INTERVIEW: Sam Isaac

Sam Isaac is gradually making himself known as one of the country’s most promising artists. Recently garnering airplay from the likes of Jo Whiley on Radio 1, Sam has come a long way from his intimate living room tours and limited edition releases. With his debut album on the way, Neon Buzz caught up with him before his recent show at London’s Borderline to get the low-down on the latest happenings in the Isaac camp.

So, how’s the tour going so far?

Tour is going pretty great. We’ve got to go all over, we started with a few northern dates which were quite fun and then we’ve had some good shows in Oxford, Bristol and Tunbridge Wells so it’s been pretty good. I’m looking forward to playing the London date, which is the kind of important one.

Has there been a place so far that’s been the best, in terms of reaction or otherwise?

Bristol went really, really well. There was a really full room and really good support acts, and we got a really good reaction. All of our equipment broke on stage but we got through it.

How do you choose your support acts?

Generally, I choose my friends cos it’s always fun to go on tour with your friends and also bands that I think are great. I try and choose as good support acts as I can, like bands that I think are better than me, cos then they’re going to make me play better.

You just released the ‘Sticker, Star and Tape’ EP, which has a few new songs on it. Are they the ones that weren’t good enough for your album?

I’m just going to say yes. I’m really pleased with the songs on the EP but they’re released kind of bearing in mind what I was going to save for the album. I’m hoping people enjoy the songs on the EP but in my opinion the songs left over for the album are much better.

You’ve spent the summer recording your album, is it all finished now?

Everything’s done apart from the vocals. I got quite ill over the summer so when it came to doing the vocals, I couldn’t really sing. I’m actually going in to do them straight after this tour so we’re actually so close to being finished. Hopefully by the start of November it’s all going to be done and we’re really hoping to release it at the end of January.

Can we expect to hear lots of new songs when it’s finally released?

Yeah, it’s weird to me cos it feels like a compilation of the last three years but I guess to my fans there are four or five new songs, but to me a lot of it feels quite old. I think they’re definitely the strongest songs I’ve written over the last two years and with the old songs we’ve done a lot to make the whole thing sound together.

You played a lot of festivals this summer, is there one that stands out as your favourite?

Latitude by far and away was the best one. We played to about 2000 people, which is easily the biggest crowd we’ve played to. There were just so many people and it was just absolutely amazing. If I never play any shows ever again, I will be happy that I got to play Latitude this year.

Why did you start writing and playing your own music?

The first music I ever listened to was the Beatles, my dad bought me all the tapes when I was little, and obviously they have great songs and great choruses and I think that was embedded in me so when I started playing guitar, I always wanted to write my own songs and write them with really good choruses. That was always really important to me. I guess I started writing songs when I was ten years old and it’s just always been something that I wanted to do.

You used to lots of shows and tours in people’s living rooms. Have you got any plans to do more of those or are you too big for that now?

I’m definitely not too big for that. When I started doing living room shows, it was just a way of touring. I couldn’t get booked in loads of venues across the country but I wanted to tour so it was just a way of doing that but it was also quite special because there wasn’t a lot of people doing it and also the scale on which I was doing it, going on tour for two or three months just playing living rooms, was quite outlandish at the time. But now, every single acoustic artist ever is saying I’ll play living rooms and stuff, and also it’s been commercialised so I’m not sure… I mean, it is really exciting and I had a great time, and I’m sure it’s a good way for new artists to get out there but if I did it now it might seem like I was rehashing an old idea, so I need to think of something new to do. They were really fun but I’m not sure it’s something I’d do on the same scale again. Maybe when the album comes out, we’ll do a week of special living room shows or something like that.

Do you miss doing living room shows?

Yeah, definitely. You know when you watch A Night with Take That or something on ITV, and as well as the songs everyone asks questions and stuff? Living room shows always turned into farces, like I’d play a song and then there’d be maybe ten minutes conversation in between of really good banter cos everyone’s just there and wants to get involved. I miss that cos I just turn up at venues now and play my songs as well as I can, it’s quite formulaic whereas playing living rooms is completely different every night.

What are your plans for the rest of the year, apart from finishing the album?

At the end of November I’m going to Sweden to play some acoustic shows, which is going to be really fun. Also, I’m doing another tour with the band of NME club nights and then we’re going to Germany to do a tour before Christmas, so a lot more touring I suppose and getting things ready for the album.

Rhian Daly

INTERVIEW: Line & a Dot

Line & a Dot is the acoustic side project of One Toy Soldier bassist Sarah, with which she creates enchanting stories and songs that can both whisk you away to a magical place and break your heart at the same time. Neon Buzz caught up with her when she played a show at the Boathouse in Cambridge, recently.

So, you were in One Toy Soldier...

L&aD

: Still am...

NB: Are you still going?!

