in session.. slow club 11.05.

i missed slow club at live at leeds. i was in the studio with alessi when they played. but i did get a private show of my own, and it was all fun and giggles when the sheffield twosome came to see me.

i caught them at the cockpit back in october supporting tilly and the wall. i think that was the first time i’d seen them and i didn’t know much about them, but i sort of fell in love that night. and when the recorder wouldn’t work, trying to get an interview with tilly, i couldn’t be happier. more time to see slow club!

a boyandgirl band, charles watson and rebecca taylor are lots of fun. the pair have been making music together since school, sharing their favourite jeff buckley lyrics over msn, and and it’s clear in the chemistry between them. both on stage and in the car, where i found charles playing his guitar and rebecca blowing into a harmonica no bigger than about an inch.. she’d just been given it by a fan and was wearing it on a necklace around her neck, clearly loving her new toy.

having spent the past couple years gigging just about everywhere and finding the time to to release a couple singles, the band have finally finished recording their debut album yeah, so and it’s released on july 6th.. excited! with their catchy sing-along songs, rockabilly beats and lovely harmonious hooks, it’s obvious the pair have come along way together and it’s no surprise they’ve built themselves a reet solid fanbase. i love happy bands and slow club are just that indeed. they’re so comfortable on stage they make you smile. and they’ve got the best banter.. even better than mi mye! but don’t tell a joke.. you don’t want to get rebecca started.

i’d just about finished recording with alessi’s ark when i got a call from slow club telling me they were outside. i was half way through one of the driest chicken tikka salad sandwiches ever, so their timing couldn’t have been better. down went the stale, sandpaper-like bit of bread and in came charles and rebecca. i didn’t have time to tidy up, but i don’t think they cared..

how was playing at the cockpit today?

c: it was good, yeah. we had like loads of people singing along and stuff. busy.
r: it was one of our favourite leeds gigs.
c: probably the best one actually.
r: yeah..
c: we never normally have very good gigs in leeds, i don’t know why. i think some bands just don’t agree with some cities, i think leeds is the one that we don’t tend have good shows at.

really?

c: we enjoy being here, but we’ve yet to have, like, a really amazing gig.
r: but today was. really amazing.

so are you guys currently touring or was it a one off live at leeds thing?

r: well yeah, we’ve just got a load of little festival-y things like this. it’s quite nice really, because we do like four days on and a week off. but we’re pretty much booked up every weekend over the summer now which is cool.

so are you dividing your time between the road and the studio, or do you not find much time to get in?

r: we’ve not been able to write anything for ages. but we’re going to on monday! we’re both bursting at the seams with amazing ideas [laughs]
c: we’ve not been in the same city for quite a while. we’re living in different cities at the moment and we’ve not really had any time together apart from gigging and stuff. and there’s not really anytime to write. we never really write when we’re out and about. we’ve written a few things in dressing rooms and stuff, but that’s only when we’ve got a couple hours to wait. but we’ve not really had any time together for a while.

what’s the sort of.. thought process, who comes up with what?

c: there’s not really any method. it’s just whoever comes up with something, and then we just start working on it. there’s not really a set plan, like there’s not one of us that writes all the stuff.
r: although clash magazine says it’s all charles and i’m just the drummer. made me feel really good!

wankers.

r: [laughs] heard it here first, leeds, they get their facts wrong. and the guy who wrote it we saw the other day. charles didn’t beat him up.
c: he’s a nice guy..
r: they’re all really nice, but they’ve just got serious.. factual..
c: …disfunction.

[laughs all round! was hilarious at the time, honest..]

c: sounds like a horrible bowel disorder..
c & r: “factual disfunction”! [both laugh.. again]

how did you guys get together and start making music?

r: well. charles went out with a girl.. [giggles]
c: yeah, it’s just.. we were both at school near each other and knew each other through mutual friends.
r: we used to msn each other about jeff buckley.
c: yeah maaan! what else did we used to msn each other about?

did you guys get involved with the whole get jeff buckley to number 1 thing?

c: it was way before that, when he was underground and coool maaan! [laughs]
r: well, no. it was when we both started.. i think that every kid goes through, like, that period where you didn’t know what you were particularly listening to. like you’ll listen to papa roach and linkin park and system of a down and then you’ll..
c: .. [at me] did you do that?

i’ve never liked linkin park. i hate them. but i did have that papa roach album with ‘last resort’ on it and i love system, they’re like one of my favourite bands.

c: what was it called.. infest!

with the cockroach on it..

r: yeah! aww. and then you’d go to like.. i used to go to sponge gigs and stuff.
c: my first gig was bowling for soup.
r: and then you start listening to jeff buckley. what comes after jeff buckley?
c: erm.. i don’t know. jeff buckley..
r: but anyway, we were both in the same transitional period as geeky teenagers.
c: rights of passage. everyone goes through a jeff buckley stage don’t they.
r: yeah.. so we msn’d, and i was in a band that charles joined for a bit. and then we started writing songs.

what were your msn names? (i’ve had some seriously bad ones..)

