JT Leroy interview 2000

I did this interview with the so-called JT Leroy almost 15 years ago in 2000. I was unaware that I was talking to an imposter. "Laughing all the way to the bank" sort of rings true.

When I first moved to New York City in 1995, one of the upcoming writers I heard rumor of was Terminator. He was supposed to be this 15 year-old who was a prostitute living in San Francisco. There were rumors that he was an alias for Dennis Cooper. There were all sorts of bizarre stories. I knew that Terminator had many supporters and fans like writers Joel Rose and Bruce Benderson. Terminator was included in an anthology of memoirs, Close To The Bone. But the novel I heard about never materialized. Finally this past spring I got a galley of Sarah, which was finally coming out.

J. T. Leroy still lives in San Francisco. I talked to him on the phone recently.

**********

AL: I first heard about your work through people like Joel Rose, Catherine Texier, and Bruce Benderson. It was one of the interesting things I heard about back in 1996. They were going to publish some of your stories, then their magazine folded. Your editor, Karen Rinaldi, moved to Bloomsbury. There was a bit in that anthology Close To The Bone, but years passed until the novel finally came out this year. Why was there such a long wait?

JTL: It's all really funny how it all happened. It was an amazing time. That first book that I was working on back then will be coming out next year. Sarah is really my second book. I stopped writing for two years. I wasn't happy with what I was doing. People like Mary Gaitskill really helped. She read my stuff and told me what I was doing wrong. She sent me a bunch of books to read, everyone from Nabokov to Flannery O'Conner, and taught me to notice what they did. I had to stop writing for two years and just absorb it and read. When I started writing again the first thing I wrote was this story called "Meteors." I sent it to Mary and she wrote me back saying that she thought it was genius. The next thing I wrote was Sarah. I thought that it was going to be one chapter in the book. I sent it to Karen and she told that I had a book here. When she left Crown Books, I thought that I lost my original book deal, but Karen had brought me with her to Bloomsbury.

AL: I remember that Bruce Benderson talked about you and was going to show me some of your early stories, but I never saw anything, until the anthology....

JTL: That Close To The Bone anthology came out when I was 17 years old. Yeah, that early work needs a lot of editing. People talked about how raw it was and it has a lot of emotion, and people liked it. I think now if that stuff had come out, people would have just talked about my age and my story. I felt that if the stories can't stand by themselves, I'd rather not have it come out.

AL: When did you actually start writing?

JTL: I started seeing a therapist when I was 13. He was teaching a class for people who wanted to do psychotherapy. He knew I didn't like social workers, so he asked me to write something, to explain how it was, something about my experiences with social workers. I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I wrote something and I felt something click. He told me the response. I was really hungry for that attention. I had only gotten attention that related to my body of how I looked. Soon my work was given to a friend of his who was an editor, named Eric. Eric gave me feedback. He was the first professional writer. Eric had studied with Sharon Olds.

I had a trick who had given me the books of Sharon Olds and Dennis Cooper. Sharon Olds was the first poetry that I really loved. So I wrote to her and she wrote back, and there was this correspondence. It was wonderful. It was like getting attention from pimps and tricks, but it was getting attention from something else. When I read Dennis' book, Try, I wanted to tell him how much his book meant to me. I contacted Dennis and he sent me a bunch of books. One of them was User by Bruce Benderson. I thought it was amazing and brilliant. I called him up. He was the one who passed it on to Joel Rose and Laurie Stone. Next thing I knew I had a book deal. It seemed unreal. I thought that the joke is on them. I'm taking the money and run.

AL: Prostitution is a strange world and it's varied, but not many people have access to such stories as told in this novel. What do you think of the world of prostitution in general?

JTL: It's a hierarchy. You got your high class call boys, who have their beeper boys. Many of them don't do drugs and are really healthy. Then there's the ones who hang out on Polk Street where your whole existence is about doing drugs. You don't have much time to reflect. I wasn't able to write anything then. I had to stop drugs and certain behaviors that kept me from feeling things. Writing was one way for me to survive. When I'm writing I'm the safest. When I'm not I'm doing negative things.

AL: What sort of bands do you like? Are there any CDs that you have liked recently?

