07/00 - 'count me in' interview

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THE ANIMALHOUSE

All we knew was that THE ANIMALHOUSE had 5 members - 2 of them used to be in indie stars RIDE (Mark Gardener and Loz Colbert) and 1 of them used to produce SUPERGRASS (Sam Williams)!

The other two, as we fondly knew them, were about to make themselves better known because we ran around THE GARAGE chatting to them·.

Hari Teah and Jason King step up to the mike·.

So you two are 'the other two'? What can you tell us about yourselves and the band?

Hari> well we have some histories that we managed to keep a bit quieter..

Jason> Hari used to play bass for a long time, didn't you?

Hari> No, not at all, I've only been playing for about 5 years, I've only been playing seriously since I joined this band. So, I'm sort of the baby of the family really! Mr King came to us from fronting his own band·

Jason> I've done quite a lot of stuff, I've been around quite a lot, but.. we all kind of got together. I was the last person to join the band. There was quite a lot of material written already. That was about 2 years ago. Since then we've been just getting the tracks together and playing it cool really. There were a lot of people getting very jumpy and wanting to jump on board very quickly·

Hari> ·because of the histories of the band. We decided to take our time and define our sound, and work out what the band was before anyone else started forming an opinion.

So who does the songwriting?

Hari> everybody

Jason> that's why the band got together - everybody is aware of each others abilities. It makes it a very interesting band to be in·

Hari> ·definitely anything goes, but everyone is very critical as well but not in a negative way, always constructive.

Jason> we try to make it as democratic as possible. It's not always possible but a lot of the time it is·

Hari> Sam obviously has amazing production skills and he's definitely a catalyst for a lot of the writing. His writing is incredibly strong. But, yeah, everybody definitely gets a voice.

I noticed in the soundcheck everyone shared the vocals?

Hari> Everybody sings, you know, we just want to swap it round a little bit more and open it up.

What music has influenced the album?

Hari> I think a really wide range of music has influenced the album. Obviously everybody has got their personal tastes.  I think the album has a definite cinematic feel to it. A lot of film music has definitely been a big part of that, a lot of hip hop and dance. Mark likes all his dance as well, Mr King is a bit of a funky little cat - aren't you?

Mark> he he.

What things, other than music, has influenced the making of the album?!

Hari> I think everybody's life experiences really. We all live really close to each other in Oxford. So it was really natural that we all came together because we all choose to live a very similar lifestyle. That and probably dough craft!

How would you describe the feel of the album?

Jason> personally I love it. I hope it.. it's, kind of, a global sound really that covers everything that we dig·

Hari> I think the album, as a whole 'Ready to receive' the whole package is so much about communication. It's a global culture that we live in and hopefully that is reflected in the music and sound.

Which bands around at the moment do you respect?

Jason> Asian dub foundation

Hair> yep Asian dub foundation, the primals, Handsome Boy Modelling School are really cool·

Jason> we are, kinda, bored by a lot of the guitar based bands that are around. We had a copy of the dust brothers 'Fight Club' soundtrack and the way they used the instruments and production in a cinematic way is pretty inspiring really..

Hari> that's definitely something we are interested in as a band - doing soundtracks. Absolutely.

Jason> Orchestration, good orchestration is missing out of a lot of music and that is something we want to go into a lot more. Costs a lot of money but it's definitely worth while·

So do you have quite a lot of backing? Are you a well off band?

Hari> we are rolling in it. It's hard to find the motivation these days to slide out of bed into the pool!

You know what I mean though. You have been together over 3 years so has all that time been spent on the band?

Jason> It really has, we put an awful lot of money into it.

Hari> we built a studio and made an album.

Jason> I mean, I'd love to have spent all the money on wine women and limousines but we'd have dried ourselves out within the year·

Hari> It's not the point anyway. The point is the music. We've been really lucky to have a lot of backing and a lot of assistance. We have had a lot of support. I think the record company see it in the same way we see it - as a long term investment.

What is your favourite track on your album?

Hari> I'd say it was 'speakeasy'

Jason> I think 'speakeasy' - it's a beautiful song! It depends what mood I'm in. 'Small' can get me really rocking. I guess what really grabs me is 'spacetrash' - it's a beautiful sound.

What is ready to receive about?

Hari> It's sort of up to you really isn't it? All music is really personal and I'm sure everybody in the band has a different idea of what it's about, let alone everyone who hears the record. It's a positive feeling, an extension of a positive vibe. The meaning is open to interpretation but the feeling is openness and positivity!

Jason> We thought for the cover we'd get four transistor radios. And we'd have four trannys on the front. And then a record called 'ready to receive with four trannys on the front - if you get what I mean?

Yeah! Where do you think it will chart at? Do you care?

Hari> I'm not a betting woman really. I wouldn't even hazard a guess. Who know? Who knows?

Jason> if it goes in the Top 40 that's very cool! It really is!

Hari> But in a way, without sounding dismissive or negative, that's not really anything to do us. That's to do with people and how we are received.

What are your plans for the next few months?

Hari> We have got some festivals - Belgian, Norway and then Japan! I think we have got a tour in September to go hand in hand with the album release which is the middle of August! I'm not sure what is happening after that - then back to Japan in November. We've got quite a busy year - we have got a holiday coming up which is definitely high on everyones list.

Do you have any animals in your house?

Jason> cats·

Hari> we are a cat band really. Sam and I were living together when we were making the album and my cat was having kittens all over the place. So there was definitely an animal theme running through it. Jason has got cats as well·

Jason> we are a feline bunch.

What is the meaning behind the band name THE ANIMALHOUSE?

Jason> It's about a global vibe that a lot of bands have missed out on restricting themselves. It's about an invitation·

·kind of like the song on the album 'welcome to the animalhouse'?

Hari> yeah, exactly! Everybody's welcome, everybody can bring something to the party. Everybody is welcome whether you are a tiger or a goat or a little rat· A little rat like Mr King

Jason> This is where we are going with the band as well. There is a growth and soon we'll have guys with mixing decks that can scratch, this, that and the other! We made the album using a bunch of people that we know and we trust. The good thing about it is that hopefully they can be one step ahead of you if they know you that well. It's about a gang 'THE ANIMALHOUSE'·

Hari> of reprobates and misfits!

THANKYOU!

Hari and Jason> thanks

Single 'READY TO RECEIVE' out now in the UK

Album 'READY TO RECEIVE' out in August in the UK

Website : www.theanimalhouse.co.uk

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