Giraffes? Giraffes!

The Neck-xt big thing

“I may or may not have written some music while sitting on the toilet.” – Joe Andreoli

 

I talk to one half of Giraffes? Giraffes!, guitarist Joe Andreoli, to learn about his band, his dancing prowess and whether the duos favourite animals really are giraffes.

 

Giraffes? Giraffes! Are an experimental math duo from Massachusetts consisting of Joe Andreoli on guitar, loops and effects and Ken Topham on drums, percussion, glockenspiel and bells.

So where to begin when describing these math core maniacs? Well if you just take their name and think of the animal you are presented with it is quirky, just like the band. Some might say they are even an oddity with those elongated necks and elongated jams respectively. But I defy anyone not to have smiled at these oddities of the animal kingdom and I also set the same challenge to anyone that listens to this band.

Although like any math band there is no promise of an easy listen but there is so much to reward any listener that it is nigh on impossible not to fall into a trippy trance when treated to their tunes. The pair make mind bending meandering music with intricate time signatures which change so frequently they are guaranteed to scramble the most sane of mind.

The pair formed the band in 2004 and recorded their impressive debut album ‘SUPERBASS!!!! (Black Death Greatest Hits Vol. 1)’, showcasing their raw potential in December 2005. Their musicianship only shone more on their follow up ‘More Skin With Milk-Mouth’ released in 2007. The sound incorporated many guitar taps and jaw dropping inventive time signatures once again with the songs managing to be atmospheric, chaotic, melodic, relaxing and unnerving all at the same time.

To get to know them and their music more I spoke to Joe and he is as much of a madcap as his bands song titles such as ‘I Am S/H(im)e[r] As You Am S/H(im)e[r] As You Are Me And We Am I And I Are All Our Together: Our Collective Consciousness’ Psychogenic Fugue’ suggest, so take a look at what he had to say…

The Band Stand: Firstly tell me about when you guys first met one another and why you decided to make music together?

Joe Andreoli: We met in a small college town, Keene, New Hampshire. We both played in different bands that often played shows together and we talked about making this different sort of music together. So we tried it out and it worked. Then we moved to California.

TBS: What stories or emotions prevail within your music?

JA: Probably the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark collection.

TBS: Can you explain your band name and where it came from?

JA: There’s a book called GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! that was put together by Dave Eggers and his brother Christopher under pseudonyms. Dave Eggers is the founder of the totally boss publishing company McSweeney’s. The book is a sort of nonsensical children’s book where they pretty much just made up a bunch of stuff and say they’re facts. You ever see those old Time-Life science books? They’re like that. There’s a series of them. Anyhow, Ken and I were driving around one day thinking about band names and that book was sitting in his backseat. So we started borrowing the name.

TBS: Are Giraffe’s your favourite animals, if not what is?

JA: Giraffes are pretty sweet, but I’m all about cats and I have two. Ken’s a doggy dog guy and he’s got one. So mathematically speaking, I love cats twice as much as Ken loves dogs. So cats win.

TBS: Who are your major influences musically?

JA: That’s a toughie. There’s so much out there that influences you positively or negatively and I feel it’s mostly a subconscious thing. I can appreciate very technical players and compositions, but for me it’s all about feeling. Make me feel something.

TBS: Is there a particular person or band that inspired you to want to be in one yourselves?

JA: Probably Kurt Cobain. I was 11 when ‘Nevermind’ came out and it was like a fucking forest fire. It blew all of our minds he immediately became our icon.

TBS: How has your music evolved since you first began playing together?

JA: At first it seemed like we were experimenting to see how stripped down we could have the songs. Cut the fat to just the melody bone. Since then we have been slowly adding more and more to see how much we can do in the instrumentation with just the two of us, while still keeping things tidy.

TBS: Tell me about the recording process for the first two albums.

JA: The first album was recorded very quickly. We had a show coming up and decided we wanted to have something to sell at the show. We banged it out in a couple hours in a warehouse our friend was living in. It was meant to be a demo, but everybody started buying it so we kept on selling it, thinking that we’d re-record it at some point and so far we haven’t.

