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Steadman
Charles:
Alright we're here on the Indieshop on KBeach radio at KBeach.org. I'm
going to let you guys just check out the play list on the web site for
those last few tracks. We have the band Steadman in here if you guys want to say
Hello.
Band:
(all say hello but very far away sounding)
Charles:
Let me do you a favor and let me turn the mics on first.
You guys want to introduce yourselves?
Simon:
I'm Virginia, this is Shirley and this is Sharon.
Charles:
Now we're all thoroughly confused.
Simon:
Simon, I'm pointing to myself as if people can see.
James and Russell.
Charles:
And what do you all do in the band?
Simon:
I sing the songs. James
plays the guitar and Russell we take it is the drummer.
Charles:
Just to inform the audience of course.
You guys are from....
Russell:
Hastings, England.
Charles:
Actually let me get the mic closer to you
Russell:
Oh I do apologize.
Simon:
So unprofessional.
Russell:
Is that better? I don't have any headphones on.
I'm the only one without them.
I'm feeling a bit left out.
Charles:
Sadly we only have two but good thing we're only talking.
As long as you're not deaf in one ear we're cool.
So how's the trip going?
Simon:
Well we just drove, well not just but in the last five weeks we've just
driven from Seattle, no from San Francisco to Chicago to Boston then
Philadelphia to South Dakota back to Seattle then back to San Francisco.
We've covered this whole country.
Russell:
And Atlanta
Simon:
Yeah and Atlanta, it's been great. Charles:
You've seen the backbone, the backside, the front end.....
Simon:
Yep we've done it all. We've
seen a lot of gas stations.
Charles:
You have a few of them on your web page as well.
Simon:
Really interesting.
Charles:
Any impressions of the country?
Simon:
Lot of gas stations.
Charles:
Most bands that come through here they play like New York.
Simon:
We did New York.
Charles:
They play LA then they go home.
Simon:
We wanted to do the whole thing man.
It's a big country out there.
James:
Soak it up some.
Russell:
It's a long way for just two gigs.
Simon:
If anyone is interested in buying some CBs or knives I found a great
place in Nebraska.
Charles:
That's crazy.
Simon:
You can buy crossbows for four year olds.
Four and up. I'm not
joking.
Charles:
Oh I don't doubt you at all.
Russell:
That's what it says on the box. But
it's been awesome we've had some great... Awesome? Did I just say Awesome?
Simon:
You've been in America too long man.
Russell:
But we've had some great venues...
Charles:
It's been too long when you start saying Dude.
Which I assume they don't say much in England.
Russell:
No, not a lot.
Charles:
You're lucky. I'll catch
myself saying it once in a while and it's like "Oh time to
move". But like I said
it's interesting that you guys would cover the whole country so well.
For the most part you're just starting out here.
Simon:
Yeah I know. Well you've
got to play to everyone. It's
a big country to get around. In
the UK we've played everywhere and we thought what next - America.
Why not?
Charles:
And the reception has been good?
Simon:
Yeah, fabulous. Better than
expected. Particularly for
a pretty unknown band. We
turn up and most of the time we're like the first band on supporting a
local band with a following and we'll turn up and by three songs in the
place is rammed with people getting into it, wanting to join the mailing
list, buy a cd and kiss our feet.
Simon:
Yeah that's right. That was
a long time ago though. We
turned up to Glastonbury one year, we had a van full of PA equipment and
our instruments and we didn't have a gig.
So we found this stage that was just sitting there empty and we
asked this really old ancient hippie that happened to be running the
stage if we could use it. He just said "whatever" and there we were on the
stage. We played every
night for like four nights. Each
night we played more and more people were turning up.
The last night was a Sunday night, beautiful sunset right in
front of us and about five thousand people.
Word of mouth, we were posting posters on trees and stickering
toilets exactly where people were sitting you know doing their thing.
So they had something to read.
People just came and flocked to see us and that just set us up in
the UK. Suddenly we had
people ringing us up offering us gigs and all that.
Charles:
I guess you're kind of doing the same thing as far as self promotion.
Simon:
Yeah that's what we're trying to do over here.
We've got a much longer way to go but we're getting there and
it's been really good so far. Hopefully
we'll be back soon.
Charles:
Of course you used to be known as the Dharmas.
