Interview Soft Boys - Interview
Door
Soft Boys by mail.
Scholieren.com nodigde de Soft Boys uit voor een ontspannen gesprek via e-mail. Matthew Seligman, de bassist, schreef ons een lange mail terug.
Received: from aol.com
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 06:57:15 -0400
To: muziek@scholieren.com
Subject: Interview
Scholieren.com: How did you end up with the Soft Boys?
Matthew Seligman: Robyn thought of the name, I think its from a book. However, it also describes our hearts. I joined because Andy left and there was a vacancy.
S: Your website (http://www.underwatermoonlight.com) mentioned fans bringing a haddock into a show. Could you tell a bit more about that?
M: No unfortunately, although I have enjoyed meeting all Softboys-fans I am not into this kind of thing. I sort of know that the person who brought the haddock probably didn't dance that night. And it is also slightly an insult to the haddock which died for not a very good reason. He probably would rather be eaten than made a joke of.
S: In 2001 Matador Records re-released Underwater Moonlight. Was there any special occasion?
M: The 21st birthday of the record, most importantly. It was never really properly released in the first place, and it provided a chance to do a good fun tour in the US: i.e. no!
S: Are there plans for other Soft Boys re-releases?
M: No, but there a plans for a completely new record which is called NEXTDOORLAND. It has 3 sides, 2 of which Matador will release and one of which we will (SIDE 3).
S: What contemporary band would you preferrably play with, if could pick any band?
M: Me personally, as a bass player? Well, music is not a competition but some of my favourite artists are Bjork, David Bowie, Abba, Captain Beefheart, Free, Syd Barrett, Nirvana, Smokey Robinson, Elastica and the Soft Boys. So its OK, I'm playing with one of them!
S: What's currently in your CD player at home?
M: The Venga Boys: "Boom boom boom boom" is my baby Daisy`s favourite record. Plus "Lions and tigers" which is a Soft Boys track from the new record that she really likes.
S: How do you write material? Is it just Robyn who brings in material, or do you sit together and write?
M: Robyn writes all the songs. When he brings in a song it is already written, or he finishes writing it with us. We dont usually write any of it, only sometimes a bit. Mostly our job is to help make it into a record, usually only on 1 or 2 of the songs on a record do the rest of us write a bit of it.
S: What new musical grounds are there to cover for the Soft Boys?
M: Well there is "outer space" which is unconquered and so is "inner space". Outer space is probably more for when we were younger but inner space is still there and just as large. There are more subtle but just as important things still to be done as a bass player, I always try to find different ways to do things if possible, (but often you have to resist the temptation!) but most of the important things still to be done at the moment have to do with undoing the damage done by the 80`s - i.e. too much reverb on records, too many frequencies in the bass sound... Bad drum sounds which sound like doors slamming, things like that. So this record, we just tried to make it clear but not too deliberate, we thought it was important to make a well-focussed photograph, to use the studio like a photo studio - carefully and colourfully, nothing more. But there again, you have to be careful not to eliminate accidents: LUCK MANAGEMENT I think Eno said, I agree with that as an approach to recording. All of this was nothing like the idea for Moonlight, which was just to make a beefheart/dylan/beatles/byrds/barrett pop record during the height of punk.
S: Robyn does most of the lyrics (at least, on Underwater Moonlight). Are you always immediately happy with his odd lines? Do you need to understand them, or are you as mystified as the listener?
M: Sometimes I like them, very occasionally I dont. Probably what robyn thinks of my bass playing! The lyrics on "Insanely Jealous" are genius, and "I wanna destroy you" was a very good title.Tthere are some genius lyrics on
the new record - I love the atmosphere of "Looking for lecherite", "Sudden town" and "Japanese captain". And when I heard the title for "I love Lucy" I just thought "What a brilliant title!" and I still do. Sometimes a title is
enough, maybe that is why "I love Lucy" is an instrumental. It didn't realy need any more words.
S: Does a real rock and roll-musician has to smoke? How would you describe the typical Soft Boy?
M: Smoke dope? No. But they can if they want. I don't, but I did when I was a real kid in Amsterdam. But playing a gig you have to have a clear head usually, same with making a record. Shouldn't even drink till afterwards!
Typical soft boy? Morris.
PS.
I forgot to mention SNAIL, my band, joint solo project with Jon Klein! We are doing our first gig in Shanghai next week.
