacted them and asked if they were up for releasing something and said yes I was terribly happy. Still I only know it was a girl called Christin and a boy called Roger. I didnt hear from them for a long time. I thought they quit making music. I thought they were not interested anymore. Or maybe they just forgot about our 3″ single release.

Almost a year later I hear from Cosy Recordings. Back then Matthias was friendly. He said that he had been in touch with the Garlands about releasing a CD as well and they told him that they had promised me already a release. They did remember. I learned then that it was Roger from Nixon the Roger in Garlands. I was thrilled. How did I not notice! Well of course he wasn’t singing, but the melodies were there. We agreed then in doing a co-release, as long as it was released I had no problem. There were 4 songs, one a George Michael cover even. They were fantastic. That’s when I met Karin too, she made the artwork for the release. It all went fast. In a matter of weeks the release was ready. I made 100 copies on the 3″ format. I can’t remember how many copies Cosy did, but it was the 5″ regular sized CD. It was a great time. The record sold out fast.

Months later all of a sudden Christin and me became good friends. We met at London Popfest. We hanged a lot. Then we went to Indietracks together with our friend Emelie. That’s more or less when a fantastic friendship was born. Since that time I’ve met Christin so many times around Europe. The last time just a month ago in Stockholm while we strolled past the cherry blossoms and ate ice cream.

I can’t forget the birthday celebration of 2013. Or London Popfest 2010, or Chickfactor shows in London. The lunches, the dinners, the beers. Of course there’s been bad moments as in any friendship, but I want to think those are over. For me indiepop has been, unintentionally, a vehicle to meet great people, and better friends. Christin is on of the important friends I’ve met, on that I trust blindly. Even the secrets and the love stories. So believe me when I say that I’m super thrilled that The Garlands, that small band that started as a duo and grew up as a 5 piece (even at some point at 6 piece!), is coming finally to the US.

I’ve been bugging Christin to come for ages. And now they are finally playing NYC Popfest. The band as I was saying has changed a lot through the years. What was the live band has become now the proper band having a say on the recordings and all. There’s no Patrik anymore sadly. That for me is such a big lost. Another good friend, Pata left the band some months ago. He was the funny guy of the band, who would talk between songs and make the crowd laugh while the rest of the band tuned their instruments or got ready. Another loss was that of Robert, the fantastic drummer who once was part of Hari and Aino. Two great musicians. Now I look forward to see how the new band mates fit in.

Christin’s voice though is still there, unique, and dazzling. Einar’s class guitars are also still part of the mix. And you can count with the pounding bass of Maria. Three of the best of all Sweden. You can’t question that.

Not so long ago they released a 7″ with Christmas songs on a Dutch label. They are bringing that to sell at Popfest. They are bringing too some tote bags with a unicorn silkscreened. Unicorns and cats are what Christin adores. Also the debut LP on Shelfilfe will be available. It’s a classic that even went to a second pressing I believe.

It’s been years since Christin and her cat saga appeared on the cover of the Cloudberry fanzine, the pink fanzine. It’s been a long time. I haven’t seen them play since March 2013 when they still had the “classic” lineup. That was my birthday. I turned 29 and was heartbroken. They made my year. I’m only thankful. Any misunderstanding that have happened afterwards or before are things of the past. Those of you attending Popfest better check them out.

The Garlands are playing Saturday 31st at Cameo Gallery at 9:15pm.

——————————————————–

If the Garlands had been around 1982 perhaps they would have sound a bit like Dancette, our obscure band of the week.

I know mostly nothing about them. I haven’t been able yet to find their one and only single released on Bel Records (SJP 836) in 82. But I do know for sure that it’s a cracking single!

If you like a bit of Orange Juice mixed with Dolly Mixture, “Going Green”, is just that perfect marriage. It’s such a lovely song that should have been a BIG HIT. Hard to believe it’s only known among only a handful of people. Well, let’s try to make some justice now, right?

The B side of the single is also nice. It’s called “He’s Clever” and sounds a bit different but still a top crack. It sounds a bit more like the bands from that period, like Moody Elevators, A Thousand Miles of Sunshine, Big Outdoor Type, if you know what I mean.

There are some credits on the back of the sleeve. The band was formed by David Brown, Julia, Emma Kelly, Mark Kovand and Vincent Taylor. The record was recorded at Fair Deal Studios in Hayes, Middlesex. Their manager was Simon Panell and the engineer for the record was Stuart. The design of the green and white sleeve was made by Tony Lyons.

And that’s about it. There’s absolutely nothing more online about them. It’s a shame as I really love this single!! Does anyone out there know anything else about the great Dancette? Whatever happened to them?!

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Listen
Dancette – Going Green

Thanks so much to Javi for this fantastic interview! I know Javi for many years now, since he had the Lost and Found blog possibly around 2004! He was always rediscovering a bunch of obscure bands back then. Some years later up until these days I would always meet him at festivals, especially at Indietracks! A true indiepop fan! So it’s no surprise then that this year he has embarked in a project that I’m sure will bring him many surprises, that of a label. Few are as passionate about indiepop as him, and I’m sure you will agree after reading this interview. Also you’ll notice his great taste in music, as he is putting top-notch up and coming indiepop bands out on his label. So keep an eye on Pretty Olivia (follow them on Facebook too) as I think it’s going to have a great run in indiepop history!

