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This interview was done with Clint a few months ago when they played here in Atlanta. It was my first interview so, deal with any major problems. Just kidding! He was Great!, although the security at the OMNI SUCKED. ASSHOLE motherfuckers!
I do want to thank all of y'all who sent us info. on the band! It would not have been possible without you!
internet__tv interview with Pop Will Eat Itself
internet__tv: I want to start by asking, how long have you been on the tour with Nine Inch Nails? How many dates have you done with them?
PWEI: It's been about a month I think. Three and a half weeks. Something like that.
internet__tv: How did you get with Trent's record label?
PWEI: Well, we knew from various sources that Trent had been inquiring about our band. We'd sort of gotten to know his manager, John Laurel, over the years, and he'd been to see us quite a few times, and John and our manager, Craig, had sort of gotten to be you know friendly, and discussed things and that, and when we got booted out by BMG, Craig phoned John see, he'd seen that they had just signed to Interscope, and he was wondering what they were like, and you know what likelihood they would be interested in us, and if there were any other labels sort of blah, blah, blah, he just sort of phoned him up to see what was going on really you know, and John said that Trent had got like Nothing records set up through Interscope, and that they were ready to sign artists, and they just said you know, that they wanted us to be on it if we were interested, and as far as we were concerned, it was the best thing that could have happened really, I mean we had gotten sort of fucked around by BMG, and we knew Trent had been through that with TVT, and he just sort of set up a label where people could just get on and do the things they want to do rather than be fucked over by the corporate bullshit.
internet__tv: I was going to ask you, are they treating you better than BMG did? How could they treat you any worse?
PWEI: It's just sort of different. You can't really compare it because there are only a number of people that actually are involved with Nothing, and that's Trent, John, and Tony to a certain degree, and a few other people that you speak to about what is going on, and you know, it's great.
internet__tv: Did you know Porter Marshall before he signed you with RCA?
PWEI: No.
internet__tv: Oh really, you just signed. What about after he left? Did he come looking for you, or did you go back to him?
PWEI: The thing was you see that he got kicked out not long before we did, but he just kept on you see, to sort of oversee our last album with RCA/BMG. So we never really lost touch, and we all knew that it was coming, the fact that we were going to get kicked out, everybody knew, and so really, like even before, we were putting the wheels in motion should he happen to try and get some new things sorted out, you know, and one last thing was that Porter like wanted to start his own label in England, and the case was of course where were we going to get the financing to do all of the things we wanted to do, and from that we have tried in Europe, in England, in Australia, and Nothing Records in America, and you know all those things came together, it took quite a long time to sort out, but it enabled us, it sort of gave us complete artistic freedom really, that all of the people we know were involved, were people that had knowledge of us before, and that allowed us to do what we wanted to do, without interference. Because the people that I know that did want to get involved, I wouldn't call that interference, because you respect them, you know what I mean. Somebody interfering is somebody with no knowledge or idea of what you are trying to do you know. I don't feel like we were in that situation, because the people that we worked with, were like the people who want the best for us.
internet__tv: It seems like every one of your albums is completely different. Is that why you do that? To explore new avenues? Is there a particular reason why you want to stretch in different directions each time?
PWEI: Um, A. well we really don't want to repeat ourselves. B. In the time between each album you discover new ways of working. Its just like wanting to be proud of what you have done, and who knows where that's going to take you in the search for that.
internet__tv: That's true. Do you know much about the Internet? shamless plug time!!
PWEI: Christ, I don't really, I wish I did. I haven't really had a chance to be exposed to it that much. You know, I think it would be really interesting.
internet__tv: We put out a feeler the other day, Saturday, on one of the news groups, about your band, and I am going to get you the information, and in one day thirty pages of information came back about your band, you have that many fans on the Internet, you have two whole pages dedicated to you specifically,well, and there was one question that somebody wanted, apparently you had been roomates with Miles Hunt. He wanted to know how you felt about Wonderstuff breaking up? And what's going on with you and Miles? Do you communicate at all?