Can you give a small history of the band.
Russell:
Ok the Dharmas now let me see that would have been 92 or 93.
Dharmas got together. Simon
has already filled you in on Glastonbury.
Things went really well from there on really.
We got a deal signed to this cool little independent label then
about three months in got sold to BMG.
So we suddenly had this major deal and it just wasn't right at
all. We were label mates
with Whitney Houston and that.
Simon:
Lovely lady and all that.
Russell:
Very nice lady but it was just never going to be right for the band.
Simon:
She's terrible in bed though.
Russell:
There was accusations of misappropriations of funds and stuff.
The usual big label rubbish and we lost the deal.
Simon:
That was 95 rather than 92. We're
not that old.
Russell:
Basically we lost the deal.
We managed to rescue our album out of that and still sell the
album but we decided to change the name.
A couple of band members decided to move on.
There's still four original members here in the band.
And G here - sorry James we all call him G.
He plays guitar he's been with us about a year and a half.
Charles:
Just a G thing
Simon:
Yes he's the O.G.
Charles:
I'm sure you've heard that a million times.
Russell:
That's really how we metamorphasised into Steadman.
Charles:
How would you consider the band being different now as opposed to then?
Russell:
Well we lost a percussionist and a keyboard player and although
Ellie has started playing keyboards he was really funky so things just
changed direction. It's
more guitar based now.
Simon:
The Dharmas was quite festival. A
good time festival band. Which
is fine for a while but after a while you start to feel like a cabaret
act. Although I was writing
songs and stuff we had kind of little routines that we did and it became
a little contrived for me. I
wanted to make sure with Steadman it was all about the songs.
I've always written songs and sometimes I'd write songs and
didn't put them into Dharmas because they didn't fit with the happy go
lucky sound that we had.
Russell:
That's kind of another reason for changing the name.
Really it was to break away from that.
It was a real feel good factor but it was too much.
It was just too much of a party sort of thing going on.
Simon:
Which we still have now with Steadman but it's also a lot more now about
the songs and about music and how high Russell can jump off the stage
into the crowd.
Charles:
So it's more of a maturation process.
Simon:
Just not to say it's boring now. It's
incredibly exciting.
Charles:
With better songs right?
Simon:
Exactly. Well I hope so.
Charles:
Speaking of songs we're going to play something. You guys brought in some CDs to play.
Simon:
We did. it's 72 we've got a
long night.
Charles:
Everyone get their pep pills out. What
did you want to start with?
Simon:
I'd like to start with this very very good song called Carry On by
Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Which
was quite a main component in getting me into song writing. I like it for the main reason that halfway through the song
it goes in a completely different direction, funks out, gets groovy just
roll with it.
Charles:
Ok. We'll be back in a few
minutes. If you have any
questions or something we have a chat room on AOL.
Britpop Inet Radio on the UK user created rooms section and of
course you can call us here in the studio we'll see you in a bit.
(break
for songs)
Charles:
And we're back here in the studio with Steadman on the Indieshop.
If you want to describe your picks here.
Or why you picked them.
Russell:
We don't have any pictures.
Russell:
I picked the PM Dawn track because I hadn't heard it for ages and
ages and Ellie just happened to bring it along with her on the bus and
she played it just as I was looking out the window thinking just this is
so unreal.
Simon:
And it used to be a friend of yours.
Russell:
Yeah and in reality it used to be a friend of mine. I just really used to like it years ago.
Charles:
Now you guys have been touring all over the US.
Back to how the band was beginning and everything, when you guys
turned into Steadman and you had the problems with the label what were
your feelings when you got dropped?
Simon:
Obviously we were angry about it. But
after you get over the initial feeling of regret, anger and all of that
kind of stuff we kind of felt stronger.
Mainly because we started learning about the internet. Particularly in England the internet is about a year behind
America really. It's
catching up now. So we
started learning about MP3s and publicizing ourselves over the internet.
Our bass player is like a computer whiz kid and he just sussed it
all out and we got a page up.
Charles:
And I'll say it's a really good page.
Simon:
Thank You. Yeah he's worked real hard.
Russell:
Yeah he did really well. We
got a couple of best home pages in internet magazine back home so that
was like a good thing for him to get because it's a bit of a thankless
job really doing all that work and to get that it was really good for
him.
