Raw Talent's been talking to guitarist James and getting the truth on by far the most interesting band name on the Hull scene... James: When we decided that a name change would be better, with it being a new line up and a new band, we were all coming up with suggestions, literally we had about 30. We kept a few of the ideas that we all liked and toyed around with them for a bit. Cherry Cobb Cartel came up, as I remember, at a practice. We were just having a break and Matt our bass player adopted a strong Yorkshire accent, like he was possessed, and said ‘I’ve got something to tell the whole family’. We all listened and he said ‘how about the Cherry Cobb Cartel’. We all liked it immediately. I suppose another good reason is its local provenance. It's related to an area in Humberside, which was used as a decoy during the war, so German bombers would hit only open grounds which were disguised as ports. How hard is it to change your name - surely it means a whole new push to re-market yourselves? I suppose it is a hard thing to do, having built up a fan base, but we want the band to be different. Although primarily it is about the music, we have decided on many things to accompany the new name. Stage lighting and ‘goodie' bags, like when you was a kid, so it's not just the music, more a performance. That way, if someone did not like the style of music we play, they could perhaps still enjoy our show. What's the current line up? | "I think something has to happen before it's too late and we all become psychotic from boring jobs." | | James Cherry |
At the moment our set up is drums, bass, two guitars and vocals. That said, we're not limiting ourselves. Me and, especially, Tom can play keyboards or piano and we plan on using this with acoustic songs. We are now experimenting with different ideas, so the music is more diverse, such as bongos on a new track and changing guitar tones. We are also in the process of developing four-part harmonies for most of the songs, to just give us a bit of an edge. Another benefit is Matt, our bass player, is also very good on guitar, so we plan on changing it around a bit, say swapping the bassist and guitarist around. You've got a gig coming up in Leeds. Is it getting easier to get gigs out of town? I don’t think it’s easier, it’s just there are now more options, with the band scene in the UK expanding so much. A problem with playing out of town is the cost involved, which is why we have started a band kitty for any needs. It's with appreciation to Blueslide for getting us the gig with them in Leeds, because at the moment we have not finished our demo, so are unable to send music out to promoters. Any stand-out bands for you on the Hull scene right now? The Hull scene is very healthy at the moment, you only have go to the Linnet and Lark to see that. It's rammed every week. A band we have seen recently, that have impressed, are Kill Surf City. I think at the moment they are the band everyone is talking about… soon to be surpassed I believe :) Is there one band you really enjoy being on the same bill with? I suppose we like playing with the Blueslide Circle because we get on as friends on a social level. So at a gig there is no tension, it's more relaxed and you can enjoy yourselves more. We plan on doing a joint encore when we play Linnet in May, but we have yet to decide a song. Who writes the songs? Primarily myself or Tom will write the songs or the lyrics, and just bring them to practice and they develop from there. It’s a very much separate thing until we get together, which is why, when we write a song, it's not set in stone until it has been messed around with for a while. What's your favourite in the current set? I think our favourite song at the moment is either ‘Sick and Tired’ or ‘The Heart I Bought’. They are very new sounding and, I think, give a clear indication of where we are going. They are also the first songs to be born out of the Cherry Cobb Cartel, so they have some meaning to us. Is the band going to be arranging summer gigs around the World Cup? We can’t wait for the summer, its going to be like 1966/67 for our generation. Music is on the up and we have a good chance in the World Cup. We are just going to wait to see what comes back from the demos we send out with regards to gigs. Hopefully that will give us many options. Do you all socialise together as a band? We are good friends outside the band, which I think is a healthy thing. When you look at bands like the Coral you just know they were mates before they were a band and would play music even if they weren't signed. I suppose that’s why it flows so well in practice. Everyone can say what they like. A band night out? A perfect night would start with watching some good comedy, say Family Guy or Monty Python, with a few drinks, and then progress to a club when we have had out fair share of ale. Then afterwards some guitar and playing any new ideas. What's your favourite band of all time? We are all well into the Beatles or anything from the 60’s or early 70’s. If we had to have a favourite I would say we're all happy with the Beatles. And your favourite song? It is impossible to pick a favourite song, it changes so often. I think, like us, everyone must go through a phase when only one songs exists and it gets played for a full week. If you could cover one song, what would it be? ’Money’ by Pink Floyd or ‘A house is Not a Motel’ by Love. And the year ahead - what are you aiming for? We are just going to carry on developing what we have and continue with new songs, thinking of new ideas and just enjoying it. We would all love to have some interest from some sort of label, I suppose very soon. We are not built to work in a normal environment. I think something has to happen before it's too late and we all become psychotic from boring jobs and, on my part, university. | 
