Radio 1 Evening Session, September 2000
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Steve: Lowgold, hello.

Darren: Hello.

Miles: Hello Steve.

S: Now, what were you doing before you started the band?

D: I was on the dole for a very very long period of time, and then oddly enough when I finally got an honest job, three months later we got signed. And I was...a housing benefits officer! Years claiming it, and then I switched to the other side.

S: So you've managed to form the band, and was it difficult? Because whereabouts were you all based at this point, you were out sort of Hertfordshire way?

D: I'd been kinda drumming in a band and writing songs for that band and they'd never sounded quite right, so when that band fell apart I thought well if I can write songs why don't i have a go at maybe fronting a band with those songs. And when we kinda started off immediately those songs sounded how I wanted them to, oddly enough.

S: So you get signed, and do you do anything special?

M: I just remember getting really drunk on the day they told us they were going to sign us. Well we went in, first of all, we went into the office, all four of us, we had the band together by then, and they sat down and they had this thing where they'd just kinda sit round and talk about nothing like record companies seem to do. We'd just have conversations about football and just Alan Partridge or something like that. And so in the middle of this stupid conversation, in a record company office, they just say "we want to sign you for records and publishing". And it's like, that is the sentence I've been wanting to hear for so many years..and then back onto football again.

S: So a really long chat up line...

D: And I almost had a full rectal prolapse when he said it, I tried to remain calm.

M: It didn't sink in at all.

S: Do you think, I mean, you cover some of the seams or some of the themes in the songs, it's almost like you cover people's lives like seasons. You know, there's stages and situations they go through.

D: That's quite a beautiful statement...

M: That's wonderful Steve!

D: ...can I have that one?

S: Very poetic!...but it almost like, you know, there's this feeling in some of the songs that just because it's winter and everything's dying it doesn't mean everything's over because there will be spring again. But it's phases, as seasons in people's lives.

D: Erm......I'm kind of perplexed by that...

M: That's far too intelligent....

D: ...that's just so beautiful, I've got a little tear in my eye just thinking about it.

M: As a listener to Darren's songs, I kinda see passing of time and ageing and stuff like that, I see that as a big theme in the songs so maybe that ties in with seasons.

S: Can I just ask you another question - Is it true that your dad was something in the army?

D: He..is..still is something in the army.

S: Oh is he? And what, is he a big fella in the army or a little fella?

D: He's a short fella..

S: He's a short fella, but with an important job?

D: Erm..it's warranted him going to buck house and getting a gong off queenie.

S: No way! Is that true?

D: Absolutely true, I was there with him. I actually went to buck house, can you believe that, little old me.

S: How old were you?

D: Erm, how old was I...about twenty two or twenty three?

S: Really?

D: And it's like a tart's parlour in there, it really is. The décor is appalling!

S: You can't say that, they'll put you in the tower!

M & D laugh

D: As long as they've got crushed velvet curtains I don't mind where they put me.

S: Do you think it's also, we were talking about that fact that, you know, you've all come from different places and ended up in this one just arbitrary place, almost. But you must have moved around then if your dad was in the army..

D: Yeah

S: ..and I think this all adds to the quality of the songs doesn't it.

D: Hmm, travelling tones.

M: It's not regional in the slightest is it?

S: No it's not.

D: Everybody else in the band has got that sense of belonging somewhere, and I just haven't got it. It's like, I was born in England but four weeks later we moved to Germany, and then we moved from Germany to Northern Ireland and basically I knew I was English, but I didn't see England 'til I was five, which is just a truly bizarre thing to experience. But to me it's perfectly natural so I find it quite alien when people actually have a home town and that sense of belonging somewhere.

S: Allegiances to certain things. I dunno, it's just almost there is this quest and questioning which is, you know, somewhere underlying...

D: You're beautiful with words, do you wanna knock up some lyrics for us? I'll pay you!

S: Will you! Here's my next song...no let's not!

M & D laugh

S: You've got loads of gigs coming up as well, which we should plug. Because you're on tour, you've started now, haven't you basically, I'll do the dates in a second. But, on tour, and you were saying about showmanship earlier on, and are you telling me that you've never written an adlib before, in your head before going on stage?

D: Erm, I have done, but not as far as the band goes. Because...world exclusive...I've done a bit of stand up comedy in my time you see.

S: Have you?

D: Yes, for about eight months.

S: Did you, really? Round what, around Hertfordshire, London?

D: Around London. You know like there's that kind of awful pub circuit for bands, there's also one for stand up comedians, believe it or not.

S: Yeah, absolutely

D: And I was involved in that for about eight months.

S: What sort of act was it?

M: Filthy!

S: Filthy?!?

D: Basically I was just a lame Bill Hicks wannabe.

S: So have you ever, as a link between any songs since you've been going, it doesn't matter where, big gigs, small gigs, have you ever said something where you just thought 'oh no, I wish I hadn't said that'?

D: Just about every time!

S: This is one reason why a) you should go and see Lowgold on their dates, and also, you're doing the Coldplay tour as well?

D: Yeah, it has just been confirmed. it was kinda on, then it was off then it was on and then it was off, and now, apparently it's on again, which is very good news for all concerned

S: Fantastic, and that's October for that?

M: Yep.

D: I hope so yeah..if you can get petrol for it!

S: Could be a problem!

M & D laugh

S: I hadn't fought about that actually. Well we'll keep out fingers crossed, because after that I suppose there will be an album, we're not quite sure of release dates yet.

M: There's an album ready and waiting.

S: There's an album ready and waiting, and we're gonna play a track from it actually, I'm not sure if we're supposed to do this, but if it's alright with you?

M: Yep.

S: So album, what's the title of the album?

D: Just Backward of Square.

S: Just backward of square..that sounds like a cricket reference more than a football reference that, is it?

D: That's exactly what it is, you're the first person to spot it.

M: Isn't he clever?

D: Bless you!

S: No way, really? When did that come to you then?

D: That's actually from Dan, who is obsessed with cricket.

S: We're gonna play this track, 'Back Here Again' which I think this relates probably to the changing of seasons and going round in a circle except everything changes all the time.

D: Chasing your tail bro.

S: Yeah that's what it is. It's from the new Lowgold album, thank you very much for talking to us.

M & D: Thank you.

S: And the single's out next week, but here it is, 'Back Here Again'.


Typed out by Paul Kelly for www.lowgold.co.uk


 
 
 
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