Here is another batch of House of Tracks interviews including Plaid, Paul Hawkins and Peggy Sue And The Pictures.
— Paul Hawkins
I still recall my first impression of Paul Hawkins, a lone figure on stage at the 12 Bar, strumming a guitar and bawling out a tuneless rant. “Is this guy for real?” I thought. Two years and two albums later, turns out he is. Since then I’ve been watching this very unique star emerge from the realms of the UK Antifolk scene, becoming something of an underground legend.
After making the move from Bristol to London four years ago, Paul’s aim was always to form a band rather than play solo, and from that intention came Paul Hawkins and Thee Awkward Silences. The band’s live shows are sprawling messy affairs filled with cuddly toys flying through the air, lobbed back with great gusto at the faces of band members. Paul showers the crowd with flowers and chocolates, or even conducts duels with plastic swords.
“I think I’m a lot more driven in my approach to it now. Before, I acted like I was pissing around, I wasn’t pissing around, but if you take things seriously you look like you can fail. I was trying to avoid failing. Now I’m a lot more open about the fact that I’m serious about what I want to do. The songs are a lot more focused too.”
Sounding like a charismatic mix of Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Daniel Johnston, Paul’s been associated with the gruff and rough types since he first got noticed. A quote Artrocker’s album review says it best perhaps; that is “Paul Hawkins sounds like no one”. His sound doesn’t sit in any one genre for long. Paul first formed Thee Awkward Silences with a few other Antifolk associates. The band has now expanded to nine people if you include the two backing singers. Earlier shows were all very ‘garage rock’, but eventually it had to move on from that.“
There’s only so many gigs you can do being really extreme. Apart from turning into G.G. Allen, shitting on the floor and throwing it into the audience… you need to add another string to your bow really. The plan was to form the band for a one off gig, then the band stuck around and changed its line up a few times. I suppose the band formed properly at the start of 2007, six months after the first gig.”
Two people who’ve been key figures in pushing the band forward are producer and musician Ian Button (ex-member of Death in Vegas, among other things) and Andrew from Jezus Factory records. Both of them found the band through friends, went along to check them out and found a raw edgy band with a unconventional but undeniable appeal. Another person who’s offered support has been Radio 1 Dj Huw Stevens. He asked them to play Latitude festival on the BBC Introducing stage, when another band pulled out at the last minute. Huw had just booked them in for a live session at Maida Vale studios the same day, so it was a lucky coincidence. Cut to an idyllic scene of the band playing at Latitude, with little kids and grown-ups dancing round Paul in the sunshine.
“Yeah, the little kids were really getting into it. It’s funny, we don’t really get reviewed, we’re seen as outsider music. The good thing about a place like Latitude is that people don’t have any preconceptions about music, whereas in London, people go to so many gigs, they sometimes expect every band to be terrible. So when you play to people with no preconceptions, it’s not that outsider-y at all. I think what’s interesting with kids is that everything sounds normal. I remember when I was six and I had a cassette with Iron Maiden and some Madness on it, and it didn’t sound “heavy” or anything, it was just music. You don’t make that distinction, it’s something you learn.”
The new album is called “We Are Not Other People”, a statement in itself. It’s something Paul’s Dad used to say when he or his brother would ask why they didn’t buy the same stuff, or go on the same holidays as “other people”. “I suppose it works as an album title because a) it’s quite defiant. And b) there’s so many bands in the the world, well there’s so many bands in London, forget the world! We’re trying to say we’re a bit different. And c) there are always people who don’t fit into that general criteria.
So what’s next for Paul Hawkins and Thee Awkward Silences? Paul ponders this out loud, then says simply: “Stadium rock”. Supporting Nick Cave perhaps? “I’d rather hope we’d be headlining.”
Ok, now I know he’s joking. Or is he? Make of this lot what you will, Paul Hawkins and Thee Awkward Silences are a band guaranteed to keep you guessing.
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Peggy Sue And The Pictures
How did you and Rosa meet?
