- Thu, 2005-09-22 10:13
"At the centre of a contradiction - that's where the action is!" William Burroughs said that and, if he was still among us, The Flies would be his favourite band. The quote has particular resonance with the as-yet-untitled forthcoming album from The Flies. Never before has so much beauty collided with the dark side of the human state. Nothing about The Flies is ever going to be confined by rules of any kind. The album will be out early in 2006 but not on CD and not available in all good record stores. The live band has chosen not to play live at this stage. The influences on the sound are too widespread to make any sense. The band does not wish to be awake during the day whilst recording.
I Like Music caught up with Sean Cook from the band ...
“I Like Music because… I would like to teach the world to sing!” Sean Cook, The Flies
ILM: In the press release it says "if William Burroughs was still among us, The Flies would be his favourite band." Why so?
Sean: I did not write the press release! But I guess what it's getting at is that William Burroughs will be intrigued by the seemingly contradictory nature of the music and the group.
ILM: In your album there is beauty and a dark side combined, how do you get that combination in your music?
Sean: We get that combination simply because without the dark side there is no beauty.
ILM: You have two exclusive tracks available on iTunes - do The Flies embrace the internet? Why so?
Sean: Yes we do, because firstly it’s an unavoidable fact that the internet is the future of music distribution, and also because it enables us to combine our music with our website and imagery in a concise and effective manner.
ILM: Your first single, Walking On The Sand is out on September 26th, can you give us your personal description of it?
Sean: To start off with, the question "what are any of our songs about?" is slightly difficult to answer because the whole point for me of writing a song is that they are slightly mysterious, and are intended to conjure up a mood or a feeling rather than be a strictly philosophical diatribe. Having said that, the core of what Walking On The Sand is about is the occasional corruption of men by women and the ease with which men are susceptible to corruption.
ILM: Tell us about the Napster Session tracks?
Sean: We did three tracks recorded live in the Napster studio in London which were… One Less Heart Beat, Walking On The Sand and a cover of the Rolling Stones’ Ruby Tuesday. The idea of the Napster sessions was to record more stripped-down acoustic versions of the tracks. So consequently the versions that you will be able to download are different from the recorded versions of the songs and it was interesting to play around with those songs and present them in a slightly different way. These are available 26th September.
ILM: What’s your current favourite song to play live and your favourite live experience seeing someone else play?
Sean: The Flies haven’t played live yet! Apart from recording the Napster session, which obviously wasn't a gig in front of an audience. As such the first half of this question is a bit difficult to answer. My favorite live experience seeing someone else play is Toots and the Maytals in Bristol.
ILM: Your debut album is out in January. Of all the tracks on it, which one did you have the most fun recording and why?
Sean: We had fun recording all the tracks.
ILM: What advice do you have for other musicians breaking into the industry?
Sean: Don’t do it!!
ILM: Please describe The Flies' songwriting/music-making process?
Sean: Each of the songs has evolved in a different way. Broadly speaking much of the music is made by producers Bob Locke & Tim Norfolk, obviously with input from myself. All the singing and lyrical side is done by me with input from Bob & Tim. Some songs have evolved from almost complete backing tracks, some have evolved from much less defined snippets of music that we have then expanded on together. Others have come from jam sessions that we have had.
ILM: What are the main differences between Spiritualized and The Flies in terms of being in a band/making music/the whole vibe?
Sean: The Flies are real...
ILM: What do you like and dislike about London?
Sean: London is fine for a holiday but I wouldn’t want to live there.
ILM: Describe your ideal Sunday.
Sean: Everyday is the same for me.
ILM: Can you describe your favorite place on earth?
Sean: My bed.
ILM: What is in your CD player right now?
Sean: The Gilded Palace Of Sin by The Flying Burrito Brothers.
ILM: Please tell me your favorite tune that makes you instantly smile and one that makes you instantly chilled out?
Sean: I don’t listen to music to smile! Lost And Looking For My Baby by Sam Cooke is my chilled out one.