JTL: Oh yeah. I listen to Django Reinhardt. Unfortunately I like a lot of pop, like Aimee Mann, Superdrag, and Silverchair. He's a real cool guy and he's my age. I think it would be cool if he sang "I'm A Boy." You know, The Who song? I like Sunny Day Real Estate. I talked to Jeremy, and he's Christian, but he doesn't know what he's talking about. I know the Bible backwards and upside down. He says that he takes the Bible literally. That would seem anti-gay and anti-abortion. The Bible says it's okay to beat your child. Besides that, I like his music. I want to get the new Sinead O'Conner and Supergrass. I don't like country music. Mother listened to Punk Rock. My all-time favorites are Jawbreaker and Jawbox.

AL: Seen any films lately?

JTL: I'll tell who my favorite actors are. Kevin Spacey. Because he's so goddamn sexy. And Edward Norton. Fight Club was so great. I know Chuck, who wrote the book. Helena Bonham Carter has a line in that movie: "I never was fucked that hard since grade school." She thought that it meant high school. When they told her what it meant, she freaked out. She also didn't want to say that other line about the abortion. They fought over that. Every film with Edward Norton is worth seeing. I like seeing feel good movies. I like that sweetness. You know that scene in Sarah where La Loup is going to cut his balls off? Where he ends up just cutting off his hair. That would be like caring about the main character and then they kill him for shock value. It's like "I was gypped."

AL: But he had to suffer, because La Loup cut off his hair, and he felt ugly.

JTL: Right. It was bad and horrible.

AL: So you are working on a screenplay, and the first novel will come out next year. What else are you doing?

JTL: I'm also working on a sequel to Sarah. I have been writing articles for the NY Press. John Strausbaugh has been great. He lets me interview just about anyone. I interviewed Suzanne Vega. We talked about books and I sent her a galley of Sarah. She loved it. Suzanne wrote a blurb and joined in the readings. It's great to do interviews and communicate with people. It's better than drugs and sex. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

2006 was a great year for film and music

Interviews and photos 2006

Art Brut

Art Brut interview

Eddie Argos - Vocals
Jasper Future - Guitar
Ian Catskilkin - Lead Guitar
Freddy Feedback - Bass Guitar
Mikey B - Drums

One of the weirdest UK bands in recent memory, ART BRUT, comes off as part prank/part fun rock band. They have already conquered the UK. In November 2005 they played a few shows in the USA. They even played for the first time "Moving To LA" in LA. The band has been together for about two years. Even though they were mostly Bournemouth based, ART BRUT happened rapidly in the beginning of 2004 in London. Eddie Argos (singer) was inspired by attempting to be a pop star. Their first song was called "Formed A Band."

Argos quickly recruited his old friend Ian Catskilkin (Guitar) and Freddy Feedback (Bass). They met drummer Mikey B on the back of a bus and Jasper Future (guitarist from Eddie's old band, Art Gobblins) joined a few months later. The original member Chris left soon after they were formed. ART BRUT released several successful singles including "Modern Art" and "Emily Kane." There album "Bang Bang Rock and Roll (2005)" made a lot of people's best of the year's list even though it hasn't been released in the USA.

ART BRUT themselves are a diverse cast of characters. Eddie looks like a mix between a britpop star and Keith Moon. Ian looks like he would be more comfortable in a heavy metal band. Freddy looks like a member of Elastica. Mikey B looks more like a member of some disco band. And Jasper looks more like one of these new Swedish bands.

I got to meet Eddie Argos on their recent tour. I had a bunch of questions for him? Who is Emily Kane? Does Modern Art make him want to rock out? Why does he take off his shoes when he performs? Where did he get his hats? Hopefully in 2006 their debut album will be released in America. Hopefully they will come back soon?


*****

AL: Let me ask the question that everyone wants to know? Where did you get your hat?

Eddie: I bought this one. I have a lot of hats. I have one hat that I have worn a lot. It's in the video. I lost one in Norway. Since I was wearing a hat a lot, someone presumed this was also my hat. So they gave it back to me. I didn't say anything. I kept it. I like this new one. It is a great shape. It's lightweight.

AL: How has the American tour been going?

Eddie: It's been loads of fun.

AL: When did the dream of Art Brut begin?

Eddie: I found out recently that there is no Top of The Pops in America. What is the point of us being here? I am going home.

