Noah and the Whale have recently played a blinder of a tour with Adam Green and a rapturously received date with Kate Nash at the Astoria as part of the NME Awards show, not to mention their performances at South by South West and two acclaimed singles, '5 Years Time' and '2 Bodies 1 Heart' under their belts.Their new single, Shape of My Heart is released on May 5th, and they are putting the finishing touches to their debut album which will be released this summer. 21-year-old Charlie Fink is the lead singer and songwriter. He honed his skills through a childhood immersed in music. 'My mum is a total folky', he explains. 'Until I was about 14 she had me convinced that she'd written 'This Land is your Land' by Woodie Guthrie. I think she's a big part of the reason it feels totally natural for me to be onstage.'The north-London band is completed by Charlie's brother Doug on drums, Tom (Fiddle) on fiddle, and old friend Matt on bass and whatever else he can find in his deep bag of musical tricks. I caught up with Charlie, Urby and Tom from the band (Doug was busy) to talk about getting recognised on trains, Chinese fortune cookies and the pizza delivery guy (Fiddle from the band apparently).
Can you describe your sound?
C: Loads of words get used but my favourite is post-grunge folk. (Reviewers say 'beautiful and inspired folk', 'carefree and relentlessly breezy' and 'whimsically nostalgic').
What about your musical influences?
C: I'd say Buddy Holly, I used to like that when I was a kid. I like Neil Young, the Smiths, Jeffrey Lewis, Bob Dylan, Daniel Johnston, Jens Lekman, Thanksgiving and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, all sorts really.
How did you get together?
C: The drummer is my brother, I met him just ... around. Urby was friends with him since they were about 2 years old. Urby tried to lead Doug astray but it didn't work. He was always hanging around so we thought we may as well form a band with him.
U: We were in the same room so we though we may as well.
C: Fiddle, he was the pizza boy. He came and delivered the pizza.
U: We didn't have any money for the pizza that he came to deliver, so we struck an agreement. We said How about we give you a job? You can drive the band around and we won't pay you for the pizza. He started playing the violin so we used that.
Excellent. Is that really a true story?
C: Yeah. Well, there are definitely elements of truth in there. All the names were correct.
T: It involved a pizza.
Had you always wanted to be in a band? What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
C: I'd probably be in a dance group.
Have you got some moves then?
C: I've got lots of moves. Everyone can confirm that.
T: Charlie Fink has lots of moves.
C: I would probably be in another band. I can dance and play music. That's about all my talents. Well, I try to dance.
So what are you up to at the moment?
C: Well we have just finished one tour with Adam Green and we start another one in mid May.
Have you had a moment when people are starting to recognise you and you're like 'oh my god, we're famous'?
C: No. Well I think maybe the most impact is doing something like the ICA (the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London), and headlining that. It's been pretty crazy but it is amazing. We have had one, maybe a couple of incidents on trains.
T: It's not like 'ooh you're famous'. We don't get screaming fans.
U: It's more like, 'have you got a light?'
C: And then a slow realisation of 'aren't you that guy?' I'm always nervous whenever I meet 'fans' that they are going to be disappointed. So I try and keep conversation to a cool, polite minimum.
U: I've accepted the fact that they are going to be disappointed.
Have you ever googled yourself?
U: Everyday.
C: I don't. These guys do.
How was South by South West?
C: It was great. (Laughter). Urby just wanted to stay there. Forever. He discovered Whisky Sours.
T: It was literally man discovers the wheel. It was massive.
U: Everybody had to get involved with the Whisky Sours so that I didn't look like it was that much of a problem. We just all shared the drinking problems.
Have you met anyone you really wanted to meet?
C: Probably the actual hero was Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. He was in a restaurant when we were there.
U: The guy with the beard.
Did you introduce yourselves?
C: Urby did. He went over and said 'I love you'.
U: I said 'I've read your book. I want to meet you.'
C: Yeah and he said 'get out of here you mentalist.' Haha, no he is pretty rock and roll. He walks around with pictures of him in his pocket to sign in case any fans turn up.
Are you inspired? Have you got a few?
C: Yeah we printed off a few. They are pretty popular.
T: I met Duffy as well. She was very friendly. She said she would come to a Noah and the Whale gig as well.
Have you seen her there yet?
T: She didn't. I'm not holding it against her.
C: She might have been there at the back. There were loads of people there. Hmm. Yeah.
You've played with Kate Nash too haven't you? What was she like?
U: We did just a one off show at the Astoria. She was lovely.
MTV are calling you 'the hot young folk group.' What do you make of that?
C: Are they? Well I mean everyone has their own definitions of those words. 'Hot' for one.
T: Well we are younger than other people I suppose.
C: urby is waiting for a phone call from the Queen any day now.
U: It's all relative.
C: It's definitely a compliment.
U: They say folk group and wipe all the punk aspect out.
I've heard a lot of words mentioned about you like 'sweet' and 'twee'.
All: No, no, no..
T: You've definitely been misinformed. It's words like death and..
U: Blood. Gore.
C: Al Gore.
One reviewer said you are the kind of boys you would want to take home to meet your mum.
U: I've got a lot of ex-girlfriends who would say that is truly not the case. And many that would say the opposite.
OK, moving on then! What's your name all about? Who's idea was it?
C: We found it in a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant and it said Noah and the Whale.
U: It's weird, we were thinking 'what are we going to call the band' and we got a fortune cookie, each of us.
T: One said 'Noah', one said 'And', one said 'The', one said 'Whale'.