Katy: We went to school together in North London and then we moved to Brighton at the same time to go to Uni, and Rosa lived with my boyfriend so I pretty much lived there. And we didn’t know each other that well before cos she’s a year older than me, but when we were in Brighton we became real friends.
What’s the music scene like in Brighton?
It’s good, it’s a really mixed bag. It feels a bit like we’re not really part of it anymore, cos I still live there but Rosa lives in London now. So, we’re kind of in between it all, cos we’re definitely not part of the London scene, and we’re not really part of the Brighton scene. But it was such a good place to start being a band cos everyone’s really supportive and it’s really easy to get gigs, and if people like you they’ll help you out, like loads. So promoters who liked us would put us on at really big gigs which we weren’t necessarily ready for but it was really good for us. And all bands in Brighton are really supportive of each other even if they’re really different. Like, Maccabees took us on tour with them, and Blood Red Shoes took us on tour with them, and they’re completely different music to us but it kinda worked, cos well, I don’t really know why it worked but it did.
How many tracks have you got so far as a band?
Up until the beginning of this year we hardly had any. I mean we had lots of tracks but we hadn’t recorded anything. We’d been doing these monthly CDs make a hundred copies of a CD once a month and send them out to people who’d buy them from our myspace. They’d have new song and an old song and a cover on them, so now our repertoire (is that the right word?) has doubled, cos it means that we have to write more songs. So whereas we used to only have five or six songs recorded plus the single, now we’ve got those five or six, plus the single, plus the four tracks for the EP, and then all of the songs we’ve done for the six months. So it’s really good cos we’re expanding.
Do you create a cover for every CD as well?
Yeah. We never get.. permission though, so we can’t say what they are. It’s really fun though, but yeah we were running so far behind but we’ve just caught up with ourselves. We’ve now recorded July, we recorded that on the last day of July so the backlog is over!
Are you signed?
Katy: No, it’s just a new indie label that’s putting out our first EP which is their first release. It’s just two boys called Broken Sound Music. So they’re putting out this EP for us. We’re just taking it one release at a time really. We haven’t really been actively trying to get signed cos it’s working out quite well for us not being signed. Like, we’re able to do these monthly cds, which I don’t think we’d be able to do otherwise. And there’s no one telling us what we should sound like
Olly: And it’s their first release too so they’re well into it.
Katy: Yeah, they’re really enthusiastic which is really nice
You played The Secret Garden Party last week?
Yeah it was fun, but messy. I only went for two days this year. I’ve been for four years, every year except for the first year.
Wow. We’ve only been three times, this year was our third.
Yeah, I’m the most hardcore!
What was the festival like back in 2005?
It was good, it was so much smaller. I went cos Regina Spektor was playing, and it was at that time when she didn’t really play much, so I had to go see her. And I watched the Noisettes, and that’s how I discovered the Noisettes. It was more intimate then. It was still just as messy but I don’t think I noticed as much. They know exactly how to do it. I realise that that’s the difference between festivals who know what they’re doing and festivals that don’t. It’s all the stuff that isn’t the music, like the decoration and everything to do when the music stops, all of that stuff, Secret Garden Party have definitely got that down. They’re really really good at that.
You’ve been described as ‘ace antifolk from Brighton’, would you agree with that, and who would you say are your main influences?
I quite appreciated being bracketed in antifolk although we’re not necessarily that, but we definitely come from there and it’s a huge influence on us. But I think the point with antifolk is that you can sound like whatever you want, and you just call yourself antifolk. If you listen to an antifolk CD, none of it sounds the same, it’s just doing something slightly different, drawing upon lots of different influences rather than just following one influence along an obvious line, I think. That’s what I like. I mean yeah, I dunno.. I suppose you can’t really group yourselves anywhere.
Olly: Someone once said we’re anti-everything
Katy: Yeah, anti-everything. Cos I mean there’s folk, and soul and r’n’b and punk and riot grrl and motown and everything, and pop so y’know..
Who would your heroes be, if you could name any?