AL: We have talk shows like Craig Ferguson and David Letterman where bands play. It's like Jonathan Ross.

Eddie: Oh, okay. Top of The Pops is on Sunday now. It used to be on Friday at 8pm. They should bring it back to Fridays.

AL: Is that how the dream started? You wanted to be in a band and be on Top of The Pops?

Eddie: That is it. I was very young when I made it up. I didn't know any better. I was five years old. When I got older, I tried to play guitar and couldn't do it. I tried to play everything: bass, keyboards, and drums. I couldn't do it. I just can't do these things.

AL: The drinking came much more naturally then?

Eddie: Yes. That started around when I was five years old. I figured out that I was like Lou Reed and couldn't really sing. But if I was going to be in a band, I would have to be the singer. If Lou Reed can do it, so can I. It's easy. That was the first plan. Next was getting on Top of The Pops. That was my next mission.

AL: How did you get the band together?

Eddie: I had an old band that fell apart. We were playing when we were at university in Bournemouth. I moved to London to start a new band. I met Chris at a party. He is not in the band anymore. We were both a bit loaded. We said, "Let's start a band!" He wanted to meet girls. I wanted to be on Top of The Pops. His next-door neighbor played bass. I knew Ian in Bournemouth. We met Mikey on a bus. We were just trying to make friends. We were just putting together a band randomly.

AL: Did you live in a certain neighborhood?

Eddie: Not really. We ended up being a South London band. We were just mucking about.

AL: Why did Chris leave the band?

Eddie: Chris didn't want to tour. He gets tired easily. He is busy. He has another band. He is writing a book. He left because of that. He has been replaced by Jasper. I have known Jasper for years. He was in my previous band. I phoned him up: "Chris has left. Do you want to join?" And he said: "Sure. When?" I said "Like Today!" He had to move and leave his house.

AL: You did that song "Moving To LA" last night. Was that the first time you played it in LA?

Eddie: Yeah. It's a Art Goblins song. I have been singing that song for seven years. It's very funny doing that song here. I usually point in the direction of LA. I was pointing down toward the ground last night. In England you can get away with pointing in any direction. But when I was in New York City, it was like the West Coast is THAT way. I was pointing to LA. People were telling me it's actually over there. Sorry, I didn't know. I was just guessing.

AL: It seems like you have ideas for songs and then get carried away, whether it's about Los Angeles or Modern Art.

Eddie: It's true. I get excited by art and then write about it. "Moving To LA" is a sad song. I wrote it on a rainy day and I was sitting in a pub. I had just broken up with a girlfriend. I didn't want to be there. Where could I go? LA! It's about escapism.

AL: "Formed A Band" was the first new song you did with Art Brut?

Eddie: Yes. It was written when we were rehearsing for the first time and I was singing for the first time. They had never heard me sing before. I was trying to convince them not to sack me. I was singing about all the things I wanted to achieve.

AL: What about the song about the Velvet Underground?

Eddie: It was fun to do that song in New York. I am always afraid to be on a radio station and they play that song and Lou Reed calls up. It would be good to talk to them. I like that band. But I got bored of all the bands trying to be like them. It's been going on now for four years.

AL: We have all these bands that sound like Gang of Four too.

Eddie: Yeah. I am tired of that sort of thing too. When I wrote the words to that song everyone was trying to be like Velvet Underground and wearing dark glasses. It's a very angry song. It would be good if they were trying to be influenced by certain bands, but they are not doing that. They are just wearing dark glasses and taking drugs.

AL: The album has been out in England for a while.

Eddie: That is why we are over here. We are trying to sign a deal.

AL: When you play the songs live, it's different. At the end of "My Little Brother" you have that bit about smoking crack and Pete Doherty. There is an element of improvisation.

Eddie: I am always trying to update the songs. I get bored if I sing the same thing every night, so it's fun to muck about.

AL: The drummer stands up when he plays. I haven't seen that style of playing in a long time.

Eddie: He says that he likes to stand up and stretch his legs. It's not true. He is a show-off. He likes to be looked at. I think that is what it is. Don't tell him I told you. There have been some people who played standing up like the drummer in Jesus and the Mary Chain, and of course, Mo Tucker. But Mikey just wants to be looked at. He is a very vain man. He has a big head.

AL: How have your experiences in America been?