That's just made up again isn't it?
C: No... we were 'Whale and the Noah'. Or 'The Whale and Noah'.
U: Mine just said 'the'.
Have you got any interesting fan mail?
C: There's one amazing, amazing girl in Manchester. Everytime we go and play she draws us a drawing. All sorts, crayon, cut out paper and stuff.
U: The last one was very clever.
T: She made two actually. Double sided.
C: We get some bracelets, jewellery. In future, if you are going to give us stuff make it crisps and sweets. Not that we're fussy.
Any in particular?
C: Twiglets. Definitely twiglets. We're joking though. It really is incredibly heartwarming to get that kind of stuff.
So what has got you talking today then?
C: What all day?
U: I'm getting a new bass tomorrow but that's probably the dullest thing to anyone else other than me.
C: I'm getting a new face tomorrow. I'm getting Nick Cage's face. I was talking about moving to Sheffield.
T: Or Wales.
C: Or Leeds.
T: Charlie's emigrating North. Somewhere North. We're all quite excited about it.
How would you sum up this year so far?
C: Hilarious. It's been brilliant.
U: Pukka.
C: No it wouldn't be pukka. Twiglet? It's been amazing.
Noah and the Whale 'Shape of My Heart' is released 5th May
Tara HounsleaNoah and the Whale have recently played a blinder of a tour with Adam Green and a rapturously received date with Kate Nash at the Astoria as part of the NME Awards show, not to mention their performances at South by South West and two acclaimed singles, '5 Years Time' and '2 Bodies 1 Heart' under their belts.Their new single, Shape of My Heart is released on May 5th, and they are putting the finishing touches to their debut album which will be released this summer. 21-year-old Charlie Fink is the lead singer and songwriter. He honed his skills through a childhood immersed in music. 'My mum is a total folky', he explains. 'Until I was about 14 she had me convinced that she'd written 'This Land is your Land' by Woodie Guthrie. I think she's a big part of the reason it feels totally natural for me to be onstage.'The north-London band is completed by Charlie's brother Doug on drums, Tom (Fiddle) on fiddle, and old friend Matt on bass and whatever else he can find in his deep bag of musical tricks. I caught up with Charlie, Urby and Tom from the band (Doug was busy) to talk about getting recognised on trains, Chinese fortune cookies and the pizza delivery guy (Fiddle from the band apparently).
Can you describe your sound?
C: Loads of words get used but my favourite is post-grunge folk. (Reviewers say 'beautiful and inspired folk', 'carefree and relentlessly breezy' and 'whimsically nostalgic').
What about your musical influences?
C: I'd say Buddy Holly, I used to like that when I was a kid. I like Neil Young, the Smiths, Jeffrey Lewis, Bob Dylan, Daniel Johnston, Jens Lekman, Thanksgiving and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, all sorts really.
How did you get together?
C: The drummer is my brother, I met him just ... around. Urby was friends with him since they were about 2 years old. Urby tried to lead Doug astray but it didn't work. He was always hanging around so we thought we may as well form a band with him.
U: We were in the same room so we though we may as well.
C: Fiddle, he was the pizza boy. He came and delivered the pizza.
U: We didn't have any money for the pizza that he came to deliver, so we struck an agreement. We said How about we give you a job? You can drive the band around and we won't pay you for the pizza. He started playing the violin so we used that.
Excellent. Is that really a true story?
C: Yeah. Well, there are definitely elements of truth in there. All the names were correct.
T: It involved a pizza.
Had you always wanted to be in a band? What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
C: I'd probably be in a dance group.
Have you got some moves then?
C: I've got lots of moves. Everyone can confirm that.
T: Charlie Fink has lots of moves.
C: I would probably be in another band. I can dance and play music. That's about all my talents. Well, I try to dance.
So what are you up to at the moment?
C: Well we have just finished one tour with Adam Green and we start another one in mid May.
Have you had a moment when people are starting to recognise you and you're like 'oh my god, we're famous'?
C: No. Well I think maybe the most impact is doing something like the ICA (the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London), and headlining that. It's been pretty crazy but it is amazing. We have had one, maybe a couple of incidents on trains.
T: It's not like 'ooh you're famous'. We don't get screaming fans.
U: It's more like, 'have you got a light?'
C: And then a slow realisation of 'aren't you that guy?' I'm always nervous whenever I meet 'fans' that they are going to be disappointed. So I try and keep conversation to a cool, polite minimum.
U: I've accepted the fact that they are going to be disappointed.
Have you ever googled yourself?
U: Everyday.
C: I don't. These guys do.
How was South by South West?
C: It was great. (Laughter). Urby just wanted to stay there. Forever. He discovered Whisky Sours.
T: It was literally man discovers the wheel. It was massive.
U: Everybody had to get involved with the Whisky Sours so that I didn't look like it was that much of a problem. We just all shared the drinking problems.
Have you met anyone you really wanted to meet?
C: Probably the actual hero was Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. He was in a restaurant when we were there.
U: The guy with the beard.
Did you introduce yourselves?
C: Urby did. He went over and said 'I love you'.
U: I said 'I've read your book. I want to meet you.'
C: Yeah and he said 'get out of here you mentalist.' Haha, no he is pretty rock and roll. He walks around with pictures of him in his pocket to sign in case any fans turn up.
Are you inspired? Have you got a few?
C: Yeah we printed off a few. They are pretty popular.
T: I met Duffy as well. She was very friendly. She said she would come to a Noah and the Whale gig as well.