NU NEWS FEATURE - THE MOONS LAND HOME TO ROCK THE ROADMENDER
THE
MOONS LAND HOME TO ROCK THE ROADMENDER
ASIDE from its Market Square and shoe museum Northampton has
never quite managed to produce the next big thing. Andy Crofts however seems
set on changing this as The Moons release their second album Fables Of History.
Deep in the heart of Northampton at Moon HQ, their very own
singer/ songwriter Andy Crofts seems pretty chuffed with the new Moons sticker
his Rickenbacker had accumulated. Amongst the many guitars I sat down with Andy
and keyboardist Tom Van Heel as we took one giant leap for mankind into all
things Moons.
How’s it going?
Andy: Alright! (laughs) Nah everything’s good in Moon land.
It’s been a busy year
for you Andy. Do you find your commitments with Paul Weller takes its toll on
The Moons work?
Andy: Weller is the only other commitment I’ve got. I guess
it can do but in all other ways it benefits The Moons. Obviously I’m a massive
fan of Weller, managed to be part of his band and now loads of people check out
The Moons because of that. It’s more beneficial really. It doesn’t really get
in the way I don’t think.
So it gives you guys
more exposure?
Andy: Yeah. Paul doesn’t really ever champion The Moons in
interviews or anything but he digs us. He’s singing on the new album. It definitely
works in our favour, doesn’t it?
Tom: Yeah I think so.
Andy: We don’t use him just for that reason!
Your first single
from the forthcoming album was Double Vision Love?
Andy: Yeah that’s the first one. Double Vision Love and
English Summer which we had two videos made for. That was the first single off
of the new album Fables Of History. It went down alright. It was a bit of a
slow burner, it wasn’t really meant to be a single that went everyone look! It
was more here’s another song off of the album to start the ball rolling. It got
good praise, both songs.
I was going to ask
how well did you feel it got received?
Andy: I thought it was received well. You’ve got to remember
we’re signed to a small indie label in London. The industry’s changed. It’s not
like we’re signed to EMI and they put us on TV adverts and stuff. It’s all Internet
advertising now really but a lot of people heard it and it sold a good few. I
think it went down really well.
Did it get much radio
play?
Andy: Here and there. It’s still early days with radio
because they’d rather play rubbish like Tinie Tempah and Rhianna and all that.
That’s alright if you’re into that music but there is other music obviously,
but radio doesn’t seem to want to play that.
You mentioned the B
side on Double Vision Love called English Summer. I thought it was a phenomenal
track, it had a very Beatles/ Small Faces sound to it.
Tom: Nice.
Andy: Whilst having dinner with The Kinks. (laughs)
Who was the mastermind
behind that?
Andy: Me. I wrote that track a few years ago. I was walking
down the street one day and it was typical English weather. We all know it; we
don’t even need to talk about it! I remember walking past factories and seeing
all the workers standing in the doorway looking up at the sky going is it going
to stop? I carried on walking and there was some artist drawing with chalk. You
know the pavement art? I was like oh that’s cool and then it started raining
and I thought that’s going to be gone in ten seconds!
Tom: It’s Moons unlucky weather. That’s the only way I can
put it. Like the other day I stood under a tree and it stopped raining, as soon
as we moved it poured down. I’m talking seconds.
Andy: Yeah we’ve got this sort of cloud hanging over The Moons.
I get inspired by the weather, so that song in particular sums up everything I
think.
It sounds like it was
written a while ago?
Andy: It was written a few years ago. I wrote it I think
when I was in The On Offs. I had a rough demo of it which I did have on Youtube
but I took it off. We re-recorded it in Edwyn
Collins’ studio in London and it just sounded great so we thought we’d bring it
back to life.
Is that who you
recorded the new album with?
Andy: We did most of it at Edwyn Collins’ studio. Westheath
Yard is his studio. We did the other half in Weller’s studio, Black Barn in Woking.
