Laurel Collective Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 10th 2010 1:45PM by Chris Mugan
Comments

Since they formed in 2005, London-based the Laurel Collective have whittled themselves down from 19 members to a more manageable five-piece that mix surreal word play with pop hooks and a DIY sensibility. In 2008, they dropped well-received mini-album 'Feelgood Hits Of A Nuclear Winter' via Domino Records offshoot Double Six. Now the band head to Texas with a full-length debut ready to roll at SXSW. Co-vocalist Bob Tollast explained more to Spinner.

Describe the Laurel Collective's sound in your own words.

Skronky melodic art-pop, with little detours into weirdness.

How did your band form?

It was a classic case of meeting people as friends and realising we really liked the same music, which at the time was mostly post-rock and hip-hop. We all happened to have instruments and too much time on our hands.

What are your musical influences?

We listen to new music almost every day, but I suppose the first big people to make an impact stick the hardest. These were musical chameleons like Bjork, Beck and Serge Gainsbourg.

How did you come up with your band name?

Too much thought went into it and then we just went with what some really drunk person said.

What's your biggest vice?

Probably fig rolls, I ate an entire pack for dinner the other day.

Tell us what's in your festival survival kit?

Something like baby wipes and bottled water because you are guaranteed to wake up boiling hot in your tent - skanky, gross and dehydrated. At 'The Big Chill' [festival] I was too hungover to walk down the hill. Also booze and your own food to save money. And cash because it's so expensive and there's normally no cash points.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Probably just crap pop-music like Ace Of Base.

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

Well, I thought I'd seen everything and then I saw a man eat his own head. Seriously, probably recently when an old Indian woman gave us a massive plastic bag of hot kebab meat for doing a gig. It was a charity show in Birmingham. That was very weird, but very cool.