Charles:
It's not like being in a band where actual people see you
perform.
Russell:
Exactly it's like you do all that work there and well you know.
Charles:
You get a letter from somebody an anonymous letter from somebody saying
"Great page"
Simon:
Those do make him feel good though.
When he gets those little e-mails.
He likes that.
Charles:
So now you guys are basically on the web.
Do you have a deal in the UK?
Simon:
Not in the UK we haven't gone looking for a deal in the UK.
We've actually been focusing a lot of our attention in the US.
Russell:
We were offered a couple of deals afterwards and we just couldn't
negotiate them right so we decided to just stay totally independent for
a while. We weren't in a
rush to go jumping into bed with any label.
Simon:
You know like when you go out with a girl and she dumps you.
You don't want to go out with someone on the rebound.
It was a similar sort of situation.
Charles:
Who doesn't? That's the best time isn't it?
Simon:
Well unless it's just one night.
Just sexually.... no serious relationships.
Russell:
I've lost my total train of thought now.
So we just stayed fully independent.
We produced this album ourselves.
We got some help. We
met some wicked people who have given us some help.
We managed to get a very small distribution deal over here which
was the whole intention of the exercise.
Which we did.
Charles:
It seems odd or unusual to me at least that an English band would
come over here and concentrate more on the US than back home. Because
English bands have a record of not doing as well over here.
Simon:
Really? Ahh no we did know
that actually. Although you
say that, we did a bit of ground work and all of the good responses,
we've had about 2 bad reviews to be honest with you but all of the good
responses the majority of them came from the US.
From internet sites - Ezines, magazines people we were talking
to. We got such a good response out here. It just felt like a natural thing to do to come out here.
And the thing is we applied to play at the CMJ conference in New
York and North by Northwest just to see what would happen.
To dip our toe in the water out here and we got such a good
response that we got a licensing deal out of it.
We're only small we can't focus on too many countries at one
time. We have to just
choose one and seeing as how we haven't really been out here and we were
getting good response we thought lets go for it.
Charles:
What's the difference between.... You're having an opportunity
that bands didn't have five years ago.
Simon:
Exactly and that's all because of the internet as well.
Charles:
I guess that's one of the ways that it's revolutionizing the
music industry. I mean how
different is it as opposed to how you were with the Dharmas?
Simon:
Because you've got this business card that is able to get out to
anyone in the world that has got access to a computer.
It's a business card, you can give people music.
We went into this internet thing with the philosophy that we want
to give before we take. So
we put a few songs up on the website from the album so that people could
taste it and that's something you couldn't have done five years ago.
Russell:
Also digital recording as well.
The availability of that at home is just brilliant because we're
all getting our studios done together at home.
Simon:
You don't need to go and spend three thousand pounds a day in a
high top class studio anymore.
Charles:
How does being on your own doing everything yourself compare with
what you were trying to do before?
Russell:
Well the advantages are that you answer to yourself so if
something doesn't happen you can't blame it on someone else.
You really have to get your arse into gear.
It's good to have outside views sometimes though.
We do try to get as many sort of peoples different perspectives
on things because sometimes you can get a bit tied up when you're doing
mixes and tracks and things like that, you need other people to come and
look at it.
Simon:
The other good thing is we're all really highly motivated I
think. We've all got
individual roles that are stronger than each other. So you've got our bass player who's a web designer.
You've got Ellie who is the phone lady, who basically is the
business lady who sorts everything out and cracks the whip when it needs
to be cracked. I write the
songs and ......... what do you do? No Russell just had a baby so he's
kind of busy with that at the moment.
But he does do a lot for the band and sorts a lot of things out.
Generally kind of everyday day to day things.
And James who is just sitting here you probably wouldn't even
know that.
James:
Hi
Russell:
Did you hear something?
Simon:
He's just joined the band so he's still sort of finding his place
outside of the music but there's a big place there waiting for him and a
lot of money to be made.
James:
I look forward to it.
Charles:
Well let's continue with your picks.
The next one.....
Simon:
The next one, this song is not a rebel song.
This song ..... well we didn't want to go obvious.
We didn't want to choose Radiohead.
We didn't want to choose Jeff Buckley.