Andy: It certainly did. It’s basically a little different. Obviously
some of our songs are sort of fuzzy guitars, a little more upbeat. Not all of
them but this one is a slower track, more grand. It’s a lot more musical. It
was recorded live as well so it means a lot to me. We recorded it in a take. Literally sung it
and played it live and added the strings after. The B side is an unheard song
from the same session called It’s Too Late and it fits perfectly together with
Jennifer. Real musical songs, quite Beach Boys sounding.
Fables Of History is
the follow on from your 2010 debut record Life On Earth and comes out on the 24th
September.
Andy: Yeah! It comes out on Schnitzel Records. They’re a good
little indie label. I signed a new record deal with them on the 21st
of February which was actually a new moon or a full moon whatever you want to
call it. New moon is better. I made sure we signed on the proper moon! It
sounds really pretentious but I like things like that, it has to be done at the
right time.
Tom: It has to be true! (laughs)
What can we expect
from the new album?
Andy: Well… without sounding big headed, great song writing.
I think song writing is lost these days personally. Obviously there’s a load of
bands doing it still but everything today is centred around guitar riffs and no
song. One single off of an album and the rest is crap. On this record there are
twelve songs and they’re all just brilliant songs. Great song writing and the
music is great. It’s interesting and quirky. I can’t really say too much else
really, it’s melodic with big choruses and harmonies. It’s a more traditional sort of English song
writing that has been forgotten about.
Tom: It’s fresh as well. It’s done in a new way but the same
thing if you know what I mean?
Andy: Yeah. The first album had great song writing on it as
well but I felt like I wanted an album out so I rushed it really quick and got
it recorded and released. This one’s had a lot more time to work on it.
How long did it take
then? I know you’ve previously said that you appreciated the patience of the Moonies
and Moonettes.
Andy: I like the Moonettes! (laughs)
So what was the reason
behind it taking so long?
Andy: We recorded all of it pretty much in Weller’s studio
about a year ago. I had already started work on bits before that as well. We
were on Acid Jazz Records and I made the decision to break away from them. It
was nothing personal I just didn’t want this mod thing hanging over me. If
that’s what I am then that’s fine but I don’t think my music is what you call
mod. That’s up to fans to decide that. So I moved on but that prolonged
everything we were doing. We got delayed with releases and stuff and it took
longer because of that. We went into Edwyn’s and recorded it again. We
basically started again. It took forever, I do feel like I’ve been sitting on
these songs for bloody donkeys years. It’ll be worth it. It’s kind of worth the
wait now we’re nearly there.
You mentioned Weller
himself featured on this record. Does anyone else feature?
Andy: No there isn’t. Just us The Moons and Weller on the
track Something Soon. Basically it’s his studio and when we’re recording he comes
down and goes what do you want me to do then? And I’m like oh right okay well
you played guitar and piano on the last one so why don’t you sing on this one?
So it’s like a duel harmony. It’s just a melodic song. It’s got quite a bit of
balls to it.
Tom: It’s punchy with a great solo as well.
The Fables Of History
album tour kicked off on the 8th September in Brighton and runs for
17 dates finishing up in Bristol. Did you have a chance to play any of your new
material live prior to the tour?
Andy: Yeah we did. Previous gigs we’ve been playing them. We
sort of played them because they’d been sitting around for a while. Then we
realised certain ones were better live so when we did record them we already
had a little bit of a spin on them. We’ve been putting them in our sets for a
while but luckily enough no one knows what they are so now the album will come
out and they will all hopefully be able to sing the words with us.
And did they go down
well with audiences?
Andy: Yeah I think so. Considering people didn’t know them,
they just seem to blend in with the older ones live. They’ve got a lot of
attitude and melody.
You play your hometown
here at the Roadmender on the 5th October. You must be looking
forward to playing a home crowd?
Andy: Yeah, this will be our third time playing the Roadmender
in the big room as well. I thought we’ll play the little room but somehow we
got in the big room and it looked really healthy!
Tom: Last time was great. We had a good few hundred in
there. It was brilliant.
