Artist: LAND OF TALK
Label:
One Little Indian
Label Mates: Björk, Alabama 3, Surrounded, The Twilight Singers Here's the deal. Here's the BiG DeaL. That
shitty four-piece you've been in with your mates since Year 8 eventually managed
to get some daft industry type to hand over a blank cheque and to tell you were
going to be famous. Very famous. They only thing they didn't tell
you was that music was more than just writing songs and shaking your balls on
stage. It was about being there on time. Releasing something on time. It was about
being famous on time. And sometimes it doesn't happen like that at all. Sometimes it falls together in a casual, almost dysphasic fashion, cobbled together through a sticky, bloody mixture of being in the wrong place at the right time and the sheer desperation of a loose collection of individuals pulling themselves clumsily toward some kind of common goal: a desire to do something out of character, wriggle free from one’s own comfort zone, one own 'scene' and perhaps sound that little bit different. What could so easily have turned into your fairly standard rock stash became that little bit frayed at the edges, that little bit dodgy, that little bit dirty until what we had was, as The Sunday Times described it at least, ‘thrilling and feral’. Of course we are never quite sure what the band’s woozy vocal heroine, Elizabeth Powell is actually singing about, only that it sounds naughty and queerly exotic and in the context of new single, ‘Young Bridge’ with it’s thrashing, unruly guitars, its trash-can drums, its disgracefully pretty melody and its swelling, breathless wotsitness, it all works rather well. In addition to Young Bridge and a flurry of gigs in May with the likes of Make Model and Tapes N Tapes, Land Of Talk has readied an exclusive acoustic EP called L’aventure Acoustique in preparation of their first full length release in the auturmn. But we didn’t ask them about that. We talked ‘The Talk’ with Elizabeth Powell. As it’s she that makes all the noise.
How did you first get started?
Suzuki Violin School at the age of 4. Covering a Harmonium song (great band from Quebec) at school talent show in grade 6. What were the first songs you started to write?
My first songs were written while I was playing bass in a band called The Valentines back in high school. I played a Yamaha fretless and began building chords and strumming with a pick. It eventually got to the point where playing the guitar was the next obvious step. I was listening to a lot of early Beck, Ween, PJ Harvey, local bands from the Guelph, Ontario (where I spent my youth). Land of Talk didn't start 'til way later in Montreal after I'd dropped out of university. I had recorded a cassette titled "Belle Epoque" and brought it with me to Montreal. Somehow Bucky (original drummer of LOT) and Chris (bassist) got a hold of it and listened to it a lot. What do you remember about your first gig?
I don't remember Land of Talk's first gig. The earlier gigs were always in Montreal either at Le Swimming or Casa Del Popolo.  How did you get signed?
Not sure. I think it had something to do with being a Montreal band when Montreal was being blown out of proportion hype-wise. We ended up playing a show in New York and having Brooklyn Vegan write about us and then the blog hype started and I guess labels pay attention to that. I would like to think it was the EP alone, but that would be awfully naïve of me.
How did you blow your advance?
There wasn't much to blow so I believe Chris and Bucky paid back student loans and bought a pair of sneakers each and I paid off a chunk of Visa and Montreal traffic violations. Best thing about One Little Indian?
They have been absolutely the most supportive label in more than just the business aspect. What's the single most extravagant thing you've ever requested of a record label?
Weekly tour salaries. Who will be joining you on the European dates in April?
We're doing dates with Young Knives, Make Model, Retribution Gospel Choir, and then we come back late May/June to tour with the Tapes 'n Tapes. What's the closest you've been to rewriting a famous song?
I never know how much I'm ripping off from famous songs. Probably plenty. Best band/artist you've ever toured with?
We toured with Field Music last year in the US. They were stellar live and on record. I also LOVE the new School Of Language album: "Sea From Shore". There's quite a DIY, hand-to-mouth sound to 'Applause, Cheer Boo Hiss' - how did this come about?
I only had enough dollars for 3 days in the studio and half a day for mixing. I also wanted a live off the floor sound. And it was the first band recording I'd ever done so I had no idea what I was doing or what I wanted. What's the story behind 'Street Wheels'?
It was written so long ago I'm not sure what the real story was. I think its beginnings were much faster and straight ahead and we slowed it down and tripped it out a bit to give our live set more depth. But if you're asking about the name, 'Street Wheels', then that's an easy answer. Basically Bucky, our former drummer, would name the songs once they'd been written. He would just shout something out off the top of his head. Just like that. Street Wheels. I think I had skateboarded to rehearsal that day and he pointed to my board and 'Street Wheels" fell out of his mouth. What's next on the list?
Summer off!!! Spend it with loved ones. Then release the new album this Sept. Here's the deal: you've made an excellent record and some unscrupulous hack handling the press release is about to screw it all. What words would YOU use to describe the release?
Haha. Um.. this is funny because we always joke about this on long car rides, but I'm afraid being serious about it has left me stupid. It would start out with "everything that could have gone wrong DID…"And it would end with, "who would have thought that all those wrongs could make such a RIGHT". No, I don't know. Writing press releases is such a nightmare for the actual artist. I wouldn't know where to start. If it were all to collapse tomorrow would you go back to your old job?
Janitor, waitress, musical director for kids commercials, working with child wizards whom others refer to as "special needs"… yeah I'd happily go back to one of the latter of those jobs.
LAND OF TALK -
'Young Bridge'' single (download only) released May 26th 2008 on One Little Indian.
7 track EP Applause Cheer Boo Hiss is Out Now.
   
British Tour dates:
2 May 2008 Club Fandango @ The Wilmington Arms London
3 May 2008 Club Fandango @ 229 London
4 May 2008 Louisiana Bristol
6 May 2008 Oran Mor w/ Make Model Glasgow
7 May 2008 The Cluny w/ Make Model Newcastle
28 May ULU w/ Tapes n Tapes London
30 May Barfly w/ Tapes n Tape Birmingham
31 May Stereo w/ Tapes n Tapes Glasgow
1 June Academy w/ Tapes n Tapes Manchester
relevant
sites:
www.myspace.com/landoftalkmtl
www.indian.co.uk
Nosey Bastard for Crud Magazine 2008©
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