Saturday, March 14, 2009

Chat: Cut Off Your Hands



Last night while at Darkroom, I had a bit to drink and I got the idea that I should do an interview with Cut Off Your Hands. Well, I did. Today. My first. Sauntering sheepishly into the Hideout with notebook in hand I saw their press dude Jay Ché (nice guy with dreads, Chicago local that told me to come during soundcheck at 6). Nick, the lead, was hungover and huddled over on one of the side tables in the stage room, so I was introduced to Phil Hadfield. In the morning the folks were hanging out with these girls and since it is Pi day (3/14), they made pies for them. Phil, though, raves about the savoury rather than sweet pies in Auckland from Big Ben and Mrs. Mac's. (He was part of the Drudgie pie kids club). He hasn't tasted a White Castle yet.

I made the comment that I thought the album was rather varied in terms of style and it sounded a little like they brought together their best stuff to show off. Furthermore, I conjectured that they had a lot more stuff put together in the background. Before the album, they were doing shows and people wanted to buy stuff, so they finally put together the Shaky Hands EP right before a show just so the folks didn't go away empty handed; it was the same for Blue on Blue. Phil says "yeah, everyone writes. The next album should be a much tighter fit," which they have been working on since Dec. "Each one of us probably could create a solo album if we wanted to." Nick for one has a project called Stealin' An' Thievin'.

With all their touring, they are going to a wide variety of clubs but not finding a wide variety of music. I tell people to listen to COYH but they are still hung up on MGMT. Phil says that everyone keeps playing Electric Feel and Vampire Weekend tracks and it is getting bothersome. It seems that the country is getting inundated with the same promotional gig and if you're moving around the country by large distances in short periods of time, you are experiencing the national marketing campaign that is MGMT. Don't get me wrong, I love Oracular Spectacular, but please be a little more creative in your music selection. I then suggest that they go to Neo.

Speaking of them, the tip from Phil is that you should check out Amazing Baby (CMJ) who has been dubbed by someone as the next MGMT. Future post material while eating a Mrs. Mac's?

P.S. Looking on their blog now, they have a picture of the US up of their tour route and I made an extremely similar sketch on my little pad. I don't ever remember seeing it though. Maybe Phil was thinking of it a the time.

P.P.S. Don't use pickup lines in AUS or NZ. The girls will not dig them the same way they do here. "Oh, are you in Camera Obscura? No? Can I buy you a drink anyway?" It probably helps to have an accent too.

P.P.P.S. I've got a difficult decision to make. Black Lips or COYH tonight. Merde. Even my interviewee wanted to go to that show.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention how Ché liked the blouse you were wearing at Darkroom. :-D