L&aD: Well, no... We’re on hiatus at the moment but we still have a second album to finish and put out. That’s the aim. I think maybe we’ll record it at the end of the year, perhaps, cos Ross is doing My First Tooth, he’s busy so I tried to make myself busy too. Ric is also doing shows… side projects become like main projects but we will finish our second album. We all have to but we’re not going to do it til the end of the year and then we’ll probably tour it a bit, I don’t know.

So how does performing and writing solo compare to how you did it with One Toy Soldier?

L&aD: Well, when I was in Soldier I was mainly singing what I was told to sing and writing bass parts, which I really enjoy, but I wasn’t really writing the songs so it’s all new. I didn’t really write in a group before… I didn’t write anything before either. But it’s different, not having someone to perform with or to plan with and it’s a shame there’s not somebody to go “Why don’t you not do that verse, trash it and do something else”, but I kind of deal with that. It’s just… different I suppose. I never had the two crossover because as soon as we lost our drummer in Soldier, I got really bored and didn’t have anything to do so I just started doing that one thing and that was pretty much the start of our break.

Do you ever worry writing by yourself whether what you’ve written is good or not? Do you get insecure about it?

L&aD: Yeah, I probably do write loads of crap but hopefully I gauge it myself. Like, I’ll trash something before I’ve gone too far with it. I mean, you get feedback from all kinds of different places anyway after the song’s finished so it’s not too much of a problem, I suppose. You’ve just got to trust yourself because you do know when something’s kind of shit. Someone will tell me if it’s really bad, hopefully.

On your list of influences on your Myspace page, the list of writers is longer than the list of musicians. Is literature more of an influence and inspiration to you?

L&aD: I think possibly… yeah, I only have a few musical influences listed. I think it’s because I’m really influenced by lyrics and words. I won’t go and watch a band and be like “How did they get that guitar sound?” or “How did they loop this?” so that kind of thing doesn’t interest me so much. I really love reading and I love so many different novels and the way that they’re written and I think I find that in a song and then that’s what I like about it. So everyone who’s an influence, obviously it’s partly their music but I think a bigger part of it is the lyrical side of things. That’s what I’m bothered about and authors are probably slightly better at it.

When you’re writing songs, do you write them from an autobiographical point of view or do you make up stories to turn into songs?

L&aD: I’m really crap at putting myself in other people’s positions. I think hopefully one day I’ll be able to make up something that’s totally different because it might be good to write about something that haven’t thought about or done. I strictly write myself but I try and incorporate similar situations and put them in so like I’m sad like a boy whose lost his balloon and I have never lost my balloon but I’m sad so I’ll just bring in the boy… y’know, that kind of thing. Things I haven’t done, I can’t write about.

You’re unsigned at the moment; do you think that gives you more artistic freedom?

L&aD: I think it’s a bit of a drag cos I don’t have any money or any way of recording, sometimes I moan about it a bit but I understand being tied to a record label can also have problems. Like we were signed to a record label in the band and it was great but it had its drawbacks. If I was on a record label I think they probably would have told me don’t go to New York and do a tour with four shows in it and I would be like “Yeah but I probably should do a tour with four shows in and lose like £200…” So they probably would’ve told me to be bit wiser about that kind of thing but yeah, it’s a good level of freedom and you can make your own decisions even if you don’t have a record out.

NB: If you could choose one label to work with, who would it be? L&aD: I don’t know, I’m really bad; I don’t know any bands and I don’t know any labels. I could probably name bands and ask what record label they’re on and go “Oh, that’s what I want”. I don’t know the difference between a promoter or a record label or a booking agency. I just get confused by all that kind of thing. So, a nice one, I suppose.

What’s the scene like in Northampton? Have you got plenty of places to play?

L&aD: Northampton’s good, yeah. We’ve got a pretty great music scene. It’s the biggest town in England that’s not allowed to be a city, for some reason. But yeah, we’ve got a lot of bands. Maybe over the last couple of years we’ve had probably ten or twelve albums come out of Northampton and be in the shops. And then there are so many other bands that are unsigned there. We’ve got two big venues that get like the NME tours and stuff and then there’s a whole bunch of smaller ones. My favourite is the Labour Club, which is a functioning Labour Club and it looks like a terraced house, you have to ring a doorbell to get in. I mean, just like two weeks ago I played there with Liam Dullaghan, who’s great, and Chris Mills from Brooklyn. They get people from all around the world at the Labour Club and you’ve got to know about it to know that they’re on but they’ve had people from Spacemen 3 and all these crazy groups turning up at the last minute. You’ll just see like an Australian cross-dressing band who play flutes or something one night… but that’s the best thing, that it’s kind of weird. It’s a good town for music.

NB: Do many people support the local scene then?