[both laugh]

r: ha, i can’t remember now..
c: yours was, erm, ‘a kiss.. for..’
r: a kingdom for my kiss!! because that was [rebecca literally LOLs] a jeff buckley lyric! i was such a loser. i used to want that as a tattoo and used to write lyrics everywhere.
c: i can’t remember what my msn name was. what was yours?

ahh.. i’ve had some seriously silly ones.

r: i remember charles’.. it was ‘mr hendrix’! [laughs]

i think i used to be called ‘baby felix’ at one point. because i love felix the cat, but then i discovered there was a character called baby felix..

r: really?

..who’s like felix the cat, but as a baby. and i thought that was cute.

c: i thought felix was a baby? like a kitten?

no no. you should see some of the really old felix cartoons. they’re really bad. like he smokes and drinks. and goes to brothels.

[rebecca laughs.. she does love a good chuckle]

like, honestly. i’m not sure if they’re banned ones, because i’ve seen some really bad disney cartoons..

c: ..he’s like a proper vice cat, isn’t he.

but anyway.. what do you guys have planned for the next few weeks?

r: we’re gonna write. i’m gonna find a home [in london]. charles already has a place, but two’s the worst number if you’re not a couple find a flat that’s cheap. but anyway.. i’m gonna move in the next few weeks and we’re gonna write an ep.
c: it’s gonna be called berg wallace.
r: it might be called ‘berg wallace’. there’s a place in scotland called [in a really good scottish accent] berrrg wallace.
c: it’s not even in scotland, that’s why it’s funny. it’s in near doncaster. it’s near south kirkby. [in an equally amazing scottish accent] berrrg wallaccce.

oh.

c: it just sounds really scottish. we have to keep these things..
r: ..keep ourselves amused in the car. so at the moment we keep just going “BERRRG WALLACE!”. [laughs] like, all the time.
c: [charles joins in] BERRRG WALLACE! … [then whispers] berrrrg wallaccce..

well it’s either that or play with mini harmonicas.

r: yeah, check it out [blows into it]

who gave you that?

r: this dude today. i think he knew me.. he put us on before.
c: he does this underage assembly thing at joseph’s well. it’s really cool.

[rebecca's still playing with her miniature harmonica]

c: yeah, we played with operator please who are possibly the mardiest band in history!
r: hey, beef. they’re lovely. we love all bands.

so, forget leeds, are there any stand out gig that you can remember?

c: erm.. we played the union chapel [in london] last year. that was, probably like.. the best gig we’ve ever done i think. just because of the setting and the people there.
r: it was really special and felt, quite, sort of, nice. because we’d been at it for so long and our parents came and things like that. there are so many people that’ve been involved in, you know, helping, and making it work. to the degree that it’s worked. so it was nice that everyone was there. i’m sure there’ll be more to come. there are quite a lot of stand out gigs, where people are quiet and then get mental at the end and dance. anything like that. any gig’s stand out when anyone comes! [laughs]

what’s it like recording with you guys. something like ‘let’s fall back in love’, was that real clapping or was it like canned laughter.. (canned laughter?!)

both: no no no!
r: that was loads of people.
c: there was like 30 people in the studio when we recorded that. we’ve got it on video actually. like a mini-documentary about us making the album that’s not been edited yet. but that was amazing, we all went to the pub after and all our friends from sheffield got the afternoon off work and we just set up all.. we had like three acoustic guitars, a bass, banjo, a couple of drummers, i played electric guitar..
r: ..it was well lively. it was nice.
c: and then we had like 6 backing singers. it was a proper jools holland moment..
r: ..well.. as far as it can be.
c: .. ..or jake holland.
r: jake holland! [both chuckle]

..is that a little in-joke?

c: well, i met this guy the other day and he kept calling me richard, and saying it would be ‘really cool when richard plays on jake holland’.

