[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3CFTLUvOS4]
Tumbling and tidy riffs, ambitious vocals and pulsating synths, Call Me An Animal is the latest single from I Am In Love, a band so called because the singer, is. January 21st sees them play a free show at 93 Feet East – something to look forward to in the grim days of a new year. It’s All Happening have a quick chat with drummer Edmund, who tells us about himself and his bandmates Seb (vocals), Martin (guitar) and Nicci (keyboards).
It’s hard work, no one’s making any money, lots of the romance has gone from the industry – why are you in a band?
We love music. It is a bit of an obsession for all four of us, we love going to see bands, buying records, writing music and most of all performing live. Travelling to new places to play music and make friends is the best way we can think to spend our time!
How did you start?
We started in December 2010 when an old band sort of fell apart. Martin and Seb had some songs that they wanted to record with me and Nicci and the rest just kind of snowballed from there. That tends to be how it works – Seb and Martin will normally have an almost fully formed song before Nicci and I even hear it. We will then play it in rehearsal a few times to see what works and what doesn’t.
You met at Leicester university and have just moved to London? What is everyone up to now?
Nicci is still at uni although she is a researcher rather than a student. Me and Seb both work at schools which is ideal because we get lots of holidays for touring. Martin has just got a job actually. I’m not too sure what he is going to be doing. I would imagine something technical as he loves that sort of thing.
The name of the band is clearly reminiscent of every pop song ever written – are your songs about love?
Most of them are yes, it is one of the easiest subjects for people to identify with. We don’t always show love to be a positive and lots of our songs are darker and about longing and lust.
Call Me An Animal was the debut EP, followed up by Of Regard And Affection – do the titles and subjects reflect a state of mind at the time?
I think all of our songs are about the moment they are written in. If they arent true to the singer they can’t have the same meaning for an audience. The best songs have some truth in them!
The NME says you sound like Joy Division and The Cure – who else influences you?
We love newer bands too like Bloc Party, Empire of the sun and Foals and the excitement in their music. Kate Bush has been pretty influential recently and also twinges of the classics like New Order and Prince can be heard in parts of our music.
What have been your highlights of 2011 and what are you looking forward to in 2012?
Playing our first live show at the Camden Enterprise in February was pretty amazing, but I think we were all too nervous to really enjoy night though! I think everyone in the band would probably have different live shows that they have enjoyed the most, but for me Y Not Festival in the summer was pretty special as was our first shows in Berlin and Munich which were both fantastic. Away from the stage, our mini-album was released in Europe in May and I remember the first time we saw it in a shop was great.
You’re still a young band, but some pretty good marketing tactics (as well as good songs!) have managed to get your name out there, and to the US…do you think more needs to be done to help new bands, or does it depend on your own get up and go?
Im sure every band in our position would love some extra help, but we do try and do as much for ourselves as we can, but we have had some great help from our labels, promoters, DJs and lots of other people who we are hugely grateful towards. It was fantastic to get the support of Radio 1 for I Want You early on, and I think because of that we were able to have such a great first summer of festivals. I Am In Love could not have had a better start!