On the second one, we didn’t rush. We set up a studio at Ken’s apartment and did all the recording there. He had some frustration in the beginning because we recorded the whole thing and then found all these glitches in the recording and had to record everything again after picking up a new audio interface. Besides that, it was fun. Ken did all the recording/mixing and we’d drink coffee and beer. I think we recorded it in three days. For the new album, we might record on analog tape and bring in our engineer friend to help out.

TBS: What is your approach to recording?

JA: I admire those bands that have huge catalogues with tons of B-sides, EPs, and extra tracks lying around. We’re not like them… at least not yet. Currently, we write songs somewhat slowly and take our time working them out , making sure that we’re completely satisfied with them before we record them.

TBS: What can you tell me about your instruments?

JA: My main guitar is a Guild S-100 and it was my dad’s when he was younger. I think he bought it during the middle of the 70s. It’s extra enjoyment playing it on stage knowing that he did the same years ago. I also have a Fender Fat-Strat that is OK except for the shit Floyd Rose. I don’t really play it anymore. I recently picked up a Jazzmaster that I’m tweaking a bit. As for other equipment, here’s the run down from my fingers to the cabinet: Super Slinky strings, Boss TU-2, Digitech Whammy, Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde, Zinky True Grit, Digitech Digital Delay PDS 1002, Ernie Ball VP JR, Akai Headrush, Boss RC-20, Orange AD140 TC Head, 4X12 Marshall Cabinet. Some of the stuff I have is kind of shit since I don’t have a lot of money, but you’ve got to work with what you’ve got.

TBS: What age were you when you first picked up an instrument, and what was it?

JA: My dad plays guitar, so growing up there was always one around. He’d let me mess around with it. Then my folks bought me a pair of drum sticks and I used to lay out their books on my bed and beat the shit out of them. They bought me a snare drum not too much longer after that. I started playing guitar more in my teens and then bought a drum set when I was 17.

TBS: Have you been experimenting with or are there any new instruments that you would like to incorporate into your new album?

JA: I’ve got a MicroKorg that I’ve been using on some of the songs, but I’m not sure if I’m going to have it be a regular instrument or not. We have some other ideas but I don’t want to give too much away.

TBS: What are the advantages, if any of being in a two piece band?

JA: The pros are that it’s easier to fit in a car, to schedule things and to make decisions, there is no drama. Really the only con is when we’re looking for that extra set of hands to play some part and we don’t have them. Then Ken usually says “just loop it” and I do.

TBS: Are the two of you good dancers, and what song is guaranteed to make you dance?

JA: I like to think I’m a good dancer. Like Sting’s character in Quadrophenia, just making shit up on the fly and all of a sudden everyone else is dancing like that to. I think the reality is that I look like an idiot. It’s probably since my mom played it a lot when I was growing up, but “Come And Get Your Love” by Redbone pretty much gets me moving every time.

TBS: Did you have a musical upbringing?

JA: Definitely. My mom was always playing music and making mixes for everyone. Every Saturday morning she would be playing Neil Young on the stereo and doing stuff around the house. My dad always played guitar a lot. He’d come to my school sometimes and play sing-a-long songs for all the kids in the class.

TBS: Which do you prefer, recording or touring?

JA: They’re both fun. Recording is nice, because Ken’s recorded everything we have done so far and we don’t rush or push it too hard. It’s pretty relaxed and we have a good time. Playing shows and touring is pretty rad too. It’s fun seeing new people and places and playing out is a good excuse to do both.

TBS: Do you have a favourite gig that you have ever played?

JA: There have been lots of good ones for lots of reasons. The first one that popped in my head was when we played in Santa Cruz, CA with The Advantage. It was early on for us and there were a lot of people, really good energy, we played real well and The Advantage were a lot of fun.

TBS: What is your favourite song to play live?

JA: I like playing the second half of “When The Catholic Girls Go Camping, The Nicotine Vampires Rule Supreme” a lot, but that’s because I get to solo and mess around. We used to jam in a small Paul McCartney medley thing during the freak out part of “She Looked Up From Examining The Freckles On Her Arm And Shouted, “Jesus! I’m Fucking God-Damn Tired Of All This Make-Up Sex!” And He Just Stared Off.” That was fun.

