The Cellophane Flowers
The Cellophane Flowers are set to make their return at the beginning of next month with their fantastic new album Staring At The World.
We caught up with the band to chat about the new record and what lies ahead for them in 2013.
- Staring At The World is your new record so what can expect from this collection of tracks this time around?
Great songs, great sound, great style. Choosing which songs to put on the album was hard, but we think we found the right balance between showcasing the different styles and approaches we experiment with, and having it all hang together as a coherent whole.
- There is a really eclectic sound to this record with pop, indie, folk so how would you describe the sound of the record? And what inspired this sound?
We've tried to make it sound timeless, we don't want anyone to be able to guess when it was created.
We tip our hats to many different eras, but it hopefully it doesn't sound like it's of any one era. And what's more modern than mixing everything up?
The sound is quite visual, with certain tracks we've tried to make it cinematic, epic. Inspiration, well that just comes from everyday life and our experiences.
- The album isn’t out for a couple of weeks yet but how have you found the early response to the record?
Our fans will know the songs as we regularly play most of them live. The press reaction has been incredible, if we get the same reaction from our fans it will really validate what we've worked so hard towards, something that we're incredibly proud of.
- This is your first release since your debut EP If I Was A Girl last year so how do you feel that you have developed as musicians and songwriters in that time?
We know who we are now.
- Talking of song writing how does that work with in the band - is there one main writer or is it very much a collaborative process?
Fran and Ian write the words and melodies, but the idea can come from anywhere - a jam session with the whole band, Fran and Ian working together or alone to bring a song or an idea in.
Either way, things get chopped and changed and we try out a whole lot of different approaches until we're all happy the song sounds as good as we can get it.
- What inspires you to write as, at times, there are some quite dark lyrics on this record?
It wasn't deliberate, but the themes for most of the tracks on the album are about alienation, not belonging. So I guess that's where the inspiration comes from.
- Dave Allen has produced the album so how did that collaboration come around?
Nick and Dave found each other on Facebook, they have some mutual friends but had never met. We think Dave spent quite a while following our progress online, then he came down to a rehearsal where we hit it off, he came down again, one thing led to another and now we're having this baby.
- He has worked with the likes of The Cure and Depeche Mode so what did his experience bring to this record?
Vision. At every step he made good calls on where we should be going with the song and the sound. He's open to trying out ideas and experimenting, but what marks him apart is his ability to make a call on whether an idea is worth pursuing or needs dropping very very quickly.
That's where time and energy can get eaten away very easily during the recording process.
He had a vision and a plan right at the start, but we didn't know what it was right until the end, but we're buggered if we knew what he was up to half the time.
- Nick called working with Dave one of the ‘most inspiring things that you have ever done’ so what was it about working with this producer that has been so special/inspiring?
Apart from Dave's experience and the fact we got on with him really easily, the reason we went ahead and the reason it worked out is that just about the first thing he said is that he didn't want to change the sound, he wanted to bring out what we do and use his skills to make us sound like a better us!
Watching him work and see his ideas take form was an education. It sounds like he did all the work, the fact is he worked us like slaves!
- The band has been together for about five years so how did you all meet? And where did you the love of music that you all have start?
Nick and Ian were in the rhythm section together in a previous band, and found Fran in the classifieds.
Luca we met in a pub. We've all loved music from a very early age. Making music is something that anyone can do, but very few people want to do it enough to put the work in and get the results.
- You have an ever growing fan base so for those fans who are reading this interview do you have a message for them?
It sounds trite, but we're being very genuine when we say that getting a message from someone on the other side of the world, who's never seen us, but tells you they love the music, or you've made their day better, has kept us going at times when we weren't sure whether to continue.
Or fans who come to gig after gig after gig. So thank you! And for everyone else, welcome aboard - it's going to be a ride!
- Have you got any live shows in the pipeline before Christmas?
We've got our album launch gig at Paper Dress Vintage in Shoreditch on 6th December. We'll be playing the album, and we'll have some limited editions with unique artwork available for the launch gig only.
- Finally what is next for you going into 2013?
Definitely some more recording! And check out our website (www,thecellophaneflowers.co.uk) for news on upcoming gigs.
The Cellophane Flowers - Staring at the World is released 3rd December.