South Central Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 2nd 2010 10:00AM by Will Justice
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Don't let them fool you--South Central are a technologically adept indie rock band
that wants to get you moving on the dance floor. With a background in electronic
production and alternative rock performance, this up-and-coming U.K. act creates a
successful fusion of punk and electronic/dance, which they will bring to Austin, Texas for this year's SXSW Festival. Predictably, they showed artistic flair and little fear when pressed an interview.

How would you describe your sound in your own words?

Dance music operating under the influence of indie/alternative/new-wave rock.
A US blog once termed us "indie rocktronica" and we quite like that too.

How did your band form?

Rob: It kinda fell together from our passion for dance and indie rock. For a while Keith and I were in a straight indie band and we had started a dance act doing remixes and bootlegs to help pay for the other band's rehearsals and recordings. After a while it became apparent that we were knocking ourselves out on two acts. A friend asked why we didn't combine the two styles in one act. Click!

Keith: We needed to find musicians that were great players that were big fans of electronic and dance music as well with an indie rock background. That's when the rest of the band formed--the five of us are big fans of tight, banging beats and big sounds, we are all on the same wavelength.

What are your musical influences?

The Fall, Kraftwerk, the Cure, Interpol, Pavement, the Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers, Joy Division, Gary Numan, MBV.

How did you come up with your band name?

Rob: It has very little to do with Los Angeles. We were looking for a phrase that has the same sibilant resonance as the word "success."

Keith: Well that's half the story. The other half of the story is not fit for family viewing.

What's your biggest vice?

Rob: We are workaholics. It's writing music--we are always at it. We even have beds in our studio, we are slaves to the rhythm. Keith is probably worse than me. He can't switch off 'til he routinely burns out from nervous exhaustion.

Keith: Yes, our main vice is that we don't have the time to cultivate cool vices.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Rob: Playing the piano in complete darkness.

Keith: That is not a guilty pleasure. I'm trying to sleep, you keep playing. I beg you to stop and you don't. It wouldn't be so bad if you felt guilty about it.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

Rob: Hmm, we try to keep crazy things down to a minimum. Trying to think if we can put in to print which wont get us in trouble with the authorities.

Keith: No.

Who or what kind of people would you recommend listening to your music?

Rob: People who like banging beats, big sounds and melodies!

Keith: And people who have little emotional attachment to specific genres.

What works or accomplishments is the band most proud of?

Both happened in France actually. Being the first act to play the Transmusicales Festival in France three times [in its 31 year history], playing in Paris at La Place de la Bastille in front of 20 thousand people was cool too.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Rob: Phoebe Cates

Keith: Who's she? I cant remember a specific crush. I was obsessed by Kraftwerk from a very early age--does that count?

What key moment made you feel that the band had really made it?

Rob: I guess it was when we released the first SC single proper. As an artist, every time you finish a track you feel that "made it" feeling, but it is fleeting so you are looking for your next fix.

Keith: Dropping a track either live or DJing that you wrote and people going mad to it makes you feel like you have made it, but it also makes you want to do it again and the cycle begins again.

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