The Glaswegian band Aereogramme has been on tour in support of their last album, Sleep and Release. I had the chance to ask the band’s singer, Craig B, some questions via email:
Maelstrom: I just read your diaries from the last American tour. After a few trips Stateside, what's the band's impression of America/Americans?
Craig B: We get slightly annoyed when people automatically diss America and Americans really, because there are idiots in every country and America just seems like it is filled with idiots because it’s so huge. But this is the same country that introduced me to Bill Hicks, David Lynch, Fugazi etc... so we have as much respect for America as we do fearing it as well (especially the closer you get to Alabama).
Maelstrom: How does your European tour compare to the US one?
Craig B: Mainland Europe (excluding the U.K.) is a joy to play as the venues will always treat you with an incredible amount of respect and the organisation is amazing. This is not to say that the U.S doesn’t but there is just a more relaxed atmosphere when we play in Europe. People actually come out to see us there as well which probably affects my opinion of it as well.
Maelstrom: You thank Jaegermeister on your website. What's your favorite drink?
Craig B: My drink of choice would be a straight whisky and coke, but the whole band favour Jaegermeister if we are going for a proper night out. Shit, this stuff is incredible. Our normally quiet drummer turns into an monster after a few shots. You just fill him up and watch him take off!
Maelstrom: Worst alcohol/touring tale?
Craig B: I guess my worst alcohol/touring tale would have to be our last night in New York at the end of the last tour where I was seemingly stuck in the elevator, fast asleep, with the elevator doors opening and shutting on my head before Martin dragged me by the foot into the room. Not that I remember any of it, sadly enough.
Maelstrom: I've found that, as you've said before, it's hard to explain your music in terms of fitting into one category or another. That's part of what makes Aereogramme so appealing to people (like me) who grew up on punk and now listen to your labelmates on Chemikal Underground. What led you to stick with both the heavy and the gentler sounds? What do you think of attempts to define your music - has anyone really succeeded?
Craig B: The only thing that lead me to stick with the heavy and gentle sounds is purely the music I listen to myself. I love extremes and I get as excited listening to Converge or Neurosis as I do listening to Stars of the lid or Red House Painters, so it makes perfect sense to me that they would both influence the music that I make. I understand people trying to define our music but I don’t think there is a specific title that describes what we do as a whole - although you could easily describe specific parts of what we do.
What I do not understand though is when we are described as "emo" or worse still, "Mogwai." These tags do not take into consideration our heaviest parts and if you are going to try and describe what we do you need to take into consideration ALL the parts that we do.
Maelstrom: What do you have to say about metal? What do you find most interesting about the music? Favorite bands?
Craig B: Underground metal has some of the most interesting bands around right now for me. Converge's last album, Jane Doe, is one of the most exciting and passionate albums I have ever heard. Neurosis are an inspiration artistically and musically. There is no one like them. Will Haven were one of the most honest and brutal bands I had ever heard until they split up.
It guess it’s the emotion that these bands spit out. It’s†nothing like the MTV type metal that is pushed forward. This music is honest and passionate to me and makes me feel like I was 16 again, standing in front of the mirror pretending to sing into a deodorant can. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that......
Maelstrom: What else are you listening to these days?
Craig B: The last few albums I bought were the new Four Tet album, which is beautiful. The new Tomahawk album, Aphex Twin, Poison the Well.
Maelstrom: What album should everybody own a copy of?
Craig B: An album that everyone should own is Mercury by American Music Club because it has great lyrics, songs of happiness and songs of darkness and, for me, one of the greatest songs ever written, titled "I’ve Been a Mess," which uses the biblical story of Lazarus to describe a love for someone else. Genius.
Maelstrom: Can you say a few words about the tracks on the upcoming "Liver and Lungs" EP? What sort of sonic direction are they moving in? And what does an Aereogramme cover of "Thriller" sound like?
Craig B: Well, two of them were recorded in various hotel rooms in Canada and America and the other two were recorded in Glasgow so I guess they do feel and sound quite different. The EP was approached as a means to experiment, so I think it reflects that quite well. It’s quite eclectic.
"Thriller" sounds mental in so many ways. Iain wrote a score heavily influenced by all the horror films we watch and I had to make a scary voice for the Vincent Price part but I ended up sounding like Gollum from “Lord of the Rings.” Yes, its pretty weird but I hope Jacko hears it.
Maelstrom: What was the most interesting interpretation of your lyrics that you've heard?
Craig B: We have recently had an interpretation of "Post Tour Pre Judgement" from someone who suffers from schizophrenia. I think it was very honest of the guy and very brave to put it into words what the lyrics have meant to him. It still amazes me that a song can become such a personal encounter for individuals. We also get people’s ideas of what they think I’m singing and they are wildly wrong but actually far more interesting than what I’m actually singing!
Maelstrom: Most bizarre fan encounter?
Craig B: Probably the German transvestite who walked up to us in a dress and thanked us in a voice deeper than Barry White. I’ve never seen the whole band speechless before.
Maelstrom: Will you guys ever give up your beards?
Craig B: Not me anyway. Campbell sported an amazing handlebar Moustache on one tour but that’s as far as the trimming has gone. Maybe we will "do a KISS" and take the beards of as a publicity stunt. Watch us rock the music world with that one.
Maelstrom: Anything you'd like to add?
Craig B: Thanks for getting in touch. I need to get home now. I’m playing Silent Hill 3 with my girlfriend and it’s sick. Brilliant but sick. Also, don’t go and see the “Matrix Reloaded.” It’s a waste of energy / talent / money / etc.......
Maelstrom: I haven't seen “Matrix Reloaded” yet, and am not planning on it... but you should absolutely check out “X-Men 2.” It was great.
Craig B: Saw “X-Men 2" and yeah, it was great. Smart and exciting. Everything the “Matrix 2" was not.
Maelstrom: Do you have a favorite DVD or video game, after all that time you all spent playing them?
Craig B: I guess our video game of the tour was “Monkey Bowling” from “Monkey Ball” on the Nintendo Gameboy. When you are stuck in a van for a minimum of five hours a day for a whole month you need something to pass the time and this helped SO much. Campbell even made up his own monkey ball theme tune which became the running joke of the tour for us. Sad, really.
I guess "Waiting for Guffman" and the Neurosis DVD were the films that kept us going until Iain’s laptop heated up too much and we had to give it a rest.
Maelstrom: Did you all do a song called “Lid of the Star” at some point? anything to do with the Stars of the Lid?
Craig B: "Lid of the Stars" was a Ganger song. (an old band I was in) And, yeah it was heavily influenced by Stars of the Lid who I still love and listen to very much.
Interview courtesy of Maelstrom (http://www.maelstrom.nu)