L&aD: There are a few bands that are especially big in Northampton and they always pull in a massive crowd so I think maybe the downside is it’s only the big bands that are guaranteed to get big crowds. Obviously the touring bands always get a massive crowd. To get a crowd in in our town, if you’re just little and small, you just have to be persistent and then somebody will catch on. There’s a whole group of great music fans there and they’ll do other things too, like they’ll take your pictures and bootleg your recordings.

You played the King’s Affair [King’s College summer ball] the other day, what was that like?

L&aD: That was weird. It might have topped my weirdest gig actually. But it was good. I think I turned up at half eleven and played at half twelve. It was kind of bizarre, these beautiful structures and spires and they’re just being destroyed by students in body paint and neon lights and rave music. They had a laser quest and some dodgems, it was hilarious. You were allowed on the grass, that was pretty amazing. And all these bands played til half four, maybe five o’clock. All the booze was completely free – that was great. And then in the morning, they cleaned up so quickly. The groundskeepers were just out there, flattening all the grass and picking up the fags and all the stuff. I was walking out of King’s at like ten in the morning the day afterwards and the grounds men were on the job, and the poor doorman was there and this tourist was outside of the gate going “Oh oh, can we come in?” and he was like “No, no it’s closed.” The tourist was like “Oh, can’t I just take a picture?” and he said “No, no certainly not” cos it looked a little bit of a mess.

NB: Quite a few of the bands who played are from Northampton like New Cassettes, My First Tooth…

L&aD: and me! I think probably because Stephen Davidson from Tellison is at King’s and he was running the music. I guess those three bands have played with Tellison a lot and I guess he’s picked his choice of a few different bands. I mean, he went for a whole bunch of people but I guess that’s probably why.

You mentioned your New York tour earlier, what was it like playing in America?

L&aD: It was really great! Somebody told me that they don’t clap in New York, I think this was somebody who played over there so I was like “Oh ok, cheers for the advice” but they all clapped. So, maybe they just didn’t like that person, I don’t know. But they were all really nice. I played in Manhattan and that was amazing. I’ve never been to the US before so that was exciting for me. Brooklyn was probably the best show. I played in this incredible antiques/junk shop record store place and it was incredible. I think Brooklyn was my favourite part. It was all very bizarre and exciting too; I think I’d definitely like to do it again.

NB: Did you get to do much sightseeing as well?

L&aD: Oh yeah, we went to Staten Island and we got a horse and coach round Central Park, not ashamed to say it. Yeah, we had a really good time.

On your myspace it says you’re playing End of the Road open mic. Are you just going to turn up and play?

L&aD: Yeah, they have an open mic stage and I’ve applied to play as one of their ten unsigned bands. They haven’t had the grace to get back to me yet but maybe they haven’t chosen yet. I’ll be doing the same thing at Glastonbury this coming weekend, sitting outside my tent. I’ll make my own open mic stage. And Latitude, I think they’ve got an open mic, I think it’s like a plank in the woods. I’m not afraid to take my guitar; I think it’ll be fine; I’ll get in there at the End of the Road hopefully.

Have you got any ambitions or goals, things that you want to achieve with Line & a Dot?

L&aD: In gigs, I think I’d like to play South by South West, being unsigned is the only way you can do it really, so that’s a good thing. My main goal is to make a song that somebody else can include themselves in and maybe I already have one and don’t know or maybe I’ll get one or never but I just want to be able to make something out of Line & a Dot where I’ve written this song but it isn’t so about me that you can’t run your own movie reel to it about yourself. I want to have a song that somebody can apply to their own lives, nothing to do with me, and appreciate it in that sense but I think it probably will take me a bit of time.

Rhian Daly

INTERVIEW: Golden Silvers

Fresh from the release of their debut single, Neon Buzz caught up with Golden Silvers backstage at Cambridge Junction to talk club nights, capes and Phil Lynott.

You’ve just released your debut single, ‘Arrows of Eros’. Why did you choose to release that song?

Gwilym Gold: I think it’s because we started doing it at gigs and it seemed to be a favourite. It felt like the right one to do.

You released it on Young and Lost Club, which was a one-off deal. Have any other labels shown an interest in you?

Gwilym: Yeah, there’s quite a few actually. Suddenly they all – not all, a few – have started to show an interest but at the moment we’re not sure what we’re going to do. I think we’re going to try and do our next single on our own label.

I read a quote from you saying that the traditional way of signing a record deal is outdated – what did you mean by that?

Gwilym: I just think that the whole idea, the whole thing of getting signed is outdated because you can do a lot of it in your own way now. You don’t really need labels as much anymore ‘cos you can do stuff on the internet and whatever… it’s not like the olden days where you’d get signed and they’ll give you like a million pounds. It’s not really like that anymore. (Wryly) Probably going to sign a million dollar record deal next week though, hopefully.

You run the Bronze Club in London… is that always at the Macbeth?

