In Conversation with
The Fountain
March 2005
A little Background:
For some reason
recently, Setting Sun has
Been getting a
reputation as focusing on
Bands and acts
that are experimental.
Although this is
partly true with interviewed
Acts such as Same
Actor and Hot Roddy,
Bela Emerson and
the recently interviewed
Music for One all
sharing certainly a feel
For music that is
designed for a challenge
To listen to, I
still like to listen to slightly
More commercial music
on the Indie Rock
Scene.
Take for example, Manchester’s “The Fountain”
Which certainly has a likening to early P.J.Harvey
But has enough bite to carry on it comfortably.
I first became aware of “The Fountain” through
Watching my good mates in the Mongolfier
Brothers at a gig at the art house bar “The Cornerhouse”
In Manchester and although “The Fountain” were
Completely different in style and mood to the
Mongolfier Brothers both me and my friends
Actually quite enjoyed them.
Fast forward past December and into the start
Of this year, I dropped Maria their lead singer
A quick line to see if they would be interested in doing
An interview.
Eventually some time later, this interview followed.
A thank you to Maria for her time and trouble with
This interview and I wish her good luck with the band
It is nice to hear something like this in contrast to
The countless Oasis and The Stone Roses copy like
Bands, which seem to still haunt the local Manchester
Scene.
For more information – please go to www.theelegantpisser.com
Make sure you check out some of their mp3’s
Available for download
Cheers
Andrew N
Setting Sun:
How are things and what’s happening at the moment?
Maria:
I have just started working with a great new guitarist and songwriter called
Ted Kemp.
We are looking at playing a new set of songs and we are releasing a single
Before the end of the year.
Setting Sun:
Can you tell next a little bit about the history of
the group – how did you all meet up – who the starting
pistol etc?
Maria:
The Fountain started about a year ago by myself and a few songs
I had written.
It took us a while to get the right sound and know which direction
We wanted to go in.
We do feel that with Ted in band The Fountain has definitely found
It’s feet.
Setting Sun:
What are your influences (music wise) and what are
you listening to at the moment?
Maria:
We are listening mostly to Julian Cope (we saw him on his recent tour in
Manchester he's one of our favourites), Gorky's Zygotic Mynci,
Guided by Voices, Orange Juice, Early Scritti Politti, Talking Heads
and more recently The Soft Boys and The Move
Setting Sun:
I first saw you play at a excellent gig at the
Cornerhouse in Manchester (UK) last November and was
really impressed by what saw as I thought you made a
excellent contrast to what came next and reading since
on your website, I can see you play gigs on a kind of
regular basis – how do these compare to some of the
recordings which are available for download on your
website.
Maria:
We try not to make the sound too different cause we want to be able to transfer our live
Sound onto record.
It's not always easy though. Plus the songs change sometimes after we record them.
For example Death sounds so much better now with Ted in the band.
Setting Sun:
Carrying on from the previous question, probably my
favourite song on there is the chilling "Death" –
what is the story behind that song?
Maria:
I think it might be the one about someone dying of a heart attack
after being bitten by a snake.
It was somewhere in South America.
It was bad because the snake made a mockery out of the situation and
refused to confront the authorities.
Setting Sun:
What's next for you? Do you have any more gigs
planned / recordings perhaps?
Maria:
Yes we do we are planning many gigs from April onwards including our own
The Fountain night.
We are also releasing our first single which will probably be a
double A side with one of my Songs and one of Ted’s songs.
Setting Sun:
Out of interest also where does the inspiration for
your name come from and where on earth did you get the
idea calling your website "elegant pisser" come about
(that would make a ace name for a side project by the
way)?
Maria:
hm.. It’s just a nice name. It might reference something personal to me
but that's it really.
Setting Sun:
Anyway, a few slightly more lighthearted questions
to wind down with, firstly what would be your dream
job if you were not a rock and roll star?
Maria:
I'd probably make weird art.. Or weird films.. Why wouldn't I
Be able to make Music would it be a disability because if it's just that I'm not
making money out of it then I would still be making music.
Setting Sun:
What would you like to be doing when you are 60?
Maria:
Making music. I'm obsessed at the moment.
Setting Sun:
What will you be doing when you are 60?
Maria:
Making music. Like I said I'm obsessed.
Setting Sun:
Lastly, something slightly less serious to finish
off with perhaps ... (Nicked from a pal's Zine in away
"Imagine you were ship wrecked on a desert
could have (clearly second sight here - lol) the
choice of having 5 records or cds with you with a
stereo of course. What would be your desert island
discs?"
Maria:
Brian Wilson - Smile
Julian Cope - 20 mothers
Gorky's - Patio
Guided by Voices - Under The Bushes Under the Stars
Orange Juice - You Can't Hide your love forever
