April 5th, 2006
Art Brut
Key release: 2005's Bang Bang Rock & Roll, due for American CD release in May, but available through online vendors now
Hometown: London
A serious blast of unselfconscious air in an indie world filled with poses and clothing, Art Brut got together and—according to their own legend—wrote the single "Formed A Band" in five minutes. The brilliantly silly song also serves as Art Brut's cheeky statement of purpose: "Look at us, we formed a band," sing-shouts Eddie Argos, before explaining how Art Brut plans to write a song "as universal as 'Happy Birthday'" and sing it on the British chart show Top Of The Pops "eight weeks in a row!"
The full-length debut Bang Bang Rock & Roll is packed front-to-back with songs like "Emily Kane" (about Argos' long-lost girlfriend) and "Rusted Guns Of Milan" (about his, umm, erectile dysfunction), each more endearing than the last. In a spirit of inclusiveness, Art Brut also encouraged its fans to form franchises, and there are dozens around the world, playing Art Brut songs in various styles. Though Bang Bang isn't out in America yet, the band has already played sold-out coast-to-coast tours, and it'll end up at the Coachella Festival in April, a month before the album officially hits American stores.
On "Emily Kane," now updated with new lyrics:
"The second or third time we played it properly was a session on Radio 1. A friend of a friend that still knows her gave me her phone number, and I sent her a text saying, "Heads up! We've written a song about you." And then—she's so funny—she gave me a text back saying, "Is it a nice song?" I was like, "Quite a nice song." We eventually managed to meet up, but she's got a boyfriend, and I realized then that maybe I was a little bit mad for thinking I was in love with her. I'm in love with being 15. But it was nice; not many people get to meet their first love again. I felt very lucky. We went out drinking and dancing."
On being popular in Germany, not the first place one associates with humor:
"People think songs like 'Emily Kane' are hysterical, but in Germany, they kind of understood them, like 'Oh wow, you still love that girl. You're a bit funny, aren't you?' I'm not joking with 'Emily Kane' and 'Rusted Guns.' I'm singing about things that are true, really, and you have to look at them with humor, or you're gonna go mad. I think German people are a lot like English people. It's all beer and football. I like it."
On being considered a joke band:
"I don't mind. Most of the bands I like get the same criticism. I like Jonathan Richman and Jad Fair and stuff, and I think people think they're joking quite a lot when they're not. It's kind of flattering to have the same misconception about me. That sounds very… like I'm a twat. But I don't mind, really. I'm just trying to have a conversation, because I'm a bit funny anyway. We were trying to work out on 'Emily Kane' what the joke was, then we worked out that the joke probably was me."
On the Art Brut franchises:
"I felt a bit selfish taking this name, so we thought maybe we should have a franchise system. It's gotten really out of control—there's an Israeli Art Brut, and there's an Art Brut in West Virginia that plays our songs in a country-western style. There's like three in Canada. I meet kids that are in Art Brut franchises, and they give me demos of their songs and stuff. It's like having loads of friends! I didn't really think anything was gonna happen with it; I was joking, really. It's completely out of control. There's more than 50. It might be near 100 now. It would be amazing to watch Art Brut 72 play the Wembley Arena. [Laughs.] It'd be flattering."
On who's the New What's Next:
"I like Hot Pockets. I think they're the new Croissan'wich. [Laughs.] I [just] discovered Croissan'wiches; they don't have them in England. Burger King makes these croissants with beef burgers in them and calls them 'continental breakfast.' [Laughs.] I'd say Hot Pockets are the new Croissan'wich. I never had them before. They're amazing, like a meal in a bun. I've got very bad taste in food, but you probably can't put all that down, because of advertising." —Josh Modell
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