Interviews

Newislands Interview

• 4th May 2010

After hearing the fantastic single 'Out Of Time' by Newislands we at Glasswerk decided that these boys from the Midlands are definitely “Ones to watch!”

Hello. How are you today?
Alright, currently debating what the best sounding record of the last ten years is with Luke.

The single, Out Of Time, is pretty retro. Is your inspiration mainly old-school or modern?
We love listening to our favourite bands like Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, The Beatles, people like that, but then we also listen to Animal Collective, The Big Pink and bands like that, so it varies.

You released your single through new record label, YouWillBeFollowing. Did it feel like something of a gamble, or was it comforting to start out with them?
Everything's a gamble with the music industry isn't it? We started the label as a way of getting our single out there, and are hoping it will continue to grow with each release.

You do your writing and recording hidden away in a barn. Do you ever get cabin fever and fall out, or is it a great bonding experience?
There are moments where we massively bond and get over-excited about what we're working on, and there are moments where we are arguing over a middle-8 or something, it varies, but we wouldn't have it any other way really.

The single comes with a whopping 7 remixes. How does it feel to have your song reworked that many times? Do you worry it might be overkill or does each mix have something different to offer?
I think each remix does offer a different take on the song, and its flattering for so many artists to come back to us with a remix.

What made you decide to include the track Crosstown Feel instead of releasing it as a single in its own right?
Well, we just thought that the two tracks worked really well together. Out of Time is quite floaty and its nice to back it up with something a little more punchy and upbeat. We've got quite a few tracks, so we're not that precious about giving them away.

How was the single launch at Carnivale?
It was great, it ended up really busy and vibey. We had Breton playing live, and Post War Years, Is Tropical and Serious Lover DJing, all of whom contributed to the single.

Have you got exciting plans for the rest of 2010?
The gig we're most looking forward to playing is Napa Live, a three day Festival in Aya Napa which is starting this year! We are releasing our second single also, and looking forward to promoting that and getting our album together.

It's been a successful year so far…so can you lend us a fiver?!
haha, not that successful I'm afraid, we'll lend you a fiver, but can you give it us back on Friday with interest?