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UD: I want to give people here in the US that don't know much about you some background. How did you get started?
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LS: No one really fuckin' cares anyway.
UD: ...Okay. Why do you think it's hard for modern British
pop bands to break into the U.S.?
LS: I know exactly why that is, 'cause the American music
industry is obsessed with categories and things. And we
aren't that happy with being categorized. In Europe we're
just a pop band. We're #7, and George Michael is #5. You know,
we're just a band. There is a song on the second album
called "The Wild Ones." When we first played it for Sony they
were doing somersaults. We thought it was like #1 and they
took it to radio stations, and they couldn't get it played.
They couldn't figure out if it was a love song or a rock
song by a band with a bunch of guitars. We took it to
alternative and they thought it was too mainstream, and we
took it to mainstream and they thought it was too
alternative. It's never been my desire to be neatly
sectioned into some little box. Then you lose any mystery,
any danger, any X factor that you might have had, and I don't
think that many bands in Europe are happy being categorized
like that.
UD: Your press release touted you as the best lyricist of
your generation--
LS: --I wouldn't believe anything it says there--
UD: --do you have any problem living up to that?
LS: Do I have a problem with that? Yeah, I don't think
it's true. I don't think anyone is the best lyricist of a
generation. I should burn that press release. It's been the
source of so much inflammatory rubbish.
UD: What inspired you to start playing?
LS: We just loved music and wanted to be in a band.
LS: I wanted to be a song writer.
UD: What songwriters do you admire?
LS: Kraftwerk, Lennon and McCartney, Pet Shop Boys.
UD: What do you think of Billy Bragg?
LS: I think he's got a big nose.
UD: (Laughing) I guess that would be 'not too much'.
LS: Naw, I think he's alright. I like some of his love
songs.
UD: Yeah, he does write good love songs.
LS: It's like Bob Dylan; I think all these political
writers aren't as political when they are writing love
songs. I think their political stuff stinks. Bob Dylan's
political songs are so fucking one dimensional, and the same
goes for Billy Bragg.
UD: So you don't believe in the folk, socio-political
commentary song?
LS: Yeah I do. I just don't believe it's effective when
it's put in that crass category. I don't think any of Bob
Dylan's political songs were that moving.
UD: ...What about "Times They Are A Changing"?
LS: Yeah, I guess.
UD: What about Elvis Costello? He's a guy who writes
political songs.
LS: Yeah I like "Shipbuilding." That's probably the best
political song ever written. It goes beyond politics, and
touches on the human consequences of politics, which I think
song writing has got to do. I don't think you can just put
numbers and manifestos within a chord sequence. I don't
think it strikes a chord in the human heart. I think to
actually say something to people you've got to say it with
emotion. That's why I think that "Shipbuilding" is one of
the best political songs. |
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