When Nephu Huzzband released their debut EP ‘Papers’ late last year sections of the press, and indeed the nation, fell instantly in love with their ‘noisy sonic indie using two vocals/guitars, bass and drums’ sound. The catchy melodies of their songs did procreate a certain heartspark among the masses. New single ‘Nurse! Nurse!’, due for release on 5th June is expected to implant them further into our psyche.
We all met at school and came together through all listening to and wanting to make a similar style of music. Innocent enthusiasm to be honest, with Tom and Rob jamming together in the school practice rooms. There were quite a few people who had already formed bands, but weren’t particularly great. So Tom and Rob would hijack their practices, using their gear to jam. Tom then asked Jamie if he fancied a go at playing bass. We practised as a three piece for a while, before Adam, who was in the year below the other three, was asked to join
Your 2nd single ‘Nurse! Nurse!’ is due for release early June. Is it in the vein of debut ‘Papers’ musically?
Nurse! Nurse! could be described as being in a similar vein to Papers. They’re both fast moving songs, though Nurse! Nurse! is even shorter at 87 seconds (1:27), there is an extended version at a full 2:37 mins. However the b-side, Lions and Tigers and Bears, is quite different to anything we’ve recorded before. It’s a fair bit slower than some of our other material and quite melodic.
You’re planning to launch it at The Dublin Castle, London on 5th June, is that still the plan?
Yes, that’s the plan. We’re going to be giving away 250 free CDs of the new single and door entry is free (thanks to Bugbear Promotions), it is also being recorded live (for release) by Fleetwood mobiles, plus there’s three other bands playing, so anyone in London should come down, as it’s going to be an awesome night…and you all get on the record as the live audience!
What inspires you, as a collective, to make the music you do and do you find it evolving in tandem with the increasing exposure your material now seems to be attracting?
We all have loads of individual influences, which you can probably hear in the riffs and hooks each of us contribute to our songs, but collectively we listen to a core of bands that include …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Sonic Youth, At The Drive-in, Q and not U and others of a similar style. There’s definitely been an evolution in the music we’re trying to write, partly due to the great feedback we had with our debut EP ‘Papers’ . We do tend to think about song structures and lengths more than we did when we first started writing. However we do try not to let the ideas flow when writing new material, otherwise it can sound forced, and loses the music’s energy, intrigue and honesty.
You have a fan base that is growing daily. This must make you quite proud that your body of work has stirred someone enough for them to say they are a fan of Nephu Huzzband?
We are very proud of what we’ve achieved, a year ago I don’t think any of us would ever have thought we’d be shouted for an encore in London or have performed live on the BBC or XFM. Honestly though, it still seems strange to think people would declare themselves a fan. At a gig recently we had people coming up to us asking about the next single, and what would be happening after that-all our vinyl remixes were picked up at the show. And just people paying a genuine interest still surprises us, as we have so much going on in the band itself.
Where did the bands name originate from? And if that isn’t the question you’re sick of being asked then what is?
We’ve probably been asked that question in every single interview we’ve ever done, but I guess with a name like ours we’re going to have to get used to it. The spelling originally came from an unpublished poem we came across, but since then we’ve started coming up with different meanings for it, as the whole story needs a large whisky to get through and hear it out.
Do you think social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook are now a vital marketing tool in today’s music industry? Or a lazy opening for bands that are no longer prepared to place faith in their material and sing for their supper the proper way?
They’ve definitely changed the way the industry seems to be working, and it’s a good thing for both bands and fans. We had a number of our first gigs through people having heard us on myspace, and our producer, marc rose, first heard us via this platform. It’s a really easy and effective way to communicate with listeners at short notice. As a fan it’s also a great way to find and hear new bands as well as seeing what your favourite bands are currently up to and keep an eye on gigs/dates etc etc.
However the internet phenomenon thing is probably not quite what people are making it out to be. Bands don’t just get deals and sell records through putting a song on the net, they still have to get out there and play to the people and still make records with professionals.
With the exception of any natural disaster wiping out the world, in what position might we find the band 5 years from today?
Hopefully we’ll still be writing and playing credible music to credible people who want to hear it. I don’t think we aim to be playing worldwide arena tours or anything. But to be able to tour the country and play music to people who want to hear us, and be selling enough records so that we don’t need other incomes, would be the collective Nephu Huzzband dream. We enjoy the creative independence we currently have, and are looking forward to more adventures and exposure once college is finished this year.
So, apart from the imminent release of ‘Nurse! Nurse!’ what’s the next step on the agenda?
We’re just trying to concentrate on writing new songs, then over the summer to go back into the studio and record another session single. Apart from that we just want to be getting around the country playing as many gigs as possible to as many people as possible.
Finally chaps, where can people find your music online?
You can hear it at myspace.com/nephuhuzzband and it can be bought from indiestore.com/nephuhuzzband and iTunes as well as most other digital online sites
Thanks to Tony at Manilla PR
