[ HOME ]

iNTE

iNTERViEWS

AN INTERVIEW WITH...
CORPORATION:BLEND.

SO WHO IS IN CORPORATION:BLEND AND WHAT DOES EACH MEMBER DO?
Rob : Andy Harrison - Keyboards, Dexy K - Bass, Ash Howard - Drums. I play guitar a little and sing a little.
HOW DID YOU ALL MEET AND COME TO FORM A BAND TOGETHER?
Dexy : Andy and Rob met at school in Bournemouth and started writing together and I answered an ad they put in a local record shop for a bassist.When we got together we felt like there weren't many bands coming through making music we actually liked,so we set about making it ourselves. We've had a couple of drummers before but we met Ash in November and he's fitted into the group perfectly.
Rob : Andy and I have known each other since school where we started to hook up and formulate ideas together. It took a long journey of gigs, adverts, intoxicants, sprained ankles, and bitter alcoholic sound engineers to hunt down our fellow conspirators.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC?
Andy : Danceable, interesting, simple, fun, loud.
Ash : Rock with electro pop
Dexy : I guess we're a rock band but don't really want to box ourselves in, we're into loads of different stuff and the worst thing for us would be to tread water musically.
Rob : Loud / Quiet / Huge / Minimal / Guitars / Beats / Synths / Tunes / Certain / Unsure
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
Andy : Personally, people like Herbie Hancock and Ray Manzerak. As a band, Faith No More, Clash, Enya...
Ash : Mine are Metallica, Kiss, AC/DC, Led Zepplen, Ozzy Osbourne, libertines, linkin park, buddy rich
Dexy :Personally my biggest influence would be The Clash,they were so original, they looked amazing and they were never afraid to try new things when so many other bands of that time were closing themselves into a little corner as a punk band.. .we're always influenced by new stuff that we hear, like 'The Love Below' by Outkast,that CD blew me away.
Rob : Smiths / Faith No More / Depeche Mode / Pixies / Clash / DJ Shadow / Sparks / Magazine / Patton / Doors / Sonic Youth / Pistols / New Order / Mars Volta / Bowie / Sage Francis / Al Green / Smashing Pumpkins / Led Zeppelin / Tom Waits
WHERE DID THE NAME CORPORATION:BLEND COME FROM?
Andy : The words 'corporation' and 'blend', and the 'colon' symbol.
Rob : Just two words that didn't begin with 'The'.
HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER MARRIED BRITNEY SPEARS AS A JOKE GONE WRONG AFTER A TWO DAY BOUT OF DRINKING?
Andy : No but Dexy started to resemble Christina Aguilera after one too many babychams the other day.
Ash : yes, only once
Dexy : Thankfully not,she's become a bit of a joke now herself.
Rob : I wish I could say no.
YOUVE ALREADY PLAYED WITH BANDS LIKE KING ADORA AND SIX BY SEVEN. IF YOU COULD GO ON TOUR WITH ANY BAND IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Andy : Tomahawk or Faith No More (if they were still together) because Mike
Patton is a genius disguised as a madman.
Ash : it would have to be kiss as i could watch my favourite band play every night with there enormous stage show
Dexy : I'd say the Manics or Queens Of The Stone-Age,although I'd be interested to tour with Ryan Adams and Jesse Malin too.
Rob : We could settle for a world tour with the Pixies i suppose. Everyone loves the Pixies! They make everyone happy, and that's what gigs are about - it's cathartic - people coming together for something that they truly believe in, like a Communion. Only louder.
DO YOU GET NERVOUS BEFORE GOING ON STAGE?
Andy : I get excited which, I suppose, is a similar feeling to nervousness.
Ash : I used to get really nervous when i was younger but now I just love to play. Sometimes i just hate waiting to play and just wanna get on with it
Dexy :Every time we play but I really like that because it gives me an extra bit of adrenaline when I get up on stage...if I didn't feel like that something would be wrong.
Rob : Not really, just impatient, and then suddenly we're onstage.
HOW DO YOU STRUCTURE YOUR SET?
Andy : Fast song, fast song, fast song, bit slower, slower still, then a bit faster, faster, louder, heavier. then have a cigarette.
Ash : We make sure that the set is full in your face, it also depends on what sort of gig it is, if its a hard rock club then we make the set rockier if its a more mellow venue then we put a few more mellow songs. saying that we just play what we want and we think sounds good.
Rob : We like to give it some definition, with a mixed set of all different colours and not just end up our own arses, freeforming and cracking private jokes. No fucking around, just get up there and play.
WHICH TRACK DO YOU MOST ENJOY PERFORMING?
Andy : Making Mistakes, as I get to wank all over my keys in the chorus.
Ash : The best song to perform for me is either Jailbait or Contradiction. Saying that i love playing them all
Dexy : At the moment I'd say For All My Sins,Contradiction and She's Nothing Special are my favourites to play, give me a good buzz every time.
Rob : 'Contradiction' is fun, currently my favourite is a new tune 'Too Rich For Water / Too Poor For Wine', but that's probably because it's new.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO AFTER A GIG?
