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The Whip
Bruce from The Whip talks about Beach Boys, blisters and bass lines.
What motivates you to make music?
Having enough musical ammo to let it rip on stage for a good hour every night. It’s a challenge to make something that will make people dance to more. I lot of the songs on this album were written when we we’re trying to get the band going and danny and I would go to our little studio in the cellar of a pub in salford every night after a hard days work. It’s pretty tough to get yourself up for it after work. So I guess all the motivation then was about getting to of that situation and in to one where we can play gigs every night.
What three aspects or parts of your latest release (single or album) are you most proud of?
Probably the last couple of songs we wrote. I like Blackout, it goes on a psychedelic trip at the end which I like playing live. Fire is a newish one too, Jim Abbiss pushed us to make that one better in the studio when we were making the album. So we went in to the live room and totally changed the whole song and sort of remixed what we had already done and that’s the song it is today. And I love playing trash, we always play it at the end of the gig and we put everything we have got left in to those 6 and a half minutes. We’re always really sweaty by then and like to get people on the stage.
If time and money were no issue, how long do you think it would take you to make the perfect album?
I think it’s good to do it quick to capture a vibe, we wrote our songs over the two years we’ve been gigging, sometimes in dressing rooms or on the bus but we made sure we recorded the album fast to capture the vibe of the live instruments. I’ve been in a band in the past where we spent a year in the studio, we ended up with something that sounded nothing like the band we were, you can get lost if you spend too long. I want to get another album out this time next year and write the beast fast to it has the same smell.
What do you enjoy doing away from music?
Catching up with mates and loved ones when I can. I do like footy and used to play a lot when I had more time. Music is my life other than that, I can’t stop thinking about it no matter what’s happening.
Which song or piece of music other than your own draws the strongest emotional response from you?
I like loads of different stuff. Maybe the beach boys – surf’s up, or talking heads – once in a lifetime the new d.i.m remix of the presets gets me emotionally beefed though.
Outside of recording and playing music, which part of the musician’s life do you find the most dull?
We never really have time to stop so I would say the bit after soundcheck before the gig, the calm before the storm! You miss mates too, we try to bring them with us as much as possible.
Which instrument do you wish you could play and why?
I really wish I played either the bass or drums, hotdog gets to play my bass lines live every night and I’d love to do that and I love playing the drums. I have this fantasy that on one song I’ll play the drums.
Apart from music are there any other art forms you relate to?
I love films, I studied film so it good to be able to watch stuff on the bus. Democracy rules though on the bus and I get out voted often on the dvd vote and have to watch some seriously shit films.
What role do you believe music plays in the world and how do you help to fulfill it?
Music keeps my blood pumping, I don’t know what I’d do without it, I think it keeps my sane. Music makes people dance, whats better than that?
With the rise of the internet fans are able to become closer to and know more about their artists. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
I think it’s brilliant, I love talking to people on my space. It’s good to find out from fans people what they think of new songs and other stuff. For fans it’s like asking your own interview questions too. It’s all about the audience.
How do you think music will be distributed, exchanged or sold in 5 years time?
It keeps changing all the time, I can’t believe how different thing are now to 10 years ago. I remember searching for records. When you would find something special is would feel like you discovered the hold grail. Now you can buy things from some bloke on ebay or download it without getting blisters from looking through racks of shelves. Maybe in 5 years songs will be put straight in to your brain. It’s great that people can get hold of music so easily at the same time, so people can hear about bands on the internet and know everything about them in a couple of hours. I did like the mystique of the past though.
If you could rename your band, what would it be?
“Maho” it’s Japanese for magic, we nearly called our album that but bottled it.
Looking back on the last century, which decade had the best music?
Bits of lots, it’s good to mish mash stuff together and eat from a musical buffet.
In 10 years time, what will you be doing?
Writing an interview on my computer looking forward to the rest of our European dates, just like today.
Please leave us with your favourite lyric, line of poetry, quote or phrase.
“taste the whip, now bleed for me” lou reed. Velvet underground – heroin.
Check out The Whip on tour throughout may and listen to tunes over at www.myspace.com/thewhipmanchester
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