TBS: Do you ever listen back to your albums, if you do is it with enjoyment or a critical ear?

JA: I don’t listen to them very often and never too critically. They’re just slivers in time and I like to leave them that way. When I do hear them though they are nice little reminders of the past.

TBS: What motivates you to get out of bed everyday?

JA: It seems to be either A) A glass of water, B) A cup of tea or coffee, or C) I have to pee.

TBS: When do you find yourself at the most creatively prolific?

JA: There’s not any particular time that’s good or bad for me. I usually play in the morning and evening. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. I may or may not have written some music while sitting on the toilet.

TBS: Who are your favourite bands currently?

JA: I have been listening to a hell of a lot of Kate Bush. Also I have been rocking the Constellation Records bands pretty hard again lately.

TBS: What was the first and the most recent music you brought?

JA: I think the first cassette that I owned was George Michael’s ‘Faith’ or maybe Weird Al’s first album. Before that I had a thing called a Pocket Rocker, but I forget which tapes I had. The most recent things I bought are a compilation of Native American field recordings and an Incredible String Band LP.

TBS: I believe you studied Literature has that had an effect on your music in any way?

JA: I have always loved reading and it must effect the music somehow because it’s all getting pushed through the cheese cloth in my head. If anything, I think there are similarities when you consider certain pacing of written works or pieces of music. Since the beats had jazz, maybe we can have Vonnegut?

TBS: Explain to me a normal day in your life.

JA: I wake up at 7AM. Drink some sort of caffeinated beverage and eat breakfast with my wife Johanna. She goes to work. I do a little bit of stretching/brain-clearing type of stuff for an hour. I play guitar/record music for an hour or so. Read for a bit and do the internet sweep thing. Eat lunch and go to work (I work at a performing arts theatre). After work I make dinner then I play guitar/record again for a while. Read for a bit again. Then Jo and I sit around and watch stuff on the TV. We have been rocking the BBC Sherlock Holmes pretty hard lately. Jeremy Brett is the shit! Sometimes grab a drink somewhere, sometimes play games, take baths. Other than that there’s the occasional music project, quiz night at the pub, live event at the theatre things like that. I usually listen to an audio book while I fall asleep. I guess pretty tame overall, maybe I should be more c-r-a-z-y!

TBS: My blog is called The Band Stand, so which three bands, living or dead would you choose to share the band stand with?

JA: Meddle era Pink Floyd, Live At Leeds era Who, and Led Zeppelin II era Zep.

When asked if there is anything else that he would like to add Joe wraps things up by saying “Yea, Thanks a lot!” but professing it is in a high pitched mouse voice. And if he could speak in a mouse voice it would just be like his band extremely odd but on the other hand hugely unique and compelling.

• Giraffes? Giraffes! Will be touring in America and Canada this August.
• For more information on Giraffes? Giraffes! Visit their official website www.giraffesgiraffes.com or www.myspace.com/giraffesgiraffes.

Violet Violet

The most amazing, fabulous, sensational band in the whole world

“Our songs are loud, heavy and dirty situational observations, full of gossip.” – Violet Violet

 

I meet Violet Violet to talk two pieces, taxidermy and tumultuous Germans.

 

Tonight there is a party going on in Norwich and anyone who is anyone in the Norwich music scene is descending upon the Arts Centre. The reason for the celebration is that it is local label NR One Records’ 5^th birthday. But I’m here to speak to this evenings headliners, the racket rousing, raucous duo that is Violet Violet.

Violet Violet are a two piece guitar drum duo consisting of Cheri on strings and Fliss on sticks. I initially encounter the girls adorning their merchandise stand, which is resplendent with band gear and a bevy of cup cakes, after all it is a party. And Violet Violet have plenty to celebrate also as at the back end of last year the East Anglian lasses successfully transformed themselves into a two piece, released their second album ‘The City Is Full Of Beasts’, to critical acclaim and are just about to head off on a jaunt around Europe. Oh and not forgetting the small matter of recently having grabbed themselves a BBC Introducing session at the world famous Maida Vale studios.

