Interview 'Metronomy'

First, congratulations on the hype inflation you received this year with the singles and album, NME gave it 9/10!

Thank you very much. I’m happy that the ‘hype’ came after people had heard the album though. I think for a while people weren’t that sure about us, maybe thought we were a bit of a joke or something. So, it’s incredibly rewarding that the album is going down so well.

Nights Out is a half-arsed concept album about going out and having a crap time! Is that by any chance a result of personal experiences or was it just an awesome sort-of-a-movie idea that you opted?

It’s more about expectations of going out really. Planning to have the best night of your life and then being very disappointed. It’s half arsed in the sense that it was originally going to be far more movie like with a narrative etc. I guess it’s ended up being more like the story of a strange weekend...more atmospheric than literal.

I know you've taken a slightly different direction with Nights Out – what was it like making this album?

Making the album was quite straight forward really. I’m still working in the same way i always have, on my own with my computer and bits and bobs around me.

After the mishaps with label's post ‘Pip Paine (Pay the £5000 You Owe)’ i just wanted to get on with it.

The original plan was to just make something that was cohesive and album like in the way that old albums used to be. I wanted every song to be as important as the next.

Towards the end of recording the new label wanted another single (as they so often do), so that put a bit of pressure on me. But, the last two songs i wrote (as singles) Holiday and A thing For me, turned out to be two of my favourites.

It seems, the masses are more accepting of the tad more mainstream Metronomy than the complete quirky weirdo laptop music fabricator you used to be! Actually, this time Metronomy stands as a band more than an electronic outfit, is this new direction permanent?

I’m not sure what’ll happen really. I think Metronomy could stay as a band or perhaps just be a studio thing or a while, there are plenty of options. I suppose the ‘tad more mainstream’ Metronomy has a greater chance of slipping the ‘quirky weirdo’ into the mainstream. That is an opportunity that should surely be capitalized upon.

What made you decide to go all vocal?

It wasn’t really a big decision, it was far more an issue of confidence. I’ve always flirted with the idea and recorded bits of vocal stuff since the beginning. It was only really playing live that helped me gain confidence with singing. I was also warey of making a sub-standard version of 'Pip Paine (Pay the £5000 You Owe)', i think it’s important to keep pushing yourself a bit.

From what I've heard 'Nights Out' is worth purchasing for the artwork itself! Who's responsible for the visual goodies… and is that by any chance an old EV1 car (one of the first effectice electric vehicle sold in the state, and stopped because of the oil lobby, according to the movie "Who killed the Electric Car") on the front cover?

The car is a Honda Insight (the first commercially available hybrid car i believe). As for the artwork, it is done by the airbrush artist Philip Castle. He is responsible for some of my favourite posters/albums ever. He did the original Clockwork Orange film posters. He also did His ‘n’ Hers by Pulp and many more besides. He’s well worth researching.

What about the videos, who came up with those bizarrely cute concepts? they deliver the songs so well!

It’s a young man named Daniel Brereton (YouTube). He’s an illustrator originally. The concepts are normally mine initially, but then Daniel comes along and makes them his own. E.g, it was not my idea for the face paint in Radio Ladio.

In February in an interview I did with Little Boots, she said she was hoping to have some Metronomy produced tracks done for her album & I quote "Hopefully some stuff with Metronomy... apparently he has made a track for me... I'm just trying to prise it out of him!" - So what's deal?

I have sent her the track and we’ll hopefully be recording it proper soon. Trouble is I’m so busy of late. I’ve known her for a very long time and would love to get it all together, so fingers crossed.

Relating to the wave of popstars Metronomian production love, I read that Sophie Ellis Bextor has a new album on the way with production slots filled by Freemasons, Calvin Harris (among others) & you? Tell us all there is to tell about this!

Well, one day i got an email from my manager saying that Sophie Ellis Bextor was interested in some Co-writing/production from me. I was rather surprised. I found out that it was actually Sophie herself that had wanted to get in touch. Quite often with these things it’s the managements idea and the artist just goes along with it.

Anyway, i thought that anyone in that arena who liked Metronomy was worth giving it a go with. As it happens, she was a pleasure to work with. She’s very intuitive, which for some reason I didn’t expect. So there you go, the whole thing was a very nice experience. The track we did is pretty good i think and a slight departure from what you might expect of her. As for whether it makes her album, I’m not sure. But, I’d be more than happy if it did.

Any other new productions & remixes done/in the process?

I’m always doing things with cocknbullkid, but holding off remixing for a while. I’m actually trying to get going with the next record.

I heard you take remixing duties as serious as coming up with amazing stuff of your own, and word on the street that Metronomy is not an easy to opt remixer – do you have terms & conditions regarding who to remix and a list of reasons to why do it? Or you would remix something like Lil' Wayne's 'Lollipop' if cash and time were present?

I’d love to remix Lil’ Wayne. As for the others, i don’t really have much of a screening process. Basically, it’s easy to tell when an A&R person has just suggested Metronomy because they think it’ll make an Un-cool band cool. That puts me off, mainly because i think I don't make anyone cool. I turned down the Sugababes recently because the song was a bad cover version that i wouldn’t have been able to do anything with. Having said all of that, there was a time when i needed to take anything i could get because the band needed the money to survive. Now it’s a luxury to pick and choose.

According to Wikipedia you played live with Justice, did you get to hang out with the mustachioed & the AZN backstage? What do you think of them & in your head do you see collaboration between you 2 succeeding? If you remixed one of their songs (hypothetically) or co-wrote one (hypothetically)... what would it sound like?

We had a lovely time with Justice. It was actually a CSS tour that we were both a part of, we are also label mates with them so see them quite often. They are very nice chaps. I’m not sure about a collaboration, but a remix swap would be a welcome idea. A collaboration would probably end up sounding a bit like a confused mess. Big kick drums, plinky-plonky guitars and a childrens choir singing about not dancing.

Out of all the people you played live with - Who was the most fun to tour with?

I think we had most fun with Foals. We’re very good friends with them all and share common past-times...partying.

I heard you have dancing girls in your show! What else do you bring to boost the entertainment level? Capes & latex overalls?

We get the girls when we can, but quite often it’s just us three holding the fort. We try and put on a show for the people, we have our little lights and man-dances. Latex is too expensive, give it a year or two.

What's next?

It’s my birthday today so I’m going to play some cricket with friends. I’m going to start on the new record, hopefully do some more production and fingers crossed, have a career in the music industry.

♫ Infadels - Love Like Semtex (Metronomy Remix)
♫ Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 (Metronomy Remix)
♫ Dntel - The Distance (Metronomy Remix)
♫ Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want to (Metronomy Remix)

Previous Metronomy posts on Ohh!Crapp... here, here, here, here, here, here & here!