Interview
The Brascoes were born in early 2007 when old friends Dan Jones and Nove drunkenly decided to form a band. Add friends Jonny and Clymo to the mix and they have gone on to cause a stir in the Birmingham unsigned scene with what they describe as ‘spiky, danceable indie’. They have been compared to Bloc Party, We Are Scientists and the Pigeon Detectives, with singer Dan Jones bearing more than a passing resemblance to Kasabian’s Sergio Pizzorno. Last year they were crowned winners of the Surface Unsigned Festival and have just released their first EP by digital download. Next month sees them heading out from their native Birmingham and Nottingham to play Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester.
I met up with the band in Birmingham before they played a gig at the Old Wharf in Digbeth, ironically supporting the band that came second in the Surface Unsigned Festival. The four piece clearly get on well, Dan exclaiming that ‘you’ll never meet four people who like the sound of their own voices more than us!’ Which certainly proved helpful for what they termed their third ‘proper’ interview. The band seem really enthused about breaking out of the Birmingham music scene, although whether to widen their fan base or just to fulfil a curious obsession about visiting Flamingo Land is in some doubt!
How does it feel, one year on from forming, to be releasing your first EP and heading out on tour?
Dan: The first six months felt like it happened really quickly. Now, people will ask us how it’s going and we’ll say, ‘yeah, it’s going well’, and then they’ll say ‘oh, so you’re not signed yet?’ When we look at it objectively we do think that we’ve done quite a lot in a year, but people who are close to us had higher expectations after our first six months.
Nove: It’s quite exciting because we’ve done loads of gigs in Birmingham. But to actually get out of Birmingham and play Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield is really good. Hopefully we can start to develop a fan base.
Dan: We need to get out of our comfort zone. It’ll be interesting to see how we’re received.
How do you go about song writing, and is there a story behind your new single, ‘Tina Do the Splits’?
Jonny: Basically, Dan will come to us with chord sequence, parts of lyrics and melodies. And then it’s just a case of building up from there.
Dan: ‘Tina Do the Splits’ is about a typical night out that a million lads have had in a million indie clubs. With songwriting, like Jonny said, I’ll come in with some chords and then we’ll all work on it from there. It’s amazing to go from essentially a three minute mess to something that you can actually be proud of. What I like about us is that everyone’s involved. We’re not just a front man or a lead guitarist.
You won the Surface Unsigned Festival this year, what was that experience like?
Jonny: Fairly stressful at times! It was a great thing to go through. The first round was only our second gig; it was just to get a gig really.
Nove: I think the key thing for us is that we didn’t set out to win it. We got through each round, and just enjoyed it. Some bands in it probably expected to get further than they did. We didn’t go in to it with that spirit, which is probably why we got so much out of it.
Clymo: I think we underestimated the effect of people telling us during the competition that we were good. Now we’ve got to motivate ourselves.
Dan: You’re on a high all the time because you’re getting that good feedback and you don’t necessarily get that when you’re just doing gigs all the time.
Would you ever consider going on a reality TV programme to get a record deal?
N: With things like Mobile Act Unsigned there’s a fair bit of credibility. Although I don’t think it’s a particularly good show and I wouldn’t be particularly comfortable going on it because it does sap a little bit of your credibility. But then you look at the exposure they’ve got…
C: At our level it’s all about the exposure. So you do whatever you can do to get that exposure without damaging yourself.
D: I think the answer’s no.
How important do you think the internet is in helping bands get that exposure?
C: When you’re starting off it’s brilliant.
N: It’s your only outlet really.
C: The music scene wouldn’t be what it is today without the internet. Myspace is how bands like us get themselves out there.
N: The only trouble is now that every band’s got a Myspace, even bands that don’t exist.
J: There’s no quality filter on the internet either. You have to be of a certain standard to get in a magazine or on the radio, but there’s no such thing with the internet.
C: It’s better to discover a band in real life and then use the internet as a point of reference after. That’s how you then become a fan.
Do you think the benefits of the internet outweigh the problems of album leaks and illegal downloads?
N: We’ve released our EP, but I found a site where you can illegally download our music.
D: Quality! I think at the stage we’re at now, where it’s not lucrative, there’s no way that we could say the benefits don’t outweigh the problems.
N: It might become an issue when there’s money involved.
C: Thing is, when there’s enough money involved for it to be a career there’s no one who could claim that illegal downloads are seriously harming them financially.