Andy : Get a bit nervous strangely enough.
Ash : Usually go and cool down somewhere and have a drink. I don't drink before gigs so after I can have a few if im not driving
Dexy : If it's been a good gig I tend to collapse exhausted for a few minutes ...then start drinking. If it's been a bad gig then I tend to shout for a few minutes.Then start drinking.
Rob : Light up.
IS IT DISHEARTENING ON THE NIGHTS FEW PEOPLE TURN UP TO SEE YOU?
Dexy : Not really. Obviously you'd rather play to a packed-out venue but if it's a small crowd you can't punish them just cos more people didn't show up, it's your job to make sure those people who come have a fucking great time and bring more people next time...
Rob : They can be the best gigs. It can be more of an intimate experience and from that comes a real sense of the other eight million Londoners missing out.
YOU ONLY TEND TO PLAY ONE OFF GIGS. ANY PLANS FOR A FULL UK TOUR?
Andy : hopefully some point this year...
Ash : once the single is recorded then yeah we want to get out and tour
Dexy : Definately.The shows we've done outside London have been cool and we've had great feedback. We'll get out on the road when the single is ready to come out.
Rob : As soon as we can! Believe me, that's what we want to do but the single has to be completed first. Then, we'll go out and support it. The further out and more towns and cities we play, the better.
IF YOU WERE ALL CONTESTANTS ON THE SAME EDITION OF THE WEAKEST LINK WHICH OF YOU WOULD LAST LONGEST?
Andy : me cos I'm fucking clether.
Ash : i think Andy, to me andy is the brightest in the band, i think next would be rob, then dex then me. I never payed much attention at school, i just wanted to play drums
Dexy : Andy I reckon,he's quiet and smart so he'd sneak away with the prize. I'd probably have a big row with Anne and be off first...
Rob : Andy - he is the dark horse.
IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A LIFETIME OF FREE AND AVAILABLE SEX OR A
LIFETIME OF FREE AND AVAILABLE BOOZE AND FAGS, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Andy : sex. I've just given up fags and booze isn't as expensive as hookers.
Ash : probably booze and fags because sex is free usually unless your really that desperate
Dexy :Definately sex.
Rob : love is a drug - so two birds, one stone.
DOES EATING CHEESE GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES?
Andy : don't know. will let you know tomorrow.
Ash : yes after seeing rob and dexy�s housemate nick munching on a big lump of stilton.
Dexy : Over to Rob...
Rob : Actually, yes. I hate cheese. It's the devil's milk.
MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY, WHICH OF THE SONGS YOU'VE WRITTEN IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
Andy : For All My Sins.
Ash : for all my sins. Has a great verse and a great chorus ...just think its a GREAT song
Dexy : I really like She's Nothing Special, it can come across as a straightforward pop song but lyrically it's got a good twist to it. Jailbait as well, I remember us writing that when we'd just started
playing in London and were encountering a lot of people who just didn't seem to be in it for the same reasons as us...they wanted to be seen as part of some trendy scene.
Rob : She's Nothing Special because many things resulted from it in ways I would never have expected.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER DOING ANY COVERS?
Andy : we've done a couple in the past but we're not really a covers band, we'd rather write our own.
Ash : Maybe one for the set but it would have to be something that people wouldn't expect us to do.
Dexy : We did a Mansun tribute night in June and covered 'Drastic Sturgeon'... I'm a big Mansun fan so it was a lot of fun to do. Me and Rob are always talking about songs we'd like to cover but we never get around to it, we're too busy writing new songs of our own.
Rob : I really want to do 'Love To Hate You' by Erasure. But I think i'm a minority there.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR FIRST SINGLE AND WHEN WILL IT BE OUT?
Andy : Not too sure yet on both accounts but should be around about March time.
Dexy : Ahhh, can't tell you that...mainly because the tracks haven't been 100% decided yet. One thing I can tell you is that it'll be an EP as opposed to an A-side/B-side single,we want to put out 3 really strong tracks as a real statement of intent.
Rob : I have no idea
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT YOU COULD MAKE AS A BAND?
Andy : Global domination.
Ash : to be doing this full time and making enough money to live off
Dexy : To actually make an impact, to change something. It seems that music is getting lazier all the time,constantly looking to the past for ideas and dressing them up as new ones. We want to make music that totally represents the 4 of us and connects with people listening to it, keep putting on better live shows and make the music that we know we have it in us to make. Anything less than that would be failure.
Rob : To connect with someone
IS THE BAND YOUR FULL TIME CAREER NOW OR DO YOU STILL HAVE OTHER JOBS?
