Band of the Week: We Have Band

Posted on Apr 6th 2010 12:00PM by Farah Ishaq
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Skewed alt-disco electronica trio We Have Band finally release their 12-track self-titled debut album, 'WHB,' on French indie label Naive this week, following an impressive set of singles which has included last month's 'Divisive' and Kitsune album compilation tracks.

The London-based band, featuring married couple Thomas W-P (vocals, guitar, bass) and Dede W-P (vocals, percussion) and their friend and ex-work colleague Darren Bancroft (vocals, drums), bonded in Manchester over a love of Michael Jackson's 'Off the Wall,' M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, the Rapture, Kate Bush, Radiohead and Brian Eno.

As Thomas W-P explains to Spinner, "We were more just enjoying those bands rather than listening with a view to sounding like any of them. The thing about a debut album is you're really being influenced by everything you've ever heard and liked from when you were a kid, so to pinpoint influences is very hard."

Working with Grizzly Bear and Depeche Mode producer Gareth Jones, We Have Band recorded 11 of the debut album's tracks on the road last year -- a year where they clocked up an impressive 137 live shows around the world.

They admit their double-vocal Hot Chip-esque dance tracks do have a dark undercurrent. Thomas says, "We like the mix of light and dark in our songs, so often the music is quite pop and danceable but the lyrics are very bleak. It's just a combination that really interests us. A lot of the best disco music is like that too and it makes it so engaging."

Last year, the band won the Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent competition -- earning hem a place at the event. How did they feel about winning? Percussionist Bancroft says, "It was amazing and nothing bad has come from it. It's not exactly 'X Factor!' It's more of an award than a competition and with Michael Eavis and Emily Eavis and all the stage bookers judging we considered it a big honour."

Thomas adds, "It's such a special festival, we'd like to keep going back for years and years."

On their debut album, We Have Band's sound grows from sad and melancholic on openers 'Piano' and 'Buffet' through guitars which evoke the likes of Joy Division and Interpol on 'What You Doing?' to stomping synth songs like 'Oh!.'

On the latter track, Thomas says, "It's like that thing of having a terrible week and then going to a party at the weekend to dance it out."

We Have Band were first touted as 'ones to watch' and 'disco-rock' hopefuls back in 2008. Bancoft says, "We were grateful, but it did seem a little crazy after just having one or two songs out. We didn't want to rush into an album release. We hope people think we're worth the wait." The times has come to make a decision.

For a taster of We Have Band, a free MP3 of album track 'Honey Trap' is available at the band's website here. A short UK tour starts at Glasgow's Captains Rest venue on Tuesday, April 6.