Okker: Chords Before Style

Indie music has always had an uncomfortable schism. We'd all like to believe in a DIY aesthetic that insists where, if you do it your way - on your terms - success will follow; the reality is that there is a narcissistic obsession with youth and fashion amongst indie-rockers and hipsters.

Many bands have a self-imposed shelf-life – make it before 30, or hang up the telecaster, get a proper job, and forever contemplate how they 'could have been contenders'. Ask yourself – how many local bands do you still see going into their thirties (that aren't punk)? It's a nice feeling to actually discover a band who aren't breaking out the protractor to make sure their hair zig-zags at exactly the right angle across their face , or are desperately seeking 'the deal' before it's too late.

Edinburgh four-piece Okker, signed to American label Radio is Down, seem cut from the same cloth as Touch & Go stalwarts Slint and Polvo, both in their sound and their attitude. And like their early-nineties progenitors, they're great. We had a chat with Scott Wright from the band.

Where do Okker fit in to our nation's great musical pantheon?

We're not exactly sure what the local scene is. There are some people who like us purely for our music, which is just as well because our image alone ain't gonna get us anywhere, and we don't promote ourselves nearly enough, which can be our downfall. As a result, we have had some bad gigs. The truth is, our type of music has never been popular – even the likes of Slint only gained a real fanbase years after their demise, but we just want to make music we like and get it out there. I think we very much have a music first policy: chords before style.

A lot of times, A&R types seem more interested in the 'local buzz' that a band is generating, rather than the music itself. How did you end up on an American record label?

It was through MySpace that Ralf, a friend of ours from Germany, recommended us to Radio Is Down, a nice victory for quality over quantity. We sent a CD of ten songs and they loved it, so things worked out nicely – they're an ideal label for us. I also had the privilege of meeting RID's main man Matt Lebens in the USA in August. He's a top bloke.

Your music features a lot of time changes – is this a conscious choice, or do you just jam away together and see what happens?

Conscious certainly, contrived no. It's more an evolutionary process based on an original idea rather than just jamming for three hours to see what comes out. We like surprises and to add unpredictable elements as we have low boredom thresholds and short attention spans – hence, the tracks tend to be fairly short.

Where do you see Okker in the future?

In a ditch drinking meths? We're not a band with a plan. We'll continue to write new material and keep playing for as long as we feel is relevant; hopefully we will know when we've reached our sell-by date. Too many bands keep going and end up jumping the shark – I can't see us doing that really. Did I mention we're not a band with a plan?