Weekly > Interviews
The New Shapes
Yes the Arctic Monkeys have made quite an impression on me with just one single, but the band that i’m most excited about in Britain now are The New Shapes.
I’m warning you now that this four piece are the band to watch out for in 2006, they aren’t shy in bigging up a couple of bands themselves though, give us an ‘exclusive’ as well as telling us who they’d most like to tour with. so read on for a cracking interview with the hottest band around right now.
mr =Mark Roberts
doc = David O’Connor
al = Adam Lambert
eh = Euan Hinshelwood
How does it feel to be in the most exciting band in the UK at the moment?
[mr] i’m playing catch-up, give me some time to get my head around that one!
Are you surprised by the reaction you’ve had from the two releases so far?
[mr] Well the reaction is not surprising with regards to the songs, but i guess we’re all really pleased with how successful POPrecords is working out, the breaks we’ve had so far have all been amazing..but of course we want more!
[al] We’ve got alot of faith in our music and we know it’s what’s needed right now.
Obviously everybody takes from a record individual meanings but what was the inspiration behind Waiting For A God?
[mr] I wrote waiting for a god when i was getting bored of one night stands and wanted to find somebody special..this obsession which most of us feel at one time or other becomes so potent that (in my case) the girl is elevated to that of a god, it also reflects the displeasure of my surroundings at the time..all playing their part to keep me from this person that at the time of writing the song i can only meet when dreaming.
The b-sides to the singles have been of a really high standard so far, does it not feel like you are throwing those tracks away, or is it a case of giving value for money to the person who buys your record?
[mr] don’t worry there’s plenty more where they came from! we always try to better the last song, even in a small way.
[al] i disagree – it does feel like we’re throwing some decent songs away!
Is it fair to say that you probably owe Claire Sturgess a pint or two after being made single of the week twice running(not that you don’t deserve it obviously!)?
[mr] absolutely, CS has really got behind us since we started releasing stuff. with so much different music around and it being such a struggle to get that recognition and exposure, CS has jumped on board early doors and really kick started the operation. And, we won’t forget those who have helped and enjoyed us on this journey that’s only just begun.
Have you started work on an album yet or is that a bit further down the line?
[mr] well we’ve got a whole load of songs that we could put together as an album, but i think we all kinda feel excited about writing a whole load more for the occaision. I guess it will depend on where things go from here, in jan 2006 we head back into Toerag with Liam Watson again (heard it first here!) and we hope to demo with some other producers we have in mind to find the right setup for us….we got enough ideas in the locker to afford the freedom of choice fortunately.
Obviously we are getting towards the end of the year now, what have been your favourite albums of this year so far, presuming you’ve had time to listen to other people?
[mr] this year has been pretty damn good really, it seems to me that indie music is finally opening out again, rather than the uptight monster it had become for the last few years..so i would say Arcade Fire, Maximo Park, The Kaiser Cheifs, The Futureheads, Arctic Monkeys and i quite fancy the magic numbers..
[al] There’s been a mild improvement in standards in 2005, but I can’t say I’ve listened to too many albums. Fine, the Arcade Fire are good, but that’s not news. Maximo Park have their moments, perhaps without quite hitting the heights. The Rakes do their own thing pretty well. The Artic Monkeys have some attitude and an honest approach, but musically they make the Stereophonics sound like Liberace….
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Add to favouritesAny tips aside from yourselves, that us and our readers should be looking out for next year?
[mr] next year i would like to see The Electric Cinema and Phonofiction breaking through. Two great bands that we have played with many times and are good friends with..neither of them play a similar style to us, but they both have such a high quality of songs and sounds that it’s really only a matter of time before they make their mark.
Is this the first band that you’ve all been in or did you have other attempts before The New Shapes got together?
[mr] I was in a band a few years ago which was a great way to cut my teeth performing, but this has only ever been the band for me.
[al] I was in a band called The Administrators with Dave.
Did you know you were onto something when you first got together or did it come further down the line?
[mr]being such good friends and sharing such a broad music taste, we all knew that with the passion we had and the desire to make it, we would always come up with good stuff, of course not everybody agrees with that all the time, but that’s our feeling.
If you could land a support slot with one band at the moment who would it be and why?
[mr]we nearly got one with Robert Plant! which would have been amazing, but i guess a more relevant and helpful one would be Maximo Park or someone like that… we feel confident enough now to support any band.
(DOC) We’d love to support the Super Furry Animals.
Big heroes of ours.
Finally….obviously you are quite busy at the moment with a new record out, how the hell are you going to fit in your Christmas shopping?
[mr] i think “how the hell am i going to AFFORD my Xmas shopping” is the real question! everyone gets a single! nahh i’m sure we’ll manage. merry xmas readers!
(doc) that’s a good question – if i give you a list could you pick it up for me ??
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