Interview - Nicky Biscuit (Subliminal Girls)

My first interview. In true 'keeping it local' style, and because I didn't know what I was doing, the lucky bugger was Nicky Biscuit, synth player with Britpoppers Subliminal Girls, and someone who I used to regularly email anyway. Erm... A few of the team wanted the last question to appear in all interviews. Thankfully it never did. Imagine the Beastie Boys' faces if I asked them that...

By Suzy Sims
First published on Native.tv in Jan 07 http://www.native.tv/
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd

NICKY BISCUIT - SUBLIMINAL GIRLS

“At the moment I have nothing on....”

Blimey. Suzy Sims forces Subliminal boy Nicky Biscuit away from his work and makes him chat to Native…

Right, obviously you're Nicky Biscuit, so that's question number one answered. And you have a day job so you'll be answering this instead of working…

Yes, a very boring day job in insurance.

Incidentally, why are you 'Biscuit'?

Because when I first met Eddie Argos (Art Brut frontman) about eight years ago now, I was wearing a Half Man Half Biscuit t-shirt. He named me from then on as Nicky Biscuit.

Wearing anything particularly stylish at the moment? ‘Cos I see on the site you are one for 'style over content.'

At the moment I have nothing on.... OK that’s a lie. Actually, a nice blue and powder pinstripe suit. On stage we all wear zip up sports tops as a nod to These Animal Men and that whole scene. I also have a lovely British WW2 black officer’s jacket that I like to wear.... despite the fact it lasted the war I managed to break the arm within a month of owning it!

You're in charge of synths and backing vocals. Who else is in the band and what do they play?

Jim Rhesus sings, Jimmy 2 Shoes plays guitar, Danny plays bass and Arran J Lovechild plays drums. We all get involved with writing the songs.

Subliminal Girls is a mix of different bands... what inspired you to get together as one?

I think we formed just because we felt we could do something better and more "fun" than the current "scene" you know. Respect is due to The Horrors, but they are just a skinnier Neils Children, and the Klaxons… Jamie is a mate of mine btw, but rave was shite the first time round! Bands just take themselves so seriously that they need someone to rib them a bit and the best way to do that is 'bringing them down from the inside' by being in a band in their scene.

How does the music you play differ to your other band Video Club and other stuff that's around at the moment?

I just think our music is more fun than most of what’s out there...... it’s oh so easy to put a dischord into a song and call it angular guitar pop. The skill comes in making a fucking tune you can sing along to and having the balls to call it pop.

Which of your own songs is your fave and why?

I like ‘Burn KOKO’ the best. It just has such a nice sentiment and it still sticks in my head.

Whereabouts have you been gigging?

We have been gigging all over London and have been up North. We have gigs coming up in Worcester and Cambridge with Abdou and S*M*A*S*H in Cambridge. We also have a European tour coming up as well this year.

What could we expect to see at a Subliminal Girls gig? What sort of crowds do you attract, and any common stage antics?

‘Common’ stage antics… why my dear we are all middle class! On stage it’s just a party, like an indie disco with guitars and synth and a kick drum you can actually dance to!

I know you said you were signed but I've forgotten who to. Who to? And you have a single planned…?

We are signed to Weekender Records. The first single is ‘Burn Koko’ and the second… keep that one a little quiet yeah?

What other bands are you into yourself at the moment?

The Indelicates are fantastic and brilliant songwriters. The same goes for The Moths. Found out I only live 5 mins from the guitarist so we go out drinking together. I saw The New Royal Family play on Saturday, I expect some good things from them.

Congratulations - you appear to have 17 listeners on Last.fm, and you're one of them!

Go off plays on MySpace… we have not even been a band for 6 months!!!! [SG’s song ‘Mirror’ has received almost 7,000 plays at the time of writing]

What stuff will you be playing on your forthcoming DJ sets?

I play lots of Helen Love, Teen Anthems, Carter USM, These Animal Men, Yummy Fur, Bis, My Life Story.

Got any plans this year? Also can you tell me a bit more about your European tour?

No dates or places yet for the tour but defo. going to Austria. You never really get time to see any of the cities when you play abroad… the only difference is overseas people are much, much nicer to you! I think we are playing Endorse It in Dorset; that’s a festival I know we might be doing.

I'm running out of questions. Chocolate cake or lemon cake?

Lemon cake please, as long as it comes served on a pretty girl!

http://www.myspace.com/subliminalgirls