We didn't want to choose those bands that we love because it's
too obvious. We came here
today with an agenda of being different of being unpredictable so the
next track we're going to play you is Frank Sinatra and it's Chicago.
Charles:
Cool, we'll be back in a few minutes.
Charles:
Alright here we are. Head
wounds here. This is the Indieshop at KBeach.org. Of course we have Steadman in studio and that was thievery
corp.
Simon:
Thievery Corporation. We
chose that song because it's got a great riff.
We don't know what the title is but as far as we're concerned
it's called (goes into funky guitar riff)
Charles:
Tell you what, the first person that e-mails me the title of the
song will win something.
Simon:
Yeah that's a good idea.
Charles:
We'll figure out something to give away.
Simon:
Can I make up a title and then I win it?
Charles:
Sure
Simon:
Umm.... oh I can't go there.
Oh I know. Moon over
my hammy.
Charles:
I think that's been taken. You
guys have been at Denny's way too long.
James:
He knew.
Charles:
And we heard before that?
Simon:
We heard Chicago because we spent a lot of time in Chicago.
It was kind of our base over on that side of the country.
Every time we drove into the city we played that song.
Russell:
Or left the city.
Simon:
Or left the city
Russell:
Or was near the city
Simon:
Or
wasn't even near the city.
Charles:
So you could have flashed through the photos on the Steadman web
page. Steadman.co.uk and
looked at the photos and imagined yourself in their shoes.
(camera
goes off in the background)
Simon:
No photos please.
Charles:
You know this is America. We
don't have the paparazzi. You
can kind of relax and get comfortable.
Simon:
Yeah thanks for letting us sit here completely naked as well.
Russell:
Yeah I really appreciate that.
Charles:
Well the good thing is
that the console is high enough that I don't see anything.
So I'm safe but we've got photos.
For the charge of five bucks.
Email me five bucks and I will give you the password to the
website for the full photo. I'm
kind of curious, we talked about how you guys got together as a band,
how you started out. How
about as musicians
Simon:
How did we get together as musicians?
Charles:
On a personal level.
Russell:
James perhaps.... you say something.
James:
On a personal level?
Charles:
What got you started on guitar?
James:
Guitar. It was a strange
guy playing, we were all going on a summer holiday when I was in (?)
next thing I knew my Mum and Dad bought me a guitar.
Simon:
That's beautiful.
James:
Yeah it's a beautiful story, I thought I'd share it with you.
Russell:
They wanted you to be that man.
James:
They did. And before
they knew it I was playing summer holiday.
Charles:
How was it learning?
James:
Easy. It's easy to learn.
Simon:
It is when you've got fingers as long as he has.
Charles:
I talked to the guitarist for Gene and he was mentioning how his
system was to paint your fingernails.
I guess color coded along with the chords.
Simon:
That'll work.
Charles:
I had never heard of that system before.
Simon:
No I wouldn't do it.
Russell:
He just likes to paint his fingernails.
Simon:
Did he use lipstick as well?
Charles:
Not that I noticed. That's
the singer. So how about yourself Simon?
Simon:
My Mum's a singer she used to run a club in London and she
basically forced me to go and sing with her one night.
And I did and I thought hang on I like this.
There was a girl there that was kind of interested in me because
I was singing and I thought hey I like this even more this is a good way
to get chicks.
Russell:
Especially when you're seven.
Simon:
I was six.
Charles:
Kind of like the Charlie Chaplin method?
Simon:
No, that's partly true but basically she's been performing all of
my life so I just kind of got interested in it through here.
I didn't like the kind of stuff she was doing but it was like
Irish Folk Music and that so I rebelled against that and was doing
Prince songs and Waterboys songs stuff like that.
I really enjoyed it. I
really liked performing and I started writing songs myself.
That was quite a few years ago.
Charles:
And then came Crosby Stills and Nash.
Russell:
I used to just like rhythms really.
Used to get really excited and spent a lot of time hitting
buckets in the garden. Well
that's it. It's true I used
to get really excited.
Simon:
Didn't you used to be a magician?
Russell:
Oh yeah well I don't want to talk about that.
So really from hitting buckets in the garden from the age of
eight I managed to get my first drum kit at fourteen.