The pairs ditties are chock-full of bitch and bile, therefore listening to them may conjure an air of intimidation but their instant warmth and accommodating nature belie their bitchy tunes. As we amble through a narrow Arts Centre corridor the ladies display their modesty as initial small talk turns to tonight’s show “We are both a bit nervous” Cheri with her blonde tresses turns and intones, continuing “because any of the acts could have headlined and they were all really good in sound check, but we have been chosen.” It certainly is an intimidating slot at the top of tonight’s talented tree, but the girls will go on to justify their billing with an explosive set, but more of that later.

Back in the here and now we arrive in the bar area, the girls already stocked up with tonic from their rider make their way up a set of stairs to a quieter area as I queue at the bar. To give an idea of the music the girls make imagine if Willy Wonka, into his revolutionary, non-pollutionary, mechanical wonder flung the ingredients Riot Grrrl, grunge and a pinch of punk it would have no doubt spewed forth Violet Violet.

Drink now in hand I also ascend the stairs to the small, dimly lit upstairs area where Cheri and Fliss are sat sipping as the sounds of The Velvelettes seep out. It is an hour before show time but the girls are relaxed and happy to talk. They begin by divulging how they first met, Cheri recalls “It was at Dereham sixth form and we both moved to Norwich at the same sort of time.” Fliss continues recounting their earliest memories of one another “Cheri was in a band, which I really liked but we never really spoke.” Adding “ But then Cheri found out I was a drummer so approached me.” Cheri interjects “Yea I saw her from across the playground and thought that girls really cool.” Continuing Cheri smiles “I had reason to talk to her because the drummer in my previous band was terrible and I had always wanted to be in a girl band.” By their own admission attempting to bed Fliss into Cheri’s line-up at the time “didn’t really work”, but that did not deter them as Cheri explains “We then formed a band on our own with other friends from sixth form” And there we have what proved to be the earliest nucleus of Violet Violet.

Taking a sip of her drink and placing it back on the table Fliss admits that when questioned about the origins of their moniker “We make up a load of stories.” Cheri reasons “Yea because the actual story isn’t that great.” Pressed though to spin the yarn on their name Cheri says that “It’s from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story,” Fliss steps in “Yea where Violet Beauregarde’s dad says ‘Violet, you’re turning violet, Violet.’”

So with the band formed and the moniker coined Violet Violet were ready for the public and it was onwards to their first gig, a local battle of the bands in 2003. Fliss recounts that “It was the only reason why we decided to form the band really, in order to be involved in the battle of the bands at the local bowling alley.” At the gig the girls covered California Dreamin’ and their overall appraisal about their performance is not too positive. The experience they confess was though the catalyst for them knowing they wanted to make music together Cheri saying of the idea “We were really keen on it definitely.”

There was to be one more recruitment before Cheri says that they “got a bit more serious.” Fliss describes within this initial line up “the other girls were just in a band to be in a band.” So again the twosome were looking to recruit in order to become a trio. Fliss recounts “We advertised for another bass player and recruited (now ex-member) Kylie. We had a meeting with her and she was a really nice laid back girl.” Cheri continues “So when we met Kylie we became a bit more serious as we got on NR One Records and then we started to tour and did Europe.” The girls would then go on to release their debut album ‘Bitchbox’, but adversity was soon to follow. The memories of this time and the subject of Kylie’s departure are the first time their notorious bitchy barbs are felt. When questioned where Kylie was from Fliss jokes “a ditch” but this vitriolic view is only temporary as the matter is discussed further. The comment may seem catty but these girls are genuine and what Fliss says is not mindless as they are quick to explain eloquently their personal feelings which immediately make sense. Fliss remembers “She left in a really bad way and it was really upsetting” the girls adding that Kylie does not even want to speak to them now. Cheri recounts “You become protective of it (the band) because we had had it for so long so it made us a bit resentful that we had given it to her.” With the sudden departure it is not hard to see where the girls annoyance stems from, they even go on to praise her later for her time in the band but Cheri concludes by saying “It kind of makes you think, why did we enlist someone else because we were quite capable of doing it as a two.”