Alexis Nunez: Yeah, it’s always at the Macbeth.
Gwilym: It’s pretty much always there. We have been known to do the odd one somewhere else but the Macbeth is the home of it.
Alexis: It’s getting quite busy now, actually. Every time we do it it’s getting busier so we might have to start thinking about moving it to somewhere else.
Gwilym: Although the Macbeth feels like a spiritual home to it.
Ben Moorhouse: The people who run it are really cool, they’re all musicians and in bands and stuff.

Why did you start running the club?

Gwilym: We basically just started it for a gig for our band. We knew the people at the Macbeth and we thought there’s a lot of shitty promoters out there so we thought why not promote your own gigs and then you can control how you put it out there. You can get all the bands you like to play with you.
Alexis: And pay them as well. We always put on good bands that we know and we love.
Gwilym: It’s the same thing as with the record label, to a degree, ‘cos I know at some point we’ll probably need people to help us but why at this point go through people when we can put our own gigs on and make sure that it’s all done in the way that we like.

So you held your single launch at the Bronze Club and people turned up in gold and silver clothes and made Golden Silvers outfits – was that a bit of a weird experience?

Gwillym: We made this dress code where if you dressed in gold and silver you’d get in free so quite a few people made the effort. Someone made like a gold cape that had Golden Silvers embroidered on the back, which I wore during the gig. There was this jacket as well with sequins that said Golden Silvers. There were some good outfits for it.

You won the Glastonbury New Talent competition and you played the Other Stage on the Saturday. What was it like to play Glastonbury?

Gwilym: We were really looking forward to it. It was a great weekend, there was a group of us and we all had our tents set up facing each other and everyone was hanging out the whole time, and then on that morning we just got up really early and went backstage. We walked on stage and the crew were all setting up then we just saw the massive field in front and all the people getting up in the morning.
Ben: It was mainly just seagulls though at that point. There was one guy who’d set up a little chair at the front, from about nine o’clock.

Michael Eavis compared you to Oasis and Coldplay after you played; what do you think about that?

Gwilym: (laughing) They’re probably two of the biggest influences on the band…
Alexis: It would be nice to have that kind of that success but I don’t think musically we’re that similar.
Gwilym: We’ll take it as a compliment though ‘cos he means it in a nice way. Both bands do their own thing in their own way. The thing is I don’t think people would instantly think that we’re a similar band to those two in terms of sound but songs-wise, we’ve got the songs but we just play them in a different way.

Over the rest of the summer you’ve also played Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Latitude and Oxegen. How did they compare to each other and to Glastonbury?

Gwilym: Radio 1’s Big Weekend was great because the guy who put us on, Huw Stephens, has been supporting us a lot. I’m not having a pop at it at all but it did feel a tiny bit underwhelming though, because we were playing at the very end so we were playing at the same time as all the other big bands on the other stages so there weren’t that many people there.
Alexis: But what was funny about that was we played to quite a few people but because we were headlining the BBC website said “the Golden Silvers ended on a triumphant….”
Gwilym: “Brought the Introducing tent to a rousing finale.” But it didn’t really feel like that.
Alexis: They just had to make it sound good.
Gwilym: Latitude was one of the best ones I thought. It started raining just as we played so there was like so many people in the tent. We couldn’t believe it. I looked out at one point and there was quite a lot of people and then when it started raining I looked out again and there was like a whole tent.
Ben: At Latitude though, we weren’t expecting it ‘cos we’d just done the Bronze Club the night before and we’d had to get up really early in the morning but it was really good.

Alexis: Oxegen was like… I didn’t like it.
Gwilym: I wouldn’t say that. We got treated really well there and got really nice food and they were really nice to us, just the tent we playing and the time were a bit dodgy. People started shouting at Ben, saying he looked like Phil Lynott.
Ben: We played the ballad, like the slow Fade to Black tune and that’s when they went for it the most.
Gwilym: When the music was down a bit, they’d go mental. It wasn’t really very fitting.
Ben: It is kind of my fault though, ‘cos I did dedicate that song to Phil Lynott.

You’re playing Bestival in September. Are you going to get into the spirit and join in with the dressing up?

Alexis: I’m just going to bring some clothes and it normally looks like I’ve made the effort anyway. It’s in the middle of the tour anyway so I’m probably going to take all my clothes with me.
Gwilym: We probably won’t have much time to get dressing up clothes. Sometimes I think when people are dressed up that that looks better than what you wear normally so why are you acting like this is a joke?

Mystery Jets chose you to support them on their tour in April/May, did you have a good time touring with them?

Alexis: It was really great fun; they’re lovely people.
Ben: They’re really warm people. We got really into the band and were always checking out their set.
Alexis: Plus we got to play in front of quite a substantial crowd as well so we learned how to do what we do but to a larger audience.
Gwilym: They’ve got a really nice crowd, a really good crowd to play to. They all turn up at the very beginning and watch all the bands, they don’t just come for the Mystery Jets.
Ben: It’s not really like London, y’know. People are a lot more accepting with the fact that you’re out there trying to do something.
Alexis: They’re a great band anyway so to be supporting them is really good.