Eddie: Every show is different. It's been loads of fun though. They told us in New York "No one here dances." And then, every night, everyone danced. People were drunk and leaping around.

AL: Did you go to college?

Eddie: No. Some did and some didn't. I failed my O levels and was stuck without a band. Jasper went to college. They all studied for years, apart from me.

AL: Did anyone study music?

Eddie: Ian studied music at a university. His dad was in a famous band. The singer from that band recently joined Genesis.

AL: What is Bournemouth like?

Eddie: It's a beach. It's mainly old people and students.

AL: You did a lot of festivals this year?

Eddie: Yeah. It was aces. We played the second stage at Reading and Leeds. We were at the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury. We played at three or four in the afternoon. Sometimes we played at midday. I couldn't believe the tent was packed. People got up early to see us in Belgium. I was amazed. Kids were waiting for hours.

AL: You are always referring to yourself onstage. You say "Art Brut, are you ready?" like you are at the helm of a ship.

Eddie: It started when we were crossing the street or walking around. I would say to them collectively "Are you ready Art Brut?" It just ended up sticking. I don't know why. Jonathan Richman used to do that too: "Are you ready Modern Lovers?" I always liked how that sounded.

AL: Are there any other bands that you liked recently?

Eddie: Yes. The one from last night. They are called Porterville.

AL: So you will probably come back to America early in 2006? Maybe you will go to some more cities?

Eddie: Yeah. In March 2006, we hope. We will find out. We are recording another single when we get back. It will be released in England. We are not sure what song yet.

AL: You have some new songs you are playing now?

Eddie: Yeah. We have three or four new songs. I have written the words for a lot of new songs. But we have to get back and start working on the music.

AL: How do you write songs?

Eddie: I walk around and write songs in my head. I sing them into the phone. I go home and put them into my book. Once a week we will rehearse. They write the music and I go to my big book and select some lyrics.

AL: All these songs are about your life?

Eddie: They are all true. It's all about me. I would get bored singing about other people who are made up. I like real people.

AL: What is up with this song "Rusted Guns of Milan?"

Eddie: The guns?

AL: That is a metaphor?

Eddie: Yeah. I couldn't just sing about my cock. I had to change it around a little bit.

AL: Maybe on the next album you can write a "cock" song that is more in your face?

Eddie: (laughter) Maybe? Who knows?

AL: Can you talk about the song "18,000 Lire?"

Eddie: There were these terrorists in Italy. They didn't hurt anybody. They did a bank robbery. They were rubbish. They only got 18,000 Lire, which is about four pounds and seventy-three. That is about two American dollars. It sounds like such a huge achievement, but it isn't really. I wanted to write about.

AL: So many of your songs are just inspired by everyday things like what you read in a paper?

Eddie: Yeah. It happened. It's an old song. It is not about me.

Singapore Sling interview w/ Henrik Björnsson

Singapore Sling
by Alexander Laurence

Singapore Sling is a darkly psychedelic band from Reykjavik, Iceland. They are inexplicable and elusive but remind one of the drugged out soul power bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Their debut album, "The Curse Of Singapore Sling", came out in Summer 2003. It has gained fans from all over the globe. Their leader is singer-songwriter-guitarist Henrik Björnsson. In addition to Björnsson, the Sling include Helgi Petursson on guitar and keyboards, Einar Kristjansson on guitar, Toggi "The Tank" Gumundsson on bass, Bjarni Johannsson on drums and Siggi Shaker on maracas and tambourine. They make hypnotizing music that shoots out into space. They made their first tour of America this past summer.

In late 2002, Singapore Sling recently played their first ever US shows. Then in March 2003, they rocked the house with a show at SXSW and also several packed New York shows (including a sold out show opening for Brian Jonestown Massacre). They soon became a favorite among other bands. The 2003 tour will kick off with a headline performance at New York's Central Park Summerstage festival, as part of a special Iceland Day event. Singapore Sling also supported The Raveonettes and the Warlocks on their tour dates on the west coast. I spoke to their mysterious leader, Henrik, right before a gig.

**********

AL: When did you form the band?

