Interview - OK GO

Chicago four-piece OK Go recently completed the UK leg of their world tour, which included an impromptu acoustic set on the steps of King Tuts following a power cut (only to be ushered on, like moonlighting buskers by Strathclyde constabulary's finest). "I love playing the UK" enthuses frontman Damian Kulash, "the crowds are much more open to the music than American fans". A combination of power pop and garage rock, one common comparison is that of a punchier Cheap Trick. Kulash, admitting that he's not all that fabulous at describing his band's sound says "I like to call it rock and roll." Jammed with heavy power chords and catchy beats, their erratic style may not cater to all tastes, but what one band can claim to do so anyway?

Produced by the much sought-after Tore Johansson (Franz Ferdinand, The Cardigans) and recorded in Malmö, Sweden, their second album 'Oh No', due for a run of the gauntlet in the UK on March 6, is the follow up to their self-titled 2003 debut. Spawning the minor hit Get Over It, it saw them quickly established as a radio-friendly rock band. Damian admits that their first album was a polished pop-record, while its successor "is raw, sounds much more like them and is designed to be played live." The album release is preceded by the single A Million Ways on Feb 20, which can already boast the title of the most downloaded music video ever. Minimalism at its finest, it features the guys doing a dance choreographed by Kulash's sister, a former professional ballroom dancer, in a suburban back garden. What cost the princely sum of $24 to make and was intended as a surprise treat for fans at live shows is fast becoming a fascinating piece of music history.

Contradicting their easy-going and fun-loving persona, the band have written scores for various underground indie films and have also been somewhat politically active. Kulash has written a 'how-to' guide for young bands seeking to upset George Dubya. Entitled 'How Your Band Can Fire Bush', it has naturally earned him an immeasurable amount of hate mail from protective NeoCon 'activists'. As for future aspirations, Kulash says he's just happy "getting to do what they're doing now," adding that careers in the music industry are usually short lived, and rhetorically asking "how many 50 year old rock stars are there?" Hmmm… Nonetheless, it appears these chaps may be around for a while yet, dishing out their anthemic rock with a refreshing tongue-in-cheek eccentricity.