What, like musically? Probably Lauryn Hill. I watched her at Exit Festival last year and it was just so good. It’s funny, cos she’s kinda untouchable, and with a lot of music that we like now we’re kind of in a position where we get to meet those people. It’s quite nice that some people are so far removed that you can still say they’re your hero. I absolutely love Laura Marling’s album I think it’s absolutely amazing, and me and Rosa both were like ‘she’s so incredible’. And because our paths kinda crossed we met her in Texas, so now it’s like she’s a person as well as a musician, and so yeah it’s really nice to have heroes that are dead, or just a little bit too famous.
Your EP ‘Body Parts’ came out on August 4th on Broken Sound Records. Did you have fun recording it?
Katy: It was really fun. It was a collaboration with a band called Left With Pictures, they’re playing all the shows with us this week. We recorded it at their friend’s house in Leytonstone. His flat is a recording studio, which he rented and is living in. So his bedroom was the recording room and the living room was the live room. So we recorded it there, and we got it mixed by a guy called Alex Newport in New York. It was really bizarre cos he was working at a completely different time to us. We’d get an email at like, 4.30 in the morning, saying ‘do you guys like this new mix’. It was a proper transatlantic musical experience. But it was really cool, and it was really cool having someone we really respected being part of it.
Olly: It sounds really luscious, it’s really good.
Katy: It’s been transformed from the funny noises that we made in this funny flat in Leytonstone into what sounds like real music now.
I really like the music video for New Song, who directed that?
Katy: A woman called Gen Bailey from Australia. She’s really really good. She sent us messages on myspace saying ‘Can I do your music video?’ and we watched some that she’d made and one of them was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. So we were like ‘Yes, we have to get her’. We don’t have any money for that sort of thing so we just convinced her that she wanted to do it with us for pretty much free. Some of her videos are shot in Prague, and we were filming on, err Hackney High Road! Really classy affair. No one really understands what’s going on in the video. It’s thematic, I don’t think there’s a narrative there. It’s aesthetically pleasing but not necessarily meant to mean anything.
Album plans?
We’re gonna make another EP first, cos we never really felt like we were ready to make an album until really recently.
Yeah it’s quite a big step.
Yeah it’s really frightening. But I just think that we’ve just started being quite proud of the songs we’ve written and the new songs. The monthly CDs have kind of been as much about getting rid of the old songs as much as writing new songs. There’s songs that we’ve been playing for two years that we wouldn’t want to put on an album cos they were the first ones we wrote together, but we don’t wanna get rid of them completely and then nothing ever to have happened to them. There’s an old song on each of the monthly CDs that kind of clears the way because if we wanted to make an album we’d want it to be what we’re about now, rather than a history of the two years.
You’re playing The Social tonighht with Derek Meins and Thomas Tantrum.
(Rosa arrives at this point)
Katy: Do ya wanna gush about Thomas Tantrum?
Rosa: I love Thomas Tantrum. I heard them in Top Shop yesterday, they were playing on Top Shop radio, that was pretty cool. I texted Megan (singer from Thomas Tantrum) and asked her when she got so cool.
Katy: I texted Megan the other day thinking she was my Mum. I think I sent her a message saying could she buy me a permanent marker!
Rosa: Maybe she’ll bring one for you tonight.
Katy: You never know. Yeah, and Derek’s so good, he plays with the Maccabees a lot so when we played with the Maccabees he played as well.
Rosa: He’s really good.
(brief bit of coughing and spluttering from Rosa who’s suffering a bit)
Katy: How are you feeling?
Rosa: Not good.
Katy: Rosa’s not very well.
Oh no, and this is probably your busiest week in ages, you’re playing gigs everyday
Katy: Yeah, it’s very inconvenient for Rosa to be ill. We’re doing a mini tour of only London, then it’s Brighton on Saturday and Northampton on Sunday. It all just worked out, cos Brighton and Northampton are both festivals
Rosa: It’s good that we’re playing Brighton.
You’ve also been on longer tours before haven’t you?
Katy: We did our own headline tour just before Christmas last year, which was actually in different cities so that was good. (laughs) But this is like an ‘ultimate London-centric’ tour.
