Volcanoes interview

Volcanoes

Interview

Imagine tricking your band mate into thinking that he was going to have to come to rehearsals and Christmas day, and not just or a little half hour, oh no a full four hour rehearsal. That would mean the missing of the Queens Speech and possibly the oh so exciting Eastenders Christmas special (and some years this can be your highlight). This was the case for the dedicated drummer of the volcanoes, and he was going to try his best to get there. Now that is what you call dedication.

I delved into the mind of Samson Bedford to get straight to the point of the making of the new ‘Mini Album’, find out that their next record could be their last and where they draw their influences. Also I find out whom he would have in his in his super group and if he would just like to be Bez from the Happy Mondays and how he would to twist the conventions of a summer festival. So read on and become immersed in the world of Samson Bedford and the Volcanoes.      

1.      You guys were previously an acoustic duo. How did forming the band as a quartet come about?

Kev (Shirles) and I were in an acoustic duo called ‘Shirles & Bed’ for about a year. Prior to recording our second EP we decided to get a percussion drummer to add a bit of depth to our tunes. One thing led to another and eventually we became a four-piece indie band and called ourselves Volcanoes. That EP became the Red Door EP.

2.      Your website has described you as mischievous Volcanoes. What is the most mischievous thing you have done to each other?

Ahhhh we’re generally nice to each other. Our mischief is in our music.

One little story does spring to mind though. Ash joined the band replacing our original drummer about 5 years ago. We we’re uber keen to get back on the gig circuit so we practiced pretty intensively for a few months. I remember pretending that we’d booked a four hour practice on Christmas Day. When we told Ash he looked really gutted but bless him he said he’d do his best to be there. Now that’s commitment.

3.      Vexihomp is a fantastic ‘mini’ album. How was the making of that compared to all you other records?

Thanks. Shirles writes a lot more these days so it takes a bit of the pressure off me and I think it gives the band a completely different edge. The record was good fun to write and it seemed to come together really quickly. We never try to give our CDs a theme, we just bang out a load of tunes and put them altogether. I think in some cases this is to our detriment as folk who like the first track might think WTF when they hear the second. We’re not at all bothered about that though. We just love pushing ourselves and going with as many different ideas as possible. Our next record (which may be our last) is going to have reggae / folk and gospel influences as well as indie. I hope we can pull it off.

4.      In many reviews people like to try and compare your sound. I personally think you have the unique balance of being yourselves. Who do you think you sound like?

It sounds corny but we’ve put a ridiculous amount of effort into trying not to sound like anyone else. We’ve scrapped loads of tunes in their early stages if they’ve sounded too this or that. Sure, individual tracks may have certain influences but they all have our stamp on them.

5.      If you could choose anybody dead or alive to be in your super group who would it be?

I’d happily give up the Vocals if Freddie Mercury wanted to join the band and perhaps give up the guitar if Lennon fancied a strum. I guess I’d just become a dancer.

6.      You pride yourselves on the live shows. What have been your best shows to play?

We’ve always had good nights at Dublin Castle in Camden and we used to love playing the Grapes in Sheff

7.      What has been the best gig that you have played to date?

BE @ PROUD galleries in London was probably our best gig

8.      If you could create your own festival, who would you have on your line-up and what would set your festival apart from the others?

Hmmmm.

Us ‘obviously’

Foals

System of a Down (headlining the naughty stage)

Super Furry Animals

Bassment Jax

Daft Punk

The Music (reforming)

Band of Skulls

Dinosaur Pile-Up

Bon Iver

All the bands would have to buy tickets but the public could come free.

Rochelle Massey

Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and see quite literally

Hi everyone,
                    After extensive listening and forming my own opinions, I decided to write a review on the album so enjoy.

Arctic Monkeys –

Suck it and see,

Quite literally.

I love it when a new album comes out. I get all excited and giddy, when I go to purchase it. So this was even more so the case when, the new Arctic Monkeys album came out. I have to say I was hoping that this would be better than Humbug, and by does it beat the last album hands down. It’s about time we heard Alex and the boys back to there normal selves.

Don’t get me wrong Humbug is a great album, but it lacked what the Arctic Monkeys are all about, and that is the quick witted lyrics that come from Turner, mixed with fast paced beats from the rest of the guys. Humbug was a different direction and was met with a lot of bad comments and opinions but strip it away and it is a great album. It is good that a band experiments, you don’t want to be hearing and buying the same thing over and over again, it gets tiring. So I will still give them 10 out of 10 for effort of Humbug. So as many critics didn’t like or believe in Humbug, a lot was riding on the next album.

Suck it and see, does not disappoint. “She’s Thunderstorms” leads you into what you think that it is going to be another Humbug inspired track, but as it gets going you soon realize that the boys are back. Turner’s quick witted and poetic lyrics come alive with the melodies. It is also nice to hear Alex’s voice back to how it was in the first 2 albums rather than the dark sultry pitches he undertook on the last album.

Although the album does seem dark it still has that toe tapping feel that, the Arctic Monkeys always seem to give a record. “Black treacle” is a prime example of this. You can’t help but keep to the beat of Matt Helders. It also seems that they are sticking it too the man, so to speak with the lyric “and you talk the talk alright, but do you walk the walk or catch the train?” insinuating that this album is to push into the critics face and ask, do they even know what they are talking about.

“The hellcat spangled shalalala” takes you back to the “Whatever people think” album. The poetic concept that runs through this song so strongly, that you can’t help but sing and smile at “sing another fucking shalalala.” This is the type of song you would want to here midway through a night out to sing-along with your mates.

The title in its self is, instructing you to just get on with it. Overcome your fears and just taste what is inside this album cover. You will not be disappointed in this album. From start to finish, you will love it and then repeat the process again.

These boys seem to have incorporated all previous 3 albums, into this wonderfully pleasant record, and it has worked. They have carefully selected the best parts of its predecessor. Although “Whatever people say I am” is flawless, find a problem with that album and we will see how many people actually agree with you. From a band that in 2004 and 2005 were playing the tiniest venues and even the unsigned stages at festivals, and now they are on their fourth album. This band has come under as much scrutiny and criticism that a band of their age would only ever get after a few decades. This though shows how in demand they are. People should really just listen to this amazing album and let them take you on a journey of sarcasm and wit, which only these lads can get across. You really should just “suck it and see” with this album, no doubt you will fall in love with it.