Shy Child have been blazing a trail through the music landscape throughout 2007 with their Noise Won’t Stop record touring with the likes of Klaxons and Muse and making people throw shapes like it was going out of fashion at Reading, Leeds and Bestival.
Aaron Coe caught up with them recently to talk about all this Shy. Check it:
First of all, How are you guys?
Pete: (Laughs) Yeah, I’m good. How are you?
I’m really good thanks.
Nate: I like that, I appreciate that as a first question. I won a bet with the sound man that foxes were closer to dogs than cats.
Sound man: Its not been proven yet by the way.
I don’t know, I think it’s more cat.
Pete: (Laughs) But it’s so obvious, how could he think that.
Nate: He was told when he was a kid in school.
Pete: Look at it, it looks like a dog.
Nate: I can see why people think it looks like a cat, maybe.
Pete: But it doesn’t look like a cat. It has a long snout like a dog.
Nate: (laughs) Anyway, lets continue.
What was it like working with Paul Epworth as a producer as he has a lot of big bands under his belt?
Pete: Paul was great, we did a couple of tracks with him and it was awesome. I think he has earned his teak as one of those guys, as he is really talented at what he does. He’s so good at building a song and making it work. He has an ear for guitar sounds obviously but secretly he’s really good at getting keyboards to sound sharp and rocking. I think that was some of the best stuff we did.
Nate: Yeah, I was little nervous before we did it but he’s really loose in the studio. If he gets an idea he just gos with it.
You played with Muse at Wembley, how did you go about that, did you change your setup at all?
Pete: No, we didn’t change anything. Nothing, what you’re seeing on this stage is the exact same setup we had at Wembley.
You also played at Fashion Rocks where you were introduced by Samuel L Jackson and you had models playing musical chairs to Drop The Phone, what was that like?
Pete: Fucking awesome. To have Sam Jackson say the name of your band. Were thinking about sampling that on the next record (Laughs). The models were hot, simple pleasures really. It was pretty ridiculous the whole thing.
Nate: I didn’t really even notice the models as I was concentrating on not fucking up, it was a pretty cool experience.
You have a very complete sound with just the two of you, do you ever think about bringing in another instrument?
Pete: We did think about, we work with other people in the studio a lot. Sometimes we get our friend to play saxophone in New York. He plays some cheesy sax solos over our stuff. But it works a lot better just the two of us. The configuration of the band, its fast, we can write songs fast. We don’t need to schedule a load of practises with 9 people, we’ll call each other up and be like “Can you do it?” and that’s it.
Is your first time in Cambridge?
Nate: No we played in that, what’s that weird place called…?
The Junction?
Pete: Yeah, its pretty scary place (Laughs), we played with The Little Ones. I’ve had a look around though, just got back, it looks cool, wish I had more time here really. I love the uni vibe, it’s really attractive to me. Smartly dressed woman .”I’m late for my class” (Pete does in posh British girl’s accent) Girls on bikes, for me a girl on a bike is all I need to see.
Now you have signed to Wall Of Sound, are you living in the UK or do you still base everything out of New York?
Pete: We’ve lived in London since April, but we’ve moved out our flat and living on the road for the time being. Home for the holidays.
Nate: It’s been really fun actually, were going back to New York at the end of this tour. I like it here, I wouldn’t mind staying here but it’s really expensive for us. Like in London I can get a good coffee for £3 but then I realise, shit that’s $6.
What are the plans after the holidays?
Pete: Writing. After this tour is done we are gonna go into the studio and make an awesome record hopefully.
How did Shy Child come together?
Pete: We went to university together and played in a bunch of bands together. After school we both moved to same neighbourhood in New York and randomly, just for fun started playing in Nate’s bedroom. We just never stopped, it grew and grew into where we are now.
Do you miss playing the Super System songs?
Pete: Yeah I miss playing those songs, of course I do, we had some really good songs. Totally miss it.
What are your biggest musical influences, are there any artists people wouldn’t expect to be in your record collection?
Pete: I have so much weird shit on my iPod. Let me read what’s on my iPod…I’m a very track based listener, I don’t really listen to an artist or an album, just individual tracks. Kraftwork, Jay Z, Frank Sinatra,The Fat Boys, Elvis, Dr Dre. The list goes on.
When you first started, did you play any covers because I can’t imagine you playing any covers?
Pete: We played a Devo cover, they’re like a very Nu Wave band from the early 80’s.
The press you have received for the album has been really good, were you surprised about how well it has done?
Pete: I haven’t really read that many reviews but i guess I’m surprised, I’m always surprised when people like our sounds, it’s such a great feeling to make something and people want to see our band. It’s awesome.
Out the both of you who would win in a fight?
Pete: I would fucking destroy Nate. First I’d go with the elbow, then drop the elbow, then knee to the groin, then the leg drop.
Nate: Well if it Pete and I up against another duo we’d clean up. Like Wham!, me and Pete against Wham!.
No one could lose to Wham! though.
Tour manager: What about JT and Timberland?
Nate: Timberland would kick both our asses by himself.
And on that note, you can check Shy Child out at www.shychild.com and www.myspace.com/shychildmusic