Morning Parade Interview
Find out more about the hotly tipped new Essex band here...
It’s not often that EMI- the British major behind LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, Coldplay, Sigur Ros and er, The Beatles- signs a new band.
And their latest hot project is Morning Parade, a young group of Essex boys who make rock tracks with a distinct 90s dance anthem influence.
The five piece- Steve Sparrow- vocals, Phil Titus- Bass, Chad Thomas- Guitar, Ben Giddings- Piano/synths, Andrew Hayes- Drums- have beenb holed up in Damon Albarn’s 13 studios with the Blur man’s longtime collaborator Jason Cox working on their debut alum.
So we popped down to meet the band and sus’ out why they’re tipped for big things in 2011.
MTV: How long has the band been together?
Steve: About 2 and a half years now
Were you mates from school?
Phil: Yes and no. A few of us met at school and college, but we all knew each other from bands in the local scene.
Is there a mission statement for the band, did you set out to do specific things?
Steve: We had an idea about the fundamentals, the line up and the overall textures we wanted to make. At first we set out to be a great live band and to write as many big songs as our heads will allow.
How do you write songs? Which instrument do you start with and who writes the lyrics?
Chad: It varies, It can be on the acoustic (guitar), the piano, a drum groove, a sample, and more often than not by singing into dictaphones or our mobiles. Steve writes a lot of the lyrics on his phone.
You incorporate synth sounds, is there a danger you go too far and sound like cheesy dance?
Ben: There is a danger of sounding cheesy so we tread carefully when choosing our sounds, samples and synth parts. We’re more into the rhythms and grooves, the way dance music works and how it affects people.
Steve: Cheesy dance, house and garage are definitely guilty pleasures of ours but we won’t be covering Basshunter anytime soon.
Is there a lot of pressure signing to a major label?
Steve: There is a level of pressure attached to any investment, especially in music, but we’d rather have some sense of pressure than not have the opportunity. We signed to Parlophone because of the passion shown by the people there and we’re really enjoying making the record.
How did you celebrate signing the deal?
Chad: We spent our entire advance on s**t coke and ugly prostitutes haha. Nah, we went for a dinner and a few drinks with the guys from the label and our closest allies.
What’s it like recording at Damon Albarn’s studio? Are you big Blur fans being from Essex?
Steve: It’s amazing, we’re very lucky to be here. There are so many toys, crazy world instruments, vintage amps, guitars and pedals, synths etc we tend not to get very bored, and we’re all pro’s at FIFA 10 these days. We all love a bit of Blur, who doesn’t? We grew up with them and The Prodigy being the leading lights from Essex and we’re influenced by both.
What’s gonna be the first proper single?
Phil: Under the Stars. We are releasing it in November as a limited edition vinyl.
Why’ve you picked that track
Phil: It shows a lot of the aspects of what we’re trying to achieve with Morning Parade, the track kind of picked itself.
When can we expect the album?
By Tom Thorogood
