The Long Blondes - Someone to Drive you to the Dancefloor
Will the real Long Blondes fans please stand up.
| 12 Nov 2006
With a year of more media hype than you can shake a beret at and a debut album (you'd think it was their greatest hits) just about to appear, The Skinny spoke to the Sheffield quintet about why the hype and the coveted label 'the UK's best unsigned band' really started to get on their goat. "We didn't think 'hey, that's a great badge to wear', we thought 'hey, sign us then!'"
Thankfully Rough Trade Records finally came a knockin. Good news right? In fact, for a while maybe it wasn't. You see, all the scenesters who were panting at the sexy unsigned appeal of The Long Blondes now sighed and mourned at the thought of the oh-so-many other people who'd now know about 'their band'.
Their next media label of 'The UK's most stylish indie band' then resulted in the fashionista bandwagon picking them up for a month, only to put them back down when they realised that, as people, this lot are pretty down to earth, and the music wasn't as sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll as they'd expected. So the first question is - what are they really all about? Songwriter Dorian explains; "Indie minus the balls and swagger. We loved the bands who were really feminine like Pulp, Suede, and Elastica in our teenage years but don't think anyone really does that now." To embrace Pulp comparisons in this way (Jarvis and co's producer Steve Mackay was even brought on board to sprinkle on some pop magic) is a fine method of explaining what the Long Blondes are: genuinely understated, witty, and intelligent indie pop.
With the arrival of debut LP 'Someone To Drive You Home' some fans may be ready for a riot over the well loved sold-out limited-edition singles that they may now never be able to get their hands on. But all should remain calm; the kitsch shoutiness of Separated By Motorways and of course the pure pop glory of the underground hit Giddy Stratospheres, have been freshened up for release on the album.
Will this album give them the fans they deserve? And, more importantly, who are their fans these days? Singer Kate laughs and says, "people who like love stories set in grimy pubs, who like dancing joyfully but don't try too hard, and who know that secret gigs in local libraries are cool!"
So, will the real Long Blondes fans please stand up?
Thankfully Rough Trade Records finally came a knockin. Good news right? In fact, for a while maybe it wasn't. You see, all the scenesters who were panting at the sexy unsigned appeal of The Long Blondes now sighed and mourned at the thought of the oh-so-many other people who'd now know about 'their band'.
Their next media label of 'The UK's most stylish indie band' then resulted in the fashionista bandwagon picking them up for a month, only to put them back down when they realised that, as people, this lot are pretty down to earth, and the music wasn't as sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll as they'd expected. So the first question is - what are they really all about? Songwriter Dorian explains; "Indie minus the balls and swagger. We loved the bands who were really feminine like Pulp, Suede, and Elastica in our teenage years but don't think anyone really does that now." To embrace Pulp comparisons in this way (Jarvis and co's producer Steve Mackay was even brought on board to sprinkle on some pop magic) is a fine method of explaining what the Long Blondes are: genuinely understated, witty, and intelligent indie pop.
With the arrival of debut LP 'Someone To Drive You Home' some fans may be ready for a riot over the well loved sold-out limited-edition singles that they may now never be able to get their hands on. But all should remain calm; the kitsch shoutiness of Separated By Motorways and of course the pure pop glory of the underground hit Giddy Stratospheres, have been freshened up for release on the album.
Will this album give them the fans they deserve? And, more importantly, who are their fans these days? Singer Kate laughs and says, "people who like love stories set in grimy pubs, who like dancing joyfully but don't try too hard, and who know that secret gigs in local libraries are cool!"
So, will the real Long Blondes fans please stand up?
Someone To Drive You Home' is out on November 6.
http://www.thelongblondes.co.uk