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 new talent 2007: the maccabees session
 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.Staying power. Sat backstage at a London ULU rammed to the rafters with expectant devotees, The Maccabees are looking back on the last twelve months of their lives and reflecting on how they got here. “The bands we like don’t necessarily appeal to the whole country,” says guitarist Felix White. “If we wanted to be a big group, we could make music that appealed to the whole country, but we’re not going after that. That’s not what it’s about for us.”  Despite that claim, attention is not something that The Maccabees have often had to seek since forming in 2003. Having honed their spiky, XTC-influenced British pop (not ‘Britpop’, mind) relatively speedily in singer Orlando’s bedroom, they set out to build a live reputation and a close-knit fanbase in the same way their heroes The Libertines did. Songs like X-Ray and the beautiful Precious Time saw them quickly snapped up by Fiction, and put them on a steep learning curve. Given the oppurtunity to support bands they had previously been in awe of (The Strokes, The Futureheads) they were at first, by their own admission, shambolic. “Some of the bigger support gigs, we just weren’t ready for,” admits Felix’s brother and other guitarist, Hugo. They rose to the challenge and persevered, however, slowly earning a reputation as one of Britain’s finest new live bands. “We’ve always written songs to be played live. That’s the only way to do it – if you can’t play your songs in front of people then you’re not good enough.”  Now though, having played “like, a million gigs”, The Maccabees are focusing on releasing their debut album. Produced by Ben Hillier and the legendary Stephen Street, it retains the sharp energy of their live shows, but adds a depth and sheen that make it sound like a classic English guitar record. The band are proud of it, but realise that for them the hard work is only just beginning should they want to survive the here today, gone tomorrow culture of modern music. “You have to have a certain amount of success to continue,” says Orlando. “Success is not why we’re doing this, but we recognize that. You’ve got to be there or thereabouts, otherwise you’re not going to get to make a second album. That’s the reality. We want this to last,” he concludes, “but we want it to last on our terms.”
Hamish McBain
The Maccabees - About Your Dress, released 15 January 07.
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comment by jeorjie
Feb 9, 2007
i heard them ont radio and then saw them supporting jamie t and they were jolly good. they sound like interpol but mental and all exiteable. and theyv got big smiley faces unlike your average grumpy indie person.
comment by wordymonkey
Jan 19, 2007
I was at that gig at ULU and I'm so glad that the BBC have put some footage from it up because it's letting me re live one of the best gigs I've been to! They have such a warm atmosphere about them and their energy pulses through the crowd. They deserve to be huge, but at the same time I don't really want them to get too huge and become bland like so many others. Anyway, if you haven't seen them live go see them and also their myspace page is really cool too, frsh new songs up on a regular basis!
comment by godwardjbob
Jan 18, 2007
the maccabees are flippin awesome!!! i only started listenin to them a few months ago, or just before First Love was released i think but ive flippin fallen in love with their music and they have fast become one of my favourites band!! and at the moment well apart from razorlight they are my favourite!!! but yer they are very awesome!! and in my eyes will definitely make it huge!!
comment by oswicked
Jan 18, 2007
Yeah,I agree..THE Maccabees are GGRRREEAATT!! I say 'The' Maccabees,coz they shouldn't be confused wiv that other band Maccabees(The Jesus-loving band),who I personally don't like...Oh,one more thing..On the above article about The Maccabees it states that they're influenced by XTC...Does this mean the band XTC(??)..or the infamous psychopharmacological enpathogen methyldioxymethamphetamine(MDMA)?Just wondered...REMEMBER,KIDS,THE POSTER OF THIS COMMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO PROMOTE THE USE OF DANGEROUS ILLEGAL DRUGS LIKE XTC. OR ANY OTHER LEGAL DRUGS EITHER!
comment by *Sezza*
Jan 12, 2007
I think they're a really refreshing band, can't wait for the album, although despite their “like, a million gigs” they haven't managed Northern Ireland yet, which isn't very nice!!!
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 the maccabeessingle new talent 2007  ed bangerfeature  patrick wolflive session  v v & the villainslive session  good shoeslive session
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