rocknroll_n_blues_queens | gonna start it nice and easy: electrelane (Reply)

Interview - Electrelane in art uber alles
Uploaded by ARTUBERALLES. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Wikipedia

Electrelane were a British all-female indie rock band, formed in Brighton, England in 1998 by Verity Susman and Emma Gaze. The band comprised Susman, Gaze, Mia Clarke, and Ros Murray. Their music draws from wide range of influences including Neu!, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, and The Velvet Underground. Although the band has strong feminist and political views in their personal lives, they generally preferred to not communicate that directly to their fans or through their music;^[1] one exception is their inclusion of the protest song "The Partisan," which they began playing while on tour in the United States during the months preceding the 2004 Presidential election. The band, when playing live, had a reputation for a focused and thrilling show that minimized audience interaction and rarely included more than one encore.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Electrelane went on indefinite hiatus in 2007.

Members

* Mia Clarke: guitar, backing vocals
* Emma Gaze: drums, (also does most of the artwork for the albums)
* Ros Murray: bass guitar, backing vocals
* Verity Susman: keyboards, guitar, saxophone, clarinet, lead vocals

Past members

* Tracey Houdek (1998–1999): bass guitar
* Debbie Ball (1998–2000): guitar, vocals
* Rupert Noble (1999): bass guitar
* Rachel Dalley (1999–2004): bass guitar

MORE

Electrelane - Saturday

Actually they HATE being compared to Stereolab, because their music is different:

.
PM: Are the comparisons to Stereolab and Le Tigre getting old yet? I feel that Americans need a frame of reference to understand what they are expected to like.
VS: We are really, really, really tired of being compared to Stereolab. It's boring. We sound nothing like them. I think that comes down to lazy journalism. Any journalist who has to compare this to that is not really a writer. You need to think about your own way of writing about it. It befuddles me that after three albums Stereolab is a name that is still batted around. Well, they have the monopoly on keyboard. "Oh wait they got keyboard? They must sound like Stereolab!" And it's like, no. On Axes we use a piano -- it's not a synthesizer so I guess I really don't get it. MORE

Electrelane - 'To The East'

Members

Mia Clarke: guitar, backing vocals
Emma Gaze: drums, (also does most of the artwork for the albums)
Ros Murray: bass guitar, backing vocals
Verity Susman: keyboards, guitar, saxophone, clarinet, lead vocals

Past members

Tracey Houdek (1998–1999): bass guitar
Debbie Ball (1998–2000): guitar, vocals
Rupert Noble (1999): bass guitar
Rachel Dalley (1999–2004): bass guitar

Tom Tom Magazine's Interview with drummer Emma Gaze

Full name: Emma Zuleika Gaze
Nick name: Kid/ Embers
Age: 32
Hometown: Brighton, England
Occupation: Drummer/ apprentice set painter
Current residence: Los Angeles
Current bands: Electrelane

How old were you when you started playing drums? Who or what influenced you to take them up? Did you play any other instruments prior to becoming a drummer?
I was 14. My dad was from the kind of family where it was proper for a child to take up an instrument- I think he was quite outraged that it was left so late (my parents split up before I was born)- he asked me to think about what instrument I would like to learn. He was shocked that I asked for drum lessons, but secretly I think he loved it, because it went against the grain. He paid for my first drum kit, much to my mum’s chagrin. I think I just always thought drummers were the coolest people in bands – my mum was a big music fan and there was always music playing in our house, as kids we would mime along, some sisters would fight over who was the singer, the brothers would want to be the guitarist, and I would always want to be the drummer….I didn’t have any competition…I don’t play any other instruments, I know a few chords here and there, but I most wish I could play piano and I would quite like to know how to play guitar – not to play them in a band, but I always think it must be nice to just sit and play the piano on your own.

What drummers do you most admire?
Klaus Dinger (coincidentally, died the same day as my dad), Charlie Watts, Stephen Morris, Mo Tucker, Robert Grey.

Did you play in any other outfits prior to Electrelane?
Only in Electrelane’s prior incarnations…so, no…

What kind of kit do you use and has your set-up evolved?
I just have a very basic Pearl, but I have a really beautiful snare and Zildjian cymbals. It has got more and more minimal over time – I just use a bass drum, floor tom, snare, hi-hat and ride. The snare got very thin out of necessity, because I am quite short and couldn’t get enough height over it otherwise…
MORE

Electrelane - I'm On Fire (Springsteen cover)

Interview: Mia Clarke

.

