Ah, Cocaine Joe. What’s happening Cocaine Joe? Oh you’re asleep on me, aren’t you? Can I get to sleep? No. Are you sleeping? Yes.
“
| — | Joshua Hayward (via horrorsquotes) |
(article)
“The Horrors: Neil Young is the reason why there’s guitars on their new album, and Kraftwerk changed their lives. England’s finest art-school rockers unveil the inspirational sources for their new album ‘Skying.’ This is a band that once ‘lived the brand’- black-clad, big-haired, post-punk, and heavy on the eyeliner, The Horrors were truly the stuff of suburban nightmares to look at. Accordingly, the quintet’s first album, ‘Strange House’ (2007), was a noisy and effervescing hell ride. The follow-up, the more psychedelic ‘Primary Colours,’ was shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize award. But on their highly anticipated third installment, ‘Skying’ (out now on XL Recordings), they reveal a softer side. Tom Cowan (bass) and Josh Hayward (guitar) take the chance to unveil five of the albums that have most inspired them.”
(albums/interview)
“Kraftwerk, ‘The Catalogue.’ Hayward: Kraftwerk have had a huge impact on us. Their use of melody and space is very important for our new album, in particular. It’s tough to pick one album, so we’ve gone for one amazing box set. Cowan: They’re just so good- they gave birth to so many genres. It was Kraftwerk that really opened up my head to sequencing and really great, simple melodies. They’re as significant as The Beatles. Hearing their albums was life-changing.”
“John Lennon, ‘Imagine’. Cowan: This is an inspirational album. I’d never heard Lennon’s solo stuff until I came across the film ‘Gimme Some Truth.’ It’s a documentary about the making of ‘Imagine,’ and I just thought he was incredible and the songs were amazing. Ever since then, his whole solo back catalog has been prominent in my listening.”
“Neil Young, ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’. Hayward: This shows I’m maturing! I fall in and out of love with the guitar, and was at a point where I just couldn’t stand the thing. Then someone put this on, and it was all I listened to for weeks. The way he can make the guitar speak, it made me completely fall in love with it again. Cowan: Yeah, at first Josh didn’t want to play guitar on our new album… Hayward: …but Neil Young saved me.”
“Connan Mockasin, ‘Forever Dolphin Love’. Cowan: This album is new, but so important for us. It’s amazing, brilliant, modern psychedelia, and it sounds beautiful and blissful, with really strange melodies, which as a band we all loved. He recorded it all himself in a corridor at his mum’s or something. I think it will end up being recognised as a classic album. Hayward: Here’s a few facts for you: he’s from New Zealand and went to school with all of Crowded House’s kids.”
“Tame Impala, ‘Innerspeaker’. Cowan: This has been a staple on our playlist. They’re from Australia, and we toured with them for a bit. We always listen to so much psychedelic music from the late ’60s and early ’70s- to hear a new band who do that type of thing, but on the other side of the world, was great. It was a lot like what we were doing, so when we hung out with them we just played each other loads of music.”
The Red Bulletin Magazine; September 2011; page 93. Words by Ruth Morgan. Photography by XL Recordings.
