Hot Club De Paris
I caught up wit Hot Club De Paris at The Rainbow in Digbeth on the first date of their current tour to promote the new EP ‘With Days Like This As Cheap As Chewing Gum Why Would Anyone Want To Work’.
How is the Tour Going So far?
Matthew: You’ve seen 90% of it since you got here
Al: The van got here in one piece and we left Liverpool on time, which is very rare. Matthew and I have new earplugs, which knock 25DB’s off the volume. It’s the First time I’ve done a sound check in ages without wanting to cry.
New EP came out today on download when’s the hardcopy out?
Paul: The digital came out today but the digital isn’t due until February 26th, but people have started to receive pre-orders in the post. We also have some to sell on the tour with our merch, we checked on play’ download chart and we were at number 3 so I got in touch with Mishi Moshi (The bands record label) and told them there must have been an administrative error or something. It turned out the download was priced wrong and was being sold for ninety-nine pence. The EP then rose to number one in the play download chart over the week.
The new EP has a slightly different less polished sound from previous recordings how did this come about?
We wanted a record that was more challenging than the previous two and now we have the option to start recording for ourselves we have a lot more scope and time. There’s also no pressure to get out of the studio within a certain time or to get the mixing done in a certain time as if it takes longer than expected it doesn’t cost extra. It kind of gets fun not having someone else to make decisions for you and there’s less pressure not being on someone else’s time. We don’t think there is any great importance in polished production and it has let us get closer to sounding like the albums that inspired us.
How has the live sound changed to incorporate songs from the new EP?
We are stuck being a punk band as there’s only three of us when we play live but there are a few new pedals. We wanted to make a record that people could get as big a reaction form as when we play live. Obviously we throw ourselves around, get involved with the audience, and there are a lot of banter and discussion.
Who was the last band you went to see for pleasure?
We all went to see Jamie T because our mates Cold Ones were supporting him, Jamie’s also a friend that was at Manchester Academy.
A: I’ll be able to go to some gigs again soon now I have these ear plugs I can watch live music without being in pain.
M: A friend is a rep so we went to see Tinchy Strider it was quite funny seeing a mosh pit full of people in heals.
P: I Saw Max Tundra play in a house the other week, I also saw Vivian Girls with Veronica Falls as Veronica Falls are good friends of ours they were awesome. If you see them again you should ask them about going back to someone’s house and Googling themselves that happened when they stayed at mine we stayed up all night on the Internet with them showing me amazing videos on You Tube.
Which bands inspired you to start a band?
(Without any hesitation and before the question finished) QUEEN, Minute men, Joan Of Ark, Black Flag and classic rock.
P: When me and Matthew met I was just into loads of experimental indie rock like Owls and got him into it. I also love classic rock like Thin Lizzy and metal like Megadeath and Slayer I just like music).
A: I was just interested in learning the drums as I hadn’t played for ages
It’s mostly that we are music fans and make music without a need to sound like anyone else. Sometimes there’s one bit of a song like a guitar riff that sounds like someone but as far as taking inspiration and trying to sound like a band that just doesn’t happen for us.
Are there any bands you would recommend looking out for in 2010?
P:Cold Ones are and awesome band, unfortunately Nowhere fast have just split they were a great hardcore band.
A: Little Philistines from London sound great they have a really over the top XTC sound and sound like the first Supergrass album. Dutch Uncles are another great band and they are really nice guys.
P: I really like that band the poet Jack Underwood does Le testsuo, from London.
A: The Pharoes and Not cool are playing with us they are amazing. Going on tour gives us an opportunity to catch up on new music.
M: SSS, Indigo Ritual and Bow and Arrow are all great bands from Liverpool there’s plenty of stuff happening.
How would you define the style of music that you play?
A: We wouldn’t the only people who try and define you are journalists, they try and do it with an undercurrent of meanness not always but there is often the problem.
P: At the end of the day we are defined by a Journalists fame of reference,
M: It depends how old they are and what records they have heard, sometimes when you get compared it can be a compliment if they name check a few bands you like.
M: I’d say we are just an eccentric English band, sometimes there’s a reference that you think suits you and if people who listen to good music and see the references and might want to come and watch us.
How do you keep yourselves occupied when travelling between venues?
A: We mercilessly take the piss out of each other
M: Mercilessly, usually if we’re driving we will sit in a row and one of us will drive and we’ll all just be mean to each other.
A: We’ve always got something to do, whether it’s travelling between venues or setting up and sound checking.
M: There’s usually bits like this to do and I’m changing my strings as we speak, I also have to keep emailing people to make sure everyone knows what the hell is going on.
P: I’ve got some graphics work to do which is quite exciting.
Who does the bands artwork?
P: I do the artwork it’s the best way then we always like the end product.
M: It’s just a ball ache getting someone who’s not in your band to do something for you. If we do get someone to do the tee shirts or something it’s someone who’s work we’ve seen.
P: We try and keep the band as DIY as possible and involve as few people involved as possible, we have a booking agent and a label.
A: It’s important to have a booking agent if you finish a show and get told rather that three hundred quid your only getting eighty and you’ve just done a show in Dundee. The booking agent gets all that stuff arranged on our behalf.
P: At the end of the day the artwork is just another part of doing as much for ourselves as possible.
Where did the name for the new EP ‘With Days Like This As Cheap As Chewing Gum Why Would Anyone Want To Work’ come from?
P: That titles from a book by a Poet Called ‘The Book Of Matthew’ by Matthew Welton, there’s a poem called the A B C of American Suicide which is in three parts. The Third one is about Cobain and the phrase is the last line of that poem. It seemed the way we were making the record on no money with no pressure it was close to bliss and I adored the line and we decided it was the best name for the EP.
Where did your band name come from?
M: Bargain Bucket Jazz Compilations, it sounds and looks great and we didn’t want a macho sounding name so it’s a good banner to fly under.
P: Everyone thinks they’ve heard of us even taxi drivers; they’re familiar with the word hot, most people have been to a club before and everyone knows Paris is a city.
A: Everyone knows the letter D too so it’s a perfect
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