Standard Fare Interview: SXSW 2010

This revivifying trio from the UK are about to release their debut album, 'The Noyelle Beat' on March 29th, 2010. The set of three is made up of Emma Kupa, Danny How and Andy Beswick, whose music represents buoyant energy, lovesick lyrics and cleverly shared guy/girl vocals from Emma and Danny. Spinner caught up with the colorful trio that is Standard Fare before they hit the stages of SXSW.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Dan: The melodic upbeat B-side of a well-loved punk record.

Andy: Quirky pop rock.

How did your band form?

Emma: We met through my neighbor and our separate bands played together, and then the bands broke up and we started playing music together.

What are your musical influences?

E: My influences are Fleetwood Mac, Sam Cooke, the Cardigans.

D: Early '90s punk bands like Rancid and the Offspring. I also used to listen to a lot of Idlewild.

A: Graham Coxon, Elliott Smith, Four Tet.

How did you come up with your band name?

E: I saw it on a bus and liked the slight self-deprecatory tone.

What's in your festival survival kit?

E: Food! Lots of food. And phone charger.

D: Sunglasses -- they'll keep the rain out of your eyes.

A: I'd probably forget it.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

E: ABBA and the less offensive R&B out there.

D: I love pop-punk, and you probably don't remember the band Son of Dork with the guy from Busted, but anyway, I thought they were great even though everything about them told me I shouldn't.

A: Shania Twain's fantastic! And I actually have a couple of her songs on my iPod.

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

D: This isn't exactly crazy but we were walking down Brick Lane in London before a gig, and a drunken Scottish guy asked me, "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?" His delivery was faultless, so sincere, I almost turned around to look for it!


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