The September tour is your first headline tour and it’s like a month long, right? Are you looking forward to playing anywhere in particular?

Gwilym: Probably Darlington (laughs)… no, all of them. I haven’t even been to half of these places. Everyday seeing a new place will be good.
Alexis: I don’t really know what to expect either because we’ve not been on a tour like this before, like a long one, so we’re going to have to learn quickly about all that stuff, try and keep out of people’s hair.

Are you going to have local supports or are you taking someone on the road with you?

Gwilym: We’re travelling with this band called the Ex Lovers so I think it’s going to be them and then local supports as well.

I heard ‘Magic Touch’ is going to be your next single and, like you said earlier, you’re going to release it on your own label.

Gwilym: Yeah, well we’re still working on it but it’s going to be a double A side with a song called ‘Another Universe’. We’ve just recorded it so I’m really looking forward to hearing it.

Your lyrics are quite poetic, do you take influence from literature and poetry or is it more lyricists? Do you have a favourite poet?

Gwilym: I suppose a bit of poetry and prose, yeah. [My favourite’s] probably Dylan Thomas or something.

What are your plans for an album?

Alexis: Well, we want to do one that’s for sure. It’s just the logistics of it, waiting for people to make offers but we want to get it done as soon as possible and hopefully get it out by the start of next year.

Is there anyone you’d want to produce it specifically?

Alexis: There’s lots of people that you’d like to work with, that are your heroes but realistically…
Gwilym: We did just do the single with this guy Lex and we got a really good vibe off of him.
Alexis: I’m sure a situation will just get in introduced and we’ll just end up going with it because we’re quite instinctive like that but obviously it’d be great to work with Pharrell, Prince…
Ben: Andre 3000…
Alexis: Just most of the big hip-hop producers.

Tonight was your first time in Cambridge, what did you think of the crowd?

Alexis: They were really cool, there was people smiling. It was nice, actually. I didn’t have a very good time, primarily because of the sound on stage, but it kind of makes up for it when people in the crowd are going for it and having a good time.

Rhian Daly

INTERVIEW: Cleft Palettes

According to their Myspace, Cleft Palettes are "two geeks and a dweeb who use grime handclaps and MIDI samples to make awesome songs sound really fucking shit." I'd like to contest that fact but whatever, they've answered some questions for us which is a whole lot more interesting than me raving about them.

So, first of all, how did you guys meet and what made you want to form a music collective?
I wouldn't describe us as a music collective. That sounds like we should be playing gigs at the Royal Festival Hall. Dan and I met when he fingerbanged my sister (truth, not jerky interview answer).

Lucy was his next victim. From then on, we clicked and the faff began.

I guess your name could be seen as being a bit distasteful by some. Have you had any negative reactions to it so far?
No, just praise. A fan once received a dirty look from a mother when wearing one of our t-shirts.

I've seen you being compared to bands like Hadouken! Are you fans of their work? Do you think that's an accurate comparison?
Not really. Many moons ago, we drove down to Southend for their first gig. They smacked it. At the time it was really aggressive and refreshing, but they're a good example of the perils of hype ... and major record labels.

You're relatively unknown at the moment. What goals do you have as a band? Do you want to be mega famous or are you happy staying more underground?
Underground is the new overground. We're mega famous in our regular lives anyway - we do the band thing for a bit of anonymity.

You've done a few remixes, most notably The Teenagers' Homecoming. Do you prefer writing your own stuff or doing remixes?

We would never remix anything we didn't heart, so its a good foundation to build upon. Kind of like playing Grand Theft Auto and starting with all the weapons unlocked. Writing our own music is like the kill screen from Donkey Kong.

I guess it would be really easy to brand you as "new rave", but how would you describe your music?
We love the way new rave is becoming an insult. Like when the French say 'your father pissed up your mother'. You're new rave.

We came 16th in the UK Black Metal MySpace charts by accident a couple of months ago... so I guess we're more metal than rave and that makes all kinds of sense when you look at Lucy's t-shirt collection...

What sorts of things influence your sound? Do you take inspiration from things other than music?
We are heavily influenced by drugs, arguments and accidents.

You played your first gig recently. How did that go? How did you prepare for it?
We shat it, but it went super well. People seemed to like it and nobody threw stuff or threw up. We managed to gain and lose a manager that night too.

Do you have any tricks or surprises for your live shows or do you just let the music speak for itself?

Like gimmicks? I guess Pat being ginger and Lucy and Dan being heavily involved with each other are pretty gimmicktastic. But for the time being we're mostly trying to concentrate on the noises and putting our fingers on the right buttons. Pat wanted to keep porno running on his laptop whilst we're up there, but Dan's mum didn't sign the release documents.

