We’ve picked a few up and coming acts who are bubbling under and have impressed us live, and over the next few months we’ll be laying them down for your judgment!
First to stand up we have the London based trio The Goodbyes whose lives shows at Borderline and The Cobden have left us reeling ( in a good way). Frontman Hen took some time out for a quick chat about why they could be your new favourite band…
Introduction time! How did you get together, how long have you been doing this music malarkey?
Forever but as this lineup about two years give or take.
How did the name ‘The Goodbye’s come about?
We were in the studio recording for the first time and we’d been debating names for ages, originally we wanted to be called ‘Morning Theft’ but it was taken. Anyway we’re in the studio when I was talking about a lyric in a Cat Stevens song called “Oh Very Young”…”The Goodbye makes the journey harder still” and in our weird way we developed it from there. The more I think about the name the more I feel it represents us. Goodbyes are so filled with various emotions and it is that spectrum of emotions that we try to convey musically.
Describe your sound to someone who’s never heard it.
I hate this one… Someone told me we were “The most American sounding British band he’d ever heard.”…I dispute it but I see his point. We sound very much like a product of our influences, an Americana band on a diet of depressing melodic indie.
Most people say playing live makes it all worthwhile, but for you what is the great thing about being in a band?
Rehearsing… I, personally love rehearsing. Everytime I have a shit day I think about the next rehearsal. I love being in the room with the guys just playing and playing and playing. We change little things at every rehearsal, I love the idea that music evolves, it really does!
What bands/artists are you most influenced by?
Hmmm….we’re all different.
Jamie, our guitarist, and I share many influences: Ryan Adams, Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The Chilis (Particularly John Frusciante) etc…
But I take influence from stuff Jamie hates too… The Doors, R.E.M, Cat Stevens and actually a lot of old punk…Sid loves his hard rock and punk.
You’re about to hit the shelves in a compilation, tell us a little about that..
It’s a compilation of new London based talent called ‘Baby I’m Yours… Volume 1’. It’s being released by a start up label called ‘D.C. Baby Records’. It’s a very cool project because it really is about sharing good music and bands coming together to help each other out.
Do you agree with the Artic Monkeys winning the Mercury Prize?
Hell No! Not in the slightest. I wanted Muse to win, they deserve it the most. The Arctic Monkeys, while ok songwriters owe an awful lot of their success to the fact that they’re attached to a scene that is more about image than music. If their jeans were looser that record wouldn’t have sold so much.
When are you next playing, and how can people have a listen?
Well Sid’s going into hospital today to have his leg fixed up so the next show won’t be until December when he’s fully recovered and can hit his bass pedal again. But then on the 6th we’re playing Tommy Flynns on Camden High St. The details of that gig and the latest recordings are on our myspace which is www.myspace.com/thegoodbyesmusic
Finally – any words of wisdom for the Crossfire readers?
True story…. A polish porn baron, who was a friend of my fathers once sat me down and said in his thick eastern european accent “Henry my boy, if I teach you one thing it is this… DON’T SNAP YOUR CARROT!” That is wisdom I will one day pass onto my own children.
For more info check out www.myspace.com/dcbabyrecords