Tokyo Indie

Everything Everything, the undisputed kings of “bizzare n b” but don’t you dare call them indie or they’re likely to get primal with you… On a more serious note the band are on the rise and have already been nominated as a band to watch out for by the BBC, having been included on their shortlist for the sound of 2010.

A technically gifted group, their first release was put out by the much feted XL records and they have recently signed for Geffen and have been going from strength to strength. Recent highlights in their career have included the stand out single MY KZ UR BF and being locked up in a studio with ace producer David Kosten.

They will be playing this weekend at Creativeman’s Radars festival, so we at Tokyo indie towers decided to give Everything Everything’s Jeremy Pritchard a grilling to remember……

Hi Jeremy, first of all thanks for consenting to a Tokyo Indie interrogation.
You’re most welcome.

Creative man’s ethos is to showcase emerging talent from the forefront of their respective music scenes, with that in mind how would you classify your sound is it still ‘intelli-punk/bizzare-n-b’?
We never said that ourselves but it’s one of the more enjoyable ones. We actually count ourselves as a pop band, but one that is hopefully unpredictable, exciting and surprising.

Which scene if any do you identify with most?
None really. We do enjoy the definite camaraderie we feel with our Manchester contemporaries Delphic and Dutch Uncles but there are few stylistic commonalities to tie the bands together. That’s kind of the aim of this scene, if there is one; to avoid faddy plagiarism and retreading the old ground.

Are you still based in Manchester or have the bright lights of London drawn you in?
Alex lives in London and always has but the rest of us live in Manchester and are very settled here.

Is this going to be your first trip to Tokyo? What expectations do you have from Japanese audiences?
We came to Tokyo in July 2010 for Summersonic and a couple of club shows. We had a truly amazing time and cannot wait to come back. We know that Japanese audiences are very attentive and respectful. Of course our next visit will be the first since the earthquake and we’re very mindful of this.

Being in the running for the BBC’s sound of 2010 must have been pretty exciting, considering that you guys formed in late 2007. That must have been quite a rapid ascent with a steep learning curve attached. Were you surprised to be included on a list such as that so quickly?
It was late 2007 that we formed but it didn’t really feel like a very fast rise. It all seemed to happen gradually and naturally, at times even frustratingly slowly! It’s difficult to objectively monitor your own trajectory when you’re at the centre of it all.

Have you found the association with the BBC’s sound of 2010 to be a mill stone, with the associated expectation, or has is given you further license to explore your creativity?
It was the right kind of thing at the right time. We weren’t included in the top 5, so there wasn’t the pressure to release quickly or excessive media spotlight but it did give us the boost we needed. It in no way affected the way we approached making our album the very same month.

Being released by XL records must also have been a buzz, a label that’s renowned for signing bands they like and letting them do what they want how was it working with them? And how does it compare to working with Geffen?
Actually Geffen let us do more or less exactly what we want at all times. We have creative control over any area we want; that was paramount to us when we signed with them. The XL deal was a very simple one-off 7″ single release that we had already recorded and just needed a home for.

How was it being the first band to be streamed to iPads and iPhones? Would you describe yourselves as early adopters of new technology? Is it something you would do again?
We were surprised no one had done it before! I should stress that we didn’t want it to be some kind of apple users exclusive thing, so we ensured it wad streamed on the internet to any computer or device. But it was the iPhone thing that was unprecedented. I am actually a total Luddite but it seemed to me to be the sort of thing that Kraftwerk would brace so we should too! It’s rarely possible but we would definitely like to do it again. People really appreciated it. The show we did it with was a really special occasion with a full orchestra so we wanted to bring it to people that couldn’t get tickets.

I have to admit that the first time I heard you guys (having lived in Tokyo now for over two years you lose touch with the music scene in London particularly) Was in a mix by Jbag – ‘best of 2010’ where he included the Grum remix of MY KZ UR BF which for me was one of the standout remixes of 2010. Are there any remixes of your music that you have loved and or hated? And how do you feel about other people remixing your music, is it a strange feeling to have someone re-imagine something that has taken time and effort to create? I always imagine it would be like having a stranger take one of your children to the hairdressers only for them to return with a mohawk and facial piercings.
Ha! It’s not that extreme, we actually appreciate that people want to bring an extra viewpoint. Personally I get fairly little out of remix culture – I don’t think I’ve ever preferred any remix to an original, with a few exceptions in 90s – but I totally recognise that it helps ‘spread the word’ to people that might not hear you otherwise. I have loved some of the remixes that have been done for us – The Invisible, Clock Opera, Leo Zero, Deadboy.

With one of your own directing the majority of your music videos is this a conscious effort to control your image or is it that you haven’t had anyone come up with concept you have all felt comfortable with for your videos?
Both really. Our first three videos’ styles were born out of necessity; there was no money and we worked with friends who worked for nothing. When we signed we did collaborate with some other directors on the second version of the MY KZ, UR BF video, but we found we preferred working with a smaller team controlled by us and a couple of trusted comrades.

Finally, which new bands are on your radar and who would you tip to make waves in 2011?
Dutch Uncles, Mammal Club, Tyler the Creator, Post War Years.

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RADARS will be held on the 30th April at Shinkiba Studio Coast

Tickets can be bought via the Creativeman website – click here for tickets and more info.

Words: Jack Betton

Translation: Mizuki Oyama

April 28, 2011