As soon as I got a kit I was in loads of bands because I couldn't
practice at home. So it was
just to play anything I could really with lots of old guys and young
guys. Used to play with
this guy that toured Germany in the sixties and that was really bizarre
and then eventually after playing with about thirty odd bands I met up
with Simon.
Simon:
There's not a band in Hastings that Russell hasn't played with.
Charles:
That's one thing I've noticed about your web page you mention that he's
played in a lot of bands before joining up with you.
It seems like every band that I read about history wise seems to
have picked up their drummer from like thirty other bands before that,
like their a professional drummer for the most part.
Russell:
From the gutter, I prefer the gutter.
Simon:
He's a legend. Everyone knows him. You
can't walk down the street with him in Hastings and not be stopped by
someone who wants to talk to him, touch his feet.
They want him to kiss their babies.
Charles:
Must be a nice break here in the US then.
Russell:
Yes it is very nice from healing people.
Charles:
Walk around barefoot no
one really cares. So is it
nice to have on a musical level..... is it important to have a good
background as far as a rhythm.
Simon:
God yeah. Bass and
drums they're vital. They're
vital because that's what people feel. That's what rocks peoples stomachs and in their chests.
That's what gives you the punch and it's in the attitude.
A good rhythm section, very important.
Charles:
How do the songs themselves come about?
Simon:
How? Basically as of
late I got a computer. I've
been collecting loops and I've been laying down loops.
Either getting some keyboard lines, particularly for the new
album which we're going to start recording hopefully when we get back.
Just been getting loops up and laying down keyboard lines and
singing over it that way. Where
as before I took the much traditional route with Loser Friendly I was
just writing them on the guitar. Now
I've gone, well with this album it's going to be more contemporary and
experimental but still kind of poppy and singley sounding.
I like writing catchy tunes that you can hum in your head.
Charles:
Do you feel like you have to have a certain song style?
Or like a certain pattern when you write?
Simon:
No. There's no way
you can say I'm going to write this kind of song today.
It's whatever you feel like.
I was arguing with someone the other day to say that I don't sit
down and say that I'm going to write a single today.
I sit down and say I'm going to write a song today.
I've got just as many bad songs as I've got good songs.
I just enjoy doing it.
Charles:
How does the rest of the band come in together?
Simon:
Well basically I'll demo something up on the computer I can stick
it on CDR now because we're all pretty futuristic now.
Used to just play stuff down the phone and say learn it but
nowadays I can give people CDRs. We
just get a rehearsal together and just iron stuff out and usually the
song turns out completely different as to how I did it on the demo.
But that's how I want it. I
wouldn't want to say well you've got to do it that way and you've got to
do that. A band is about
being a unit, about being united. I
just lay the skeleton and the other guys add all the flesh.
I'm just saying that because Ellie is listening and I know she
hates the word flesh. Ellie
is our keyboard / violinist player.
Charles:
Flesh isn't such a bad word.
Simon:
Yeah she's got some problem with it.
Flesh. Can you hear me Eleanor?
Flesh.
Charles:
She's not a puritan is she?
Simon:
I don't know maybe. I
think talking about words we don't like I like finding out words that
people do like and my word that I like the most is wobbly.
Russell:
The word I kind of love and hate is doilie.
James:
I'm a big fan of oblucious.
Charles:
What does oblucious mean?
James:
No idea.
Charles:
Sounds nice, I'll agree with you.
James:
It does that's why I like it.
Russell:
So if anyone would like to let us know what your favorite words
are....
Simon:
What about you? What's yours? Have
you got one? It's tricky I
know.
Charles:
I'd have to think about that.
Simon:
Onamonapeic, that's a nice one. Charles: It depends on who I'm dating of course.
Simon:
Oh really?
Charles:
Got to be safe. Speaking of, kind of curious we wanted to play a song from
you guys from your latest album. You
wanted to play Cut Me Loose the first track on Loser Friendly.
Can you tell me how this song started?
Russell::
I can remember you playing the riffs and that to us in the
rehearsals.
Simon:
I remember we never actually rehearsed it until we got in the
studio. We just recorded it
straight down. Sometimes
that works. I kind of knew
it was going to work really well just me laying the guitar down and
everyone building on top of it. It
worked really well and it's probably my favorite track on the album.