As guitarist with Electrelane, Mia Clarke provided a critical element to the group's sound, holding down rhythmic parts, contributing supportive counter melodies and delicate arpeggios, as well as rocking out with heavy riffs. Her extended solos during live shows were riveting improvisations that included glorious distortion and escalating squeals of feedback. Mia has also published extensive music criticism in a variety of outlets, notably in The Wire, and Pitchfork, among others. After about 10 years together, the band has taken an open-ended break that they are calling an "indefinite hiatus." While in Brighton, awaiting a visa to return to the US, Mia had time to answer a few of my probing inquiries about her early musical influences, the working method with Electrelane, guitar gear, and her newly adopted hometown of Chicago. Off the road for the first time in over a year, she is already very busy with a new band, as well as some exciting new projects and collaborations.

Who or what influenced you to pick up the guitar? What made you keep playing? What were some of the first things you tried to play?

When I was 15 I saw Fugazi in my hometown of Brighton, England. It was the first time I went to a show by myself, and remains one of my strongest memories; it was the beginning of everything in terms of my love of music and desire to play it, and that feeling was so exciting. The day after the show, I went to the pawn shop down the street and bought an electric guitar for about 30 pounds.
I never really took to playing other people's songs, although I did give a few Bob Dylan covers a shot. I became bored practicing alone in my bedroom and wanted to be in a band, playing with other people. Then, a little while later, I joined Electrelane. I consider that as the time I really began playing guitar, and I still think that writing music with other people, and getting comfortable improvising, is one of the best introductions to learning an instrument.
MORE

Electrelane - In Berlin

Verity Susman talks to Nerve Magazine: Catch 'em you can

Until I saw you live, I wasn't even sure if you all female. I didn't know some of you were gay, until I saw all the couples. The crowd blushes and screams when you sing "Girl, you'll be a dandy and a deserter . . . I bet I'd like your underwear."
It's upsetting sometimes when our music is seen in a gendered way. I don't think all-male bands get that, because they're seen as the norm. It's talked about a lot with us. In an logical way, I can see it's an issue because there's not as many all female bands as there are all male bands. But that's something distinct from the actual music that we're making.

But if you're into queer politics and in an all-girl band, isn't that part of the music?
I know what you mean. Over the band's lifetime, I've written lyrics thinking about women and other times about men. A lot of the times it's kind of open, so people can read something into it and relate to it. What's important to me is the emotion, more than whether it's for a man or a woman. I totally see what you're saying, but so many people talk about us being women, more than they talk about the music. That's kind of where this comes from. It's like, "Jesus we're not here to talk about being women. We're in a band — let's talk about music."
MORE

Electrelane - Between The Wolf And The Dog - Live @ Paredes de Coura 2007.08.15 (08/10) [4:3 HQ]

Is Electrelane coming back?! An interview with the girls

ZME: Your use of instruments is quite impressive, especially the insertion of the farfisa and the ukulele, combined with keyboards, drums and the guitar. Does each member of the band have a clear „job” where instruments are concerned, as stated on your MySpace (Verity – keyb. & vocals, Emma – drums, Mia – guitar and Ros the bass) ? Or do you each mix your talents and see what comes out?

Emma: we are quite specific. i dont play anything other than the drums (i wish i did)…verity & ros play lots of different instruments between them, so they can mix it up.

Mia: I just play guitar, but Ros and Verity are skilled at a range of instruments.

Verity: We used to improvise a lot to write the songs, and then we would pretty much stick to those instruments or „jobs” because it’s where we feel comfortable and can experiment. But afterwards, when we were recording, then we’d sometimes add other instruments in and mess around a bit.

...

ZME: I fiind one particular song – „The Valleys” – quite special. It’s great how you combined an Acapella Group with your vocals and specific instruments. How did that happen? I mean, so rarely do you see an indie rock band doing that. Actually, I think you’re unique in this endeavour. What/Who convinced you, or influenced you to do it? How did you come up with the idea?

Emma: This was verity’s idea, so i can’t take any credit for it or even try to answer for her…

Verity: I’d always wanted to write something for a choir to sing – I suppose that comes from singing in choirs when I was younger, and being interested in vocal harmonies. It seemed like quite a natural thing to do, not strange or unusual. So much classical music combines a choir with an instrumental group, and I think I’d either seen or heard Spiritualized playing with the London Community Gospel Choir and thinking that was pretty powerful. When we started playing the song I thought the choir would just come in at the end, like an extra part. But once I started writing the score, I got into it and ended up writing for them to sing all the way through, and be a central part. I wrote it in memory of someone I liked and admired very much, who had died suddenly and unexpectedly. Thinking of them definitely inspired me.

ZME: I think, however, that the ones who are going to read this article, are very aware of your previous work – previously released albums, past performances etc. So let’s talk more about the future. Are you planing on returning? Is there a new project in discussion?MORE

Electrelane - Gabriel