The Fields Interview

With some bands you feel that interview time is a necessary evil where they try and get it over with. This couldn't be accused of Fields as the entire band sat down with RoomThirteen and chatted about food, drink, Ewoks and floors that light up. There may also have been some talk about music and gigs too.

Indulging in the chat were Nick Peill (vocals / guitar), Thorunn Antonia (vocals / keyboards), Henry Spencer (vocals / drums), Matty Derham (bass) and Jamie Putnam (electric guitar.)

R13: A couple of shows into the tour, how has it been going?
NP: Pretty wicked actually, I'd say its been our best tour so far. The atmosphere has been brilliant and the crowd know most of the songs.
HS: Its been rocking, its helped having the album out.
R13: Have you noticed a lot of the crowd singing along?
NP: There was a moment last night when I asked had anyone bought the album and I thought "Oh God, this could go horribly wrong"...
MD: A big cheer went up.
NP: Yeah, so at least two had bought it.
HS: 2 out of 6 isnt bad! (To much laughter from the band.)
R13: You don't want to ask how many people have downloaded it illegally?
MD: God yeah...the whole room would cheer!

R13: Have you noticed a progression in the tours you have did, in either the crowd or your own playing?
NP: Yeah, we've did a lot of supports so we've played different shows.
JP: Its been enjoyable though, the progression so yes, we're really pleased with how its turned out.

R13: Following on that idea, you've recently supported Bloc Party. Do you approach support slots differently to your own sets?
NP: We play less songs!
MD: We try to play the same type of show though, we don't change it that much.
NP: Touring with Bloc Party was brilliant, we've did a few shows with them in the last year. Our fifth ever gig was supporting them.
MD: It was our fourth. I remember it, it was a big one, it was at Koko in London.
HS: We like doing those shows as you get good catering which is important to us.
(Prior to the interval, the band generously offered full access to their backstage rider amidst praising the spread that King Tuts offers.)
NP: Yeah, as we said earlier, the venues where you get good food sticks out. Tuts is one, theres one in Newcastle, Liverpool and the Louisiana in Bristol.
JP: Or the burgers and chips we got in Leeds, that as well.
HS: Its an integral part of what we are.

R13: If you could name your perfect rider, what would be on it?
JP:Roast swan.
TA: As long as I have vodka.
HS: Fish fingers, chips, gravy...err onion gravy. 72 cans of Grolsch...don't know what the rest of the guys are drinking!
JP: Beer? I'd go for a rather nice chateau...from a very good year I think!

R13: Were you glad to get the album out into the public recently?
NP:yeah, glad to finish it as by the end of it was hard to be objective about it. I think it stands up well and reflects what the band wanted to show, and to show that we're a live band as well.
HS:It definitely goes a long way in capturing what we do live, more so than earlier singles.
JP: We're very proud of the artwork as well.
NP:Its been hard to have as much involvement as we would have liked as we've been on the road but we are involved. Up until the album I was doing the artwork for the singles.
HS:That leopard skin clad woman on the bonnet of the car was awful though.
JP:That was The Long Blondes!
HS:Was it? Sorry. (Again, to much laughter from the band)
R13: Would you like that style for the next single?
HS:I might keep that for my solo project.
TA: I've got a nice catsuit, all-in-one. Its at home, it's the one The Spinto Band were wearing. You could wear that one on the cover.
HS:I will.
R13: That answer is definitely going into the interview, so you will be held to that.
TA:Yep, its on permanent record now.
R13: Still, as Spinal Tap would say, "Theres nothing wrong with being sexy."
TA:Exactly (again, to the whole bands amusement.)

R13: The album is just out but do you have any thoughts to another record yet?
NP:Definitely, we've got a bunch of new stuff written. We did loads with the idea that there would be B-sides and some of those will be the starting point of the second album.
JP:That's why we're in a band and its important for us to keep writing.
NP:I really genuinely think we are a band who will grow over a number of albums. We are a bit of an anomaly and this gives us a chance to develop in our own way.

R13: How do you write songs as a band?
HS: All manners of ways really. Sometimes someone brings a complete song, other times, things happen in rehearsal rooms. Theres not a formula and that's what makes it interesting for us.
MD: We're all quite different and we bring different ideas to the studio and it's a nice way of doing it.
JP:We wrote about eight songs in a week one time and it was really exciting to collectively pick them off one by one.
NP:When you have a day like that you get so inspired to write more and that was a great time.
TA:Theres a good chemistry between us and when an idea kicks in, it really works. And if it doesn't, then it was probably a crap idea anyway!

R13: Is there a set leader in the band?
HS:Jamie is really good at taking the lead.
JP: Mattie can be great at cracking the whip when we need to.
NP:I have a tendency to wander off and make annoying noises for a while.
MD: You can sit down at a piece of equipment and four hours later you're still there messing about with things and we're all like aaarrgghhhh...but that's cool in its own way. I get really worked up about getting things done, and its good for me but not everyone.

R13: You seem like you are all your own people and you have an eclectic background, is there a story of how you got together?
NP: Me and Jamie had been friends and played in bands together. A friend of mine was living with Thorunn so we ended up making music together. Thorunn knew Henry, Henry knew Matt and we all met. It was nice because we all started to know each other socially and decided to have a rehearsal and write songs.
HS:Straight away, it felt like it would work.
NP: We arranged a gig for about six weeks time to really focus us on getting the band together and it really paid off.
TA:It happened very fast, before we knew it we were signed.
NP:So we've only been a band for about 18 months so that's why so much is new to us.
TA: 18 months....it seems longer than that!!!!

R13: You're hitting Canada and America in May, looking forward to that?
MD:Yeah, who wouldn't.
TA:They've been very welcoming to us, so it'll be good to play over there. They've got a little love for us over there.
JP:Theres a very good opportunity for us over there and go and play a lot of shows. Coachella being pretty much the highlight.
TA: That's a dream scenario and part of me still cant believe we are playing it.

R13: Do you have any UK festival plans?
JP: Theres a lot still at the booking stage and trying to fit in with what we are doing in the States. Hopefully Reading / Leeds.

R13: Good catering aside, what do you wish for the rest of the year?
HS:I want to buy a helicopter.
JP:Harry also wants to have an Ewok village in his garden.
HS:yeah definitely. Get the speedracer things to fly, pay some dwarves to dress up as the Ewoks.
MD: I'd like a floor where it lights up wherever you step.
HS: I'm liking your idea, sack the records, lets get a light-up floor.
R13: You could maybe work it into a video treatment. It could be harder with the Ewoks though?
HS: Yeah, I expect some budget cuts, maybe make it with Lego first and then build it up slowly, like the magazines where you get a leg one week...
JP:Part-works.
HS:Yeah, each week you get a new piece of the garden.
R13: I'd stick that idea up on your myspace site and I'm sure some fan will build it for you.
HS:That's a good shout. Great idea.

R13: Thanks for the time, do you have any last comments for our readers?
TA: Irn Bru is definitely the way forward, it's a great hangover cure.
MD: And the glass bottles man, love that.
R13: You also get 20p back if you return the glass bottle to the store. That's how you bought your sweets as a kid in Glasgow!
MD:That is genius!
NP:Really?
TA:Yeah, that happened in Iceland as well, get some Krona back and buy some more sweets.

And with all that talk of food and drink, the band looked fired up to finish off the rest of the famous King Tuts catering, which no doubt provided the energy for their excellent show later on in the evening.