Introducing: Simon Says No

Another month, another line-up of outstanding Nordic talent heading to the capital. This month, the line-up for Ja Ja Ja has been curated by Drowned in Sound editor Sean Adams, who has decided to showcase indie pop outfit Leaves, Norway’s fuzz-rockers Simon Says No! and dynamic Icelandic troupe Sudden Weather Change.

Ja Ja will take place at The Lexington, London (5 minutes walk from Angel tube) on 21st January. For tickets and further information on Ja Ja Ja click here…

We caught up with Simon Says No to find out what we can expect from their set… Look out for more interviews with this months lineup over the next few days!

The seeds of Simon Says No! were formed years ago, before the band was even a figment of anyone’s imagination. The band recorded “Midnight Romance” and released it on cassette in late ’06, and they were lucky enough to have it picked up by Jørgen Hegstad on NRK P3, Norway’s leading radio-station, who named them “Band of the Week” on their program “Urørt” (meaning “Untouched”).

Their debut EP, Ahoi de Angst, spawned the band’s hit single “Sleeping Heart.” According to the band, the former song “captures the essence of Simon Says No!…shaped through time, different band members, and cold dark winters.”

Simon Says No! are an outfit that have the potential to do great things – you can hear it in the way they meld their love of shoegaze with their hardcore-obsessed past. It’s the passion that’s in every ounce of their being that bubbles through on stage, and it’s in every note of every one of their recorded songs.

For people out there that have never heard of you, give us three reasons why they should?
“These guys are ferocious, loud, and energetic, yet they still manage to keep their music raw and interesting” someone wrote… I think that’s three good reasons.

We’re mostly writing pop melodies but they’re molded through the primitive hardcore inspired beats and some noisy, screaming guitars. If that’s something that awakens your interest…we might just be playing ball.

Tell us a little about where you’re from. Do your surroundings affect the music that you create?
I don’t think you can separate yourself from your surroundings. We were just on a little island outside of Ålesund finishing our album. Surrounded by fjords and mountains we ended up spending most of the time just recording the ambience in the huge recording room there. Not to mention the ocean sounds of waves breaking against the shores all around the studio.

Growing up in different places in Norway we all bring different approaches to the table when it comes to songwriting too. A Hardcore past in Bergen meets the darker pop/rock from the Norwegian woodlands you could say. The indie/shoegaze scene of Oslo kind of brought that together, giving us a mutual ground to meet musically.

Ruben and Rolf actually grew up in between Paradis(e) and hell valley in Bergen…On the Hellvalley Hill. How can you not be influenced by that!?

If you could have played on or written any song, what would it be?
Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows. Fantastic melodic guitar and vocals and of my Ringo Starr. One of the greater pop songs ever made!

How did the band come in to being? And where did the name come from?
Ruben wanted our former guitarist Simon to go Solo. Simon not liking that idea, clearly stated…No! Instead they formed the band that still takes it’s name from that little incident. Simon Says No! Rolf grew up with Ruben in Bergen and joined later on, while Even came in half a year before we released our debut EP.

Unfortunately Simon gave us his second No this autumn, so maybe we should change it so Simon Saying No! or something? We did think about changing the name after that, but decided not to. Simon’s aura will live on in the band, and that’s a good thing i think! We currently a three piece but hope to have added a fourth member before Ja Ja Ja.

What is the most memorable gig you have played, and what can we expect of your live set at Ja Ja Ja?
The most memorable is hard to say, every gig has a different vibe. A New York gig has a certain vibe though only a handful of people might show up. But our Mono gig in August was something special.

It was one of the hottest days of the summer and no air conditioning. Most people was sitting outside as Mono felt more like sauna then a venue. I think it all made us forget about doing this or that and we just did whatever we felt like doing. It felt a bit magical to us, a weird synergy of heat and instruments you could say. It’s those nights, when you feel that you’re creating something on stage and with the (overheated) crowd you remember what it’s all about. Hopefully we can bring some of that over to London.

If you were asked to curate your own Ja Ja Ja night, which three acts would you choose?
Blackstrap, Leif and the Future and Cody.

We’d like you to make us a Nordic themed mix-tape. Which five tracks would you choose?
Lionheart Brothers – ‘Lead Me To The Waters’
Maribel – ‘Siamese Eyes’
120 Days – ‘C-Music’
Lindstrøm – ‘Where You Go I Go Too’
Leif & The Future – ‘Let You Go’