TLOBF Interview :: Wintermute meet The Tupolev Ghost

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OK, so the title might be a bit misleading… but this week’s interview features two of Big Scary Monsters label mates having a bit of a chat. Which is nice, as they’re heading out on tour this week, so I hope they get along…

It’s the all-knowing James Parrish from The Tupolev Ghost who’s having to answer a set of questions dreamed up by the lads from Wintermute.

To give you a taster of their style, we’ve got a track each from The Tupolev Ghost and Wintermute to giveaway. Though, if I was you, I’d do yourself a favour and just catch these guys live.

mp3:> Wintermute: ‘Disco Loadout’
mp3:> The Tupolev Ghost: ‘Diagrams’

What’s it like having Ross from Secondsmile on bass? I can only imagine the fear and terror you guys must go through daily on tour.
Ross is like Rainman to a bass guitar. He memorised how to play it overnight and now he is first rate. It’s just such a shame about his piss-weak personality. He’ll forever be known as the man who almost had it all.

How’ve BSM been treating you boys?
Not bad at all! Kev and Ivano have been nothing but supportive and many new opportunities have come our way since signing with the label. The label and associated bands all tend to help each other out and it’s a positive atmosphere to work, tour and write under.

So DC hardcore, Fugazi etc. You guys dig that? Any particular bands?
Having had our line up change a fair few times over the years has meant that so have our influences. The band was originally bonded by a mutual love of the more leftfield US hardcore bands, think Dischord Records (Fugazi, Faraquet, Nation of Ulysses), all things Albini (Shellac, Big Black), along with a certain amount of post rock (Mogwai, Slint). As we’ve grappled towards our current line up, Andy’s passion for more rhythmically punishing post hardcore like Shotmaker has come through, whilst Chris has brought more precision from his love for metal and its various genres. Who knows what Ross will bring but he’s already showing us a thing or two he’s picked up from a lifetime in Secondsmile.

What’s going on the Cambridge scene then? I don’t think I can think of any other bands from there.
Cambridge is very small and polite. People have a difficulty in shouting loud enough about what they’re doing there. But there are still plenty of very good acts in the region. Lonely The Brave, The Last Dinosaur, The Cathode Ray Syndrome, The Raudive, The PRK etc. It’s no Leeds, we’ll give you that, but there’s more going on than you’d think. Even if you’re not into the music, you can still head down to Fitzwilliam Museum and smash another vase.

Are you happy with how your album came out? Any plans to do another?
Considering what the band went through to get The Tupolev Ghost onto disc, we’re pretty happy. It started innocently as some laid back summer sessions in a friend’s converted barn, before Steven and Ben (bass and guitar originals) both emigrated. Then we lost use of the barn and things got a lot more hectic. We had to hurry to record the newer three tracks anywhere we could, including freezing farm outbuildings and garage rafters. Let’s just say Carl Saff did a great job with the mastering!

Do you know where I left my keys? I can’t find them anywhere.
“Where did you last have them?”

Have you seen the new Star Trek Film? I’m not really into Star Trek but people say it’s good.
No. I thought only terrible virgins watched Star Trek?

Any reading recommendations?
All of us have some level of education, though on our last tour we all simultaneously ‘got into’ graphic novels. Black Hole by Charles Burns is very good, as is Maus by Art Spiegelman. This tour we’re going back to text and I’ve got a bag full of Henry Miller and Bukowski. We’ll see what we can extract from those.

Looking forward to the wee tour? Should be a giggle I reckon.
We all had an amazing time in the Spring so we’ve not been able to wait for this one. It’s doubly cool that we’re spending some time with Wintermute too as touring with a band is an awesome insight into how other bands work and get along. Bring it on.

Would you rather make love to a man with a vagina or a woman with a penis?
DVDA with the man. More holes, more goals. And at least no one ends up feeling left out, not even for one cruel second.

Wintermute on Myspace
The Tupolev Ghost on Myspace