Interview: Bedouin Soundclash

Bedouin Soundclash, a band with much hype to live up to. Already having scored a top twenty hit in the summer with ‘When The Night Feels My Song’ and receiving rave reviews from the likes of Joe Wiley and Steve Lamaq it’s clear that this band are ones to watch in 2006. I was lucky enough to meet up with the guys at the end of last year during their support slot on the Ordinary Boys UK tour. As usual the band were in good spirits after their performance and, as I discovered had a lot to get off their chests, especially regarding the great British cuisine!

Hayley: So guys you’ve just come off stage after your set, how is the Ordinary Boys tour going?

Pat: The tour’s going well, we’ve really enjoyed ourselves. This is actually the second to last show (of the tour) we have our last show tomorrow in London. It’s a little bittersweet because it’s been a really good time with these guys. They’re an amazing band and they’re really good guys too.

Hayley: You’re starting a Canadian tour in just a few days, are you looking forward to performing for a home crowd?

Pat: It’s been a long time since we’ve actually done a full Canadian tour so I’m really looking forward to it. We hit a couple of cities there this summer on the Warped Tour but it wasn’t quite the same experience as it is to see us in a club or at a venue.

Hayley: Do you enjoy playing festivals? I know you played Reading and Leeds this summer, or do you prefer independent shows?

Jay: It’s a totally different thing. I see Leeds and Reading as you’re part of an event that’s way bigger than you, even if you’re headlining. There are so many stories that go on at festivals. I feel like they are things that just come up but your touring is really where your story is actually taking place.

Hayley: Do you enjoy the whole social aspect of touring? Obviously you make new friends and get to catch up with old ones… Is there a real party atmosphere when you tour?

Jay: No (laughing from all in the room)
The majority of this tour has, I mean we, I mean I…..

Hayley: I’ve actually seen pictures of you at Reading getting very drunk at a kebab shop Jay, so you can’t tell me it’s all hard work!!!

Jay: No, no it’s always, it’s always…. (At this point everyone in the room is laughing at Jay!!) …it really is hard work getting drunk at a kebab shop!!

(Jay then goes on to note the number of kebab shops in the UK, the fact that he feels like he will die if he eats another kebab and his distaste for sandwiches with loads of mayonnaise filling in – but I won’t bore you with this information!!!)

Hayley: Now J, I also remember a certain drunken night when you were introduced to Brighton’s own Market Diner and to black pudding after a show….

Jay: I hate it (laughing) what happened was someone told me that you should really try black pudding. Now I’m an open person, as we all are and er, so….

Hayley: But I seem to remember you loving it at the time Jay!!!!

Jay: You know what, I realised the reason that Britain loves the food it loves is because they’re drunk all the time (laughing from all around the room)

Hayley: OK enough of food already!! Let’s get back to the music. I know you guys have just finished recording a cover of U2’s New Years Day with Ian Brody (from Lightning Seeds fame) and Steve Harris (super successful producer type). How did that go?

Eon: It was awesome. We went to a studio in Liverpool and recorded that track with them.

Hayley: Were you fans before that?

Eon: You know, to be honest I didn’t know who they were before that and I was introduced to them by the opportunity. But, learning who they were and what they’ve done in the past, I have the utmost respect for them.

Hayley: Was it nerve-wracking as Steve Harris has produced U2 before?

Eon: No not really, I think going into the studio we’re always really confident about what we’re doing. The nerve-wracking part is just making sure that everyone is going to be willing to share our vision and they were eager to do that so it was cool.

Hayley: Although you’re first single was a little more commercial, the album has a rawer reggae feel to it. Do you find that people are surprised in the contrast when they hear the album following the success of the single?

Jay: I think that the whole idea of our band is bringing together things that we wanted to hear. There was a lack of music that we wanted to hear in our lives and we came together on reggae. Reggae is something that’s not received as well as I think it should be in the mainstream anymore and a lot of the music I listened to was influenced by what came out of Jamaica.

Hayley: So what are your influences as a band?

Jay: Even going back to our first demos there’s influences from everywhere else but our meeting point was always reggae. That’s where we all ended up together. Collectively, we all listen to and trade music whether it’s punk music or reggae or world (music) or jazz or electronic. It really doesn’t matter, as long as it has soul, it’s doing something new. For me, lyrically telling a really good story is important. I think the best music can be played anywhere, make people dance but still say something when they go back to listen to it later in their room. I think some hip hop still has that essence, that spirit but it’s really missing from rock music these days.

Hayley: So what are your future plans/aspirations for the band? Where do you see yourselves gong from here?

Eon: In terms of the band we’ve only just started exploring new territories other than our home. So in the coming year we want to play more in Europe, America and just trying to take our music to as many new audiences as possible. I think our live show really speaks volumes about where we’re coming from which you may not get as well on the record as you would to see us perform.

And with that I can see the boys are itching to check out the last few songs of the Ordinary Boys set before boarding their bus to London for tomorrows closing show. All I can say is that if you haven’t already caught them playing live then make sure you get yourselves down to their headlining tour in January – they’ll be playing Wembley before long. These boys are going places and you know what? It couldn’t be happening to a nicer bunch!

Words: Hayley