++ Hi Javi! Please tell me how this new adventure started! When did you decide that it was time to put together a record label? What triggered it?

Hi Roque, it’s a pleasure to chat with you about our common passion.

There wasn’t an only reason, really, first of all I had just lost my job and for the first time in my life I had the opportunity of thinking about what I was going to do with my life. Also I needed to get involved in music in other way, returning part of what music has gave me.

As Paddy McAloon sings: “music is a princess, I’m just a nobody who’d gladly give his life for her majesty”

And last but not least, my wife’s support, without her Pretty Olivia Records wouldn’t exist.

++ Have the idea of having a record label being in your mind for a long time? Was it something you’ve always wanted to do?

I have to admit that: yes!!, this has been a dream for many years.

I always had the ambition to discover hidden treasures and show them to everyone. And pop music is full of treasures unknown to the public. We have to solve that injustice!

Many years ago I defined my life with this sentence: “Looking for The Go Betweens” (it’s still my profile in twitter hahaha). That sentence sums up my thoughts, nowadays everyone knows the Go-Betweens, but back in the day they were the most brilliant hidden treasure. I’m always looking for the Go Betweens, looking further from the obvious…

++ Where does the name of the label come from?

Olivia is my daughter; she is 3 years old now. This is like a legacy for her, not the label itself but the fact that you have to be involved in the things you love.

You have to take an active position to preserve everything you love. Society is forgetting this.

++ And what about the logo? Does it have a meaning?

Hahaha, yes, it’s like a joke. It’s inspired, of course, in the symbol of the masonry.

The masonry use this symbol but with the “G” of “God” (or “Gadu”, the universal architect). I use the “P” of “Pop”, like a logia or sect of Pop advocators or something like that, like putting “pop” in the middle of our life.

My friend Ana (the designer of the logo) always says (like a joke) that my way of thinking is quite close to masonry so we thought that it was a good idea to use it as the symbol of the label. I really like it.

++ So far you’ve put two records out. Let’s start by the first one: Loor a los Heroes. Who are they? How did you find them?

Loor a los Heroes are a fantastic young band from Wigan, UK.

They are amazing, they know how to jangle, they have that touch of British indiepop from the 80’s and they are also very strong songwriters. You can also hear some echoes of the northern soul in the rhythm section (logical, they are from Wigan). They have a lot of fantastic songs that deserve to be released someday.

Members are Flynn Murnan (singer, composer and rhytm guitars), Matthew Smith (Lead guitars), Joe Howard (Bass) and Chris McIntyre (drums).

I don’t remember how I discovered them, someone put a link to their soundcloud page and “White Village” was there. I cannot describe how much I love that song. It’s pure pop perfection. The kind of song that makes you begin with a record label.

++ And what about Vicente Prats?

Vicente is an incredibly talented guy from Valencia, Spain. He recorded the record at his home, playing every instrument back in 2008/2009. He has a great instinct for hooks and is a fantastic guitar player.

Everyone who loves bands like Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, Matthew Sweet or Cooper have to listen to this record, for me, in this style, is one of the best records ever made in Spanish language.

It’s quite close to sold out, and I cannot be happier with that.

He is going to play in the next International Pop Overthrow, in Liverpool, with his band (Startrip)!

++ Are there any other releases planned out?

Yes! I’m going to tell you something you will love (and every fan of the jangle side of indiepop too).

Our next record will be the definitive edition (in vinyl, of course) of the first songs by the Australian The Rainyard. For me it’s the jangliest record ever made. 15 hits only released in cassettes back in the 80s/90s (well, and one 7” in the incredible Summershine label), remastered for this occasion.

I think it’s a masterpiece, and can’t wait to release it!!

We are working hard in the artwork also, I hope to have everything ready soon.

I have more ideas in mind; Pretty Olivia is here to stay.

++ So far you’ve only released vinyl records, will that continue to be like that, or would you consider doing CDs as well?

You can never say never, but it’s not likely. Vinyl is by far my favorite format, and I know that this limits the public (it’s more expensive, more shipping costs, etc.), but I have to be loyal to the way I think about pop. I will die with my ideas, I’m too old for changing now.

++ This is probably still new to you, but so far what have been the most exciting things about running the label? and what about the most difficult ones?

The most exciting?

When you discover a great song and write to the author, the gratitude of the bands, the fans, seeing the bands gaining the reputation they deserve, each time someone thanks you for your work…

The most difficult ones?

Distribution, without a doubt. It’s frustrating not having access for distribution channels, contacts, etc. in different countries.

I’m also frustrated about shipping costs, they are killing the independent labels. It’s tragic.

++ Would you say there has been other labels that have influenced you music-wise or even aesthetically? If so, who?

There are a lot of them. I’m a big fan of the pre-Oasis Creation and all the big independent labels of the 80s: Factory, 4AD, Beggars Banquet, Rough Trade … at least until they tried to become multis. I also love Sarah, Postcard, Crepuscule, … all of them have been an inspiration in one way or another. Well, Flying Nun is of course a continuous inspiration.

Nowadays, I think Cloudberry holds the flame of a true independent spirit, you are very important for us Roque, this is a good place for saying it, my friend.

Let me also praise one new label from Spain, Tenorio Cotobade. I think they are quite similar to Pretty Olivia. They have released the 2 Ginnels albums (the new one is a masterpiece!!) and a fantastic Zebra Hunt single. Everyone should have a look at this label.