Andy: Yeah I can’t wait to play Northampton but I have to
say now that we’re not going to play Northampton probably for a long time after
this. This is going to be our last gig here for maybe over a year.
So make sure you’re
at this one!
Andy: Yeah make sure you get to this one! I don’t like to go
stale. It’s a local gig so it’s the same friends etc and they don’t want to see
you every bloody day! So this is a special gig because it’s going to be our
final one here for a while.
How long since you
last played Northampton?
Andy: We played recently upstairs at the Charles Bradlaugh
for the Buzz club night, which was cool. Around Christmas time was the last
time we played Roadmender, a while ago now. I might do a few acoustic things
this year to make it the final thing but that’s it. Roadmender is our final gig
for a while here.
Although it’s a new
album tour can we expect any of the old favourites?
Andy: Yes. I reckon we’ll play at least five off of the old
album. I don’t think we should neglect them, they’re good songs and the fans
loved them the first time around. We might even throw in a couple of extras
that we don’t normally do this time.
You guys supported
Beady Eye this year. How was that?
Tom: Amazing.
Andy: Yes it was brilliant. It was at Warrington Parr Hall.
It was their warm up for the Stone Roses. Yeah it was great. We supported them
last year in October in Europe as well. We get on really well. I already knew
Liam through the Weller thing so that was cool. We already had a little bit of a
leg up there. It’s hard to get the support though. But yeah went down really
well. We musically compliment each other and we’ve all got the same taste, it
was just the perfect mix. I hope we get more with them.
As mentioned you play
in Paul Weller’s band. Playing with Paul Weller couldn’t get any better could
it?
Tom: Stevie Wonder? (laughs)
Andy: It couldn’t really. What with mine and Tom’s tastes it
couldn’t anyway. The only way it could get better possibly, is if I got to play
a few songs with Paul McCartney or David Bowie one day. That’s probably the best
it could get. But you know Paul Weller is a modern artist. People always refer
to The Jam and that’s because they were brilliant and the Style Council but you
mustn’t forget he’s still a working artist today. It’s an honour because I
record on all his albums now and he lets me do my own thing on them pretty much.
It’s cool.
How long have you
played with Weller and how did it come about?
Andy: May 2008 I joined. I was in The On Offs and we
supported him on a couple of gigs and he really dug The Moons. Afterwards we
swapped numbers and that was it really. I bugged him a few times with text
messages and then he just rang me one day and said I need a keyboard player
what do you think? I was like yep! I think I can do that for you Paul (laughs)
done! And now we’re pretty good mates now I’d say.
So what Weller albums
have you played on?
Andy: Only the two really in the timescale I joined. I
joined after 22 Dreams had finished so I missed that. Wake Up The Nation I played
on a good few tracks and Sonik Kicks I played on loads. Sung on loads as well,
backing vocals and stuff.
I take it Weller is a
Moonie then?
Andy: I would say he’s a Moonie but he would probably say no!
(laughs) But I’d say he’s a Moonie. You’ve only got to like The Moons and
you’re a Moonie or a Moonette. Like I said I like the Moonettes I want more of
them! No offence to the Moonies. (laughs) No if you like The Moons and you’re a
fan then yeah.
Tom: Yeah I’d agree with that. I think we decide anyway,
it’s not really up to them so yeah he is! (laughs)
Andy: We’ve got a few official hard-core Moonies and Moonettes
that are at every gig so they get top prize.
But you want more Moonettes?
Both: Yeah! (laughs)
Andy: A few more please… backstage (laughs).
Where have you played
with Weller in 2012?
Andy: We did loads of TV. Jools Holland, Jonathon Ross and Alan
Carr as well as radio sessions in the UK.
We did Italy, a few shows in Germany, Amsterdam, Brussels and five
nights at the Roundhouse in Camden. That was cool. We did Latitude recently. It
was good, we were alright I just thought the vibe there was pretty crap. The
weather was rubbish and the only day that was good weather for the crowd was
when we played. I felt like they were just all worn out.
