Perfect Porridge

Electric Soft Parade
No Need to Be Downhearted
Label: Better Looking
Release Date: April 24, 2007

Electric Soft Parade are perhaps the best U.K. indie rock band you’ve never heard. And that doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t tried.

When the group released Holes in the Wall back in 2002, U.K. critics hailed the effort as a tremendous step forward in the indie rock world. With complex writing, mixed up time signatures and psychedelic production effects, Holes in the Wall became an import treasure hunt for those of us in the states.

Fast forward five years. One album, a stop at SXSW 2006 and an EP later, Electric Soft Parade is finally on the radar of U.S. labels, and Better Looking starts work on getting the boys some exposure.

The new album, No Need to be Down-Hearted, is very very special. It’s a debonair collection of fresh, dynamic songwriting and garage rock, with a burnished production of seasoned soundscapes akin to the Flaming Lips and Dark Side-era Floyd.

Electric Soft Parade : “If That’s the Case Then I Don’t Know” (mp3)

Brothers Alex and Tom White are the creative genius behind the group. Yesterday we had the opportunity to chat with Tom White about the new album, how much retro music, NME and the music industry sucks and why you should avoid the lobster bisque in Chicago…

Perfect Porridge: Where are you right now?
Tom White, Electric Soft Parade: We’re at Better Looking in L.A. Flew straight here after SXSW.

We were there but missed your SXSW shows. How did they go?
It was cool, although I’m not too sure about how industry-heavy the festival is. I feel like a lot of the bands get lost. There’s so many bands – it’s hard to make a splash.

Speaking of that, you guys were one of the smaller acts last year. How was it this year?
This year was definitely better. Our last show at the Cedar Street Courtyard was the best of the bunch. Packed crowd and a great set.

We read on the blog that you pretty sick on the plane from Chicago.
I got fucking seriously ill, man. But not on the plane, it was the night before when we missed our plane to Austin. We went out to dinner, and I had the lobster bisque.

Where you better by the SXSW shows?
Not really. It didn’t clear up before the first shows, but by the last one I was all right.

One of our favorite parts about ESP is the studio production that ties together all of your songs. For example, we love the instrumental Floydian soundscapes on “Misunderstanding.” You guys aren’t afraid to be experimental. How does that make you stand out from other rock groups these days?
Personally, the idea is to make a record that first, will play on the radio. You want a song people can get their heads easily, but also if you want to dissect the track and take two or three listens you can. So you make a pop record you can basically play for anyone, but someone else gets right to the drum sounds or to the guitar or arrangement and is like, wow.

How do you guys approach writing songs –- you and Alex? Are you writing compositions as part of an album – searching for that perfect song – perhaps always just seeking out that something new and progressive?
Generally we write separately. For me, I’ll sit down with a guitar and write a verse – 4 to 8 chords and a chorus and build around that. The general premise is never to write two songs of the same structure. You want to make each one unique. We try to make a record that flows within itself but doesn’t repeat itself or get boring. We get bored with a lot of the bands that are out there. We want to give people something to get their teeth into.

Holes in the Wall had terrible U.S. distribution although The Human Body EP had better distribution last May. This year you guys seemed poised to really break into the U.S. market and Better Looking Records is billing NN2BD as your first U.S. full-length release. Thoughts on that?
They never bothered to put [Holes in the Wall] out in the states! Actually, we’re on a real label now and personally, we’re the best we’ve ever been at the moment. In the UK we’re kind of old news – been round the block a few times. In the states we’re still starting out, and I don’t know if we were mature enough for the states before. The new album is the best stuff we’ve ever done, and it’s cool for it to be the first thing we put out here.

It’ll be the first exposure for a lot of people.
That’s just about right. We’re pretty much good enough to play in the states now.

I read somewhere you said the music industry is a lot like Spinal Tap. Considering what you said about the influx of industry at SXSW, where do you see the industry headed?
It’s different in the states, and to a certain extent, the [the music industry] wouldn’t exist without the states. Something like SXSW is great because America is so huge so it gets everyone together. But in the UK, the way the NME is going, it’s detrimental to people who want to make good records and want to do good things. [The industry] is damaging to people who want to make good music, and is pushing them further away from the exposure they need. Accordingly record companies are kind of following NME’s lead. I find it depressing, and I’ve got no interest in what NME has to write about these days. The Wire is great in the UK and others are doing plenty of good things.But NME is killing honest music.

With that said, Tom, do you want to take an opportunity to plug any up and coming bands who aren’t getting a fair shake in the press?
Field Music, from Sunderland in the northeast, is incredible. They’re the best British band at the moment. Well, they’re actually breaking up at the moment. Their album Tones of Town is the best one out right now…apart from ours of course. But seriously, they’re streets ahead of anyone else.

What do you think of the return to Led Zeppelin-esque blues rock in the rock genre these days?
I’d actually never listened to Led Zeppelin or any of the old classics. I’ve maybe listened to the Who once in a while. That music is in the past. That’s for like music fans and nostalgia dudes. I’m moving forward, to be quite honest. I’m totally interested in what’s going on now. In terms of being retro, what’s the point? People are pushing new music forward all the time. I don’t care for retro bands or retro rock.

In that case, what are you listening to these days?
I really like a band called RTX, with Jennifer Herrema, the singer from Royal Trux. Haha…actually I just got done saying that about retro, and they sound like Guns ‘n Roses…but with digital production with a 21st century sound. Ha. Mission of Burma is also kind of where my head’s at. They’ve been my favorite band of the past 5-10 years. They split up in ’83, but since they got back together they’ve made the best stuff. They’re not willing to follow a formula. They’re pushing the three piece rock band formula as far as it will go without tricks. It’s pure musicianship with no smoke and mirrors to it. They’re like a little punk band on stage, but they’re pushing it so far.Do you guys have a tour planned soon for after the album drops?
We’re just doing a couple of dates now, then hopefully coming back in May and then later in year.

Ever been to Minneapolis?
No, but I love Hüsker Dü.