You’re playing with the Bobby McGees aren’t you?
Yeah they’re playing with us on Friday and at the festival in Brighton. Cos we curated a stage on Saturday at the festival in Brighton of all our favourite Brighton bands, so they’re playing that as well which is really nice.
I read that you were changing your name from Peggy Sue and the Pirates to Peggy Sue and the Pictures, is that right?
For this EP it’s Peggy Sue and the Pictures, cos it’s with Left With Pictures.
Katy: We’ve worked a good way of explaining it. We’re gonna change it with each new project we do so it’s kinda like a series of books. So we’re the musical Famous Five is our argument now. It’s mainly just cos we’re indecisive.
Well as long as it’s always Peggy Sue people will know it’s you.
Katy: Yeah, the Peggy Sue part will always stay, so hopefully after a couple of changes everyone will get used to it.
Rosa: Then people can just choose which name they like best.
Someone’ll be placing a bet on what the next name will be, and then someone will place another bet and then, it’ll become like a sweepstake!
Katy: Yeah that sounds great. People will be placing bets on what the next name will be, and you can be the underground bookie with the insider information.
What’s the next one?
Katy: We couldn’t possibly tell you.
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Plaid
You’re on Warp Records. Do you hang out with any other Warp artists?
Only at gigs really. Luke Vibert’s the only person we see more socially.
What’s your favorite Warp Record of all time?
I’m quite fond of ‘LFO’ by LFO because it’s sort of bleak. It symbolises Warp quite well (Ed). Can I have two? (Andy) ‘Amber’ by Auteche and ‘Port Rhombus’ by Squarepusher.
It’s Friday 13th today. Are you scared?
My parents got married on Friday 13th and they’re still together thirty four years later. It’s always been my lucky number (Andy).
You supported Orbital ages ago. What did you make of their split last year?
They both wanted to do different things. Paul has been writing some soundtrack stuff which I have heard a little bit of (it’s kind of more classical sounding). Whereas Phil is still really into DJing. I DJed after him at The Big Chill festival (Andy).
You used to perform live with a robotic arm on stage. How did that all start?
When we started to work with Bob really. It was a way of having a very cheap cameraman on stage. The arm would move little cameras so that people could see what we where doing on the desk. Robots and electronic music. It goes so well together (Ed).
Your remix of Bjork’s ‘All Is Full Of Love’ is incredible. How did that come about?
We were touring with her for about eight months or so and it came about though that friendship. We did a couple of tracks with her called ‘Charlene’ and ‘Sweet Intuition’.
Have you ever considered doing an album with her?
That’s not really up to us. I mean if she asked us then that would be something we would be into but she seems happy with Mark Bell.
What do you think of Maximo Park signing to Warp?
I’m not really a bag fan of that style of music. Not to disrespect our label. I’m more into electronic music than guitar based music (Andy). I think tactically it was quite a good move (Ed).
The first time I saw you guys live was Glastonbury at about the time you released the ‘P-Braine’ EP.
Was that The Glade?
That’s right. It switched sides didn’t it?
Yeah, there were complaints I think, that sound was leaking onto other stages so they changed it round.
Do you have any Glastonbury tales?
Actually, when me and Ed made a few tracks under the name Profit (which later came out on the ‘Trainer’ compilation), I took about ten cassette tapes to sell at Glastonbury (Andy). You didn’t sell any did you? (Ed) No, I think I gave some away when I was tripping (Andy).
Your album ‘Greedy Baby’ features a DVD of music videos by Bob Jaroc. What do you think of his finished work?
I’m really happy with it. It’s not supposed to be an album with a DVD, it is the DVD. The album part of it was something Warp needed us to do for racking and shops. We never intended it to be an audio album, we worked on it with Bob all the way though (Andy).
The video to ‘Super Bario’ is about a superhero/wrestler but, If you were a superhero/wrestler what would your superpower/move be?
Befuddlement or super confusion (Ed). It would have to be something to do with smoking. Smoke attack? (Andy).