- matthew x
Gepubliceerd op 16 juni 2002
Scholieren.com nodigde de Soft Boys uit voor een ontspannen gesprek via e-mail. Matthew Seligman, de bassist, schreef ons een lange mail terug.
Received: from aol.com
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 06:57:15 -0400
To: muziek@scholieren.com
Subject: Interview
Scholieren.com: How did you end up with the Soft Boys?
Matthew Seligman: Robyn thought of the name, I think its from a book. However, it also describes our hearts. I joined because Andy left and there was a vacancy.
S: Your website (http://www.underwatermoonlight.com) mentioned fans bringing a haddock into a show. Could you tell a bit more about that?M: No unfortunately, although I have enjoyed meeting all Softboys-fans I am not into this kind of thing. I sort of know that the person who brought the haddock probably didn't dance that night. And it is also slightly an insult to the haddock which died for not a very good reason. He probably would rather be eaten than made a joke of.
S: In 2001 Matador Records re-released Underwater Moonlight. Was there any special occasion?
M: The 21st birthday of the record, most importantly. It was never really properly released in the first place, and it provided a chance to do a good fun tour in the US: i.e. no!
S: Are there plans for other Soft Boys re-releases?
M: No, but there a plans for a completely new record which is called NEXTDOORLAND. It has 3 sides, 2 of which Matador will release and one of which we will (SIDE 3).
S: What contemporary band would you preferrably play with, if could pick any band?M: Me personally, as a bass player? Well, music is not a competition but some of my favourite artists are Bjork, David Bowie, Abba, Captain Beefheart, Free, Syd Barrett, Nirvana, Smokey Robinson, Elastica and the Soft Boys. So its OK, I'm playing with one of them!
S: What's currently in your CD player at home?
M: The Venga Boys: "Boom boom boom boom" is my baby Daisy`s favourite record. Plus "Lions and tigers" which is a Soft Boys track from the new record that she really likes.
S: How do you write material? Is it just Robyn who brings in material, or do you sit together and write?
M: Robyn writes all the songs. When he brings in a song it is already written, or he finishes writing it with us. We dont usually write any of it, only sometimes a bit. Mostly our job is to help make it into a record, usually only on 1 or 2 of the songs on a record do the rest of us write a bit of it.
S: What new musical grounds are there to cover for the Soft Boys?M: Well there is "outer space" which is unconquered and so is "inner space". Outer space is probably more for when we were younger but inner space is still there and just as large. There are more subtle but just as important things still to be done as a bass player, I always try to find different ways to do things if possible, (but often you have to resist the temptation!) but most of the important things still to be done at the moment have to do with undoing the damage done by the 80`s - i.e. too much reverb on records, too many frequencies in the bass sound... Bad drum sounds which sound like doors slamming, things like that. So this record, we just tried to make it clear but not too deliberate, we thought it was important to make a well-focussed photograph, to use the studio like a photo studio - carefully and colourfully, nothing more. But there again, you have to be careful not to eliminate accidents: LUCK MANAGEMENT I think Eno said, I agree with that as an approach to recording. All of this was nothing like the idea for Moonlight, which was just to make a beefheart/dylan/beatles/byrds/barrett pop record during the height of punk.
S: Robyn does most of the lyrics (at least, on Underwater Moonlight). Are you always immediately happy with his odd lines? Do you need to understand them, or are you as mystified as the listener?
M: Sometimes I like them, very occasionally I dont. Probably what robyn thinks of my bass playing! The lyrics on "Insanely Jealous" are genius, and "I wanna destroy you" was a very good title.Tthere are some genius lyrics on
the new record - I love the atmosphere of "Looking for lecherite", "Sudden town" and "Japanese captain". And when I heard the title for "I love Lucy" I just thought "What a brilliant title!" and I still do. Sometimes a title is
enough, maybe that is why "I love Lucy" is an instrumental. It didn't realy need any more words.
S: Does a real rock and roll-musician has to smoke? How would you describe the typical Soft Boy?
M: Smoke dope? No. But they can if they want. I don't, but I did when I was a real kid in Amsterdam. But playing a gig you have to have a clear head usually, same with making a record. Shouldn't even drink till afterwards!
Typical soft boy? Morris.
PS.
I forgot to mention SNAIL, my band, joint solo project with Jon Klein! We are doing our first gig in Shanghai next week.
- matthew x
Gepubliceerd op 16 juni 2002
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