Henrik: Probably in 2000. I did ten songs myself on a 4-track recording studio. I started out making music in my apartment by myself. I thought that I had to do something with this because no one was hearing this music except a few friends and me. I played it to a friend who was a guitarist and we decided to form a band together and play the songs live. At the beginning, we didn't have a place to rehearse, so we would play once a month, and the lineup would change every month. It took a while for us to be serious about it. We have had the same lineup for about two years now.

AL: Did you want the songs to be simple?

Henrik: I usually like the instrumentation to be basic. I just like a few things going on. I don't think of myself as a guitar player. I like making songs out of a few instruments. If they are all quite basic, it makes more sense to me. If you have three guitars and they are all doing too much, it doesn't make any sense.

AL: Is the use of feedback and noise important?

Henrik: Yes. All the songs don't need feedback. But songs like "No Soul Man" and "Midnight" the feedback are very smooth and it helps the song glide. The feedback in "Overdriver" is like aggressive feedback and it's one of the most fantastic feedback guitar solos ever. I used an acoustic guitar with pickups and it made this crazy noise. My friend heard the song and he thought I had slain a horse.

AL: What are most of your songs about?

Henrik: There is no special theme. It's not about politics. There is one love song.

AL: One of the best songs is "Roadkill" but it's an instrumental.

Henrik: I recorded it first with a drum machine and it sounded a little different. It sounded more like Suicide. I felt that the guitar riff by itself was enough. I have written more instrumental songs. During the live show we play one more instrumental. I really like surf music.

AL: We are in the hotbed of surf music. Dick Dale and The Ventures are from this area.

Henrik: I went to the beach the other day. It was very refreshing to see the waves. We spent another day walking around Hollywood. We went to the Hustler store. They had all these body parts. They had a mouth and an asshole. Do people come in and say, "Give me an ass and throw in a fist as well." Maybe I'll bring back a few asshole to Iceland.

AL: You live in Reykjavik, Iceland. Is there a cool neighborhood where all the hipsters live?

Henrik: Yes, it's where we all live. We live right smack in the middle of downtown. The area code is 101. That's what it's called. It's a small area where all the bars, clubs and restaurants are. Once four members of the band live on the same street and the rehearsal space was three blocks away.

AL: Have you played a lot in Reykjavik, Iceland?

Henrik: We have played less than twenty shows there. We have played more in America, and never in Europe. Many bands make the mistake of playing too often in Reykjavik. We hardly play there anymore. It's such a small area. It's always the same crowd.

AL: When I look at the cover of the album I am thinking about On The Road by Jack Kerouac. Are you a fan?

Henrik: I was a big Jack Kerouac fan when I was a teenager. A big dream I had was to come to America and do that trip, from Denver to California. Now we have just done that on this tour. I wish that we could have done it with a different vehicle and fewer people. It could have been better with a cooler car than a rented van.

AL: I noticed that you have a lot of girls who follow the band. The screams are so loud that you can't hear the music.

Henrik: We are like the new Beatles.

AL: What is the song "Summer Garden" about? Many of us here in LA like the Phil Spector sound.

Henrik: Yeah. It's probably the song on the album that sounds the most like the 1960s. I was just playing around on the keyboard. I wrote this melody right there on the organ. I wrote a lyric about this girl who is not my girlfriend.

AL: Are there any films that you like?

Henrik: No. I haven't been to the films in a long time. I used to go a lot. I am a big fan of road films.

AL: Have you read any books recently?

Henrik: I have been reading a few books actually. One called Black Vinyl, White Powder. It's about rock music. This English guy who used to manage the Yardbirds wrote it. It's very interesting. I also read this book about Steve McQueen.

AL: Is it very easy to buy Fender amps and guitars in Reykjavik?

Henrik: It's not hard to get. We don't have Fender amps. We usually buy them in America and bring them back over. To buy anything in Iceland it is twice as expensive. Prior to the first shows in New York, we spent a few days looking for instruments. So we all got new gear.

AL: I heard that you played with an American drummer for the first show.

Henrik: It was Bob Bert. He was in Sonic Youth and Pussy Galore. After the show in SXSW, we had four shows in the New York area. We had to play a radio show and I was going to just use a drum machine. We called up a van company to take us back to Manhattan. We loaded the gear in the van. After about ten minutes on the road someone in the band mentioned Sonic Youth. The driver said "I was in that band during the 1980s." I saw his eyes in the rearview mirror and I recognized him from pictures of Pussy Galore. It was Bob Bert. We ended up giving him a CD and our record company arranged it that he would join us for the radio show gig. We played about four songs. It's funny. I wouldn't know who any drummers are. I don't know any of their names. I know Nick Knox of The Cramps. I know about the Pussy Galore records.