Your track ‘ZN Zero’ is in 5/4 time. Did you decide that before you started writing it or did it happen while you where putting it together?
No, it was written in that time signature. The point of that track is that all the rhythms where written up to the central point and then second half is like a mirrored version of the first half. 5/4 was a nice singnature to do that because in 4/4 the beats kind of hit on the half beats. 5/4 is a time signature we really like (Andy).
Yeah, you’ve done a few tracks in 5/4.
I don’t know why people don’t use it more.
What is your favorite London Underground station?
Chalk Farm because you can run down the stairs and it’s not too far. I’ve never really liked those communal lifts (Ed).
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Post War Years
How would you describe your sound?
Ambient drones with samples layered over the top and a drum kit behind it. We’re kind of like a mixture of Talking Heads and Tom Vek.
You played The Buffalo Bar on Tuesday as part of the Artrocker club night. How did that go?
It was fun. We’ve played a lot of gigs at The Buffalo Bar but that one was alright. We supported Metronomy at The Buffalo Bar, they’re on later today.
Did you have any trouble getting your large keyboard you use through the small backstage room at The Buffalo Bar?
We didn’t. However, interesting fact, today may be the last time we play with it. We’ve decided to sack it because it keeps breaking. It’s kind of sad because we’ve been using it for two years but it’s like a cheap, shit, Japanese, knock-off Hammond. At one point we sawed it in half to get it in to the van! At one point we did have to take it fully apart and put it back together again! We covered it in glow in the dark paint aswell but nobody has ever noticed because we’ve never actually played in pitch black!
How are you finding The Secret Garden Party 2008?
We’ve only been here a few hours but already we’ve had a little look around and it’s like a mini Glastonbury with all the good bits and without all of the shitness, like without the need to walk a mile to see a band. It’s got a nice lake too. It’s far superior to a lot of other festivals.
Who are you looking forward to seeing?
Metronomy, Ratatat and Mumford & Sons.
Who are your favourite new bands?
I really enjoyed The Wave Machines the other week. We Have Band, they’re playing this weekend aswell! They’re our neighbors, they live round the corner from us. It’s like electronic, indie stuff with three vocalists and the lead singer plays a drum kit standing up at the front of the stage.
How far do you go back?
We’ve actually been going about three years. It depends, we’re now moving in to phase three of Post War Years. Mark one, we basically sounded like The Monkeys because we just had guitars, we didn’t have any electronics. Mark two was the second year and we discovered samplers and electronics. Mark three, we’ve just bought loads of new gear and we’ve got these new t-shirts. So that’s been our musical journey. We’re just at the end of mark two at the moment and we’ve only released one single. Mark three is the exciting bit for us.
Have you got a record deal yet?
No. We put a single out on Chess Club which was fantastic but we will do another single in October. We’ve written about twenty songs but we’ve only recorded about eight so far. There will be more songs and an album. We have it all planned out and we’re going to do it regardless of whether we’re signed or not.
Have you thought of name for your album yet?
At the moment the working title is ‘Future Time’. It’s going to be really pretentious, we might just call it ‘A Succession Of Dots’!
You are Post War Years but if you could post some war to someone you don’t like, who would it be and why?
That’s definitely original. High five for that one. Royworld!!! They’re going to hate us! We don’t slag off any bands, except for Royworld and we think that’s fine as a rule.
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Radar
Where are you from and how did you meet?
We all live in London now, Steve is from the West Country originally, me and Barney have been in bands for years together, we live down the road from each other in Camden. Tom lives near Camden too. I used to go to school with Tom, I’ve known Barney for years and years.
Your single ‘Fifth Columnist’ was out on EMI last year, who directed the video?
Vernon Young, he works for RSA films. It was our second single, we did three limited releases. Now we’re doing out next single independently. ‘Liberty’ was our first single.
How did you find The Great Escape Festival?
The Great Escape was a really messy night, I felt terrible after. I saw The Noisettes! I know loads of people who went there and didn’t see any bands. I’ve always loved Brighton, it’s one of my favourite places.