Andy : I still have to pay the rent so have a shit job pushing a trolley around an office building, but I'd say the band is a full time career.
Ash : we still have other jobs to pay for rent and stuff but hopefully soon we can do the band full time
Dexy : Sadly we still have day jobs... unless you've got any money?
Rob : I run a clothes store to pay the bills and keep me out of trouble.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD?
Andy : Gentle Ben.
Ash : I used to love grotbags, the get along gang, the simpsons, theres to many to choose from
Dexy : Winnie The Pooh
Rob : Dukes of Hazzard! It had everything! Or at least everything England doesnt have. I asked my father why we didn't have car horns like that here. He told me that they would scare the elderly. The theme tune to Bananaman used to upset me. Maybe it was Bill Oddie.
DO YOU WEAR SOCKS IN BED?
Andy : only if I'm on a first date.
Ash : No
Dexy : Never.You?
Rob : Never
YOU ALREADY SEEM TO HAVE QUITE A DEDICATED FOLLOWING. DOES THIS SURPRISE YOU?
Andy : If I say no does that make me arrogant? I think we are good enough to have a fan base, and having one confirms my theory.
Ash : no! but we want it to grow even bigger and we believe it will. We play great songs and we perform really well so people notice this and we just want the fanbase to keep growing and growing
Dexy :Not at all. We always put a lot into our live shows and talk to fans that come along because that's really important to us, we want our shows to feel like a kind of communal event and a lot of our fans really dress up and make a big night of it when we play which is cool.
Rob : We write tunes, we put on the show and were committed and dedicated, so it doesn't surprise us that people pick up on that. We really appreciate our following as we give something to them and they give us something back.
DO YOU FEEL FAMOUS?
Andy : I'm not, so no.
Ash : No i don't feel famous at all, I just love playing drums and sometimes when your on the stage and people are really getting into the music it makes you feel so good but then i have to pack my shit away then load it and stuff and i know the day i have made is when somewhen else does this for me.
Dexy : We get recognised out in clubs every now and again and I've seen a few people around town wearing our badges, so in that sense sometimes I do but it doesn't happen all the time so it's very easy to not get carried away...
Rob : Ha!Ha! That depends on my mood.
WHICH DO YOU ENJOY DOING THE MOST WRITING SONGS, RECORDING THEM OR
PLAYING THEM LIVE?
Andy : Playing our own compositions in front of any number of people far outweighs anything else we could possibly do.
Ash : of course its playing them live but I also love recording them and hearing them back.
Dexy : Probably playing live because it's such a release and when it goes well it's one of the best feelings in the world.
Rob : I enjoy all of them, but playing live is the most liberating and honest.
HOW AND WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM CAMPAIGN?
Andy : We were asked to contribute a track to an album so agreed in principle, but when we were informed as to the movement behind the album we jumped at the chance to make a stand against pathetic idiots who think race defines a person.
Dexy : Music is the perfect vehicle to get your voice heard and if enough bands and musicians can show their support for campaigns like this then that voice can be heard much louder.
Rob : It's a real shame that still, in the twenty-first century people are so scared and live in such fear of what they seem to see as the stranger from out of town. It is insecurity, ignorance and hypocrisy and it's still happening.
WHAT FIRST MADE YOU WANT TO PICK UP A GUITAR AND JOIN/FORM A BAND?
Andy : I picked up the piano. And did my fucking back in.
Ash : I never wanted or have picked up a guitar but i first got into playing drums after watching my dad�s band play, he played keyboards but i used to watch his drummer all the time and i started from there
Dexy : I was about 15 and really into music...I got a bass because it seemed like the easiest way to get into a band, no one seemed to want to be a bassist. I was getting towards the end of school where obviously you're told "right, it's career time" and you have to choose a sensible job. Nothing appealed to me except rock n roll so I just went with that.
Rob : Strange trips to Belgium as a boy was the final nail in the coffin.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR ANYONE THINKING ABOUT STARTING UP A BAND?
Andy : Do it now. Make music you want to hear. Don't worry if it sounds different to what you listen to normally - that's a good thing!
Ash : Just be really focused on what you are doing and believe in yourselfs, also just remember its a hard business and there are a lot of mother fuckers who will want to screw you over.
Dexy : Do it now.There's nothing better.
Rob : Do it. Otherwise you'll never know...

ALL QUESTIONS BY SCREAMING TARTS.

iNTE

iNTERViEWS

iNTE

iNTERViEWS

home : interviews : gig reviews : cd reviews : movie reviews : forum : features : links : mailing list : contact : help us

iNTERViEWS

iNTE

iNTERViEWS