++ From bands in the past, if you could just dream, which bands would you have loved to sign to Pretty Olivia records? And any contemporary bands?

Well, you know my favorite all time band is The Go Betweens, but there are thousands I would love to have released: Prefab Sprout, Orange Juice, Pale Saints, any Flying Nun band,…

From now, the Felt Tips, Ginnels, High Hazels, Trick Mammoth, the Lottery Winners,… there are hundreds of bands I love and I would be happy to release their records.

++ Your releases are limited to 300 copies with download codes and have really cool artwork on the jackets. On top of that the music is ace. But, where can people buy the records?

Our webpage is: prettyolivia.bigcartel.com

We sell worldwide, of course.

In Spain the releases are available in some good physical shops, and you can find our records in Rough Trade London (not sure in Brooklyn, will check it).

Jigsaw also has our records (a good chance for saving costs, they have thousands of fantastic records).

++ Is there any pros in being based in Alicante, Spain? Are there any good bands or good venues where bands come and play?

I think the only “pro” of being based in Alicante is the weather. Well, it’s also a very well connected city because of the tourism. The Alicante airport is also one of the few that flies to East Midlands, and that’s great for Indietracks Festival hahaha.

There’s only one Alicante pop band that really deserves attention: Oh, Libia!

They made psychedelic pop with 60s influences, and with fantastic songs. Even Douglas T.Stewart likes them!

No one is interested in indiepop here, but fortunately there are some power pop concerts, and we have Naranja y Negro which is one of the best record stores in Spain.

++ And what about the Spanish scene? Seems there are less and less labels and bands compared to say 10 years ago. What do you think happened?

Well, that’s not an easy question to answer.

I think there are still loads of bands and labels but there’s a lot less interest in indiepop. It’s true that 10 years ago, when tontipop exploded on the scene (the equivalent of twee pop in Spain), naïve, innocent pop became very popular. This new scene joined bands from a few years earlier (Fresones Rebeldes, TCR, La Buena Vida, Le Mans, etc.) and for while pop was everywhere.

To be honest, I think it died off because there was just too much. We can’t compare the records put out by Los Fresones, La Buena Vida or Family with the more recent tontipop bands (I’m not going to give any names because I respect those who try).

I don’t know if people have turned to garage or noise as a reaction against all that and have forgotten about writing good songs, when a harder sound shouldn’t mean you can’t write good songs.

That’s kind of what I feel about the Spanish scene: there are lots of interesting stuff out there but not many really good songs.

Then there’s Elefant, that’s a different case. Elefant has played a decisive role in the evolution of indiepop in Spain. For years they’ve been leading the way for many people and, to be honest, now I’m not at all sure what the right direction is now.

Siesta has also got lost along the way too; it used to be an essential label and now it’s disappeared in combat.

But not everything’s negative, not by a long way, apart from Tenorio Cotobade who I mentioned to you earlier; there are Spanish labels that are fighting to release interesting projects.

I don’t want to leave anyone out but here’s a list: Discos de Kirlian (look out for the fantastic Puzzles y Dragones or Fred I son and Coach Station Reunion, among others), Discos de Paseo, Ayo Silver! (not very pop oriented but produces some of the most interesting records at the moment), Jabalina (fighting on the pop battle lines for many years), Catalan indie groups such as Univers, who are wonderful, Gramaciones Grabofónicas,… Lots of small labels with plenty of enthusiasm, something good is bound to come out of all that, definitely!

++ And talking about Alicante, just for the sake of it, what’s the best the town has to offer? What’s their traditional food?

As I said before the best thing in Alicante is the weather. Also the beaches and the food are great. It’s not a beautiful city (apart from the castle and the beaches), nothing relevant from the cultural side and is the hometown of the most corrupt and stupid politicians you can imagine (and Spain has a lot of them).

The food is really great. The Mediterranean Sea is generous with this land and the seafood is incredible. The most typical food is the rice, in thousands of varieties and combinations. You really have to taste it to know how great it can be.

++ Just out of curiosity, do you play any instruments? Have you ever had a band?

No! It’s a permanent frustration for me, but I haven’t any talent at all. My voice is not melodic also hahaha.

++ And what about your record collection? An estimate of the number of records? Most prized items in it?

Well, my record collection is quite big now, more or less 4.600 records (in any format). Sometimes I think I’m mad, but sometimes I think that I’m not mad because of my record collection haha.

I think that my most prized items are 12” from the golden age of indiepop (obscure bands from the 80s): Apple Boutique, Clamheads, Potting Sheds, Boy Hairdressers, Red Harvest,… that kind of bands. I’m not obsessed with it, I have records because I love them, not thinking in the prize or economic value of them.

++ Javi, back in the day you had a fantastic blog, that’s how I met you! I think I discovered so many obscure bands through you. Why did you stop? And have you ever thought of bringing it back?

I really don’t remember the reasons why I left the blog.

It’s a shame because it even was useful for bringing together members of bands that haven’t seen each other for years.

And of course it was great for knowing people like you.

I’m thinking about it, maybe a new blog as part of the label page, maybe a podcast…

++ I also know that you are one of the biggest Go-Betweens fans I know, so let me ask you, Grant McLennan or Robert Forster? And what about your favourite album? and favourite song?

Grant or Robert, Robert or Grant. That’s like “who you prefer, mum or dad?”