[laughs all round]

what a noob. so are you guys hoping to catch any bands live today?

r: we wanted to see mirror mirror, but i think we’ve missed them. have you heard them?

..no.

r: they’re sooo good. and they’ve got this.. the boy who’s in the band, called mike, is my favourite human.
c: he’s got an acoustic project called boat to row, he’s awesome.
r: he’s adorable. i want to give birth to him. i want him to be my son. [plays some more mini-harmonica]

what are you listening to at the moment?

r: [enthusiastically] well!

i haven’t actually asked that in ages. i don’t remember the last person i did ask.

r: charles, what are you listning to at the moment?
c: i hate this question..
r: i’m listening to aidan moffat’s solo stuff, have you heard it?

he’s playing at the brudenell tonight.

r: rea.. WHAT!?

special guest.

r: is that him, he’s the special guest!?

yeah, at midnight.

[rebecca gets a bit excited]

c: last night we stayed underneath his flat.
r: we’ve posted him an album this morning!

really.. he’s playing tonight, after good shoes.

r: we’ve gotta go. got, to go! err.. well him, and… isn’t that funny, what a coincidence!
c: we’ve stayed at that place a couple of times and we’ve always known that aidan moffat lived upstairs.
r: i’d never listened to him before though, but i’ve got a new pen friend who’s sending me mixtapes and he sent me some with him. i love him now.

is that the next step up from msn?

r: [laughs] he’s my new best friend, like in the world! we don’t really know each other. but he’s in a band called olo worms, who i’ve also been listening too, who you check out because they’re brilliant. they’re from bristol. o-l-o worms. as in wiggly worms. who have you been listening to, charles? you’ve had time to think..
c: erm.. i’ve got a mixtape.. the saffron sect, they’re like this band from america [canada, it turns out]  that do like, kind of, sitar.. it sounds really, like.. english, hippie, boring crap. but it’s really good.
r: charles has gone lennon on me. is it lennon that went all sitar?
c: they all went sitar. they all went to the mountains..
r: ..remember that documentary we were watching, they were like “while the rolling stones trashed hotel rooms, the beatles were finding themselves in india..”
c: “..finding the meaning of life.”
r: yeah, that was it [laughs]
c: robert wyatt as well, i’ve just been listening to a bit of his stuff. well, one song that i really like. i think it’s off the new album. is the new album called copernicus or something? it’s on domino. but i just.. loads of people told me about him before but i never listened to him, and i’ve just got this one song called ‘beautiful day’.
r: what are you listening to?

ooh. i’ve got a playlist on my itunes called moo, (as in moooooo, like a cow), (i’ve no idea why), but i drag and drop things into that, and i’ve got a lot of the tallest man on earth in there.. err, the new wave pictures album.. some of you guys, of course.

r: ayyy!
c: oh oh!

what’s the deal with the album anyway?

c: it’s coming out on the 6th july, on moshi moshi records. it’s called yeah, so and.. err..
r: ..it’s really gooood!

has that been brought forward a bit?

c: no, it was pushed back quite a lot actually. it was probably supposed to be out around now, i reckon. but, like, loads of thing just kept getting pushed back and then we decided to push it back even more!
r: but, no, the time is july 6th. i think it’s gonna be right. we recorded it, it’s taken about two years. on and off, doing different sessions. but we’re happy with it.

what’s it like being on moshi?

r: awesome, there are two dudes who run it. very handsome. [laughs]

do you want to give birth to them as well?

r: no [laughs] i’m too young to give birth to them. but, erm, admire them both. you would too, right?

rebecca, you remind me of my mate amy so much it’s unreal.

r: is amy sexy? [laughs]

amy’s beautiful. all of my friends are, obviously.

with a host of festival dates on their schedule, including glastonbury, latitude and the secret garden party, slow club pick up the pace this summer. their eagerly anticipated (i sound like such a plonk saying that) album is out early july and i cannot wait. if you missed them at live at leeds and find yourself at a festival this summer, dont miss them again! it’s one thing seeing a band like slow club indoors at a dark and dingy gig venue, but i’m really looking forward to seeing them out in the sun. i really can’t wait. glasto, woo.

slow club release their debut album yeah, so on moshi moshi records on july 6th. here’s a little something to keep you going until then..

thegoldenowl.co.uk in session with.. slow club

slow club - wild blue milk
slow club - christmas tv

enjoy.. x

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