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Interview: Jack Foley
DO ME Bad Things, the hotly-tipped blues/rock/soul/metal/everything/anything
nine-piece from Croydon, release their debut album, Yes!,
on April 11, which is proving to be a real head-turned in industry
circles.
The band formed, legend has it, on St Valentine's Day 2003, when
the nucleus of Alex Lewis, fellow songwriter, Tom Shotton, and
Ad Mallett formed what was originally intended to be a stoner
rock trio, purely for fun, to enliven the dullness of the sleepy
Surrey suburbs.
The ensuing line-up includes: Nicolai Prowse – vocals;
Chantal Brown - Vocals; Mark Woods – Vocals; Tom Shotton
- Drums/Keyboards/Guitars; Alex Lewis - Guitar/Vocals; Ad Mallet
- Bass/Vocals; Rich Aldhurst – Guitar; Kimberley Whalley
- Vocals; Clare Macdonald-Haig – Vocals.
Here, Jack Foley chats to them about their story so far and hopes
for the future...
Q. Congratulations on a terrific new single and a great
new album, you must be very pleased with the reaction to your
music so far? How does that make you feel, especially in regard
to What's Hideous?
A. It’s very nice that other people like our music.
We like What’s Hideous too but Lewis doesn’t
like it.
Q. I've read in various places that you are the UK equivalent
of The Scissor Sisters, with touches of The Darkness thrown in.
Are such comparisons a help or a hindrance? They must be flattering
if people think you can reach that level of popularity?
A. Not at all. We don’t strive for popularity,
we strive for personal excellence. We are nothing like the Scissor
Sisters, in fact we are nothing.
Q. Nine members. So how did you meet?
A. At the athletics club
Q. And formed on St Valentine's Day in 2003. A happy
coincidence? Or a great way to express your love for music?
A. Pure accident. We didn’t actually ‘form’
on Feb 14, we just had our first proper practice then.
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Q. There are some great names
among you - Chantal Delusional, Rich Man, Ad Lick and Hurricane
Tommy - care to elaborate some more on how you came to them?
A. We thought they were funny. They often change daily
though.
Q. Your ability to mix musical styles, from blues, to
rock, to soul, to metal is forcing people to take notice. How
do you come to choose what styles you are going to put together
on a single?
A. There is no planning. We just make up songs and play
them and they just come out that way.
Q. And what was the reaction from record executives when
you first started sending out demos?
A. We never sent out demos. This dude from Must Destroy
saw us playing a gig by accident.
Q. What inspired the songs on the album? And which are
your favorites? Which do you hope to see become singles? And is
there a lot of material that maybe didn't make it?
A. There were about 37 songs that didn’t make it.
The songs are generally inspired equally by feeling of joy and
compassion and a preoccupation with the horror of existence.
Q. What has the reaction been like in other countries?
Have you been to the US yet?
A. Poland’s going apeshit! Seriously! I went to
Florida and had a really bad time.
Q. And what are tour plans/festival plans for the coming
year? What's the grand plan for the rest of 2005?
A. We’re going to tour a bit, there’s not
really a grand plan.
Q. And finally, who inspires you?
A. Ian Johnsen, Alan Hake, Tim Nash, Tokyo Dragons, Hank,
Alex Smith, Liberty DeVito, James Feast.
Q. Congratulations and we hope everything works out well
for you, in the future, and, more immediately, for the new single
and album. I'm sure it will work out well.
A. Thanks very much, much appreciated, apologies for
the oblique cryptic answers, it’s been a long morning.
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