Both are my favourite all-time artists, my life would be completely different without their songs, they had made a big impact in my education, I really feel that.

Maybe I prefer the Grant songs in the Go-Betweens, but the solo career of Robert is stronger, specially “Danger in the past” and “The Evangelist” which are as great as The Go-Betweens albums.

My favourite albums? Not sure, but “Liberty Belle” and “16 lovers lane” are really special for me.

And songs? Really difficult question, I change it every day. OK, today: “That way”.

++ On top of that you are always at indiepop festivals, it’s always great to see you at Indietracks drinking beers, front row of the legendary bands! So far which has been the best Indietracks you’ve attended? And will you be coming back this year? What would you say is that thing that makes this festival special, like no other?

Indietracks is “my” festival: fantastic music, superb location, gentle people from every part of the world, record shopping, the best beers, hundreds of friends,…

I think the 2009 edition is unbeatable, I will never forget that festival. Teenage Fanclub in the rain, singing “Baby Lee” for the first time… I’m sure that Elefant Records hosting the main stage was very important for the quality of the festival.

And now the difficult question… No, I’m not going again this year. I’m a bit disappointed with the line-up. For people outside UK it’s really expensive to go there and if we don’t like most of the bands that play the decision is clear.

I will come back next years, but not this one. I will miss it, anyway.

++ Do tell, do you see yourself doing the label still for another five years? or ten? Do you think we’ll be overtaken by digital releases at some point?

Yes, at least that’s my intention. I don’t know If I will release 2 or 20 records a year, but Pretty Olivia is here to stay.

I’ve just read that the main vinyl factory in USA cannot afford the demand… Vinyl is back, and it’s complimentary to the digital releases, I think.

I have doubts about the CD, no one seems to want them anymore. They will return in 20 years hahahaha

++ Let’s start wrapping the interview Javi, but what about merch? Are there any plans for that?

I have no plans for merch in the short term, but I will love to make t-shirts.

++ And one last question, aside from listening, collecting and now releasing music, what other hobbies do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Well, I’m a family man now, and nothing is more joyful for me than sparing my time with my wife and daughter. I also play basketball and soccer every week. And well, I love everything related to food, go to new restaurants, cooking,…

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Listen
Loor a los Heroes – White Village

Thanks so much to John McElwee for the interview! Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote a small piece about the Subtonics on the blog and happily Paul Comaskey got me in touch with John, the driving force of the band as he called him. John has been kind enough to answer a bunch of my questions and in that way tell the story of this great band from the late 80s that released a classic 7″ with the songs “Take it Easy Florence” and “Nothing to Lose”. If you are not familiar with them, well, this is a good time to discover them!

++ Hi John! Thanks so much for the interview! How are you doing?

Very well thank you!

++ When was the last time you picked up your guitar?

A few days ago.

++ Are you still recording and performing?

Yes. I’ve never stopped performing, mostly with others in “The Sound of Spaghetti Junction” and “The Kings of Spain”, but also solo. I hadn’t recorded anything for 10 years until 3 weeks ago. I treated myself to 5 hours in a studio and recorded 10 songs. All live single takes with secondary parts added to a few.

++ I always wondered what sort of music were you listening at the time of the Subtonics, I guess a pretty eclectic mix?

Yes. My first love is Soul and Reggae. That’s what I heard/danced to at the local youth club when I was 12. Around the mid to late eighties I suppose it would’ve been The Smiths, Prefab Sprout, REM but I’d also started listening to Jazz. We used to play a few bars of Coltrane’s “Love supreme” and segue into Van Morrison’s “The Way Young Lovers Do” in our live set. The people who I own most music by and who I’ve listened to all my adult life are Sly & the Family Stone (I got the idea of using fiddle from his album “Small talk”) and Tom Waits – though I’m starting to build up a collection of Sun Ra at the moment.

++ How did you all meet and how did the Subtonics start as a band?

Paul Kelly I met by advertising for a bassist.

Melanie was singing in a play that I was in.

Paul Comaskey and I went to the same youth club and had lots of mutual friends but we didn’t become good friends until a few years later.

Aiden and I met aged 5. We went to school together. I lost contact when we changed schools at 11 but met him again through music years later. Aiden was a member of The Ian Campbell Folk Group and was a songwriter and performer in his own right. The Dubliners recorded one of his songs, “Dublin You’re Breaking My Heart”. I heard them play it last year at a festival in Moseley (where I live). They may not have known that Aiden had written the song within a few hundred metres of the gig. It was very poignant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBTX69uzLCk

Nick Smith – I can’t quite remember how we met but I think it was via Paul C. The last time I saw Nick was at ‘The Mean Fiddler” in London. He turned up in the dressing room at a Kings of Spain gig. I’ve just googled him: http://www.starnow.com/nicksmithsax

 ++ Have you been in bands previously?

Yes. I had a band called “The Truth Eggs” with Steve Sparks and Simon Colley (ex Duran Duran). We nearly got signed by virgin with our first demo. We only did a few gigs. Then Simon got signed to Virgin with another band and Steve moved to Austin Texas.

++ And where does the name of the band comes from?

The dictionary. We just looked for a musical term.

++ How was Erdington? Do you still live in the area? What were the places/venues you used to hang out the most?

