Interview: Band Of Skulls


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With a strong response to second album ‘Sweet Sour‘ under their belts, Band Of Skulls flew into North America last month to launch an extensive series of dates Stateside. As their army of US fans continues to grow, the band made a return to the South By Southwest festival before embarking on their own headline shows with New York’s We Are Augustines.

Not long after the lights had died down following their Music Hall of  Williamsburg, NYC  gig on March 27th, Live4ever caught up with the band’s frontman Russell Marsden to discuss the SXSW return and the pride of touring some of the States’ most revered venues.

Don’t miss more photos from NYC in our Band Of Skulls Ablaze feature. Here, we present the interview in full.

L4e: How did you find SXSW 2012 Vs 2010? Did you see any bands you really liked?

Russel: It was strange to come back to a festival where so much happened for us
two years ago. It was a moment to reflect of how far we’ve come I guess.
Saying that sxsw is a great leveller as new bands may play the same stage
as huge artists, it’s about the music in the end.

We started this tour in Austin at Antones with We Are Augustines so it
felt great to get the ball rolling on what has become, continues to be a
great tour. It was good to play cedar street courtyard again. That was a
very sxsw experience the first time and this years gigs was just as hot
and loud!

L4e: When we met you first outside Latitude, we’d just heard about blowing a
couple of amps while on the road or at a Sx performance – anything similar
this time around? Did Emma blow her amp this time, by chance?

Russel: (Laughs) Yeah Emma joined the club this SXSW, it was at the show we did for KCRW.



L4e: REALLY???

Russel: (Smiles) Yeah, It was quite dramatic and ended in a cloud of expensive smoke.
That’s what happens sometimes when you throw yourself in to the chaos of
SXSW.

L4e: How have you been received in the southern States on the leg of the tour
since Austin? Russell, You must have felt something different playing in
front of your guitar great peers/ legends in a place like Nashville?

Russel: It’s been great, and you’re right some towns demand a certain respect.
We’ve been really fortunate to play Nashville a few times now with some
great bands. this time around was great as we got a chance to talk music
with our friend Vance Powell who we met back london a while back And our
friends from Mona after the show. It was a great welcome to a great city.

L4e: Over to the album for a minute;
That’s not you in the opening couple verses of ‘You’re Not Pretty But
You Got It Going On
‘, is it?
What’s going on with the completely different voice?!!

Russel: Yeah that’s me believe it Or not. This record really did let Emma and i
explore what’s possible with our voices. This song was one of the last
ones we did and the low register just seemed to work. It’s not that much
lower than something like Hollywood bowl.

L4e: How or why did you guys pick a 22-20’s song to cover for limited ‘Sweet
Sour’ release?

Russel: That came about very naturally at a session with Ian Davenport after the
main album was done. The 22’s are a great band and the song is one of our
favourites. Its a tip of the hat to them, we’ve toured together in the
past and they are joining the bill for our show in Minneapolis later on
this tour ,so I guess they didn’t hate the cover.

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L4e: Are there further plans to tour the US later in the year? Can you tell us
something exciting?

Russel: We are doing everything possible to make it back here later in 2012. We
are excited but I can’t tell you what about just yet.

L4e: Have you worked on or written any material for a 3rd album?

Russel: We are always writing, and it’s great having three songwriters in the band
to help ideas along when you get stuck. Just like the first record there
were songs that weren’t quite ready in time for the album. That’s where
we’ll start for the 3rd album. Saying that new idea come all the time so
it might end up completely new.
It’s that exciting time because even we don’t know what direction the new
stuff will go in.

L4e: Do you write while on the road?

Russel: It’s tough sometimes to fine the right place to think and write, the
upside is we are playing together every single day. So there is always an
idea flying around at soundcheck. That’s what we did with songs like Sweet
Sour
. It’s good to hear them on a big stage before you go into the studio
sometimes.

L4e: Has the band or your labels any plans to release more LIVE material as was
the case with the ‘Fingerprints‘ release, the KCRW stuff or even the Xfm
tracks that were placed on the ‘Import’ 1st album?

Russel: Yeah, it’s important to have these little documents of a time and place
for the band. I think the next thing would be us trying to capture the
perfect show .. Try and capture the atmosphere of it all.

Check out more photos of our night with  Band of Skulls at Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC. Local Brooklyn indie rockers We Are Augustines supported the Southhampton trio:


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