Earlier today, I chatted with Deluka’s Ellie Innocenti. Our full exchange:
1. How would you describe Deluka in twenty words or less?
We’re an English band in New York, we make dance music with guitars, or guitar music you can dance to.
2. What’s the inspiration behind the video for ‘Cascade’?
We worked with fashion photographer Antoine Verglas, we’d done a photo shoot with him that turned out great and he was pretty taken with our music, so he suggested he make the video and we jumped at the chance to work with him again. We all wanted it to be a performance video rather than a narrative video as it’s the first introduction to us as a band. Antoine was very much like ‘turn up in your own clothes exactly how you look and play’. He has a great eye for making you look good too. There’s loads of light imagery in the lyrics and we were lucky enough to get Michael Appel from MTV who made the lighting look like an especially well lit show!
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Earlier today, I chatted with Barry Burns. Enjoy our full exchange below:
1. Why’d you choose Brooklyn as the locale for Burning?
It was one of the venues where we were going to play more than one night (we did three nights there) which allowed us to have plenty of footage for our film and gave us room for mistakes. New York is also a city where historically we have had really great shows and the crowds are generally excellent. We originally had an option to do the filming in Japan until we saw the costs.
2. Why’d you decide to work with V. Moon & N. Le Scouarnec?
Before this project Vincent was suggested by an old manager of ours and he had shot a short film which accompanied our last studio album, The Hawk Is Howling. It worked really well and so we asked him and Nat on board for a bigger project. Vincent was really keen to work with us again too so it was mutually beneficial. Plus, to say you have been in a “French Film” sounds good. I was in a French Film. It’s black and white, you know.
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Earlier today, I chatted with Jake Shears. Enjoy our full exchange below:
1. What’s the inspiration behind Night Work‘s cover art?
Many people think that’s my rear end but it’s actually a Mapplethorpe photo of Peter Reed. I wanted this album to be dedicated to all the men of the ’80s. All the creative people who died of AIDS. I thought a lot about that time period. People were very liberated before the party got killed. Mapplethorpe’s photographs represent the beauty and the tragedy of it all.
2. What was it like to work alongside Stuart Price?
I’ve known Stuart for a long time. He’s always been a really good friend. We’re all huge fans of his. I love his remixes and I also love his personality. We were in Berlin and Stuart told us that he’d drop everything to make a record with us. His enthusiasm knocked me off my feet. We started working together three weeks later. It’s heaven to work with him. I never want to make a record without him! He’s not only a genius but he’s also so full of love & creativity. He also has the sickest/darkest sense of humor. He’s twisted. We also share a major love of club music. It was great spending time with him.
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Last weekend, I chatted with We Are Scientists on a sofa in Williamsburg. Additionally, Keith Murray & Chris Cain performed two stellar selections from their brilliant new LP (Barbara). Watch their official video for ‘Nice Guys’ here. Follow WAS on Twitter. Videography courtesy of Micah Weisberg.
Enjoy ‘Rules Don’t Stop’ & ‘Pittsburgh’ AFTER THE JUMP…
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Earlier today, I chatted with The Golden Filter. Enjoy our exchange below:
1. How would you describe The Golden Filter in 20 words or less?
Fox-like.
2. What’s the inspiration behind the video for ‘Thunderbird’?
Half of the video was centered on an idea Moop Jaw had relating to Jim Jones and horribly fascinating religious cults. The other half was based on our idea about a powerful female force in control of all things, especially kids toying with cult-like behavior.
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Earlier today, I chatted with Still Flyin’. Enjoy our full exchange below:
1. How would you describe Still Flyin’ in twenty words or less?
Group. Music. Jamz. Not hippy jamz. Life jamz. Pals. High fives. Dance party. Regular party. Brain burn. Brews. Coolers. Etc.
2. What’s the inspiration behind the video for ‘The Hott Chord…’?
That video is some high-concept stuff. I’m bored and watching TV with my dog and the video for ‘The Hott Chord Is Struck’ comes on and I get really excited and call the rest of the band in the room to watch it. The viewer is watching the band watch the video, which is essentially the viewer. We are looking at you watching us. META.
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Earlier today, I chatted with Neil Campesinos! Our full exchange below:
1. Last week’s volcanic eruption forced LC! to reschedule several North American gigs. How frustrating was the whole experience?
It was really annoying. We’ve been really excited to come over to The States. We haven’t been here since last August so it’s been quite a long time. When we woke up on Thursday morning, we heard about the volcano. Then we sat around the hotel airport for a few days being depressed. Really frustrating!
2. What’s the inspiration behind the video for ‘Romance…’?
We let Alex De Campi curate the whole clip. It’s quite nice to have a visually creative person design a concept and go for it. It came out really cool.
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Earlier today, I chatted with Yoko Ono. Enjoy our full exchange below:
1. We last spoke just under two years ago. At that time, you were celebrating a #1 dance hit (‘Give Peace A Chance’). Today, you are celebrating yet another (‘Give Me Something’). Are you elated?
Yes. I am very, very excited. It’s great!
2. What message are you conveying with ‘Give Me Something’?
Following 9/11 and the most recent economic shock, I thought it would be good to sing and dance to turn the negative situation around.
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Last night, Jordon Chiarelli chatted with TSP’s Matt Lamkin. Their exchange:
1. How has the name change affected the band’s progression?
It probably threw a wrench in the gears & a lot of people got annoyed by it, or something like that, that wanted us to keep that name. That’s probably the only thing it did, there’s a bit of a backlash against us. Maybe we lost some fans, but whatever. It was something that we wanted to do, so we went with it.
2. Since moving to LA, what is it like to now play in San Diego?
It’s good. I mean San Diego has always been good. Of course, there are people who think we are, once again, selling out by moving to Los Angeles. But anyone that knows us – I studied film in San Diego so that’s why I moved to Los Angeles because that’s the only place I can work and I don’t think Los Angeles was integral in any success that we have had. It is still good when we play San Diego and it’s good when we play Los Angeles. It’s like we have two hometowns at this point, but we’re definitely a San Diego band for life.
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