AL: Are there any bands that you like?

Henrik: I like Velvet Underground and Suicide and The Stooges and The Cramps. There's this band Dead Meadow who are like psychedelic and stoner rock. It's fun to play with bands you never heard of. There are probably many bands who are big here whom no one has heard of in Europe. It's fun to swap CDs.

AL: Do you have any hobbies?

Henrik: A little Kung Fu and Yoga. I work at a bar. I write articles for an Icelandic magazine. I do a lot of interviews with bands. If I like a band I will write something about them.

AL: Did you go to a University?

Henrik: Some of us did. I went to one for a year and I found it quite boring. Our bass player, Toggi, spent some time studying film in New York. We do have some education.

AL: What is the best part about making music?

Henrik: When all the girls throw their underwear at us.

AL: What's the most difficult part of doing music?

Henrik: It has to do with loading in the equipment from the van. I hate that. Sometimes we have some female fans doing the work for us, but they are unreliable.

AL: When I listen to your music I think of using drugs?

Henrik: The drugs are more available and cheaper over here. So that was a big factor in us coming over for this tour. Iceland is more of a drinking culture. It's not a drug culture. Alcohol is expensive, but drugs are more expensive, so people stick with alcohol. People try to drink themselves into a stupor with hard alcohol. You have everything here in America. We realize that people in America smoke a lot of pot. Two years ago I saw Lee Scratch Perry in New York. The reggae music starts and everyone besides us there started to light up a joint.

AL: What is your set like?

Henrik: There are two songs on the record that we don't play live. They are just songs that I recorded by myself on an eight-track recorder. They are mostly myself playing keyboards and vocals. Nobody in the band knows how to play keyboards very well. We do four new songs and eight songs from the album.

AL: What about "Dirty Water?" How did you decide to do that song?

Henrik: I was just playing this riff. Our version is different from the original version. I started singing this melody and lyrics over this new riff and thought that this is going to sound cool because it's so different. It sounds like a totally different song. I only like cover songs that sound totally different from the original.

AL: Do you record everything live?

Henrik: None are done completely live. We record the drums, guitar and bass as a foundation. Then we add layers. Some songs have a drum machine.

AL: Are you going to tour again in the fall or record a new album?

Henrik: When I get back to Iceland in August, I am going to finish this album I am doing with Toggi, our bass player. We have a side project, which is totally different. It's slower and sleazy music. We are going to release a full album. After that I am going to start working on the next Singapore Sling album. I have some demos and some new songs on a Dictaphone. I will probably write some new material. I will probably record that in November and December. We will probably do that in New York.

Website: www.stinkyrecords.com

The Top 30 records of 2005

Top 30 records of 2005
Alexander Laurence
The Portable Infinite


1 LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem 2005
2 Howl by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 2005
3 The Magic Numbers by The Magic Numbers 2005
4 Demon Days by Gorillaz 2005
5 No Wow by The Kills 2005
6 Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple 2005
7 Get Behind Me Satan by The White Stripes 2005
8 Ahead of The Lions by Living Things 2005
9 Hearts and Unicorns by Giant Drag 2005
10 Arular by M.I.A. 2005
11 Lullabies to Paralyze by Queens of the Stone Age 2005
12 Rehearsing My Choir by The Fiery Furnaces 2005
13 Silent Alarm by Bloc Party 2005
14 Anniemal by Annie 2005
15 A Certain Trigger by Maximo Park 2005
16 Takk by Sigur Ros 2005
17 Guero by Beck 2005
18 The New Fellas by The Cribs 2005
19 Pretty In Black by The Raveonettes 2005
20 Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team 2005
21 Witching Hour by Ladytron 2005
22 Open Season by British Sea Power 2005
23 Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart 2005
24 Frances The Mute by Mars Volta 2005
25 Surgery by The Warlocks 2005
26 Tender Buttons by Broadcast 2005
27 With Teeth by Nine Inch Nails 2005
28 Gimme Trouble by Adult. 2005
29 Cole's Corner by Richard Hawley 2005
30 Out of Breach by MU 2005

Mark Gardener Interview (RIDE)

Mark Gardener played his first amazing solo shows SXSW Festival in Austin Texas, two years ago. That started the ball rolling. Mark has now completed his debut solo album that is called "These Beautiful Ghosts." It was produced by Bill Racine and features the band Goldrush. Songs like "Snow In Mexico" and "Magdalen Sky" show signs of the new direction of the former Ride front man. Ride is one of the main bands associated with the Shoegazer thing. The album is to be released on the US indie label United For Opportunity (www.ufomusic.com) on October 11th, 2005.

