The Correspondents Interview

The Correspondents Interview A stage presence of slender spandex sprinkled with Swing and serious energy, The Correspondents are back on form after Mr Bruce broke his ‘trendy’ metatarsal in 2012. The Correspondents Interview With Chucks behind the decks spinning out the grooves of Dub to the beats of Drum and Bass with everything in between all playing an ever important role to the essence of this unique act – The Correspondents need to be in your gig diary for 2013. Here we catch up with The Correspondents, Ian to find out what’s been going on!

Hi Ian, how are you? Are you in London at the moment?
Yes I’m in London at the moment, living in Elephant and Castle. I don’t say Walworth as people tend to think I live in the shop.

(Laughing) They definitely will in Australia, so how has the first couple of weeks of 2013 been for you?
It’s been good thanks. Well I broke a ‘trendy’ bone to break apparently, my metatarsal when I was in Croatia. So I’m back on form and it has been really good to hit the New Year completely fresh. I stupidly walked on it for a day and a half as I thought I had sprained it. It was the third Doctor who gave me an x-ray. I had just finished a show and went on the crazy golf course and lost my footing. I wasn’t drunk and it wasn’t glamorous.

What has been your best gig moment so far in your five-year reign?
Our biggest highlight was the main stage at Bestival, which was a while ago in 2010. That was our first huge gig in front of a crowd of about 25,000 people queuing to see Mumford And Sons and about 200 people probably there to see us. That was our biggest moment performing. However, there have been more rewarding gigs such as The Big Top at Bestival when there were 10,000 people at midday on a Friday to see us. I’m not usually up at that time so it was very rewarding to see we had a following of such an amazing crowd.

And your not so best?
One of our favourite gigs actually was an evening where everything went wrong! We play at the Bethnal Green Working Mens Club every year as we started out there. The sound system actually caught fire and so we had to rely on one speaker which then popped and damaged ear drums. Lets just say it was memorable and we just about held it together!

How was The Correspondents formed? Do you and DJ Chucks go way back?
We have known each other since we were about 13 and so been friends for years. We made music from the age of 16 but then went different ways to University. We had no intention of this being a career but we got our break playing at the Punch Drunk after-parties, which is an interactive theatre company and from this we got our Glastonbury gigs.

You are pretty unique in not only your own style, but also your cross genre style of music, how would you generalize your style of music?
We wish we could come up with a PR suitable sound-bite but it’s so hard. Electro, Blues combined with Drum and Bass and Swing. We are a multi genre Dance act – without sounding so pretentious.

You do cover a wide demographic which is obviously a reason for your popularity. I remember in 2007, myself and a good mate of mine stumbled across you at Bestival, you absolutely smashed it and were so unique. What has changed for you guys since your first gigs all those years ago?
That is always the best way to discover bands as you feel a certain sense of ownership. This is how our fans have felt for the past five years, which wasn’t intentional but it is only now we have started properly getting serious in terms of releasing. There is a lot of new material now and what we try and do is come back each year with new costumes, props and a full stage set, which we take with us now. Very recently we have had time off (because of the foot) to produce the album and hence the reason we have gone darker and more Bluesy. Chuck’s production has improved loads and we now focus a lot more on lyric writing also.

How the hell did you come up with the ingenious idea to do a remix of the Jungle Book?
(Laughing) Chucks made that track nine years ago as a jokey remix and we only used it as an ice-breaker and when no one knew who we were it was a track to make people smile and dance. Now with copyright laws from Disney and we are pretty tired of that tune to be honest, we do not perform it anymore.

How did you create your new track ‘Well Measured Vice’? And what is the message behind the lyrics? The Video looks set to be amazingly creative. Did you create the animation?
Yes I drew all the 2300 images to make the animation; it was a great project to complete whilst my foot was on the mend. There are some producers getting music videos so right at the moment and of course some that aren’t. Artists such as Rise – The Fall have got it so right and it makes you look at the song differently which is the purpose of my video. The track is bout the rules which are trying to get rid of the Red Light District and places like Soho with Censorship Laws, I don’t want it to be a Political façade but it’s a stab at that really.

Well it is done quite covertly and very well. Ian, every time I have seen you perform, you wear some seriously spectacular attire, do you design these yourself and have these ever caused discomfort, as they seem a little tight?
It is the exact opposite. As athletes wear spandex for the same reason. There is nothing worse than a sweaty wool suit. I used to rip suits every gig and so I now work with Carly Hague. She is very well known for making these amazing bespoke spandex wear. I have some ideas for the design and she adapts them for me. The new thing is the costume design to match the stage design so I do sometimes disappear.

What’s your pet hate?
A bit random but I hate boots that have zips and laces, there is no need but I hope I haven’t offended you. Also, I do not like over-cooked poached eggs!

What are you looking forward to doing in Australia?
All of it! We have never ever been before and if the gigs are anything like the Womad gigs we have played before it will be brilliant!

What’s the story for 2013 then?
Glastonbury and Bestival then Romania this weekend and then to Russia after Australia. We will be washing the spandex quite often in between tours to Germany, Switzerland and a lot of European festivals including the UK.
The Correspondents Tour

9th March – WOMADelaide – Adelaide, Australia
10th March – WOMADelaide – Adelaide, Australia

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