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Artist Interviews
Q&A: Bicycle Thieves
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 4 November 2009
Formed in late 2008, Liverpool-based Bicycle Thieves have already built up a healthy word of mouth following in the North West, mainly from their intense live performances. Delivering a mixture of indie and pop noir, their debut single ‘Stop To Start’ is due to be released on the 23 Nov via Loog Records and has been described as “three and a half minutes of bloodshot musical brilliance”. The band were invited to play this year’s Glastonbury Festival by Emily Eavis herself, and have just confirmed a residency at Liverpool’s Bad Format! Social Club. We caught up with the band’s frontman Tom Hammersley to ask the Same Six Questions ahead of the band’s performances at this week’s Dubai SoundCity.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
I had a load of songs and came to Liverpool to study thinking I’d immediately fall into some kind of musical utopia; in reality I encountered halls of residence. A pretty uninspiring situation of laziness and booze. The year after I met our bassist and guitarist. And then I met the other guitarist, Ash – that happened in Spain at Benicassim. We all had similar tastes and started recording demoes in our bedrooms, trying to create interesting lo-fi recordings that realised the songs we had written. The turning point came when we got a practice room and drummer.
Q2 What inspired your latest single?
Knowing that a change was overdue. When you get to the end of acting a certain way for a couple of years, and realise that you need to move on/grow up, even though you’re only 21. It’s pretty scary. And nobody warns you about it.
Q3 How do you go about creating a track?
Most songs are written in our flat on an old Sollida organ, or on acoustic guitars, before they’re taken to the practice room. Lyrics act a bit like a diary reflecting what’s going on, and how I feel about things over the course of a couple weeks. I dip in and out, and add and edit thoughts. Some songs I write about a specific event. Generally, though, it boils down to your problems and worries.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
We’re into a mixture of stuff. Contemporary bands would include Radiohead, The National and Queens Of The Stone Age. Also creepy guitar sounds, anything from The Bunnymen to Sonic Youth.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Get yourself to a live show.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
Record an album that truly evokes a reaction amongst people, and which is without filler, where every track counts. Just a great debut album. Everyone in the band wants a long and healthy career in music, not to disappear into the obscurity of mediocrity or irrelevance. So we’re going to do our best to ensure that happens.
MORE>> www.myspace.com/bicyclethievesuk