Mark is releasing a special limited edition advance version of the album too, which will come with a bonus DVD. Mark has been asked to support Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on their North American tour in September and October 2005. Mark has also been busy working with French duo Rinocerose. Back in 2004 Mark co-wrote and sang on a couple of tracks that the duo were working on in their studio in Montpelier. The tracks now feature on their forthcoming V2 album. After so much calm, now there is a storm of activity.

There is also Mark's solo live album, Live At The Knitting Factory NYC. Also still available online is the Falling Out Into The Night EP that Mark released with Goldrush. We caught up with the ex-Ride front man right after a sneak Los Angeles show in July 2005. Many musicians from other bands like The Warlocks were in the audience. The first show of the legendary tour with BRMC is of course in SF at the Great American Music Hall. We got to talk about all the busy things in his life.

AL: How are things going in Oxford?

Mark: Pretty good. I have only just got here. I was on the West Coast last week. I played a show there. I have been flying around all over. I just did this thing with the French band, Rinocerose. They have been playing all the summer festivals. I have been up for four days. I am still here and still standing.

AL: You lived in the United States before that?

Mark: Most of this year I have been living in New York. That is where I really pulled the album together. I have been working with Bill Racine who lives in New York.

AL: You have played with Goldrush a lot.

Mark: They are not from America. They are an Oxford band. We have been playing a lot of shows in America last year and the year before. They have just released an album. They were always Ride fans. I heard there was a band that played a cover of "Dreams Burn Down." I went to a Goldrush gig with a mutual friend about three or four years ago. It was great. They found out that I was going to do my own thing in the future. They said, "Whenever you need a backing band, we want to back you." That was really good for me because they are really good musicians. There are two really good singers in that band. It was good to get harmonies going again.

AL: When did this album "These Beautiful Ghosts" start for you?

Mark: It's something that has been in my mind since Ride finished which was in 1996. I knew that at some point when I wasn't in a group I would do my own record. It's always been in my mind. I guess the last five years I have been writing bits and pieces. I would think that some ideas I had would be good for a solo record. Basically it has come together in the last four or five months while I was in New York. I have also done some intense recording in upstate New York at Tarbox studios. It's where Dave Fridmann has a studio. I made three other tracks with Goldrush about a few years ago. I did it in bits and pieces. That is the only way I can work because I funded it myself. I wanted to do it my way before I even talked to any labels.

AL: You ended up working with this new label United For Opportunity.

Mark: It's called UFO. The way the record industry is changing. They are just trying to be a new model label. They have more realistic ways of doing things. When you are dealing with bigger labels you end up never meeting the people who make big decisions about your life. It was nice to meet people who are running the label and into the music. I like them. After developing a relationship we decided the time was right to release this record.

AL: How do you write songs? Is it different from the days of Ride?

Mark: It was different from Ride in a sense. Andy Bell and me were the main writers. There was a lot of input between us on each other's stuff. I guess it has changed in a sense where I have more time to work on things and get them the way I want them. Even though it is my album, I also believe in the power of letting go. As long as I was working with people like Goldrush and people that I trusted musically, I have been able to have people add their input on it. I am still the guy who wrote the Ride songs. People can spot that out that thread. I have similar concerns in music. I just hope that I am doing it better. I wanted this record to be a little bit more exposed and honest. I wanted to have some trippy things that I like in music. I wanted to make something that was interesting to listen to.

AL: So do you start with music or lyrics?

Mark: It usually starts with music. The music usually suggests words and lyrics to me. I start out with some chords or a rhythm. I play around with loops, and things like that. I'll have a beat with acoustic guitar and bass guitar. You just end up mucking around until you have something. You have to have something moving.

By alexander laurence