The freaks come out at night: An interview with TEENAGERS IN TOKYO

• 8th May 2008

Teenagers in Tokyo / TEENAGERSINTOKYO (Guitarist Sophie McGinn, Vocalist Samantha Lim,Bassist Linda Marigliano,Drummer Rudy Udovich and last on keyboards we have Miska Mandic) aren’t teenagers from Tokyo who are all set to release their ltd edition debut signed 7” single ‘Very Vampyr’ on May 12th (Review beyond this link ).

They’ve graced many a stage with the likes of The Gossip, CSS, The Slits and Cut off Your Hands to name but a few and now they’ve kindly taken time out to answer some of my Qs…

AS: Where do you go when it all gets too much?
TIT: To the video store. I've seen pretty much everything at my local but I'm one of those people that can see the same good film a billion times and love it all the more.

AS: Is bedtime more half nine with a half read paper or more half four with fully red eyes?
TIT: Definitely not? Bed time has always been ridiculous for me except for when I'm touring or travelling. I tend to sleep really well then, otherwise I'm up at all hours of the night alternating between work and late night infomercials.

AS: Who would be your dream collaborator?
TIT: Franz Schubert (that Austrian bloke who came up with ‘Unfinished Symphony’!).

AS: What's the last gig/concert you went to?
TIT: We went to see Cut Copy play at the Scala last night. It was nice to see our Australian buddies overseas. We like to stand there and hi-5 each other and giggle about each other's tour pains.

AS: What's the best music video?
TIT: Too many to name… Unkles ‘Rabbit in Your Headlights’ stands out right now, but that's a well predictable answer… Sorry!

AS: Do you believe in love at first sight?
TIT: Most definitely. Or at least until you figure out if the person’s a douche or not.

AS: Were/are you aware of your escalating popularity?
TIT: I don't even register it really. It all seems so surreal. I know that we're in the UK and about to go to Paris and Berlin which surely means that things are going well, but being involved in the day-to-day… I can't really grasp the full scope of it all. I'm still wondering if anyone out there likes our music.

AS: Why the name?
TIT: It was a joke that just didn't die.

AS: When do you plan to take over the world?
TIT: We don't need to take over the whole world, just a handy portion of it hopefully.

AS: Did you have any heroes when you were a teenager?
TIT: Heaps. I have to say though that Buffy was number one. Sam and I had a huge Buffy fan base. We even lined up to meet Allison Hannigan when she came to a Sydney department store. I've still got a picture of Sam crying when she met her.

AS: What do you think of the paparazzi?
TIT: It all seems very exciting but the reality would be absolutely miserable. I don't understand the public's fascination with fame as opposed to the actual work that these people are producing, be it musical or artistic or what-have-you. Then again I'm a big fat hypocrite because if someone's sitting next to me on the subway with a Hello magazine, I'll have a sneaky glance over.

AS: What are you listening to right now?
TIT: I've been listening to Whitest Boy Alive a lot lately… it’s absolutely sweet music to fall in love with.

AS: Any message to any underachieving or odds facing musician out there?
TIT: Figure out if it's really what you want to do or if you're just following a trend. And be realistic, if it's what you actually want then don't ever let people tell you otherwise.

AS: Do you enjoy playing live or are you more at home in a studio?
TIT: They're two completely different experiences. It's like asking if you like listening to a Radiohead album or if you prefer seeing them live, you know? There's a place for both and you can't have one without the other and they're both so amazing in their own ways.

AS: Any upcoming music / bands worth keeping an eye on that are destined for greatness?
TIT: We love our Australian bands. Check out Lost Valentinos, Ghostwood, 123 Amazing, Damn Arms, Chambers, Allies, Midnight Juggernauts and Bridezilla. There's something there for all tastes.

AS: I'm sure you've done a few but, do you know which has been your best ever gig?
TIT: Every gig is amazing. Even the ones that go terribly terribly wrong are at least somewhat hilarious if nothing else.

AS: Are you unlucky in love?
TIT: Most definitely. Drama drama drama.

AS: Best song, movie or LP ever?
TIT: Absolutely impossible question to answer. I'd need at least three days and an Excel spreadsheet.

AS: Where did you sleep last night?
TIT: In our hotel next to our guitarist Sophie. She hit me with her elbow like five times then mumbled something incomprehensible… weirdo!

AS: What's your secret vice, what are you a sucker for?
TIT: Pickled vegetables.

AS: What's your favourite instrument?
TIT: Synthesizer!

AS: Are you a good dancer?
TIT: Replace the word good with the word mental and you're lookin' at a yes.

AS: What kinds of music do you dislike the most?
TIT: Bad music?

AS: Where will you retire to when you're tired of comeback concerts?
TIT: Somewhere on the Mediterranean. Probably Montenegro my home country on the coastline, sippin' a pina-colada.

AS: When will the world end?
TIT: When it gets sick of us treating it like a five pound hooker.

AS: Who is the main driving force or do you work as a team?
TIT: We all pride ourselves on working together on everything. Everyone writes their own parts generally. We all have input into each other's stuff and it's all very collaborative. And yes it does mean that we argue a lot, but I have a sneaking suspicion most bands do.

AS: How important are the charts?
TIT: They're important if you want to make money, and let’s face it, the struggling artist shtick is great as a concept, but not as amazing as a long-term plan. So yes, the charts are important, but then again making something you can be proud of is much more important to me. So it's a matter of weighing those two things against one another.

AS: What era would you have been born in ideally?
TIT: Victorian. I'd sit around with the Bronte sisters and complain about how stifling the social climate was, but the tea and scones would be delicious.

AS: Does complaining accomplish anything?
TIT: It does if you know how to do it in an effective way. And you gotta know how to pick your battles.

AS: Have you got anybody's autograph?
TIT: We’re back to the cast members of Buffy.

AS: Which fictional character would you most like to be?
TIT: (Star Trek Voyagers) Captain Janeway.

AS: Which rules, the digital age or the vinyl/cassette age?
TIT: The imperfections of the vinyl/cassette age are what made it so special. Perfection is so boring.

AS: If a musical style was to become extinct, which would go first i.e. jazz, folk…?
TIT: Hopefully none of the above!

AS: Do politics have a place in music?
TIT: Definitely. If you have something to say, say it.

AS: Thanks guys, but that’s enough TIT’s and AS’s for one sitting!

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