PWEI: Last time I was in Detroit he came over to the gig, and stayed for a couple of days, he lives in London now, and I still live in Sturbridge. I speak to him pretty regular now. We get along fine. I used to see him quite a bit when we had a flat, we used to room together, or have an apartment as they call it over here. The thing about the breakup of the band, to me, he's gotta do what he wants to do, and where he wants to go, life's eternal search, you know. Its not for me to tell him what he should and shouldn't do, if he's happy with what he's doing.
internet__tv: What's your favorite album to date that you have done?
PWEI: Of ours? The next one.
internet__tv: That's the way you look at it, that's good. Always look to the future. What about some of the meanings behind "Auslander", and "RSVP", are there any particular meanings you have, or do you just do whatever comes out?
PWEI: Yeah, we always tend to work the music first, because that's just the way we are, I mean, just read "Hammer of the Gods", the Led Zeppelin book. In that, Jimmy Page was saying he is an orchestrator, and maybe without being too pompous, that's the way we feel sort of about what we do, because we like to create the sound, compositions almost rather than songs. I mean we keep ideas, lyrics, and themes that we want to work on, you know, like an anti-fascist, anti-racist song, I mean we have done them before, but that was sort of prevalent in our mind about a year ago, as I'm talking about it. But its the building of the sound that's what really makes it exciting for us, you know, I mean, public domain, everybody contributes, we always tend to have lots and lots of instrumentals, and then we sort of add on the themes, anti-fascist anti- racist stuff.
internet__tv: I was wondering about the writing process because you all tend to credit it all to yourselves which on the last one was to Vestan Pance, and to the band members on the label.
PWEI: Yeah, well that was sort of confused because we'd just joined you see, and we didn't know how we'd publish all this out, or how it would all get sorted out in time. So we ended up like crediting the band to Vestan Pance, and the lyrics to me or Brian you know.
internet__tv: How do you go about, since you do all have such input on the songs, how do you go about the writing? You said you start with the music? Do you in particular have like lyrics in mind, or maybe something else that you are working on at the same time, then you call somebody, or is it just like you said, just the music, and all of the sudden comes the lyrics after it? Is it a normal process?
PWEI: Me and Brian generally, well we do always do the lyrics. You know music sort of in the same motion comes from the old grind, everybody sort of writes some stuff, and its just really when we come to get together, get all of the little demos that we've got, and we're going to start working on, we just sort of pick out the ones that obviously seem to be going somewhere you know, and then maybe a bit later on some of the other stuff will be worked into the background by somebody. Things sort of come from almost anywhere really, but by and large, its me and Graham together or separately, and our computers setting up examples and sound modules, just knocking it out really.
internet__tv: Which type of audience do you like playing to better? Do you like the large coliseums like this? or do you like the small little clubs?
PWEI: I suppose you know, variety is the spice of life. These larger clubs are interesting, but I can't remember them, because it is always so dark when we are on, and they all look the same, and all I can see is a mob of people. Small clubs, pretty much every club is different, so you've got something to remember it by, even though I've really enjoyed all of the gigs on this tour. So like separating one from the other is very difficult. I can remember the times that were great, that I really enjoyed. If you've done a club gig, its easier to remember. There is nothing to remember about these places because there so...
internet__tv: Generic.
PWEI: Yeah. Yeah. But the audiences have been great. We have been going on about seven-thirty, and by then the kids are really going mad, so I've really enjoyed them.
internet__tv: We have a lot of smaller clubs here in town that I think would be perfect for you, I hope sometime in the future you can come back and play them. You'll remember them for sure.
PWEI: We have played Masquerade, and we did the Cotton Club years ago, the Masquerade was good.
internet__tv: I like it up in Heaven (refers to a section of the Masquerade). Well, I certainly appreciate you taking some of your time.
PWEI: No problem.
internet__tv: Hopefully I'll be able to talk to you again sometime in the future, and good luck with everything.
PWEI: Well, you know, give everybody a hello on the Internet for us.
internet__tv: We certainly will.
PWEI: Miles is actually on the Internet now, so if I stop around at his place, maybe I'll plug in at some point.