If you could go on tour with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
GWAR.

So, what's next for you guys? Are you going to be booking more shows soon? Any plans for a record?
All the gigs we seem to get booked for are getting cancelled because of noise complaints. We'll be unleashing our album 'Doofus Bible' in the fall

Rhian Daly

Q&A: Captain Black

Photo : Greg Nolan

Nominated for this year's Indy Awards and given a leg up by News of the World, of all people, things are looking very rosy for Captain Black right now. Read on to find out how Camden's coolest new band are taking all this, straight from the horse's (or, er, front man Keith Austin's) mouth.

Hello Captain Black! You’re originally from Hampshire, which as far as I’m aware isn’t that well renowned for its musical heritage (please do correct me if I’m wrong). What sort of scene have you got going on down there? Is it a good place for young bands?
Places like Southampton have a scene I think but Hampshire is a big place so I couldn't really comment on the whole county, if we're talking about where we grew up then no.

So you’re now currently residing in Camden, the Capital of Cool. Did you find it hard at first to get yourselves noticed there?
Kind of, we sat in pubs on our own for a while with nothing to say to each other as we lived with each other and knew exactly what had gone on with our days, then we made some friends and they saved us from our own personalities.

How did you hook up with your record label, Bumpman? What was it about them that made you want to work with them?
They are owned by the guys who run the Hawley Arms and we played regular sessions on monday nights there so they asked if we would consider releasing the next single with them, we said yes because they are all massive music fans and had a vision for how the label would be seen by other people and wanted to do things properly.

You had your launch party for ‘Sister’ the other day. Why did you choose to release that song?
Sister quickly gained a lot of attention live and was the first song after 'Come On Up To Our House' that captured peoples attention. So many people asked for a copy of it we had to release it. I think its our best single so far.

What are your plans for an album? Is it all recorded and ready to go or have you still got to get in the studio and do it?
All the songs are writen, there are plans on the way to get in to the studio soon but it could be the end of the year before we see any signs of a release. There will be another single/EP before that though.

You have two brothers in the band; I’m guessing there’s the occasional period of tension or friction? How do you deal with that as a group?
Yes, Mark is my brother, we do argue a lot and everyone else just deals with it, that's just the way it is.

News of the World made you one of their top bands for 2008 and put you one place above the Courteeners. Was it a little weird seeing yourselves being tipped for success in a national newspaper?
It was weird, especialy because of the terrible picture they used of me! Really nice to get some exposure in a nation paper though and to be listed up there with Laura Marlin and Black Kids was an honnor.

You were nominated for this year’s Indy Awards but alas, didn’t win. What do you think of the band who beat you to the prize, The Brent Flood?
We have no idea what the Indy Awards is really about and I've never heard of Brent Flood. I'm sure they're great, are they from Brent?

Things seem to be really going well for you at the moment. You’re supporting Brakes soon and playing the 2000 Trees Festival with Art Brut next month, which must be pretty exciting. If you could play with anyone ever, who would you choose and why?
Yeah things are going really well, If I could choose anyone to play with I would choose Art Brut and Brakes, thats how well things are going for us.

And finally, what are Captain Black’s plans for the not too distant future?
We are going in to the studio next week to produce our new single, we have a great producer called George Shilling, he has worked with Primal Scream, 2220's and loads of other people so we are really looking forward to that, we're just getting straight on with the next release after the summer.

Rhian Daly

Q&A: Cassie and the Cassettes

In between exams and enjoying the summer sun, Cassie Layton, front woman of hotly-tipped Londoners Cassie and the Cassettes, took some time out to talk about funk covers bands, The Smiths and festival plans…

Your name kind of follows a structure that’s quite popular at the moment (Florence and the Machine, Rosie Oddie and the Odd Squad etc). It’s also pretty light-hearted and fun. How long did it take you to come up with it? Did you go by any other names? I always think it must be quite hard to come up with the perfect band name.

Actually, a friend of mine initially suggested it as a joke. At the time the band wasn't formed yet, but it stuck in my mind as a possible title. I don't think he remembers suggesting it though, probably a good thing, might try and claim royalties later or something... And I agree, finding a decent band name is tricky, all the best ones are taken!

You’re working with No Pain in Pop at the moment. How did that come about? Are you fans of the other bands they’ve worked with like HEALTH and Telepathe?

If I'm honest, I haven't actually heard of those bands. The only one I've heard is We Smoke Fags who aren't really my type of music, but the guitarist saw them live and said they put on a really good performance. I think I'll go and see them sometime.

You’re quite a young band. Have you had any problems with people patronising you because of your age or age restrictions not allowing you to play gigs?

We're not that young, are we...? Well all of us are 18 or 19 now so age restrictions aren't really a problem. They never have been as far as I remember. I think for our first two gigs a couple of us were underage, but it never prevented us from playing and no one's ever been patronising, not to our face anyway.