Erdington was a very ordinary, mostly working class, suburb. It’s only claim to fame is that it had a club called “Mothers” but that was before my time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_(music_venue)

Now, it’s quite an economically and socially deprived area with high unemployment and associated problems. I still have friends there and go to one of my old haunts, “The New Inns” to meet up/watch football. I moved across the city to Moseley in 1990.

++ Were there any like-minded bands in town during that period that you liked and followed?

Like minded? No. When we started out we did a few gigs with ”The Nervous Kind”. They were very 60’s orientated. I loved their shows. Paul C was their drummer. We also did gigs with “Sons of Shane” from Stafford. Again, they were 60’s influenced. They were good fun live. Deryck from the band is still a friend and played keys on some Subtonics recordings. They made one 7”, “Fly”. I suggested we join forces and create one label but they declined.

++ Tell me about your gigs. Did you play many? What were some of your favourites and why?

We played a lot of gigs. I probably enjoyed them all. I tend to remember odd moments rather than whole shows. Such as the time we played the “Tower Ballroom”. It had a revolving stage. We got on the stage and waited while it slowly turned us around to the audience. We started the first song and within seconds Paul K broke a bass string. At the end of the song they set the stage turning and off we went so he could replace the string. Then they turned it on again to send us back to the audience. It was ridiculous.

We had 2 companies coming to see us at “Dingwalls”, London. After sound-check we had a few hours to kill. It was a Sunday and the local cafes were closed. We went to a pub to eat but they weren’t serving food. I hadn’t eaten all day. I had 3 pints of “real ale”. I didn’t realise how strong it was until I left the pub and hit the air. On stage, I was slurring when I spoke between songs. Andy Ross, from Food records, told Annie that when we played the first song he thought, “wow”, but that when I spoke it was clear that I was drunk. He said if I was drinking at that point in my career he wouldn’t touch us. He said if Annie could guarantee I didn’t have a drink problem he would see us again, sober. He didn’t. He signed Blur.

++ I read you were in Austin, Texas, and then you were deported. What’s this story about? Did you play and tour a lot in the US?

It’s mostly lies I’m afraid. I had been in Austin and a number of my friends had moved there. Paul C was in the process of moving to the US to join his brother but Paul was refused entrance at immigration and sent back. It took him a year to get things sorted out so he could move to the US and during that year he was a Subtonic. I did get to play shows in California with “The Kings of Spain” but as I couldn’t afford to take the band I hooked up with Paul C and Simon Colley and they became Kings of Spain for a short while.

++ And also is it true the story of Richard V. Frank that he funded the record? How did that happen? How did you meet him?

I met Dick aged 3. We also went to school together from 5 to 17. We’re still friends. Dick had helped “The Truth Eggs”, he got Virgin interested and he got “Rough Trade” to sell our first tape, he even designed our artwork. When Truth Eggs finished he came to see me for a chat and as he left he gave me an envelope with a cheque for £100 (a lot of money to me then) to make some more music. I was moved but as I didn’t have a band I didn’t feel I could use it. When Subtonics decided to release a single, we needed money for manufacturing. I asked Dick and he agreed to put about 33% up (I think?). Annie Healy put in about the same and I paid the rest. I’m forever grateful to Dick and Annie.

 ++ You, as far as I know, released one 7″, the one with “Take it Easy Florence”. Would you mind telling the story behind both songs on the single?

Florence is based on the idea of an obsessive character (Florence) whose love was unrequited. She tracks the other person down years later. Now she looks and seems different and succeeds in gaining the other persons love.

Nothing to lose – I can’t exactly remember, I know that the “troubles” in Northern Ireland and colonialism were in my thoughts. The key to the song was/is “The sun will shine tomorrow”, an empirical truth.

++ And are there any more recordings by the Subtonics?

Yes. We did a 6 track cassette release prior to the single. It got us some radio plays and record company interest. Paul C sent me a CD copy of it a few years ago but the quality is not very good. I could search my loft for a cassette if you’re interested? There are live recordings on cassette also – again, somewhere in the loft. I’ve not heard them for many years. I know there was one of Paul C’s last ever Subtonics gig and the drum riser collapsed during the set.

++ How come you didn’t record more records? Was there any interest from labels?

“Backs” distributed the single and Derek at Backs loved it. He wanted us to do more.

++ How do you remember the recording sessions for the single?

I think we did it in an evening. It cost £90. Aiden had never played that type of music. I’d given him a cassette of the song a week before but when I called to collect him he said he hadn’t listened to it. I think he worked his part out on the spot. He was always a bit disorganised in his life but once we got him to the studio he was totally focused. I don’t think Nick was happy with his part. I think we should have given him more time and encouragement. The rest of us had been playing the songs live, so we just knocked them out live, probably one take.

++ The record was released on Life of Man Records. Was that your own label? And how come the catalog was both 001 and 002?

Yes, my own label. Catalogue number? I didn’t know what I was doing.

++ And then what happened? When and why did you split?

We started to get some radio. Micky Bradley from “The Undertones” phoned me up to tell me how much he loved the record and that he was playing it on his radio show in Northern Ireland. I heard it a few times by chance which was nice. We got some good reviews also. We also got some bigger gigs. However, Paul C left for the US before we‘d received the copies of the record and we were using a session drummer for gigs. He was brilliant but he was charging us so much that he was taking every penny we earned. We’d been gigging for 3 years and had been able to cover our expenses and pay for any recordings. When Paul left it wasn’t the same.