Although you don’t
class your music as mod you have a big mod following. How important is the mod
scene to the band?
Andy: To the band I wouldn’t say it’s that important at all
but it’s very important to youth and youth culture. It separates the idiots
from the rest. You’ve got the cool kids basically with a bit of brains about
them and they dig the clothes they’re wearing and the music they listen to and
take a bit of pride, which separates them from the average kid on the block. I
think it’s really important. If The Moons music appeals to the mod kids then
I’d love that but The Moons music isn’t mod.
Tom: It’s great if it appeals to them. It’s two different
things. It’s what you’re playing and what you wear. In our case it’s different although
it intertwines with each other it’s not mod music although we may look a bit
mod.
Andy: That’s just the way we dress. I don’t want to exclude
anyone! If mods love The Moons then I’m over the moon! Literally. I want them
to but we’re not a mod band. That’s my biggest fear, being labelled as a mod
band. Some reviews the people haven’t even heard us and they’ve written mod
band The Moons and I’m like what do you mean mod band? I’ve got nothing against
it, if I felt like we were a mod band I’d be like yes we are but I think our
music isn’t any label it’s just good quality music. It’s all about the music,
it doesn’t matter what you are.
As a band though
you’re very accepted within the mod world?
Andy: Yeah.
Was it a hard
acceptance to achieve?
Andy: No it never seemed hard. Don’t get me wrong every band
I’ve ever done has been mod based I guess, I can’t deny it. When I was younger
I was full on mod to be fair. I had the Lambretta, the right haircut etc but
they’ve just naturally taken us in.
Which is cool because it’s extra people in The Moons army. The first gig
we ever did actually before we released a single at all was the 100 club and it
was pretty much sold out. That was complete word of mouth from the mods so yeah
I’m happy with that, it’s all good.
So as a band was London
the place you broke first?
Andy: Yeah I’d say London was our home really. London was
the first place, before Northampton. It hasn’t really taken off here to be
honest. We’ve got people that come to our shows but it’s a weird town like that.
It’s not really a dedicated music town. They’re nosey, they like to know what’s
going on but they’re not really behind you like you’re our local band and we’re
going to support you whatever. They’re just like yeah we’ll watch The Moons after
Eastenders.
Tom: I don’t know if anywhere is like that now anymore
though.
Andy: Maybe not no. But that’s what it feels like. In London
obviously there’s a lot more of a mix in terms of people. Our first gig was
there and immediately got people interested. Yeah I still think of that as the
home.
Anywhere else your
music took off majorly after breaking London?
Tom: The Philippines according to Facebook! (laughs)
Andy: Manchester was quite good actually. You get a good
crowd in Manchester. Bristol, Birmingham is not bad. It’s hit and miss because
we’re still in that early stage of trying to get out there, so some gigs are
thinner than others. I’m hoping the new album will change with that.
Do you find the
original mods less accepting of your music? Bands with mod attached to them
normally get scrutinised.
Tom: I think they like us.
Andy: I’ve only met a few original mods. I mean I’m talking
back in the 1960s original mods. They’ve always been supportive. They’re cool
but you don’t meet many really, most of them don’t really go out. They’ve all
got families and they’re all grown up. I prefer the revival period. I mean I
love the original thing but I love the excitement of the mod revival crossing
over with the punk a bit and the new wave. That to me was a bit more exciting.
The revival was bigger than the original mod scene anyway.
Is style important to
The Moons? Do you try to shy away from the complete mod look?
Tom: Just wear what you want really. Whatever looks good.
Andy: The good thing about today is you can just take
pinches of every decade and take the best bits. So you can take a bit of the 1980s
new wave like a suit jacket that is a bit knackered and wear it with a skinny
tie, jeans and Converse if you want and it’s not a million miles away. You can
do what you want. Like The Strokes sort of thing. You can take what you want
now.
Tom: That’s quite a hard question!
