BAND TAKEOVER October
you asked, ed answered
If you could record one album in the style of another of your albums, which would it be and why? (E.g. IHTBBISTL, in the style of SLSYT)
Initially I was going to say Flaws in the style of So Long See You Tomorrow but on second thought I’m just saying that because they are the furthest apart from each other sonically, and I don’t actually think that would make for very good music. You would lose all of the intimacy that makes Flaws a great album. I think your example might actually be the best fit, it would be interesting to hear those songs that were recorded whilst we were still figuring things out be redone in a period when we were on the top of our game and firing on all cylinders. It would be very cinematic and high energy, I think it would make for a really cool listen!
When y’all come to the US. Can I bald out the bald members of the band with a hot towel shave before a show? I’m a barber out of Jackson, MS but will travel to whatever show to make this happen. This would be golden
My god this question has made me even more envious than I already was of my wonderful bandmates! There are so many great things that come with shaving your head that I don’t get to experience
… I spend hours in the van listening to conversations about which new hair shaver gadget is the best (the consensus seems to be the one the rock uses). Now I’ve got a hot towel shave to add to the list. I’m also the only member of the band who can’t grow a beard so I’ll just have to sit this one out. Oh woe is me.
(To Ed) Which bassists had the most influence on your approach to bass playing? Which song do you like playing the most?
I really love Peter Hook and his playing in Joy Division in particular, It’s so scrappy and unusual! It’s almost like he isn’t using bass for its intended purpose and is instead using it as the lead instrument that sets the pace for the whole band to follow. I find Disorder a very fun song to play, it jumps all over the place and is simultaneously melodic, beautiful and raw. In some ways it’s similar to a bassline on a song from our new record called Sleepless, which is my favourite Bombay song to play at the moment.
When bands make the transition to using more programmed or electronic elements, that can affect some band members more than others; e.g. Jack may still be behind a guitar on the mic, but now Ed is playing synth bass on a track. When you guys made that transition starting with A Different Kind of Fix, did you find some were more hesitant to go that direction than others, or were they amicable to stretching themselves musically from the get-go?
That’s a very interesting question! We always wanted to do what was right for the songs on the record and would never shy away from an instrument or a sound because it would be a tricky thing to recreate live… which I think is the right thing to do creatively but did create some difficulty when we came to working out the songs for our touring, especially tracks from So Long that contained a lot of synths, samples and electronic drums. I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed playing synth bass live, it’s an instrument I’m far less comfortable with, but if it’s what’s needed to make a song work I’ve no problem putting that aside for the greater good.
Big fan of ‘My Big Day’ and pumped for the new album! However, I have a very important question with one of the lyrics. ‘Last day of the Summer, Nighttime with the windows down’ – sounds like you have to pull the windows down, however most UK windows push up or out – unless it’s a fancy sash window? Could it be a car window? However, the next line of ‘Face down in the corner’ makes it seem like we’re indoors. Or could this have been referencing abroad with a different type of window? So many windows, so many questions!
I think you’ve blown this case wide open!!! Cars don’t have corners… Windows don’t go down… I’ll have a word with Jack about this.
Would you ever consider doing an acoustic tour?
We actually did a small acoustic tour round the Uk last week, It’s something we used to do a lot and have really missed in recent years. We did it in conjunction with Sofar sounds and played in interesting intimate venues including a library, toy museum and peoples living rooms… places so small that no amplification was necessary. We all loved it so much that we’ve actually been thinking about arranging more of the same when we have some time next year, so if there’s interest in seeing more of these kinds of shows from us please let us know!