Therein there was to be a new dawn for Cheri and Fliss as they overcame this departure, they displayed strong will, tenacity and a hard working independence demonstrated to them by their Riot Grrrl heroin’s. Fliss says that “Together our biggest influence is Sleater-Kinney, they are a big inspiration,” Cheri adds “yea and they also didn’t have a bass player and their vocal style was similar to ours as me and Fliss have always shared that.” As well as taking inspiration from their influences they could more than draw strength from the fact that Fliss says “We always wrote all the songs together as a two.” Cheri elaborates “Even with other people in the band you could always hear Fliss and I.” To which Fliss says “So it wasn’t a hard decision to become a two piece.” And that is how these girls arrived at making music as a duo. Spending any time with them you cannot imagine it any other way, their synchronicity is astounding as they consistently, throughout talking, literally finish each others sentences. This synchronicity is what makes them so devastating on record and even more so when they take to a stage.

The next challenge for the girls was to prove themselves right that they could be a two piece. When recounting their time since becoming a twosome and what they have achieved you can really see their eyes light up and the mention of what they can do with their sound now makes them more excitable than an ankle biter with a tube of blue Smarties. Cheri confesses “It was scary” and with a widening of her eyes adds “but then we were really excited by what we could do as a two and the dynamics.” Fliss steps in “And the weird thing is we are much louder with one less member.” Cheri explains their infant duo days “I split my guitar sound which is how we create such a big sound as I go into a bass amp as well. The two of us looked into an octave peddle and I use the same one as Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Jack White.” she then recalls advice they sought “We e-mailed Dave Pye (the producer of ‘The City Is Full Of Beasts) and informed him of the situation. His advice was to use a splitter pedal, so now I split between bass and guitar.” This process birthed what they proclaim to be a louder, heavier and dirtier sound.

The girls entered the studio with the aforementioned Dave Pye to capture their new sound and they are quick to point out his importance. Cheri full of praise declares “He really goes out of his way to get where you are coming from.” Fliss continues “He just got us because he had seen us live, listened to our music and we also took him ‘The Woods’ by Sleater-Kinney to listen to, as the production on that album is fantastic.” Cheri happily concludes “He did a really good job.”

Proving to themselves they worked as a two piece was easy enough but proving it to others was no mean feat. Because of this Cheri sites the night of 7^th August last year, their re-launch gig as a two piece, as one of her favourites. She explains “It sounds negative but a lot of people came to see us to see whether we could do it or not” she remembers about the pressure. Continuing she recalls “We practiced so hard for it with the new pedals and it was really difficult, but we pulled it off and everybody was saying to us ‘I can’t believe you did it, you were amazing.’” Fliss agrees with it being a defining moment “It really was one of those teary occasions.”

The result of their time in the studio was soon to follow as ‘The City Is Full Of Beasts’ leapt into view on 2^nd November and critical acclaim was soon to follow as notably the album was voted one of XFM’s Top 100 debuts of 2009. To coincide with the release the girls staged an album launch gig which Fliss places near the top of her pile of favourites. Recalling the night the brunette drummer says “It was at The Forum in Norwich and a band had never played there before. We made it a black tie event and made the space into a set of our album artwork.” Nostalgically she concludes “We put so much effort into it, it was just amazing to give that to our fans.”

These fond memories are excitedly retold and it is easy to see why they are with such vigour as they confess their preference is touring over recording both agreeing that “Touring’s amazing, especially in other countries.” From this stems what they rank as their favourite gig, at Palace in Cologne, Germany. Fliss happily recalls “It was just really bizarre because we got on stage and everyone was really enjoying it we were just like jeez” Cheri highlights “Because we were first on.” Fliss continues “We finished went off stage and everyone was screaming for an encore for ages, we were like ‘We can’t go back on we played first.’” To which Cheri adds “There was a huge eruption, the other band had to come and get us and say ‘Girls, you’re going back on!’” She concludes with a chuckle “We didn’t have anything to play so ended up performing a random song.”