How did you find the Dot To Dot Festival in Nottingham?
It was strange because it went for one day, there were no jugglers, no magicians and it was in a venue, a student union. It was good fun but it was a lie, it wasn’t really a festival. People use the term festival quite liberally. We got there, the door for the venue was the stage door and then we’re supposed to just go on and play. No sound check! I was like ‘Oh my god how am I going to do this?’ I hadn’t had my five beers and drunk my nerves away.
You supported The Wombats at Liverpool Academy, what was the gig like?
Great gig, probably one of our favorites ever. One of our first mosh pits, very surreal. The coolest thing about that gig was, when we came off stage a security guard told us we needed more security, we were like ‘alright, we didn’t come here to start a fight’.
What do you think of their new single ‘Kill The Director’?
It’s an emotion I’ve felt one or two times, we want to kill our directors. The video’s is pretty good.
Are you playing any other festivals this year?
The Secret Garden Party Festival, can we do interview part two there? We were talking about that for so long, and when it came through it was awesome. All I’ve heard from the Secret Garden Party is from YouTube clips that my friend has, his drunken brother being pushed down a hill in a sombrero in a wheelchair. I can’t wait.
We’ve got a copy of a mixtape by you, mixtape three, are there numbers one and two out there?
Yes there are, we’ll have to dig them up. For each release we put out a mixtape to explain our influences. It was good fun, I like the mixtapes, I want to make a fourth one. It’s getting played by a DJ on XFM.
Have you got a new single or album coming out?
We’ve got a new single it’s called ‘First To Last’, a two track single. It’s coming out in a couple of months, I can’t tell you the exact date. We’ve got loads of stuff but we’ve got to narrow it down for an album.
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Rob Da Bank 1
What inspired you to be a DJ?
I never wanted to be a DJ and I still don’t. I just like a lot of music. It just sort of happened accidentally.
You started out as a tea boy, how did you get that job?
I was a tea boy at a music magazine so music journalism was the first kind of thing I did. I got a tea boy job for a couple of weeks and I just refused to leave and ended up spending seven years there.
How did you get your job at Radio 1?
I suppose I was synonymous with the whole ‘chill out’ scene as it was called then and I was one of the main people who broke a lot of those acts. So when Radio 1 decided to do a chill out show they asked me.
Was it anything to do with Ian Parkinson?
No, it was Mat Priest actually who was the guy in charge of dance music so he sort of got us in.
You’ve got a couple of shows on Radio 1 that are on really late. How do you cope with getting up at that time?
It’s alright actually, I suppose because I’ve been doing it so long, DJing in clubs and stuff that you just get used to it.
What’s been the stand out track of 2006 so far?
Oh Christ, I hate getting asked questions like that! It’s not really a house track or a club track, it’s by a woman called Bat For Lashes. She’s done a track called ‘The Wizard’.
What do you think of The Arctic Monkeys winning the Mercurys?
I didn’t even know they had actually. When did that happen?
Thursday
Oh right, I’ve been stuck in a field. It seems a little bit obvious but at the same time I think they’re really good. To be honest, I didn’t think the line up was all that this year. I think it’s good that Hot Chip were in there but it wasn’t a very adventurous list really.
What’s been your highlight of the festival so far?
John Martin, Kid Creol, Pet Shop Boys and just walking around the site and seeing people being happy and nice to each other. It seems like a friendly festival.
How was your set with Trojen Soundsystem?
It was cool but I can’t concentrate on things like DJing when I’m running the festival. It was nice to play something a bit different and to have MCs singing along.
You’ve had a child. What music have you been playing him and how has he responded?
He gets played music non stop 24 hours a day in the house. Obviously he’s only five months old so It’s a bit early to tell what music he’s into.
Annie Mac is releasing ‘A-Z’ on your ‘Sunday Best’ label. What do you think of her choices?
I think it’s really good. There is a nice mixture of old and new stuff which is exactly what I want the ‘A-Z’ to be. It’s not supposed to be obscure, it’s supposed to be a sort of Friday night party mix.
What’s your favorite Warp Record?