All age concerts are pretty much all the rage right now. I’m assuming as a young band you’re quite receptive to these? Have you played many yourselves? Have you noticed a difference between all ages crowds and over 18s audiences?

Well we haven't played any all ages concerts as yet, hopefully we will in the summer. But at the last gig we played at the Great Escape, the audience was a lot older. I think the only difference was less movement, there wasn't as much dancing going on, it's much nicer playing to a rowdy crowd; it’s more relaxing.

Who first inspired you to start a band? Do you look more at older or newer bands for inspiration?

Well half of us originally met through a funk covers band called The Funkbomb Detonators and we've all had experience with other bands before, but it's really difficult finding people who you can get along and also connect with on a musical level, the two are surprisingly hard to find.

I think it was during my Nirvana phase that I made up my mind to form a band, but I gave that idea up after a series of musical flops. It was only when I became good friends with the other band members some four years later that it seemed even remotely possible. And we definitely look at older bands for inspiration. Not that we’re against modern music, just as nature has it none of our favourite bands date later than about 1994.

What do you think about the current musical climate? A lot of people seem to enjoy slagging it off at the moment. And what do you think about the state of the industry right now?

Well I won’t go as far as slagging it off, but I have to say it’s been in much better positions than it is now. I don’t know too much about the industry, but I think the drop of record sales has made them very sensitive and acutely aware of any new bands that could potentially up the sales. This means we’ve has a lot of one hit wonders recently and artists that sell perhaps 1 top record and then peter out into nothing.

There are some really talented bands around at the moment, but there’s also a lot of rubbish. I guess you could say that about any era though, it’s only the revolutionary bands that stand the test of time whilst the rubbish ones are sifted out, never to be seen or heard of again. This is quite philosophical!

Belle & Sebastian comparisons seem to get thrown about left, right and centre when your name is mentioned. Do you think these comparisons are fair? Do you mind being constantly tagged with that?

I don’t mind at all, I think they’re a great band, although it’s only recently that I got into them. I can some similarities though I don’t think we’re worthy of the constant comparisons! I’m not complaining though, they’re extremely talented.

You say you’re ready to “fight injustice and bands full of pale Smiths obsessives”. I take it you’re not too enamoured with Morrissey and co. then?

Hell no! I love The Smiths; ‘Ask Me’ has to be one of my favourite songs of all time! The rest of the band likes them too! We should really change that on our MySpace, it’s sending out completely the wrong message. So many people have very angrily asked me “why don’t you like the Smiths!?” I didn’t realise it would cause this much of an uproar! I have to admit, we didn’t actually write that biography on our MySpace, it was a friend of ours, and whilst he did it extremely well, the content isn’t entirely accurate. Well, that part isn’t anyway, that and the Justin Timberlake comment; 'SexyBack' is a great song!

When you’re writing songs, is it a group effort or more just based around one individual’s ideas?

Well so far I’ve written the songs either on guitar or piano and then I’ve presented them to the band to work their magic upon. We do all the arrangements together so it’s very much a group effort. Although I’ve recently started working on writing some things with the guitarist Tom Varrall which is going really well, we’ve got some cool songs on the cards.

Is there a goal or objective behind Cassie and the Cassettes or are you purely together just to play music?

I think we’re just going to see what happens, it would be amazing if something big came of the band, it’s a fantasy that frequently crosses our minds, but if it doesn’t, we’d definitely stay together to play music.

You played Great Escape festival the other weekend. How did that go? Did you get to experience the rest of the festival after you’d played?

Oh, I kind of answered that a little while before, but it went well! A little strange as it was the first time we played a gig with none of our friends in the audiences, but it was good. And sadly we played on the final night so the festival was drawing to a close, but I’d like to go back there next year and enjoy it as a voyeur instead.

What are your plans for the summer? Are you playing any other festivals or going to any as punters?

We haven’t got any firm plans to play any festivals yet, but half of us are going to Benicassim which should be very exciting! Our drummer Nick is travelling across Europe and I think he’s going to Dour, but other than that we’re festival free.

Looking past summer, have you got anything sorted in terms of an album yet or are you going to concentrate more on touring and getting your name out there?

I think we’re going to play some more shows and we’ve planned to release a single this summer, but as I said before I think we’ll just see what happens, fingers crossed this wont be the last you hear of us.

www.myspace.com/cassieandthecassettes

Rhian Daly

Q&A: We Smoke Fags

North London's WE SMOKE FAGS release debut single 'Eastenders' this week on sixsevenine.

Which additional instrument would you like to see in the band?

Live drums one day would be cool. But if I had to pick something else entirely, it'd be a whisk with variable speeds and a glass mixing bowl.

If you were invited to a gods and goddesses party which mythical figure would you go as and how would you depict it in costume?