I'm a big fan of middle eights and middle eights that do
something completely different from the rest of the song and lift you.
Stevie Wonder does that quite a lot.
A lot of bands I really like do that.
This song for me has got one of my favorite middle eights in it.
Charles:
For those that are not really musically inclined.
Simon:
Middle eights are.... you've got the verse, you've got the chorus
then you've got to spice the song up and make it more interesting.
Charles:
Kind of like a bridge?
Simon:
Yeah that's it bridge basically.
Charles:
For us non musicians.
Simon:
Take it to the bridge.
Charles:
As far as the lyrics.
Simon:
Lyrics are about people that have been inspirations to me.
People that have been kind of what's the word, mentors.
Russell:
But it also came after the deal actually didn't it?
When we broke away from...
Simon:
No that's more Let Down
Russell:
Oh yeah right, of course.
Simon:
But Cut Me Loose is about people that have supported me, guided
me and just a sort of thank you to them.
Charles:
As another thank you we have a cd giveaway.
First person to email me at Indieshop@hotmail.com will win a copy
of the CD and of course Ellie does not qualify.
Nothing personal of course but we'll be back in a few minutes
with Steadman.
(silence)
Charles:
Ok I've failed to put the CD in.
Simon:
It's ok we'll sing.
Russell:
No don't do that. Actually I'd like to just point out that we went to a water
theme park yesterday and some git stole my sandals and I just wanted to
actually moan about that now. Just
to get it off my chest.
Simon:
If you're listening you're in big trouble buddy.
Russell:
I'd been wearing them for nearly seven weeks and I hope you enjoy
them.
Charles:
He stole your sandals?
Simon:
Yeah can you believe that? They
didn't even look good.
Russell:
I went on this tubey ride this vortex this
Simon:
Flume
Russell:
Flume yeah. When I came
back my sandals were gone.
Simon:
We had one hell of a day there.
Russell:
Yeah we did.
Charles:
Now where was this?
Simon:
Raging Waters, I don't mean to plug them but...
Russell:
Bit of a rip off though smuggle food in or something.
Simon:
And go there late get there around five because it empties out.
We were there from like one until ten at night.
We hit a lot of water that day.
Charles:
I've never been but I've heard it's great.
Russell:
But just make sure you
don't put your sandals down carelessly.
Simon:
And the vortex and the speed slide are the best rides.
Charles:
Do they have nothing like that in England?
Simon:
Yeah but we don't get much sun.
Russell:
Bloody cold innit?
Charles:
So it's more like an ice slide right?
We are actually going to play the Steadman track right now then.
My apologies and of course if you want to e-mail me Indieshop@hotmail.com
first one wins a CD.
(break
for music)
Simon:
(weeping) It's so sad.
Charles:
You're listening to the Indieshop here on KBeach radio and of
course we're beating the hell out of Simon that's why he's crying here.
Actually I think it's the song that's getting to you isn't it?
Simon:
I just love that last line.
Bands and it's funny little plans that never work out right.
Charles:
Would that happen to be the title of the song?
Simon:
No I don't think so.
Charles:
Anybody know? Anybody out there know?
Simon:
How about free kiss from the drummer if you can tell us what the
name of the song is.
Charles:
That's fine with me. Of
course that means that you would have to show up to the show tomorrow
night.
Russell:
Oh yeah of course.
Simon:
Yeah if he's going to get a kiss he'll fly.
Charles:
You guys have already gone across the whole country so what's one
city right?
Simon:
Oh yeah we're playing at the Mint tomorrow.
Charles:
Up in Hollywood. Simon:
Up in Hollywood. We're going to hope to be discovered for that big movie role.
I'm looking to be an action hero.
Charles:
You were here about a month ago as well.
Simon:
Just the three of us, not Russell.
Just me, James and Ellie.
Charles:
So you did an acoustic gig? Simon: Oh no hang on. We weren't, a month ago we were all here. I'm talking about the time before that sorry. I lost track, I've been on tour I just don't know where I've been.
Charles:
This is actually you're third show in the US or in the LA area?
Simon:
Yeah it is.