After this recollection both girls gulp the remainder of their glasses as Marlena Shaw’s ‘California Soul’ rings out around us. One after the other they return their tankards to the table and turn their attention to addressing their lyrical content. “We mainly just gossip in our songs” reveals Fliss, “Yea situational observation” offers Cheri in explanation. Their Gossip-grrrl lyrics though are articulate as their sharp tongues are clever and jammed full of wit. Fliss says “ We try not to make the situation too obvious though, as when we used to, it landed us in trouble.” Cheri testifies with laughter “It did I nearly had a fight with a girl once because of our lyrics.” They vent their spleens within their sounds but tongues stay firmly in cheek. For example the trauma of losing their felines to former swain’s is delightfully dealt with in ‘C-C-C-Cat’, as at the same time as brimming with bile the lyrics are also lavished with laughter.

With talk turning to their instruments Fliss points out “Personally I’m not that fussed with drum kits, I’m not a name girl” although adding “with lots of money I would like a DW kit.” The pierced lipped Cheri though is onto a subject she enjoys, she begins “I play a Schecter, which I like because you don’t really see a lot of people with one.” adding “It has really nice pick ups so it’s quite heavy and low down but can also be jangly.” With that she turns to a description of her other equipment “I have my POG, my custom made splitter and three Marshall pedals” to which she is quick to add “I detest Marshall amps but love their pedals.” Finally she tells of her “cherished” Fender Deluxe 85 amp pointing out “It is the same as Johnny Greenwood’s from Radiohead.”

While addressing instruments the enquiry as to whether they are experimenting with new ones is greeted with a chuckle as Cheri reveals Fliss’ hidden piano playing talent (she can play Alicia Keys’ debut in its entirety) but they assure me through much mirth there are no plans to incorporate this into their sound. They reveal though that they will be taking to the studio with Dave Pye again soon and are full of enthusiasm about the prospect. As previously stated they are “excited at what they can do” as a two piece. They seem to thrive on it and it seems they almost see it as a challenge as to how much noise they can make, as Cheri returns again to pedal talk “We are going to be doing more with the pedals, we will be playing about with the bass and guitar when we record.” Creatively they are at it already, they do not stand still, their early Riot Grrrl influences are still present but along the way they have drawn inspiration from Blood Red Shoes amongst others and are currently very Rock ‘n’ Roll. Cheri admitting “We are really into Eagles Of Death Metal at the moment, we saw them and have fell in love with that sound.” With Fliss adding “After we saw them we wrote a song inspired by them.” Alongside this fact Fliss also confesses Them Crooked Vultures’ debut to be the last album she brought, adding that she “loves Dave Grohl.”

They throw a couple of new songs in tonight, one which Cheri admits “they just finished in sound check.” They admit they are “cut-throat” with their set as they say they are always keen to budge old songs from the list. This reflects two girls brimming with ideas, a musical maturity shown on their second album which continues to blossom and maybe also a sour taste to their old offerings, which they admit to being very critical of. It seems that in shedding members they shed an old skin and talking to and witnessing the girls play you can tell they are now where they wanted to be. They are brimming with passion, excitement and ideas as a twosome.

At this point during my chat various people are attempting to say their hellos to the girls but they are only briefly distracted and there is time for them to display yet more talent. Cheri shedding light on the fact that she also studies French “I’m in my second year of university now. I studied French at sixth form and we travel around Europe so I wanted to do it because I just like communication.” Equally as talented Fliss is responsible for all of the bands artwork and also tells how she “Graduated last July from the art school in Norwich.” adding “I also do taxidermy in my spare time, as I was fascinated by it so thought I might as well give it a go to see if I could do it, I did and I could.”

And with that the girls are being dragged away for more hard work as they need to fit in an interview with the BBC. Just before they can scarper down the stairs though I ask them what to expect at a Violet Violet gig, to which they both reply “A lot of noise!” They are whisked away to their interview and after that no doubt to their awaiting pork pies, as it is their pre-show ritual to cram a Melton Mowbray. Then they hit the stage to tear through a ten song set, consisting of two new songs a Kaito cover and seven second album tracks including their imminent new single ‘For the Young and the Fresh Boned’, which they both agree is their favourite song to perform Cheri‘s reasoning being that it has a ‘stonk‘ to it. Their proclamation of being noisy proves to be quite the understatement. Live they are heavier than on record their venomous vocals are both brilliant when barked and similarly magnificent when melodic, Fliss’ drumming is so much more intense and Cheri’s serrated riffs even more lush for being drenched, at times, in feedback.

