Music

Who are the band's main musical influences...?

Quite a lot of American stuff like the Flaming Lips, a great band called 'Midlake', I’ve always loved early Frank Zappa and Mothers of Invention stuff because of all the amazing layers of instruments. I am also a massive Bjork fan. There was a really cool band around a few years back called 'Mountaineers', I used to love their sound.

Describe your sound…

Beats ‘n’ bleeps ‘n’ acoustic guitars. I guess its kind of mellow vocal/acoustic songs but with 1950's sci-fi sounds and boss nova break beats thrown in! Someone reviewed us once saying that it was like 'cartoon doodles' you draw when you're little.

You've got some weird sounds going on in your music; they're not all conventional instruments are they?

I guess not, I really love my 1960s stylophone; it’s got a sound quality unlike anything else. I have a theremin, which is ideal for those 'forbidden planet' sound effects. I also have some fisher price toy phones and tape decks, and a good collection of glockenspiels.
My favourite instrument is probably my tiny drum kit that I custom made out of old drums. I use it on nearly all my songs in the studio for its boxy sound, and I love using it at gigs, audiences love seeing such a small kit making a big sound! (It mostly all fits in a rucksack too).

Who would be a dream band member or collaborator and why?

It would have to be Beck. I really admire this guy who just always seems to do what he wants to do; he has his own thing and doesn't compromise to suit the 'scene'. He is just a great producer and makes amazing songs. Either him or the guys from AIR, they are just wonderful.

Spaceships Are Cool (c) Vicki Smith

Does Nottingham offer you enough opportunities?

I love Nottingham (I was born at the old Peel Street hospital) it has everything I need to keep me happy, great venues, wonderful local promoters like 'Super night' and 'Not in Nottingham' some amazing bands and really happening nights too. Obviously the industry is mainly still down in London, but I see little point in being based down there.

At the end of the day the industry is as much centred in Tokyo, New York, LA, and it’s more fun to travel to these great places without thinking "oh maybe we should all uproot and go live in LA". It’s not my cup of tea. I love to travel and meet new people and being a musician has always made that possible for me. (Anyway if people dig your stuff they will come and find you!)

You don't seem to have many gigs lined up, is that by choice or isn't there much interest in your kind of music?

At the moment I am just writing a lot of new material and recording, so I haven't had a great deal of time to get on the blower and sort more gigs. We have been really lucky in the sense that lots of nice people ring us and ask us to play at their nights! I think there is an audience for our music as it works on lots of different levels and in a lot of different formats. Some audiences really like it when I do solo acoustic gigs without all the bleeps and synths, other people just love it loud with live drums and all the trimmings!

I do quite a lot of joint gigs with Nottingham band 'Yunioshi' (as I am their live drummer) and they guest in my live set. So this generates more gig opportunities. September onwards will see a whole load of live shows and maybe a trip to Sweden to play early next year.

What was your best gig and why?

At a night called 'Down the Red Bricks' at the black gardenia in Soho. We played there twice a few months back. It’s a really tiny basement venue on Dean St and is run by Tattoed guys wearing zoot-suits.  Me and Ben also had Rob and Anna from Yunioshi playing for us on melodicas and even a musical saw. The place was packed and we gave out sherbet flying saucers between songs. A wonderful night.

What would you give up for fame and fortune?

I don't want to give up anything! I am not too bothered about being recognised in the street. It would be great to have as many people as possible enjoying my music though. Money gives you the freedom to 'do your thing' but it is surprising just how little you need to achieve that sometimes. As long as I am still making music and getting to meet new friends on my travels, that’s cool with me.

How did the band get together?

Bit of a weird one this... are we 'a band'?  I guess so, certainly for live shows the band can be anything up to six people on stage. I think we all have a lot of fun and feel like we are in a band together. As for the song writing and studio work, that is down to little old me. I do get friends to guest on some tracks in the studio, especially my partner Helen who is an amazing Viola player.

Who are the most influential figures in your life?

Definitely my mum and dad for bringing me up surrounded by great music, my brother Tim for getting me into loads of cool bands over the years (both listening to them and playing in them), we both play drums and are the best of mates. He is the spaceships are cool drummer at gigs.

Best band and artists in Notts and why?

Yunioshi, they are fantastic, great songs, nice sound and lots of fun. Now I play drums for them it’s like a dream come true, playing in your favourite band! I really like Fists, I didn't think I would really like them at first but they have such great songs and a whole load of interesting sounds going on that they have converted me totally. My brother’s band 'The Hip Priests' are simply incredible. They rock (a lot). In y’ face, up tempo, punkabilly-speed-rock, complete with dirty lyrics.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Beck's new LP (always a pleasure), Yunioshi's 1950s covers CD that they performed live at a 'Super Night' show, a great Icelandic electro-pop band called 'blood group' (best song, 'move like a tiger'. The soundtrack to 'Nacho Libra’ especially the 'singing at the party' song (genius!) and Swedish singer 'Thomas Denver Jonsson (who we played with recently at the Malt Cross)

If aliens came to earth... As a cultural exchange, which albums would you offer them, which film would you recommend and which books should they read?

Probably my own LP (depending on how good their spaceship was) maybe recommend 'the Mysterians' by Ishiro Honda, great sci-fi film (hopefully would make them giggle at the space costumes!). Not too sure about the book though, maybe 'the richest sparrow in the world' it’s an old children’s book from Eastern Europe that has beautiful illustrations and always has a good moral ending!

What's the perfect night-out in Nottingham?

Early evening drink and food at Alley Cafe (nice falafel!), then on to the Malt Cross to drink Pimms with all the strawberries, cucumber etc, while watching some fantastic live elcetronica and acoustic music on that great stage they have there.  Then maybe catch a late-night screening of all my favourite films at the Broadway which would last until Lee Rosey's tea shop opened the following morning just in time for some green tea (I live on that stuff!) and toast.