The Law Interview: SXSW 2010

Scottish rockers the Law released their debut album 'A Measure of Wealth' in the fall of 2009 and have been piling up international acclaim since, including radio play on Los Angeles' KROQ and San Francisco's KUSF. Their single 'Don't Stop, Believe' was used as a soundtrack to the international trailer for 'The Men Who Stare at Goats,' and their logo was created by John Pasche, designer of the Rolling Stones' iconic tongue-and-lips logo. The band will now appear at SXSW for the second time, scheduled to deliver four shows of their swaggering, anthemic rock 'n' roll. Spinner recently caught up with lead vocalist Stuart Purvey to get the lowdown on the Law.

Describe your sound.

It's only rock 'n' roll but I like it [laughs]. We're influenced by rock bands whose songs have stood the test of time.

How did the band form?

Well, the bassist and the drummer [Simon and Martin Donald] are brothers, so they'd been playing together, and then I met Simon in school, and we all decided to start a band. We advertised for a guitarist, and then Stevie came along. Stevie was the first person who responded and he was the man for the job, so then the ad came down. So that's another reason in our belief that this must be destiny.

What artists are your biggest musical influences?

The Who, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Clash, to name but a few.

How did you all come up with the band name?

Dundee [the band's hometown] is at the foot of a dormant volcano known as the Law, so we named ourselves after the local Dundee landmark. Plus it's a Clash song we're fond of, and our drummer was lucky enough to meet up with Joe [Strummer] at one point, so it seemed to fit.

What's your biggest vice?

Cigarettes, I guess. Marlboros. I smoke a pack a day.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Clean socks. Putting on a clean pair of socks always makes you feel better after a shower.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Gosh, there's been so many of them. Beyonce is a current crush. Christina Aguilera. There's definitely something about a girl who can sing. The funny thing is that in Austin, Beyonce's younger sister [Solange Knowles] is going to be on the same bill with us at Ace's Lounge.

Will this be your first time playing in Austin?

No, we played SXSW once before, in 2007 or 2008. It was great--every club you walked past, there was live music coming out, which we loved. And the people were great too, very friendly.

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

Stevie was so drunk after a gig one time that he jumped into the river in Cornwall. He got dragged back out and the cigarette was still in his mouth, although it wasn't burning anymore. He's just usually drunk and does stuff like that.

Greg M. Schwartz is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.