Andy: There’s a certain margin we wear clothes in definitely.
Labels like Pretty Green. I think Liam’s idea was a great idea and a great
example of the sort of clothes we might wear. It’s all in a certain margin and
I think they get it right pretty much.
Yeah because you can
be judged straight away on things such as your hair and the shoes you wear and
then suddenly you’re a mod band.
Andy: Oh yeah. Well once upon a time I was. I’ve been
watching Jimi Hendrix recently and I’m like oh god I want that psychedelic jacket,
that’s not mod. It’s a proper flamboyant psychedelic jacket that’d have your
eye out!
Tom: That’s it. There are two people. There are the people
that know I’m a mod I’ll wear that and it kind of goes against being a mod,
being the original thing.
Andy: I think the Small Faces not at the beginning just a
little later on are the best example because they were mods through and through
as you know, but as they went on a bit they grew their hair and wore slightly
different clothes. They were a bit more flamboyant but they were still mods.
Steve Marriot had long hair, that’s not mod but it was cool. I think of it like
that. There’s musician mods and there’s hard-core, just mods. We’re in the
musician category I guess. It’s a hard one that is!
So what would be The
Moons influences musically and style wise?
Andy: When I was younger it was always The Beatles, The Kinks,
Small Faces, The Stones, Stone Roses, The Jam, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, them
sort of things turned my brain around completely. That’s like the base of it
all. The Stone Roses I was well into.
Tom: There are too many people to say one!
Andy: New bands now that’s hard. Tame Impala I love them and there’s a new
band called Best Coast, which I’m quite into. They’re nothing to do with what
we’re talking about but I just like them. The Bees, The Coral even though they
aren’t going much anymore.
That’s music wise. It’s not just about music though. Films
as well like the old classics. I’m really into Alfred Hitchcock films and I
think all of that vibe, everything we’re into comes together.
Tom: Gene Wilder!
Andy: (laughs) Yeah I love Gene Wilder and Woody Allen.
All of that stuff comes into one and that’s what makes The Moons.
You talked about the
importance of interacting with the youth of today earlier. Do you see many your
at gigs? You must enjoy them coming along?
Tom: Yeah!
Andy: Well I guess with the Weller thing we naturally
attract some of his fans. There are a lot of older ones that we see.
Tom: There are a lot of younger ones in Scotland I think? I
think It’s great when they come out.
Andy: In general I’d say it’s 50/50. We get a lot of older
ones because they probably look at us, mod fans or whatever, they probably see
us as a chance to revive in what they love and the new kids are growing up and
are looking at us as one of the contemporary bands.
Do you agree with the
media in saying that to a degree guitar music is dead but is on a comeback? You
mentioned the likes of Rhianna dominating the charts and radio.
Andy: Yeah don’t get me wrong, Rhianna is beautiful but I
just don’t agree with it all. It’s all down to the industry and the press at
the end of the day. They decide this music is massive and that guitar music is
out of fashion. They decide. Guitar bands are always there.
Tom: It doesn’t matter how good you are anymore. You could
write the best song in the world but it’s all down to someone else to sort it
out for you.
Andy: Exactly. I think guitar bands are just as strong as
they were. They probably are coming back in some ways, they’re slowly coming
through the net again.
Tom: It just takes one band to kick it all over again.
Andy: We need a movement of a few guitar bands to come
through at once and stir it all up.
Do you think programmes
such as the X factor have made the situation worse?
Andy: Let me just get this right. I hate X factor, I hate
Pop Idol. I hate all of that. The only beneficial thing I do see out of it is
that it gives everyday people a chance to perform. Even though they are
ridiculed on television it gives them a chance, whether they’re rubbish or not
it gives them a chance to have a go at their dream. That’s the only good thing
about it. But they’re used and them programmes just manufacture everything so
there’s no soul in it. Even the musicians on the show, they’re session, they’re
just reading off of a sheet of paper.