++ After the band split, did you all continue making music?

Yes. I had a bit of break from gigging and wrote some new songs. Then I got Melanie to sing them. We became “The Sound of Spaghetti Junction”. We did loads of gigs as a duo and released one 10 song cassette (again, I may have a couple in the loft). We had lots of interest and were offered a deal by an off-shoot of Central TV. We turned it down on a lawyer’s advice. We had management and were making a little money. Then Melanie quit. She was attracting a lot of attention and getting a lot of offers to work with other people. Oddly, when we met up recently she told me she’s been going to open mic evenings and singing my songs.

I then started gigging solo and recoded a session for the BBC. I decided to record some songs with other musicians and found Richard Heath – drums, Mickey Harris – Bass (ex Lilac Time & Everything But The Girl) and Steve Shaw (aka Brennan) – violin (Ex Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Proclaimers and more). They loved the recording and wanted to gig. The Kings of Spain were born. We did a couple of BBC sessions and were regular headliners at the Mean Fiddler acoustic room. We were getting record company interest but nothing concrete. Then we had a party in my garden and we played a set and recorded it straight to DAT. It cost £10 to hire the machine. We got it pressed up on CD, the record companies ran a mile but the reviews were great, we got to do radio interviews and sessions and BBC TV came and filmed us in my garden. We released 2 more albums with changes in personel. A fourth was recorded but never released. Two of the mainstays of the last version of TKOS, Paul Keeves and Russell Poyner, now live in Germany so it’s become too difficult for them to continue. I have been to Germany a couple of times and played as TKOS with Russell. So now I’ve begun a new solo recording and who knows what will happen next?

Paul C and Nick you have links to.

Paul K is now a drummer in a covers band.

Aiden died tragically about 15 years ago but was active in music to the end.

++ Are you all still in touch?

With both Pauls and Melanie, yes. Haven’t seen Nick for about 15 years or more.

++ If you would have to pick the highlight of being in the Subtonics, what would you say that was?

I don’t know. All the memories are good; from travelling down to London and sleeping on floors to play scruffy half empty gigs to turning on the radio and thinking, that’s us!

++ And these days, aside from music, what takes most of your time? Do you have any other hobbies?

I have had a day Job for last 16 years. I teach people to speak English and I get to meet lots of interesting folks from all around the world.

++ I’ve never visited Birmingham or Erdington. Just out of curiosity, what’s the best it has to offer to a visitor?

Birmingham is a lot better now than it was during Subtonics’ days. It’s like a lot of cities, if you have a good guide who knows your tastes you’ll have a good time. It’s very multicultural. I think it has more parks and trees than any other European city and it has more canals than Venice!

++ Thanks so much John! Anything else you’d like to add?

Roque, I haven’t thought about this stuff for a long time. Once I started writing, the memories came flooding back and it’s been hard to stop! I hope you don’t mind all the detail. I’m sure you can edit it into something acceptable. Thanks for giving a reason to reminisce.

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Listen
Subtonics – Take it Easy Florence

Thanks so much to John O’Sullivan for the interview! Back in October I wrote a bit about Public Address on the blog and John was kind enough to get in touch. He was also up for answering some questions and sharing the story of his band! You’ll find the answers right below! Now sit back, grab a beer, and enjoy the read!

++ Hi John! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! Tell me are you still making music?

Hello Roque, you’re more than welcome, and thank you for asking me. Yes, I still write and play music, but only for my own pleasure nowadays, the fire in the belly to play live has left me. In fact, I’ve only played live on one occasion in the last twenty-five years when myself and Glenn (the bass player from Public Address) did a set of covers, including an old PA track, Goodbye From Her, at his wedding reception in Edinburgh in 2011. I still love the songwriting process, even without an outlet for it nowadays.

++ And still living in Worksop? What were the places you used to hang out? Has it changed much since they heyday of Public Address? Are there any sights worth checking out in town?

Yes, I still live in Worksop, although that will be changing soon. Back in the 80s there were quite a few venues were live music flourished in Worksop. The Frog & Nightgown and The Old Ship Inn are two that spring to mind. It was at The Old Ship that we stole our drummer, Derron, from his then current band (their name escapes me, sorry). We used to rehearse at a few places in town, a room above The Queens Head was used a few times, but our main room was at The Regal Cinema on Carlton Road, across from The Frog, which was our post-rehearsal watering hole of choice. Worksop has changed a lot these past thirty years and I rarely venture into town to socialise to be honest. I live on the doorstep of Sherwood Forest (Robin Hood and all that) with lots of fantastic countryside surrounding the town, so I enjoy going for walks in the area. Clumber Park is a large National Trust property on the edge of Worksop which is well worth a visit.

++ Where there any other good bands in the area that you liked?

There were some great bands in and around Worksop, but I can’t remember any of their names, sorry. How bad is that? Worksop is only a short drive from Sheffield which was producing lots of great bands in the early 80s, including Heaven 17 and The Human League. I have a vague memory of drinking (that’s why it’s vague) in The Frog with Phil Oakey on one occasion. But I may have dreamt it.

++ How did the band start? How did you all meet?

