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Art Brut

'I think on the first album I'm about 17, on this one I'm about 19, so the next one I'll be 21. Which is getting there, I moved to London by the third album.'

Posted 17th September 2007, 8:13pm in Interviews
Art Brut Tonight London rockers Art Brut are far from home, but enjoying their trip across the pond. As DIY catches up with singer Eddie and guitarist Jasper in LA the duo appear energetic despite nearing the end of their tour which we can likely assume is due to their rejuvenating trip to Disneyland the day before. In a quick chat about what's been going on in the world of Art Brut the band tell us about their new album, who you should take advice from, and why they feel bad for Britney Spears.

How has the American tour been going? You guys are almost done.
Jasper: It was quite a short one, we started in Canada then came back down and did a few here. It's just a two week thing.
Eddie: Because we had some festivals to do and we couldn't afford to go back and come back again. So we did little bits of Canada and America.
J: We're coming back in October. [for the Rock and Roll Riot Tour].
E: Can't wait.
J:: Yeah, it's going to be amazing. Should be a rock and roll riot!
E: All the bands are quite boozy too.
J: Yeah it's going to be good!

This time around everyone got to go into the recording studio together, how did the collaboration between you guys change? Did you have any specific ideas of what you wanted to do differently on this album?
E: Wanted to be poppier, sound bigger.
J: I was new, that changed the dynamic... for the worse!
E: (laughs) Yeah, we were down a guitarist.
E: And before we had such different tastes in music and being on tour so long we learned to appreciate each other's tastes in music, so when we write there's less of an argument nowadays! With the first one we had already learned the songs by playing them live and then we went in one at a time into the studio so the producer was more in charge the first time, we couldn't gang up on him like this one. And he was more on our side more for this one.
J: Yeah, he had the same ideas that we had.
E: We're very similar people I think.

On this album as well as the last one you wrote about your adolescence, what was so special about your teenage years that made you want to focus on them?
E: I don't know. I think I'm just working some stuff out and I'm getting there. I think on the first album I'm about 17, on this one I'm about 19, so the next one I'll be 21. Which is getting there, I moved to London by the third album.
J: The music is progressing at sort of a prog-accelerated rate with Eddie. Gradually getting towards prog.

Your songs tend to be about very personal experiences; in the case of Emily Kane it turned out well since you got to speak to her again, but has writing such personal lyrics ever backfired?
E: Well when Emily Kane had a boyfriend and stuff that kind of backfired, but she was lovely and we are good friends now. Anyhow, I can't complain. Who gets to do that, meet their first girlfriend again? It was brilliant. It hasn't really backfired. My brother thinks the song about him is patronizing, but secretly he loves it. He told me he hates it, "Oh I'm never going to touch crack, I hate it", but when we played the other day he [pointed to himself and said] "it's about me!"
J: He likes the attention.
E: He wants to come on tour with us and sell his own T-shirts, 'My Little Brother' T-Shirts. So nothing really backfires. I'm a better person for it; I've worked through some things.

I heard that you think bands shouldn't give advice, what is some advice we shouldn't listen to?
E: Don't listen to me.
J: Listen to advice from your doctor, that's quite important.
E: That's my advice! Take advice from your doctor.
E: I think that I'm a hypocrite because I took advice from bands at the time. I only really listened to advice from bands.

You didn't get to make it to Top of The Pops before it ended unfortunately, but do you have any new aspirations?
E: Bring Top of the Pops back! I want to write a song with Britney Spears. Those are my two aspirations at the moment.

Did you see her VMA's appearance?
E: It was ok. People are too mean about Britney Spears, I've been getting upset about it! Of course she's going to dance around in her underwear that's what she's been doing since she was twelve.
J: Yeah, just leave her alone.
E: I've been watching the local news cause we've been here for about two days, and everyone in West Hollywood says she's a skanky hoe. I think, well that's not very nice! I like Britney Spears, I feel sorry for her. So I've written her a very nice song and if she gets in touch she can have it.

You've been labelled as a punk band, but you consider yourself pop, what is it about pop that intrigues you so much?
E: I don't know, I think we're a punk band too.
J: Yeah, but I like the idea of pop music. I think if you write a three minute song that's catchy it's a nice feeling, even if you call it indie music or rock music or whatever a decent pop song is a decent pop song.
E: It's hard to write pop songs; to say you're a pop band is to give yourself a massive challenge.
J: Saying you're a punk band also implies some kind of agenda. You know if you call yourself a punk band, you have to be a punk band. A lot of people call themselves a punk band when they're not, just because of loud guitar music. That's not the same thing.
E: It just depends on what you want to do - that makes you a punk band.
J: I think you can make pop music and be a punk band.

I read that at first some people didn't understand Art Brut, what do you think changed about the way the band was viewed?
E: We released more songs I think and people realised we weren't joking. If you had only heard 'Formed A Band' and 'Modern Art' you might think we were joking but when you hear all of our songs you think "Ah OK, I see". And we met more people, we're very earnest. Have people changed their opinion? (laughs) I don't know.
J: Probably, I hope so!

Last question, what's up next for you guys?
E: Tour of Europe. We're on tour forever now.
J: We're basically away now for the rest of the year. We're going to Australia as well at the end of the year which should be amazing.
E: Yeah, first time.
J: All the stuff we're doing right now is pretty exciting. There's nothing I'm not looking forward to. It's going to be brilliant.
E: I like touring!
J: I hate my house!

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