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Questions And Answers: Pusher

• 25th Feb 2014

It might be slightly unorthodox but we’re giving Pusher top marks for effort with their interview technique. We caught up with the media-anointed ‘doom-wavers’ who are currently getting people reet excited about their debut release and they all decided to pitch in, so answers as follows from:

James Gilroy – JG
Matthew Clayton – MC
Nevyn Stevenson – NS
Thomas Hemingway – TH
Ben Scarff – BS

When we first started playing music…

NS – We began writing one night late last summer and the first release was August,

JG – It was a great night owing to the fact that Tom and myself had watched The Big Lebowski, gotten into drinking White Russians and was surprised at how easy it was to make. We had the idea to chip in and play music all whilst drinking a heifers worth of White Russians. Safe to say the aftermath was not pleasant and there wasn’t much music remembered the day after, though I am sure it was earth shatteringly ground breaking at the time of drunken stupor.

The first time we met each other we…

TH – The four of us (Gilroy, Nevyn, Clayton) were friends before , we knew Ben from going out and what not and got chatting one night

MC- we where looking for a new drummer and to go for it being in a band full time and Ben was the first bloke to spring to mind.

NS – was probably the only drummer we ever met who seemed to be on he same page as us musically and very quickly fit in without having to reference beats.

JG – we met each other we were all happy in the knowledge that we all wanted the same thing

BS – first time I met Clayton he complimented my large head – nothing to do with drums

We knew we were on to something when…

MC – From the first practice really, sounds cliche but it just came together really fast. Within the first few practices we had Shoot Life and Cold Is Just The Dark written.

NS – we got a very positive review of out first London Gig from artrocker and then both DIS and NME were into ‘Shoot Life’. Really gave us confidence to push on and keep recording/mixing things our selves.

JG – obviously we had bad response, its the name of the game, “divide and conquer”. From the first moments of us playing together be it in the flat or on the stage. We just knew we were a great band which may or may not be the views of others but it is with us. Confidence seems to be misplaced with the word arrogance of late and that doesn’t sit well with us. We do have a sense of humility about us but we can’t afford to have too much because having little or no confidence leads to self doubt which I can assure is not something you need. Flamboyancy is a great characteristic to have in most walks of life especially being in this band.

Our biggest influences are…

BS – hogans influences are mark lanegan, qotsa, UNKLE, jojo Mayer, nick cave, dungen

NS – i Think What is important is as a collective we all have a love for the same bands and that helps us to be on the same page in terms of how a song should progress structurally/rhythmically and melodically and it certainly keeps us focused on what we want to achieve.

TH – but each one of us has our own singled out favourites which I think help’s the music. For example, i’m into Jeff Buckley where as Nevyn’s into the national

NS – The Differences in peoples opinions of artist/bands only helps in the creativity and flair of the writing process, the fact that we have varied interests means that one person has the opportunity to present an idea the other 4 wouldn’t dream of and that is what keeps things interesting.

We’re most proud of …

JG – We’re most proud of our work ethos. It may sound bland but we’re in the squalor of a flat every night of the week for as long as possible writing and rehearsing. We record and mix our songs ourselves, its not easy, obviously, as the pay is not great but we’re in it for the long haul. At the same time even though we spend most waking hours together and have our fair few moments of despair and anger towards each other, we still are the best of friends, which may be cliché but it seems its quite a rarity to find a band that has the same relationship with each other as we do and its easy to find them out. So it would be our work sensibilities and our compadreism – if there is such a word.

MC – Getting our next single Let It Break out on vinyl is also a big deal for us, the fact that we’ve done it ourselves without having to use someone else’s studio.

Our ideal support slot would be with…

MC – An act like Primal Scream, Death In Vegas or Unkle, with dance influences. Got a support slot coming up with Black Onassis, which is Chris Karloff’s new band, that’s got that style about it which we are fans of, so that’s a support slot we’ve already got that’s mega.

TH – We feel our music would compliment each other greatly and both sets of fans would no doubt find themselves at each others gigs anyway.

BS – I think BRMC would be a good one because the differences i our styles would compliment each other.

NS – Nick Cave/ Bad Seeds/ Grinderman, Neil Young, Mark Lanegan – The sort of people who have created their own entity/ style within music whilst preserving their artistic integrity. To be able to create music for such a long period of time and for it to be still relevant and worth something is incredibly rare.

JG – Nick Cave is an incredible man who I have only just had the pleasure of getting into. Haven’t yet seen him live but through what videos I’ve seen, its amazing. In some songs he’s the devil incarnate and then in others he’s just a normal man with an air of hopeful pessimism about him. That sounds like utter bollocks but just type in “Loverman” and then “Into my Arms” on Google for direct comparisons.

One item we can’t live without on tour is…

JG – One item we can’t live without on tour is Lahdonavon our LDV Van. Terrible piece of machinery but yet still continues to run us up and down the country. To describe it would be like Triggers broom or The Ship of Theseus as its had that much work done to it we’re not quite sure its the same van we bought.

TH – Diesel, because without that “Lahdonovan” ain’t getting us no where.

MC – Tom’s eclectic playlists, anything from Grinderman to Dre to Bee Gees on those bad boys.

BS – front and back sweets, coffee

We can’t stop listening to…

MC – Of late I’ve been listening to Death In Vegas ‘Scorpio Rising’ and Dandy Warhols ‘No Come Down’ aswell a good dose of Funkadelic every now and again, especially the early albums with Eddie Hazel on board, magnificent guitar work.

JG – We can’t stop listening to Toms super nine and a half hour playlist

TH – Queens Of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork and Grinderman’s first album.

NS – the national – trouble will find me

BS – nick caves new one

We’re not ashamed to admit that…

TH – We’re scared of the dark and geese

Catch us next…

21st February, Korova Bar – Liverpool (This Feeling)
28th February, Eiger – Leeds (Supporting Black Onassis)
1st March, Carson’s Bar – Manchester
8th March, Barfly – London
14th March, Jackson’s Pit – Oldham
15th March, o2 Academy 2 – Sheffield
21st March, The George Tavern – London
22nd March, Lennon’s – Southampton
28th March, Windmill – Brixton (Northeren Star Weekender)
29th March, Soundhouse – Leicester