Violet Beauregarde gorged herself on Willy Wonka’s gum to blow up but Violet Violet have been chewing over Riot Grrrl, grunge and Rock ‘n’ Roll influences and now it is time for them and their Gossip-punk to blow up to gargantuan proportions.

• Violet Violet’s album ‘The City Is Full Of Beasts’ is out now.
• Their new single ‘For the Young and the Fresh Boned’ is to be released March 29^th.
• Check out their Myspace www.myspace.com/violetviolet1 for more information.

Kotki Dwa

I Don’t Like Crickets…

“Our influences are Mario, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Lucky Charms” - Alex Ostrowski

 

I speak to Alex Ostrowski about Kotki Dwa and crickets mating calls.

  

   

“Tom studies zoology and is doing his dissertation about the mating calls of crickets.” This is Kotki Dwa’s response when asked for an interesting fact about the band.  

The sounds horny crickets make though is not what concerns us, the sounds that Kotki Dwa make is. Asked to describe their sound, Alex the bands guitarist and songwriter says that “It is bright indie-electro-pop.”  

He then goes on to tell of how Kotki Dwa met “Me and Tom (Drums and keyboard) went to school together and me and Tristan (Bass and synthesizer) are brothers.” The band’s name comes from a Polish nursery rhyme, Alex and Tristan are of polish origin and their Grandfather used to sing the rhyme to them.   

The band Alex remembers were formed in early 2005 “I was studying for my Art Foundation, Tom was having a gap year and Tristan was still at school.”  

Asked for their influences Kotki Dwa in response do not reel off a list of bands. Alex quite originally says “Our influences are Mario (from Nintendo game Super Mario), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Lucky Charms” Not your average list of influences.  

They may be influenced by Joseph’s coat but they make music so colourful that in comparison his coat is a dour grey Mack. The influence Lucky Charms have may also make sense. Whereas like many other bands they have catchy indie-pop tunes, Lucky Charms also have the boring part which others possess. They also have something different from every other band just like Lucky Charms have something different from other cereals with those marshmallow bits. 

Also the citing of Mario seems to make sense when you listen to the incredibly infectious ‘Pad’. The song begins with what seems like the sound of Mario when your Nintendo crashed halfway through a game. What follows this sound though is not the disappointment you used to get realising you had to reset your console. It is instead a hugely catchy electro-pop tune. 

The aims for the near future are Alex says “To release our first single ‘Robins Clogs’ on December 10^th and have an amazing launch party for it on 15^th December at ‘The White Eagle Polish Club’ in Balham.” Quizzed about the aims for the distant future Alex replies “We want to continue to make, play and record our music.”  

The outcome of Tom’s dissertation it seems though does not really matter because soon enough he’s going to be studying the hollering of masses of indie kids as he is in your new favourite band.   

     

     

 

Ripchord

The Answer To Your Prayer  

“The measure of a good song is if it makes you smile. And ours do!” - Phil Wallbank.

  

I meet Ripchord’s Phil Wallbank to talk of the Wolverhampton quartet’s debut album and to discuss Brit-pop, bassists and Busted members.

 

 

 

It is a dull and dank day in Wolverhampton, and I am stood outside The Royal London pub. I have come to meet Phil Wallbank the singer and guitarist from local infectious poppy quartet, Ripchord. The bouncy lad from the Black Country comes strutting into sight looking like a 90’s Brit-pop throwback in his tight fitting baby blue Adidas top. His sunny personality as bright as the classic pop tunes that he is renowned for producing.

 

We step inside the small, quiet pub and head straight for the bar, as Phil describes Ripchord’s sound. “Poppy” he proclaims excitedly. He continues in his Wolverhampton twang “We have been criticised in the past for being too poppy but we are a genuine band that write catchy tunes. We try to create a happy sound and put this alongside angry lyrics.” 

 

This is a perfect introduction to the band from the Midlands. The other members of the band that make up the foursome are James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan (Lead guitar and backing vocals), Tommy Beal (Bassist) and Rozalind Duignan-Pearson (Drums).  