Charles:
How do you prepare differently as compared to say performing in
studio to doing it live? Do
you add anything? Simon: Well obviously in the studio you can layer stuff and you can make it sound more full and rich and in a venue you're more at the mercy of the PA and the sound guy. Fortunately we brought our fabulous sound guy with us who is a total superstar and knows the way and knows his way around every mixing desk ever invented. So he sorts us out. There's not too much preparation. Russell does transcendental meditation before a show he usually stands on his head for three days. Other than that most of us just get drunk.
Charles:
Now there you go. What else did we play just before that. Prior we played Mercury Rev then we played one of your songs.
One of the things I'm really interested in band wise is what
really influenced you guys. I
mean we talked about Crosby Stills and Nash as far as songwriting but
what other bands either currently or previously have really interested
you?
Simon:
Go James.
James:
Currently? Personally it's
been a lot more of the old stuff that I've been interested in as an
influence. But new stuff
there's Radiohead, Mercury Rev they're all good but as an influence I
don't know.
Simon:
You like G Love and the Fun Lovin' Criminals though don't you?
James:
Yeah but it doesn't shine through your music.
Russell:
It's kind of weird when we all originally got together because I was
having a big jazz time of it when I met Simon.
But I was just sort of getting through it. I was really into Pat Metheny and stuff before he was really
like...
Simon:
Good?
Russell:
He was kind of hard edged when he first started.
Before he met Lyle Mayes and all the keyboards started
Simon:
No one will know who you're talking about.
Charles:
You know we have a jazz station about a block down.
Russell:
OK, see you later guys. But
it was really good because we were all sort of like into different
stuff. That's what was kind
of exciting about us all getting together really.
While the bass player is like a big Frank Zappa fan but he also
loves the Meters and all that funk stuff.
We're all influenced in different little areas.
Charles:
(to Simon) Yourself?
Simon:
Well I've told you most of mine but I don't really like music
that much.
Charles:
Oh ok. It shows.
That's pretty sad. It's
all for the money.
Simon:
You know it is.
Charles:
Out! Is it
difficult.... I'm not a musician but I imagine myself if I learned the
guitar and I try to write a song it would totally sound like something
I'm listening to.
Simon:
It's a difficult thing to do.
Not to do rather. Which is why I don't really listen to that much music.
If I find something I like I'll play it to death.
Like a Radiohead album, like The The I was talking to you about
that earlier. Jeff Buckley
all that kind of ilk of bands that usually their voices go into falsetto
mode quite a lot kind of like all that kind of stuff.
I usually just play it and play it and play it until I'm sick of
it. Then I'll wait for
something else to come along but not a lot really pushes my boat.
Simon:
That's the other thing is when you've holed yourself up in a
studio for hours and hours on end you're so critical of what you're
hearing I think personally. But
I've also been getting turned on by a lot of electronic music like
Thievery Corporation and Kid Loco and Air as well.
I like that stuff but I wouldn't say it was influential at all.
I do like it. I don't want to listen for that reason you said about writing
stuff like other people have written I don't want to listen to too many
guitar based bands. For
that reason really. It is
hard not to fall in that trap where you're writing.
You hear a song you really like and you try to write a song just
like it.
Charles:
I guess one of the things you didn't want to do was play the
obvious bands when you played a song. We're going to kind of move into one of the obvious ones now.
Simon:
(to Russell) What did you choose?
Russell:
Beatles.
Simon:
Nice
Russell:
Not one of their sort of obvious songs though, Fool on the Hill.
Simon:
Beautiful
Russell:
Which I think is just a great song.
Charles:
When we come back you guys will perform a few songs.
Of course this is the Indieshop on KBeach radio and we'll be
right back and I have the CD in this time.
(break
for songs and a live track No Big Deal)
Simon:
(applause in the background) Thank You.
Charles:
It's just getting better and better.
Of course both of these tracks are on Loser Friendly.
Simon:
They are indeed.
Charles:
Any surprises for tomorrow night?
Simon:
Surprises..... Hopefully Bill Clinton is going to play sax.
Charles:
Oh, ok. He's
probably here for the Democratic convention anyways.
The secret is out. There will be thousands of people there.
Simon:
That's the plan.
Charles:
Can we handle it?
Simon:
I know I can.
Charles:
You guys want to play a couple of more?
Simon:
Yeah why not. Lets do Whirlwind?
Russell:
Good choice.