Me and Glenn knew each other all the way through our schooldays, and it was our love of The Beatles that got us into music and the idea of forming a band. We started writing songs when we were 13/14 years old – terrible songs! – but as we got older we got better. Well, I hope we did anyway. I still have cassettes of our early efforts, some of which I’ve put on MP3, which get an airing once in a blue moon. It was through Glenn that I met Stuart, our lead guitarist, as they both worked together. He had played in bands in Manchester in the late 70s/early 80s, supporting the likes of Joy Division and New Order, and was the driving force in getting the band to be more professional. Stuart and I eventually worked together as arrangers on the songs, and his lead guitar riffs were an essential part of our sound. Derron, as I mentioned earlier, was poached from another local band and was, together with Glenn on bass, part of a great rhythm team that kept us tight when we played live. Glenn was actually the lead singer and I was the bass player when the band first started, but we swapped over when I got told early on “You write the bloody songs, so you can bloody sing them.”, except the word bloody wasn’t actually used. I have an average voice and was never fully comfortable in the front-man-wiggles-his-bum role, but once I’d taken my glasses off – which made the audience a total blur – and got the first line of the opening song out I would relax into it. It still didn’t stop me screaming instead of singing occasionally (check out She Don’t Remember on ReverbNation!)

++ And was Public Address your first band adventure?

No, me and Glenn were in another band in 83/84 called Wine By The Glass. We played acoustic covers and we were less than average! It was the experience of that band breaking up that inspired some of the lyrics in James Dean.

++ Where does the name of the band come from?

I honestly can’t remember who came up with the name, but I do remember that we didn’t want to be ‘The” anything. It was probably Stuart, but I can’t say for certain.

++ Who and what would you say were the main influences of the band?

The Beatles were a massive influence for both me and Glenn. They still are for me. Their output was amazing, and their growth as songwriters and performers in such a short period of time was phenomenal. But my big influences at the time of the band were The Smiths and Prefab Sprout. The triumvirate of Morrissey/Marr and McAloon created amazing songs with incredible melodies and superb lyrics. I tried to – and still try to – write with that attitude, making the words and tunes work independently of each other, which I hope I sometimes achieved. Not always, I admit, but I gave it a good go. Derron was a massive New Order fan, but I can’t remember who influenced Stuart.

++ Tell me a bit about The Fabled Stable Records. Was it your own label? How did that work out?

It was our own label but it never really existed, hence the use of the word Fabled. I also really liked how the words ‘Fabled Stable Record Label’ sounded when said together so I pushed for that as the label name. It was just an exercise in me being a smart-arse to be honest, and the rest of the band let me get away with it. The publishing company ‘Remember This (Music)’ was also fictional. The crazy idea was that we’d eventually have numerous Remember This outlets. Just a bit of fun really.

++ You released one 7″ as far as I know, right? Both songs are top-notch! Can you tell me the story behind these songs?

Thank you for the compliment, Roque.

James Dean, as was the case with most of my songs, was about me or things that I’d seen/experienced. I rarely wrote third-party story songs, and James Dean was a definite first person song. I actually was 21 when I wrote it, and I really was still a child, as the lyric states. The line “leave the house to shouts of Dumb and Immature” related to the break-up of WBTG. We didn’t plan the sacking of the singer very well, so badly in fact that the day after the event we realised that all our gear was still at her house. I recall making a hasty exit, carry guitars and amps under my arms with mic stands flying around my head! Dumb and Immature were two of the milder expressions used that day. ‘The group of chords that raised a smile, I haven’t found one for quite a while.”, was self-deprecating and ironic as I had found one for the song itself.

Heart Ache was a group effort insofar as it began as a jam during a rehearsal session. Stuart and I then arranged the rough ideas into song form, and Glenn and Derron got busy with their rhythm parts. When it was taken into the studio it was a reserve song as we intended recording another track as the B side, and the lyrics were very much in a basic state. However, that intended B side song – which I now can’t remember at all – became a dog to record and we decided to go with Heart Ache. So while the others got on with their parts I quickly finished the lyrics. They’re not great to be honest, just words to go with the groove, but by the end of the session we were happy with what we’d produced. I actually wanted it as the A side but I was outvoted.

++ And how do you remember the recording session?

We used the same studio, Input in Sheffield, where we’d made the demos of Goodbye From Her and Can You Hear Me Now? back in April ’86. They’d been engineered and produced by Nick Wild and he did a brilliant job so we used him again for these sessions, although we decided to self produce. I do remember I had trouble singing the first few lines of James Dean in tune – no surprise there – and the finished item was a couple of takes expertly weaved together by Nick. We brought in Mick Ellison, who had previously been in the band for a short time, to play keyboards during the sessions, and he added such a lot to the tracks I was hoping he’d re-join, but he didn’t. I always enjoyed our time in the studio. I don’t remember much, if any, falling out, though I’m sure there must have been.

++ This record seems to be a bit obscure for some reason! Why do you think that? And how many copies were pressed if you remember?

We had 1,000 copies pressed and self distributed them around as many record stores as we could. We eventually sold about 750 or so. It’s obscure because it didn’t create enough of a buzz so subsequently became forgotten. I think it was a good song, we certainly gave it our all when recording it and when played live, although the live version was much shorter. We didn’t use the intro that’s still on the version available on YouTube – I cut that out when transferring it to ReverbNation – and we never used the last chorus live either, going straight to the last guitar break after singing ‘overtaking just like Jimmy Dean’.

++ As I was looking for more information I found that there were more recordings of the band uploaded to ReverbNation. So I wonder how come you didn’t release more records?