Tom: I think they should do one for writing. That’ll be the
next one, that’d be great. Song-writer idol. You have your own song and you
release your song for Christmas number one or whatever. Then fair enough,
that’s original.
Andy: It would be better if you were judged on songs but
they’d still manufacture you straight after. I don’t think there should be any
manipulating at all.
Tom: I think you should do your time in a van anyway.
Andy: Yeah do the toilet circuit and gig everywhere!
How far do you think
The Moons have come since forming in 2008?
Andy: I think we’ve come quite far but we’re held back by
the restraints we were just talking about. The press don’t think guitar bands
are as trendy as they were in the 1990s so you get held back. If we were going
in the 1990s for the Britpop thing then we would have gone flying like Supergrass
but them days have gone. We’ve come forward a long way musically and song
writing wise for me but I feel like we’ve got a long way to go yet.
What’s left in store
for The Moons in 2012?
Andy: I’m going away with Weller in October for two weeks to
play LA and Japan. After that The Moons might do a few gigs in Europe, Paris,
Amsterdam and Germany. That’s the plan. I’m thinking about in December doing a
small run of Christmas gigs. Small, mainly acoustic intimate gigs. Dress up the
venue and make it all Christmasy and let everyone get involved. Let them get on
stage if they want and just join in! (laughs) That sort of vibe. Probably about
five or six acoustic Christmas shows and one more single after the album has
come out.
Tom: And we’re doing Rough Trade.
Andy: Oh yeah. With the album release we’re doing the tour and
amongst that we’re doing a Pretty Green in store in Covent Garden acoustically
and signing albums. That’s on September 24th the day of release and
on the 27th in London we play in store at Rough Trade.
What can we expect
from The Moons in 2013? Will it be a quiet year after the album release?
Andy: No such thing as quiet! In November we’re going in the
studio again. I’ve booked the time in to start work on the third album. If I
get my way we’ll record the third album then. 2013 all depends on the label. We’ll
be itching to put another album out!
Tom: We’re going to blow your mind!
Andy: Another bunch of great tunes.
Tom: Different as well.
Andy: They are different but still based on strong song
writing. So yeah we’ll be on the third album by then. I like to be one step
ahead.
Do you try to create
something different on every album? Change your sound almost?
Andy: No I don’t try. I hope it does. Maybe I should try?
Maybe I’m a bit boring like that. I just write, I believe in like a natural
instinct. Whatever comes out is how it should be. Maybe every album should have
a different spin on it. I know the new album will have more Moog synth on it.
You know more spacey Moog which I’m quite chuffed about.
So how do we keep up
to date with The Moons? Twitter, Facebook and website?
Andy: Yeah Twitter and Facebook are the main ones. On The Moons
website it has all the connections to everywhere and our videos etc. Our video
for Jennifer is out now to watch.
Quick-fire questions
Favourite album?
Andy: The Beatles – Revolver.
Stand out tracks on
your new album?
Andy: Jennifer.
Tom: English Summer.
Your biggest
influence?
Tom: Michael Jackson, I’m not joking!
Andy: Oh god I want to say the Beatles. I can’t say them
again… Brian Wilson actually. As a writer.
Your favourite
current band?
Andy: Tame Impala.
Tom: Dum Dum Girls.
Andy: He can’t stop watching the Dum Dum Girls… (laughs)
Favourite place to
play?
Both: London!
Andy: My favourite venue is Bush Hall in Shepherd’s Bush.
Calling all Moonies and Moonettes! The Moons play
Northampton’s Roadmender on the 5th October. Their new album Fables
Of History will be available to buy on cd and vinyl on the night. Stick around
to get your copy signed!
The Moons Fables Of History is OUT NOW.
The Moons Fables Of History is OUT NOW.
For the latest goings on in the Mooniverse check out:
Twitter: @MoonsOfficial
Facebook: facebook.com/themoonsofficial
The Moons latest single Jennifer (Sits Alone) is this months Bowman Recommends and can be heard below.
Comments
Post a Comment