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Post by smilydave on Feb 16, 2009 22:26:57 GMT
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Post by blade on Feb 16, 2009 22:45:27 GMT
Welcome David! Take some time to look around - there's lots of interesting stuff here.
I'll have a go at translating the interview and if I need any help I'll ask our resident French-Canadian speaker, Liv!
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Post by smilydave on Feb 17, 2009 9:35:48 GMT
Thanks,
I suppose it contains a lot of info the fans already know, as my aim was more to introduce the band a bit better to the French public, hope you'll like it still!
David
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Post by blade on Feb 17, 2009 15:03:11 GMT
Here's my effort at translation, though I couldn't have done it without my old friend Dick Shonary. Marks out of ten please Liv!
What's this about Glenn answering an ad in the newspaper? He might have done in about 1999!
And why were the band in France? Just for publicity or did they play anywhere?
Some weeks before the release of the new Howling Bells album ‘Radio Wars’ (9th March), we met Juanita and Joel Stein, brother and sister and brains of this Australian group for whom the new epic work will quickly signal the end of their anonymity in France, after their first, eponymous, album, released in 2006, was acclaimed but still remained a bit of a secret here.
I am a little ashamed to say that I must admit that I completely missed your first album, released in 2006! Can you a give us a little of the history of the group, since your early days? You are brother and sister?
Juanita: Yes, we are!
Joel: Glenn (the drummer) answered an advertisement we posted in newspapers. As for Brendan, he joined us through a friend of a friend. It was a bit of luck, because it was only by chance that he discovered we were looking for a bass player.
Juanita: Then we quickly left for London, without playing live in Australia.
Then you had opportunity of opening for groups such as Placebo, Editors… who else?
Juanita: There was, amongst others, The Killers, and recently Mercury Rev.
What did these early concerts supporting well-known groups bring to your development?
Juanita: In fact the first concerts we did in Europe were supporting Editors. Not only did we learn how to play, how to come together as a group, but to see how much we could learn from a ‘bigger’ group, in particular how to behave, and many other things!
And why did you choose to settle in the United Kingdom?
Juanita: Because it’s bigger in terms of energy.
Joel: It’s also bigger for the spirit!
I also imagine that your musical style is perhaps more in synch with what’s happening in Great Britain?
Juanita: Yes it is. We grew up listening to lots of British groups, therefore at that time we really had the idea of settling there. Moving to England… we were going to the creative source!
I suppose that you have already been asked this a thousand times, but where does your name come from?
Joel: We were looking for a name after our first group split up. In fact it was a question of reforming with a new identity. We didn’t have to search too hard and came to like these two words, ‘Howling’ and ‘Bells’. It happened when we fell upon a TV programme about this writer who had written ‘Howling At The Moon’. To see this word on the screen seemed to me really very beautiful. And from this thread the name was formed.
You are returning with a new album called ‘Radio Wars’. How did the process of writing and composition work? Was it done on tour? Or afterwards?
Juanita: Everywhere, really everywhere! At the beginning, during, after, in the middle, above, below! Everywhere! We really spent three years of intensive touring and finally we could sit down together! We went home for a few weeks and every day we woke up with new ideas that we quickly wrote down.
And have you had the chance to test these new songs live?
Juanita: Only a little!
It’s said that your music comprises a ‘cinématographic’ element. Do you agree with that? Is this by choice?
Joel: Absolutely!!! … No, seriously it is not something you do consciously.
Listening to songs like ‘Let’s Be Kids’, you think that it could be ideal for a film soundtrack.
Joel: Cool! It would be in a good film I hope! Perhaps could I be in it! … In fact these songs, they are simply what we are. The world exploits us and we exploit it, it is an interaction.
And as you are in France, I would like to you to ask whether there are any French artists you listen to, who you like?
Joel: I’ve listened to Françoiz Breut a lot.
Oh! She has just released a new album, I should have brought it for you!
Juanita: And I’ve always been in love with the music of French cinema, the older artists like Francoise Hardy, up to those of today such as Colder, Phoenix, Air. There is a very unique sound in France.
And what are your expectations with respect to this new album? Very high I imagine?
Juanita: It is impossible not to have great expectations!
Joel: It’s true. We don’t do it just for ourselves, we want it to sell. We would like to be able to play for example ‘Let’s Be Kids in front of a crowd of 40000 people who feel the same as us!
And which is your favourite track on this album?
Juanita: For me it changes frequently, but now I would say ‘How Long’, the last song on the record, and the first too, ‘Treasure Hunt’.
Besides, ‘How Long’ is rather different from the remainder of the record.
Juanita: Yes, it is. It’s a song Joel wrote, and I sing… Perhaps that contributed to it bringing a different energy.
And what will be the first single from the album?
Joel: Ask the label!
Juanita: It will be ‘Into The Chaos’! It’s a good introduction to the group.
How would you describe your concerts, as I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing you live? Animated? Dancing?
Juanita: Now they are. For the first album they were much calmer, unobtrusive. We were still very nervous during the early concerts. But for this one there is much more energy.
And will we have the pleasure of seeing you live in France soon?
Juanita: If all goes well, towards the middle of the year!
Oh well, go and play live now!
Juanita & Joel: Cool! Thank you!
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Post by smilydave on Feb 17, 2009 15:22:37 GMT
What's this about Glenn answering an ad in the newspaper? He might have done in about 1999! No idea!!! Maybe they didn't feel like answering this one once again, I can't tell really  And why were the band in France? Just for publicity or did they play anywhere? Yes, the band was just here for publicity, no gig  |
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clac
Junior Member
Posts: 66
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Post by clac on Mar 15, 2009 20:46:29 GMT
i hope they'll do more than 1 gig in Paris (what not famous bands usually do...) come to Lyon!  |
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Post by mattchew on Jun 27, 2009 19:36:04 GMT
Thanks to everybody responsible for me seeing this interview and also being able to read it!  |
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