The single was funded by a local businessman who believed we had potential, as the cost was too prohibitive for us to fund ourselves at the time. Put simply, we never got to the point where we could record and release another single.

++ Counting them and the 7″, are there still more unreleased songs by Public Address?

Not that I am in possession of. The seven tracks that exist are taken from a cassette tape I made back in 1987 to give to my then girlfriend (she subsequently became my wife, and then my ex-wife!). They were copied from masters of our demos and live shows that were in the possession of one of our roadies. Sadly, he took his own life a short time afterwards and the master tapes were never recovered. So everything I have is up on ReverbNation, though there were lots of other songs recorded.

++ And from all of these songs, from your repertoire, what were your favourite ones and why?

My favourites were Goodbye From Her and Can You Hear Me Now? GFH was a very personal song (you see, it’s all about me!) and the lyric started off originally as a poem. I think it was the best song I ever wrote, and the melody is very simple, with only three chords used in the whole song. When we came to arrange it Stuart wrote some brilliant lead guitar riffs, and I think Glenn’s bass line and Derron’s subtle changes from rimshots to snare and back again really add light and shade to the track.

CYHMN contained my favourite chord sequences – I love great chord sequences – and I liked the fact that the intro was also the outro. I was never a fan of Derron’s double snare during the chorus (his nod to New Order) but I could never talk him out of it. If you take the first letter of each line of the lyric it spells out BEATLES JOHN and PAUL (my subtle tribute), and the first line ‘Back again with nothing new’ was my little dig at our critics who said everything sounded the same. It probably did though, to be fair.

++ What about gigs? Did you play live often? What was the worst gig and the best gig you’d say?

We played quite a lot over the two years we were together, though we didn’t travel any further afield than Sheffield, Derby or Nottingham. My favourite gig was the night we supported It Bites at the Porterhouse in Retford in March ‘87. They’d had a big hit in the UK called Calling All The Heroes, so we were lucky to get the support slot as a lot of the local bands were after it. Our single had just been released and we saw it as a showcase gig. The three live tracks available on ReverbNation are from that gig. There’s a bit at the end of She Don’t Remember where I can be heard in the background saying, “New ending”, as, for some unknown reason, we’d just extended the track by a few bars. That still makes me smile when I hear it. I just remember it as a great night with fantastic support from both our fans (we had a regular following by then) and those that were there specifically there for It Bites. The worst gig was at a venue in Nottingham, again my memory fails when it comes to its name – possibly for legal reasons – where we just didn’t connect with the locals at all. If anything, they were downright aggressive and we couldn’t wait to get out of there. I think we played everything at double speed and packed up in world record time. Probably broke the speed limit driving home too.

++ And looking back, what would you say was the highlight of Public Address?

Recording and releasing the single was the highlight for me. I really believed at the time that things would happen for us – the self-belief of youth and all that – but it wasn’t to be. I wouldn’t change a minute of the experience, both good and bad.

++ Then what happened? When and why did you split?

In the summer of 1987 we’d been together for two years, in and out of each other’s pockets, rehearsals, live shows, etc, and we needed a break. We decided to have the rest of the summer away from the band and get back together again in the autumn. When we eventually met up again Stuart said he wanted us to introduce covers and play more in what the Brits call ‘clubland’, i.e. more showbiz and less indie pop. I took this as criticism of my songs and my vision of the band so I threw my toys out of the pram and we split up, with Stuart and Glenn going off into clubland, and Derron and myself starting another band along with Mick Ellison. We never really got any further than some demos before it fizzled out in 1988. Having known Glenn all my life up to that point, we didn’t speak again for almost ten years (how silly is that?), but it’s been like old times again for the last 15 years or so (I was best man at his wedding in 2011), and he’s now the lead singer in a Mod/Ska covers band called The 5.15s who are brilliant live, and he’s a great front man. I do sometimes wish I was up there too, but on bass, in the background, backing vocals only, grooving with the drummer.

++ Since then have you been involved with other bands?

No, I pretty much gave it all up in 1988. I sold all my gear the following year when I got married, apart from one acoustic guitar. I now have a beautiful Epiphone John Lennon EJ-160E acoustic/electric that gets a play every day. I start writing more songs than I ever finish nowadays, but I can’t imagine not ever trying to write new melodies and lyrics.

++ And aside from music, what other hobbies do you enjoy doing?

Having reached my half century I need to stay fit and healthy, so I enjoy going for walks, especially around Clumber which is big enough to enjoy without seeing the same things each and every time. I enjoy going to gigs and the cinema when I can, and I’m lucky enough to be in a relationship with an incredible woman – hello Charlotte – so I get most pleasure from being involved with my new family, as well as my old family – hello Da, hello Sis -and seeing my friends. Oh, and drinking quality red wine, that’s right up there too!

++ One last question then, your favourite “James Dean” movie?

Giant. Dean is brilliant in the movie, and Elizabeth Taylor was, is and always will be a goddess.

++ Thanks a lot, anything else you’d like to add?

I just want to say that I’ve enjoyed the whole experience of initially finding your blog on Public Address, reading your very generous remarks on something created almost three decades ago, and then being given the opportunity to discuss the band further with you in this interview. So, thank you, Roque, for bringing back memories of good times from my past. I’m flattered that you’ve enjoyed something that we all worked so hard on back in the day, and if this leads to a few more people liking our music we’ve got you to thank for it. Best regards, John.