Charles:
I agree, one of my favorites.
(break
for live track Whirlwind)
Charles:
Of course I'm going to be cutting this up.
Would you guys mind if I put
this on the web page?
Simon:
Of course not.
Charles:
Ok we're going to have MP3s of these up on the web page in about
a week or so for you to download. Do
you mind if I make a request?
Simon:
Nope
Charles:
Do you guys have anything new?
Simon:
I was just going to play you a new one.
Charles:
Sweet
Simon:
This is kind of a mellow one.
Very nice called Red.
(break
for live track Red)
Charles:
Sweet, very sweet.
Simon:
Thanks. It's kind of
mellow in here now isn't
it?
Charles:
Actually it wasn't as mellow as I expected.
Simon:
Really? It starts
off mellow kind of.
Charles:
I'm terrible with song titles....
Simon:
What did you want to know?
Charles:
The last song on the CD. Come
Alive.
Simon:
I was going to play that for you but we haven't played it for a
long time. We can try it.
(break
for live track Come Alive)
Charles:
It's been a while huh? That
was pretty good.
Simon:
Not bad I was making it up as I was going along.
Charles:
Can I talk you into one more?
Simon:
Ok. Which one?
Charles:
It's up to you, surprise me.
Simon:
Ok I'm just going to detune it'll just take me a couple of
seconds I'm going to do you another new one.
Charles:
Of course you guys are playing tomorrow night at the Mint up in
Hollywood. What time does
the show start?
Russell:
What time does the show start?
That's a good question.
Simon:
Ten o'clock.
Charles:
A voice from beyond told me that.
Now do you have an opening band?
Simon:
Yeah are they called Red? Yeah
they're Red, they're just doing an acoustic I think, that's what I
heard.
James:
Which one are we doing?
Simon:
Early Warning. Is that bad? He
hasn't got his slide so he's improvising with a coffee mug.
Charles:
Do you want a pen?
James:
That sounds worse actually.
Charles:
Get a picture of that, that's got to go on the web page.
If you could pull that off it's got to go on the web page.
Simon:
He can.
James:
I've tried this before.
Charles:
How about an aerosol can?
Simon:
That's quite good it's got a steel tone.
Charles:
Now what other station brings you this?
Simon:
Nah the mug was better wasn't it?
It's got a little handle you can hold onto as well.
BB King is going to be following in your footsteps.
This is called Early Warning.
(break
for live track Early Warning)
Simon:
Yee Haw!
Charles:
Maybe you guys were in Texas a little too long.
I really appreciate you guys coming in.
Simon:
Thanks very much for having us.
Charles:
It's been sweet.
Simon:
Yeah really enjoyed it.
Charles:
Tomorrow night is going to be good I can just feel it.
Simon:
I hope so.
Charles:
If you are in the Hollywood area, LA area, Southern California area
definitely come and check them out.
You guys are going back to the UK after a show in Vegas.
Simon:
Yeah we're going to Vegas. I
mean it's less about the gig and more about partying in Vegas.
Charles:
Of course. Elvis
style.
Simon:
We've never been there before so it's probably going to blow our
minds but we're ready for it.
Charles:
Something to tell the family about.
Simon:
We hear they pump oxygen into the casinos.
We're looking forward to that.
Charles:
I wouldn't doubt it but it's juiced so they've got to keep you
gambling. Back to the UK,
work on the new album?
Simon:
Yep. We've got a few
gigs to do then we're sorting out the album.
It's all written and ready to go we've just got to record it.
Charles:
Of course everything you guys are up to is on the web page.
Simon:
Yeah just catch up on all the information about us at
Steadman.co.uk
Charles:
The new shows in the UK and so forth.
Janny do you hear that?
Simon:
And we might be coming back in September we're just trying to
iron that one out so keep them peeled.
Charles:
I'm really impressed that you guys are spending so much energy on
the US.
Simon:
Thanks. We like it.
Charles:
Most bands don't have the opportunity to. Simon:
No that's true. We're kind of fortunate to be able to get out here and do
this particularly not having signed a major deal in order to do it as
well
Charles:
Kind of helps. So once again thanks.
Band:
Thank you.
Charles:
Thanks everyone for listening and I will see you next week.
Take care. |
