Broadcast 2000 Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 12th 2010 7:07PM by Stephanie Griffin
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While frontman Joe Steer considers his indie pop band Broadcast 2000 to be a solo effort, a multitude of musicians work on the project, utilizing everything from the cello to the glockenspiel. Residing in the UK, Broadcast 2000 will be making their US debut at SXSW this year. Spinner had a chat with Steer regarding his expectations for the festival, surfing, and the significance of the number 1069.

How would you describe your sound?

It's folk-influenced indie acoustic pop.

How was your band formed?

It's weird actually because it is a band for live performances, but it is more of a solo project. For all the recordings and the songwriting, it is just me in my bedroom. When we go out touring, I take a band with me. Sometimes it's just two musicians, or it might be three or four or five. When we play in London, there are sometimes nine of us. The band is kind of an ever-changing thing. Broadcast 2000 has been in existence as a solo project for about two years.

How did you come up with the name Broadcast 2000?

It's not very interesting. I recorded all my music in my bedroom, and that's where all the songwriting happens. I had a big calendar on the wall and it was from Broadcast Magazine, which is a magazine in the UK. It was from the year 2000, and it had been up on my bedroom wall for years and years. It just said "Broadcast 2000" and it seemed kind of appropriate. It doesn't have a great deal of meaning apart from that. It's nice to have a name that doesn't have any connotations so it doesn't sound necessarily like a folk band so maybe I can do another album and turn it into an electronica thing. I can do whatever I want with the name.

What are your musical influences?

Artists like Paul Simon, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, and all people who can write songs. I'm a big fan of proper songwriting and the craft of songwriting.

This year will be your first time playing SXSW. What are your expectations for the festival?

It's our first time playing the US as well. It's kind of intimidating because I know it's 2000 bands or whatever it is, and we're wondering how we're going to get noticed amongst the crowd. We're planning to play wherever and however ... in a bus on the street for half the time. We'll just try to get noticed. We don't really have any expectations. We're just looking forward to being there and seeing what happens. We don't really know much about it. It seems like another world. There's going to be sunshine, which we haven't seen in months and months.

What's in your festival survival kit?

I will bring lots and lots of gaffer tape. My percussionist's equipment always falls apart and it is very annoying on stage when beats are falling off his drum pedals. That will be in my kit. A pair of shorts because it's going to be nice and sunny. We don't really come very prepared. I'm sure there's lots of things we should be taking that I haven't thought of yet.

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

We were on tour in Germany last year and we met a guy who is the only person in the world to have changed his name to a number. His number was 1069. He was the most crazy guy I've ever met. All the locals at this venue just called him "1-0" for short. He was a very eccentric character.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

There's a girl pop band in the UK who probably aren't very well-known in the US, called Girls Aloud. Their songs are actually quite good. I don't think they actually write them themselves, but for a girl pop group they are pretty good.

What was the first concert you ever attended?

That was a band called Carter USM, who I'm sure will not be heard of in the States. [It was] in my home town of Exeter at the Exeter University. It was a lot of fun. There was a lot of jumping around. I'm an old man -- I like seated gigs. That was a very sweaty one. I think I was spending more time jumping and crowdsurfing than watching and listening to music.

What's your biggest vice?

I have a very bad habit for scratching my chin when I have stubble. I just do it all the time. My girlfriend always slaps my hand away when she sees me doing it. That's my worst habit.

If you weren't making music, what career path would you like to pursue?

I have a dream about going and living by the sea one day and doing some surfing. Maybe I'd be a lifeguard or something and just bum around on the beach like on 'Baywatch.' I'd need to work on my tan and my muscles.

Justin Richmond is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.