What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
I was going to answer this as a joke then I realized I am not funny. I then thought of maybe the album You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen as I believe it was written on his deathbed and there are parts that I feel are his sort of goodbye to the world. Ultimately, I think it could be Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday (not sure if this is the original) but just the darkness of the music and the topic of lynching being such a dark reality of her era in America. As I wrote before I thought of Past, Present & Future by The Shangri Las too. I think there is just something a bit creepy about it, beautiful as it is like, just the spoken word over the eerie piano is nice.
How would you characterize your own music?
Maybe melancholic, I think we try to write music that sort of says yeah everything now is a bit shit but its okay. Whether that makes sense or not I am not sure.
What are your musical aspirations?
I’d say it has always been the same to just be able to make music and not have to work shit jobs. If I could just spend my time writing music and earning a minimal wage I would be happy.
What are your main musical inspirations?
Bit of a copy and paste answer but we try to get inspiration from loads of genres. I have to admit recently I have been on more the electronic side, dark wave/cold wave stuff and 80s kind of thing. I think as a whole probably Josef K, The Fall etc. are a relatively big influences on us. The band Play! are on repeat a lot at the moment so might influence future works.
What are your main goals in life?
To have a lovely studio in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the southern French countryside with multiple dogs, my wife and solitude. Also to not work and to live off music in some way, shape or form.
What motivates you to create?
I often question this myself, when really its such a vulnerable situation you kind of force yourself in for little reward to create music I guess. I think mainly its just because we’ve known nothing else and its just a love, a passion that you kind of refuse to give up on.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
As my face withers and the lines begin to appear I believe I am more of an early bird. I often awake with my dog, although it depends what I was up to the night before as I am too, a fan of my sleep.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
I have always been interested in writing as a whole, mainly short stories or poetry. My love of music overthrew my love for other forms of writing but it may be something I try again if my musical career grows tiresome.
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
As corny as it may sound, the first record that had a real impact on me was Elvis as a child. I know he maybe wasn’t the best of idols but I just loved his voice and the way, in that time, he can perplex an audience with his voice and performance.
What is the best decade for music?
Hard to say to be honest, It’s somewhere between the 60s and 90s I think. I think for me that era from the late 70s to the late 80s would be up there. The sort of birth of the synth and the more explorative music of the late 70s with bands like Joy Division etc. I would be tempted to say the 60s though as it was kind of the era everything changed in music I feel, The Beatles, The Stones etc. obviously being at the forefront of that.
What do your future plans include?
Short term, I may have my dinner cause I am starving. Long term I think for the band is gonna get back writing and see if we can create some songs that people wanna hear. I think Will and I are going to get demoing soon.
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No Jury, No Prize releases April 18th, 2024 via Sour Grapes Records & Swish Swash Records
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LUMER
Band photography by Loélia
All questions answered by Alex Evans
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