Interview - Band Of Skulls

Band Of Skulls have a wicked bluesy rock sounds - go and check them out now, dammit.

Previously published on mINtSOUTH.com in October 2009
Words - Suzy Sims
Editor - Rob Ball
(c) mINtSOUTH

BAND OF SKULLS - SOUTHSEA FEST 2009

mINtSOUTH: Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Matt: “Me and Russell, when we were little children we were playing music. Same beards - we didn’t really look too much different - beards, sunglasses, hangover. We’ve been playing in various different bands and we met Emma a couple of years ago when Russell went to art college. We had a load of different line ups and this is the final one which we’ve stuck with.”

mINtSOUTH: Can you describe your music?
Band Of Skulls: “Bluesy rock and roll…Garage soul funk.”
Emma: “I suppose the easiest way would be to say that we are a loud rock and roll band, but then everyone thinks different things about what we do.”
Matt: “I think we’re committed. Commited to a mental institution.”
Russell: “In my mind we’re like this Sixties soul girl group.”

mINtSOUTH: How did you choose the name of your band?
Matt: “Our home venue is the Talking Heads in Southampton. We used to run a club night there and we also needed to name our band. Because Talking Heads had already been taken, apparently, by some band in America, we chose Band of Skulls.”
Russell: “That didn’t really explain anything!”
Matt: “There’s a Hamlet-esque painting on the flappy board outside with a skull on it.”

mINtSOUTH: Southsea Fest – have you played yet today?
Matt: “We did an acoustic set, but our show is later on tonight. We’re very excited to play. We’ve just come off a two month tour in the US and this is our first UK gig for a long, long time.”
Russell: “It’s the beginning of our UK tour. It’s just trying to stay off the beers until ten past ten…”
Matt: “Which we’ve already failed at.”

mINtSOUTH: Which band member would you eat first on a desert island?
Russell: “Depending what you wanted, a healthy option would be me.”
Emma: “Matt is a nightclub inside.”
Matt: “If you wanted to get drunk, you’d eat me. You’d have more fun eating me. Russell you’d survive longer and Emma there’s nothing to her so you’d be wasting time.”

mINtSOUTH: Do you support any charities?
Emma: “My uncle once for my birthday present paid for an elephant to be fed and watered for one year. I got a little picture, and I felt good about it.”
Matt: “I understand today is a charitable affair. I guess the main stuff we do is where people ask us to play. When the charity people come up to you in the street, you’re like why are you coming to me man, do I look like I have any cash?”
Russell: “They look at me now - and they look down and walk away.”

mINtSOUTH: Gorilla versus bear – who would win in a fight?
Russell: “That’s a tough one, I don’t know man. Bears would probably get their arms around the back and then snap the neck.”
Matt: “Gorillas are fierce and they’re agile.”
Russell: “And more intelligent – but bears are about three times bigger.”
Emma: “I reckon a bear. Have you seen the size of their claws?”
Russell: “Anyway, it’ll never happen, unless there was a terrible security lapse at a zoo. ‘Oh no, the fence is down!’”
Matt: “It’ll be like Jurassic Park all over again.”
Russell: “We’re going with bear.”

mINtSOUTH: Any onstage antics to get everyone going at the gig tonight?
Russell: “Yes, there’s going to be a fight between a bear and a gorilla.”

Shoutbox – Band of Skulls: “Our album ‘Baby Darling Doll Face Honey’ comes out 21st September in England and we are touring the entire county to support it. Then we’re back to the US after that.”

Band Of Skulls