Ra, god of the sun, because he's got a birds head. I'd model the head on a falcon's and make it out of paper mache. Then I'd wear some gold robes and carry a big stick. I reckon It'd look pretty damn good!

If We Smoke Fags was a dance, what dance would you be?

Better than the Rolex sweep.

And on the same subject, what is your best token dance move?

Flailing limbs and also trying bogle.

If you could promote only one band in the world, except yourself, who would it be?

One band? Probably XX teens, we like them.

What were you doing at this time yesterday?

Walking on a beach in Dublin, looking for crabs with Harry.

Look to the past or look to the future?

Both, but never the present.

What is your most effective insult?

"I saw your Mum on Jeremy Kyle, wearing Reebok classics". It's Harry's really, but it's spawned the "I saw you Mum...." game on tour.

You’ve got a whole variety of shows planned over the summer, what one are you most looking forward to? And has there been a gig you’d rather forget?

Japan's Summer Sonic festival. We've never been to Japan, it's going to be like stepping into another world! We've heard from other bands that playing there is pretty surreal.

Yes, but I've forgotten.

You have an interesting mix of influences listed on your myspace. How do you work individual interests into the band?

I think it just comes naturally to Joey in the writing process. We're always introducing each other to music and experiences we've each discovered and that filters through to our songs.

Is it better to be influenced or inspired?

Inspired, without a doubt. But influence plays an important role.

Your debut single ‘Eastenders’ is out soon, has it been hard work to get to the point where you’re releasing a record?

I wouldn't call it hard, but very long! It's been frustrating, we were first meant to release a single about the same time last year, but things kept on changing, albeit for the best. We're all fucking exciting about this one, we feel everything is ready now.

So, what pray tell does the future hold?

The usual band stuff, recording the album, more touring, trying to take over the world...

Claire Evans

Q&A: Good Shoes

Photograph: Jenny Hardcore http://www.jennyhardcore.co.uk/

Four boys from South London, creating a riotous racket and visually enticing record sleeves. It could only be Good Shoes! After a fun-filled 2006 and on the eve of the release of their debut album 'Think Before You Speak', we catch up with RHYS for a brief chat.

Hey, how are you doing?
Good, we're in Sweden recording some B-sides, then I'm off to Germany on Thursday to do press. Busy times, so I'm a bit knackered but all's good.

What can we expect from the new album?
Umm...14 short, clever/dumb, pop songs that we wrote ourselves, with lyrics about my life in particular, but about our lives in general.

You guys have dabbled in doing remixes, are there anymore planned?
Umm...we've done one remix, and it sounded amazing, but not really. We're too busy, so when we have days off, we like to see our friends, instead of doing remixes in front of computers!

How much has Morden influenced you?
Morden has influenced us a great deal I think. But then again, I feel like where ever I grew up, I would have felt the same things towards that place and have had similar relationships to the ones I had in Morden.

What’s been getting your good shoes tapping in music lately?
Jamie T, Klaxons, Rumble Strips, Blood Red Shoes, White Flight, Operator Please.

What’s your favourite song to play live at the moment?
The Photos On My Wall maybe, it's simple and fun to dance about to; I dont have to look at my guitar when I play it so I'm a bit more free with that one, whereas with the other songs, I have to concentrate all the time.

Apart from playing in front of the French, what other aspects of your tour dates later in the year in France are you most looking forward too?
Umm...just seeing new cities. I doubt many people would ever get to see so many other cities in France, mostly people would just go to Paris. Its nice to experience different parts. The same goes for Germany where we're doing a big tour just after.

How did it feel to play the Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds festivals?
Great! It was our biggest ever show and people really got into it, it was really fun!
Having said that, are there any stand out favourite places for you to play?
Birmingham, Leeds, London especially (for obvious reasons), the major cities I guess, because we get to play bigger venues.

How do you feel about being part of the “Thamesbeat” scene?
Nothing. There is no scene, plus, we live very far away from the Thames. We don't have the money to live in Richmond or Twickenham! And we don't sound like any of those bands.

So once the album is released, what’s in store for the future of Good Shoes?
Touring and touring, promoting, releasing more singles, travelling about, exactly what you'd expect!

Do you think the visual side is important to the full Good Shoes picture, to complete the package if you like?
Yeah, I'd say it's about 40% of what we do; the music is obviously more important, but without artwork or videos it would be a lot more boring. I think the way you present yourself visually is very important and can make a great band. I'd like to think our artwork is good, I do it all myself, see!

What is the inspiration behind the artwork? Was it always something you knew you would do yourself, instead of getting someone else to do it?
Yeah, I studied Illustration at uni so it's what I wanted to do before being in the band. There is so much bad artwork out there that I knew what I'd done was, at the very least, better than some of it - check out the album artwork; especially the limited edition CD, it looks pretty cool.

Jonathan Murray