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Interview
by SashaS
16-8-2004
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| XisLoaded: independently xplorin' fate |
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Liberty nerve
XisLoaded in pursuit of independent happiness
Ever so often the mutha brain brings fore that John Steinback’s title - [The best laid plans] ‘Of Mice and Men’ - for a reprise mull over what, or who, is truly pulling the destiny’s strings. The opportunity presented itself again a few weeks ago when we talked with Jake Robertson of XisLoaded about the band’s debut album that had been finished almost a year ago.
When it was finally set to be released - 05 July - it got postponed for a couple of weeks but then, something really weird happened. The company XisL signed to, Music For Nations, was bought by BMG and, although the Bertelsmann Music Group is a fine umbrella for a number of labels that are home to Foo Fighters, The Strokes, OutKast, Alicia Keys, Xtina Aguilera, Pink, Will Young…
One would have to argue that XisL is not their fodder and the band found themselves facing some precarious times: they are an independent outfit and MFN suited them really the best with its rocky-cum-indie roster and output that would allow them to grow and mature before being asked to produce the numbers. Their ascendancy into the rock Parthenon would be slow but assured.
Whether BMG were prepared to invest in nurturing XisLoaded’s sound over a couple of albums is questionable because the major would expect to hear on the debut disc. Also, the promotion of this LP in earnest internationally became instantly doubtful and tour budget could have been not existent… What was even more worrisome in the situation is the merger of BMG with Sony that is expected to widely cull artists from both labels by being “freed from further contractual obligations” of the merciless accounting suits.
Luckily, the band realised all this, negotiated release from the contract and bought back the master. ‘Raw Nerve’ finally appeared in the shops at the end of July [see our Review]. Although XisL were getting ready for another short tour of the UK, instead of rehearsing, they are working out some B-sides. And, found time to talk with us.
“We are working on songs,” Robertson informs us about the band’s agenda, “and the tracks are usually used as an opportunity to map out what the next album could be like. We are using these songs to work out what it could, but the fact is that - no one knows what it is going to be when the time comes to record it.”
“We are experimenting with some ideas and are glad because it’s been such a long time since the last album. The reason being just the usual, bureaucratic nonsense and it was very frustrating due to the whole process being rather tedious. Add to that the sudden buy-out and you can imagine how we felt. We had to get out and managed to release it ourselves.”
Drums'n'wires cure
XisLoaded formed three years ago when school-friends Robertson and guitarist Martino recruited bassist Al ’Ex’ Cole and drummer Jamie O‘Gorman. Whenever biographical notes are referred to, The Cure are mentioned as an influence, as well as Suede but - there is no similarity, really.
“Well, there really isn’t a direct influence,” Jake explains patiently, “our influences are not of aping the band but we just use the feeling, it is something inspirational and we attempt to create… All the bands that inspire us is not us trying to be like them to make money, it is just like the spirit we are interested in. I’ve never even seen The Cure live, which is a shame; I did see Suede and love them.”
“We are not kind of a flash-in-the-pan band and we need to work on our music, develop it, mature and working with a major would have been too scary. We couldn’t take it because Music For Nations was like a family, so we formed out own label, Thrill2Kill, and our next single is going to be on our label. Next, BMG is going to merge with Sony and the artists on both labels should really start worrying.”
With the advance of the cyber-shopping music, labels are becoming quickly obsolete but it is hard to deny their need to budget tours?
“True but not in our case,” Robertson proudly states. “We’ve always done it ourselves, always pretty much covered the costs ourselves because we’ve always done it very cheaply: we’ve got our own transport, gear, everything and it kinda pays for itself. We have to get on with certain conditions but that’s the price you have to pay to remain independent.”
One assumes you’ll have to be more biz-involved in the future; how will, if at all, affect the music?
“We‘ve learnt a lot about it from working with the labels and, however people despise the idea, musicians are business men. They all like to think of themselves as artists but you have to know a lot of things and I’m a music business trainee.”
Tranquillity strikers
The strange thing is that XisLoaded is a product of the sedate, genteel and dormant Bath which is exactly what Jake finds stimulating.
“It is very quiet and that’s what I like about it, I can do a lot of things without many destructions. It is a very beautiful place but it is very small and some people feel such a sense of security and they feel they can’t leave it… People claim that environment influences music but I’m not so sure… We travel a lot and get inspiration from other places and most of my songs come from within…”
“Music provides people with an escape for half or an hour and that‘s what we provide. If people come to the show then you should really give them the best you can. Music itself is important to engage people but you have to give them something more, lyrics that communicate something, some truth and not just the … I‘ve always written about the things that really happened, to me and never about other people.”
“I like to write about my own, previous experiences and it is usually about venting a frustration. Without it I wouldn’t know what to do and it is one outlet for… That’s what music is, an outlet for frustration, release from the claustrophobic world we live in right now. That’s what is great about music - it is limitless place where you can find something to divert your mind.”
“In this crazy times you ought to reflect what you see, what is going on and help few people on their way.”
Definitely needed as there are more throwaway stars and less substance then ever…
“No, I wouldn’t say that but there’s always been throwaway music, from the days of Tin Pan Alley… You had the corporate types and people went for the recreational types of music but there always were people against it… Still, with downloading music straight onto your computer, with DVDs and video-games, it’s never been more claustrophobic, crazy, segregated, exploitative…”
Years ago there was a daft sci-fi movie [‘Judge Dredd’?] but it had one good idea: only one corporation survives in the ‘takeover wars’. It was - Taco Bell; well, the chain obviously invested the most so the scriptwriters were obliged, blah-blah.
The moot point is there being only few labels in the future - Microsoft and iTunes, most likely. Then, an outright commercial duel will ensue and the winner will rule the world with us becoming even-greater cyber putty. For now, enjoy this band on record and live, it is a fantastic immunisation…
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XisLoaded play Metro, London, on 18 August 2004
SashaS
16-8-2004
XisLoaded’s album ‘Raw Nerve’ is available now on ShellShock
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