Now sat down at a table in the corner Phil recalls how the band came into being. “We formed when we were in sixth form at school. Me and Sulli were in various bands together previously, but wanted to start something new” he says with a hint of nostalgia. He continues “It was hard to find others into 60’s and 90’s pop music at the time. But we were determined and got to know people by seeing the same faces at local gigs. That’s how we met and gained Beal and Rozalind as band members.”  

Asked about the name of the band Phil explains that it is taken from the Radiohead song ‘Ripcord’. He attributes the christening of the band to his brother. Explaining that he came up with the idea and a ‘h’ was added in order for it to sound more interesting, snappy and like a band name.  

The band started to gain momentum in 2005 through entering a competition on their local news. Ripchord went on to win the competition and their society savvy ditties started to generate more publicity. This rewarding them with gigs further a field from their local circuit. The singer explains “We found ourselves playing in new places like Manchester and Liverpool.” It was here they gained their big break. The front man recounts “We got noticed by James Endeacott, from Rough Trade records, who signed The Libertines.” He continues “We started hanging around with him which was surreal and he signed us to his label 1965 records, which is also home to The View.”  

As we finish our drinks and head over to the pool table conversation turns to recording and gigging. In between his break off shot, which results in him sinking the first red, Phil discusses the positives and negatives of touring. “Service station sandwiches are a drawback of the whole process. They do not make the best of meals everyday. Also tiredness is another down point.” He continues “I enjoy meeting a huge amount of new people though and that comes with life on the road.” With a smile on his face he adds “It can be fun to be out on tour with another band also. The camaraderie is good and the togetherness is inspiring.”  

Pressed to shed a light on gig stories the vocalist spins the yarn about Ripchord’s biggest appearance to date, supporting the Kaiser Chiefs at the Manchester Apollo. “Most of our best tour stories revolve around Beal, our bassist. He is what I refer to as an unhinged character, an essential member I feel for any band.” He says “At the Manchester gig there was a bit of the stage that we were not allowed to use, being the support band. So our manager said to us ‘make the most of what you have got.’ And I just remember Beal slowly strolling around in this space in front of us stalking the stage. It was weird and rather humorous” he concludes with a chuckle.  

After potting another couple of red balls the front man tackles the question, whether he prefers playing live or recording. He answers in a strained manner “They can both be stressful.” He elaborates “The stress at recording comes from trying to re-create how you imagined the tune to sound. And touring can be stressful because of tiredness, but then again you can go out afterwards.” He summarises in a happier tone “They are both hard but rewarding. I prefer recording though because you are creating something.”  

And what have Phil and his cohorts in Ripchord have created in their debut album entitled ‘Beginners Luck’. They have created a glorious modern slant on pop via the 60’s and traditional pop music charged with the tunes from the best bits of 90’s Brit-pop.  

I slot some loose change into the near by juke box and invite Phil to select the tunes. His selections, The Beatles, The Kinks, Bee-Gees and Blur talk for themselves as the influences behind Ripchord’s sound.  

Whilst on the brink of victory in the pool match the front man describes the process of the bands writing. “I write lyrics about the little things in everyday life from my own personal point of view. I aim to do this uniquely though by taking thing which are stupid and try to make them mildly humorous.” Pressed for the secrets behind writing the music he says “I get a tune in my head and record it on my phone.”  

Phil tells of his most interesting recording moment as I shape up to sink my first yellow. “When recoding the song ‘Heartbreaker’ we had James Bourne from Busted come to lay down backing vocals which was a bit peculiar.” he goes on “Anyway, I remember him sitting in the corner playing a song about a girl that he had met over MySpace. I just recall thinking to myself how strange it was that he was recording with us and playing this random song to us!”  

The album was recorded three times as a result of trying to achieve the correct sound. It took nearly two years but finally with Steve Power twiddling the knobs it is done. Phil talks of the album in an excited tone, he exclaims “I’m really proud of It.” adding “I measure songs by if they can make you smile and do something to you emotionally. And our songs make me smile so I’m hugely proud.” With this Phil lines up his shot on the black and sinks it. Put that down to Beginners Luck.