D: At the minute, I’d personally love to think people are downloading our stuff.
N: At least it means they’re listening to it!
A lot of musicians use their profiles to pass on a message, whether charitable or concerning problems like gun crime. Should music ultimately have a message and be more than just entertainment?
D: I think music’s music. It’s about making memories for people, so when they hear that song in their bedroom they can say ‘oh, that’s the night we went to see that band’.
J: No-one’s going to think ‘that’s a really good song, and that guy supports such-and-such a charity: I’ll go and make a donation’.
D: It’s just born out of people with too much money and too much time on their hands. It’s enough to put me, personally, off a band.
C: If it costs nothing to help someone else, than that’s fine. But most of the people you see are generally doing it for their own self-promotion.
J: In terms of music having a meaning, everything you write has a meaning anyway if you’re doing it for the right reasons. Everything we write means something to each one of us, and hopefully people will listen to the songs to get that meaning out of it.
Which artists, past or present, do you most admire and draw inspiration from?
J: I only started playing bass when I joined this band so I’m not really trying to be like anyone. I’m doing it in my own way. Though my idol would probably be Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam for song writing and musicianship.
N: John Frusciante from the Chilli Peppers…I try and copy him whenever I can!
C: I’ve just read Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography and that had some real relevance to where we are now. I’d say that’s where I’ve drawn most inspiration from recently.
D: I’m just going to say the Beatles. Everyone says it but I just love the way they make me feel. Abbey Road is how music should be. It’s just 50 minutes of perfection that takes you away.
What would your ideal concert line-up be?
D: Can it be a two day festival…? Headline: Radiohead. That’s the best band I’ve ever seen live. Ever. Oasis in their prime. Bloc Party.
C: I’d stick the Cribs in there because they put on a good show.
D: Larrikin Love. Though now they’ve split up, devastating.
J: Can I put Hundred Reasons in as well.
D: We haven’t got time…
N: That was weak.
The indie scene has been one of the most dominant British music genres for a few years now, where do you see British music heading next?
N: It’d best stay there or we’re f****d!
J: I think there’ll be a rebirth in electronic music. With bands like the Klaxons, CSS and Foals there’s already a crossover between the indie scene and the dance/electronic scene.
D: It just cycles, if you want to see what will happen next just look back to see what happened after ‘96. I think indie will die in the next couple of years and the industry will just bring back faceless dance acts, pop music etc. People buy in bulk what they’re told to buy.
C: If you’re not in the NME you’re not going to be a major band.
D: As long as Girls Aloud stay around, I’m not bothered!
What do you think this year holds in store for you?
J: A lot of driving! We’d like to think we’d get some label interest at some point. It’s going to be a case of sending out EPs to radio stations and producers.
N: Though we do need to get some stamps…
D: The last ten months we’ve been together have been about getting the packaging right, practising, playing, writing and recording.
J: Now we feel like we’ve got something worth putting out there.
N: It is just about getting our name out now. I think most people in Birmingham now know who we are even if they haven’t seen us. We’ve got to get out of Birmingham this year.
What do you make of the Arctic Monkeys:
D: I f***ing love them. I don’t think anything could justify the hype around them though.
C: I think it’s unfortunate they’ve had that hype because they do deserve success but they are not a big stadium band. They’re brilliant in the right environment.
J: But that’s all they’re going to play now because they’ve got that big.
D: I just think there’s something genuinely exciting about that first album.
C: They’re also pretty intelligent musically, behind their scally image. That’s why you can listen to it over and over again.
D: The lyrics and the riffs are brilliant. And the drumming…well, it’s ‘off the Richter’, as the Black Eyed Peas would say!
What about Pete Doherty?
D: Oh, I think he’s a ****. I absolutely love his music, I just try to stay away from that personal aspect. I’ve seen Babyshambles and they were awesome, I really wish I’d seen the Libertines. He’s a genius and his songs are brilliant.
N: He’s got freakishly big hands.
What is your essential album that everyone should own?
D: Mine is definitely Abbey Road.
N: Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.
J: Probably Pearl Jam, Vs not Ten though.
C: (after much deliberation and input from his bandmates) I think I’ll have Grace by Jeff Buckley.
The Brascoes play Sheffield on 7th February, Leeds on 29th February and Manchester on 15th March. For more information about venues and to listen to tracks from their new EP visit www.myspace.com/thebrascoeshome.