Probably something by Boards Of Canada. There’s a track called ‘Roygbiv’.
If you were an omnipotent being (should one exist) how would you change the UK music scene?
Crikey! I think it’s really healthy. I’m not sitting on the fence but you can’t really complain.
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Rob Da Bank 2
How are you finding Rockness?
Yeah, loving Rockness. As you can see it’s an amazing site and it was an amazing day yesterday, looking down on the loch. It’s just a beautiful site, I’m quite envyous, I’d love to put Bestival on here but our little ‘Nestival’ bit here has been going well so yeah. I’m enjoying the festival.
You’ve got the whole of the UK covered now with Bestival in the Isle Of Wight and Nestival in Inverness!
Yeah, we are spanning the globe.
Your festival sold out a few weeks ago and the line up is amazing but how are the preparations going for this year’s Bestival?
Really good because, like you said, the festival sold out so that’s quite a weight of our shoulders. Every year we wait and wait for the tickets to sell and we never know whether we’ll make it, so to sell out four months in advance is quite bizarre. I don’t know whether it’s the line up or whether it’s that people are in to it now, but whatever it is it’s great.
I reckon it was that poem!
Ha ha ha, I don’t think it was the poem!
How was the Sunday Best night at The Great Escape festival?
Yeah, that was really good actually. We had Dan Le Sac vs Scroobious Pip, they were brilliant as usual, Kitty Daisy and Lewis, our little rock and roll kids, they rocked it and The Hat, our Brighton band that we’ve signed, they were really good. So yeah, I thought The Great Escape festival was good this year.
The last time I interviewed at Bestival, you told me your favorite artist was Bat For Lashes but who is your new favorite band or artist?
Krikey, that’s a good question. Let me have a ponder.
What do you think of the artists signed to Transgressive Records, like Mechanical Bride and Foals?
I absolutely love Foals, I’ve got them playing at Bestival. But it’s difficult doing a radio show, I play about twenty five new bands per week, every week but my favorite bands are still older bands like The Cure, The Smiths and The Chemical Brothers. But I think my favorite new band is probably Dan Le Sac vs Scroobious Pip, just in terms of pioneering something fresh and doing something for UK hip hop.
What’s your favorite milkshake flavor?
Chocolate.
http://www.houseoftracks.co.uk
Shoving brand spanking new tracks into your face.
— Rob Da Bank 3
The line up for this years Bestival is looking hotter than ever. Who are you most excited to have booked?
Probably My Bloody Valentine if I’m just thinking about myself, can’t wait for their wall of sound to blow me off my feet.
I’m really glad you’ve got the Warp records love and booked Aphex Twin. What do you think of the latest Warp signings Born Ruffians and Pivot?
Yes I’ve been trying to get him for 4 years so I finally cracked him! Love Pivot and think Born Ruffians are great too. Warp are on point as ever!
Once again, your festival has completely sold out. Are you extending the site this year and will there be any new stages?
Not really. We capped the capacity at 30,000 last year and have kept it pretty much the same this year. We felt that was the magic number. Having said that we always tweak the site a bit so it will look a bit different and fresh to any old Besti heads!
How did Camp Bestival start?
Me and my wife have got 2 kids and our partners in Bestival and are expecting one so we figured why not start a family friendly festy that we can relax at too. We love doing Bestival but all that partying gets tiring. Camp Bestival will still be a heck of a lot of fun and games but maybe not quite so 24 hours.
What has been your favorite performance from previous Bestivals?
Too many to mention. Lee Scratch Perry, John Martyn, Basement Jaxx, Seasick Steve, Son of Dave, Carl Cox etc etc
What do you think of Foals debut album ‘Antidotes’?
Loved it. One of the most forward thinking UK bands we have.
This is the third time I’ve interviewed you for House of Tracks! In 2006 your favorite new artist was Bat For Lashes, in 2007 it was Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. Who is your favorite new artist or band this year?
Hmm probably Micachu right at this very moment. She has a real raw beauty, innocence but gets under your skin and in your ears.
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