Call Upon The Author

Call Upon The Author wanted to catch up with darlings of the Leeds scene This Many Boyfriends. With their debut album out on the 8^th of October now seemed a good time to meet them to discuss their career leading up to this point and of course working with The Cribs frontman Ryan Jarman. Richard, Laura, Daniel, Ben and Tom gave us their thoughts on each others roles within the group and the bands past, present and future.

How did you all meet?

Laura: Me and Rich have known each other for years, through mutual friends. I know all these guys from him.

Daniel: I became friends with Tom at college, about five/six years ago, joined the band about two years ago when they needed a rhythm guitarist.

Richard: I met Tom at the Leeds University Music Library, despite the fact that I wasn’t a student. It was that good a music library that I was happy to break in. Tom had cool taste in music so me and Alex (former guitarist) recruited him as bass player, even though he couldn’t play bass. That was merely a formality. And Ben I admired from afar for ages as I was a massive fan of The Lodger. He’s now in my band so I guess I win.

Where did the band name come from?

Laura: Richard has had a lot of boyfriends

Richard: Ha! Very funny. It’s the title of a Beat Happening song and they’re really good.

What were your influences growing up?

Laura: Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. Musically I liked Nirvana like everyone else in the world. And Spiritualized and Radiohead.

Richard: Ducktails. Beethoven (the dog not the piano guy) Fievel Goes West. Musically, Natalie Imbruglia

Daniel: MTV2 I think, it was a lot different back then

Richard: I wish I’d said Daniel’s answer now! I went too far back.

Ben: Under the age of 10 it was Roald Dahl, The Housemartins, Blackadder. Growing up The Smiths, Nirvana and Woody Allen films.

Tom: Strokes, Blink 182, Nirvana, Oasis, Joy Division, The Cribs and lots of Playstation!

Creatively, both musically and lyrically, is it a group decision or the responsibility of one person?

Daniel: I write a lot of the music, I stay away from the lyrics, too hard!

Richard: It is all me! I write all the music, and lyrics. Ben and Daniel don’t do anything. Dan is clearly lying. No really, I write the lyrics and Dan/Ben do guitar stuff. And the rhythm section make stuff up to fit.

Ben: I contribute riffs and guitar licks.

Tom: Having written one whole line of lyrics I can confidently say I am the primary song writer and the rest of the so called “band” are clinging to my coat tails.

Do you prefer writing and recording or playing live?

Laura: I get mega nervous playing live. Being in front of people with them watching me makes me feel a bit sick. So I just get really drunk and try have fun. I still enjoy it loads despite nerves. I enjoy recording too. I really enjoyed recording our album ‘cos even though I know shite all about music it was really interesting to learn stuff. Seb and Ryan were lovely and didn’t make me feel stupid about being a novice. Also I got to play Paul Cook’s drumkit. So that was better than stage-vom.

Daniel: Both, although you rarely get the same stress recording, carrying an amp to gigs can be quite tiring! I like to get creative writing songs, but I also like getting drunk playing guitar!

Richard: Playing live is much better! Not as much sitting around drinking tea. Also it’s all about me, rather than being all about the musicians and their pesky chords.

Ben: I’m really into recording both TMB and other bands. Pointing microphones at people and the mixing together the results is one of my jobs. Playing a gig in front of loads of people who like it is pretty unbeatable though.

Tom: Recording is really dull for me because me and Laura are normally the first to do anything then we sit around for 8 hours whilst Dan does his guitar parts.  Playing live is tits. That’s right tits. It means really good. I love it. Hence tits

 

What’s your favourite venue you have ever played and why?

Laura: The Ritz in Manchester was pretty fucking cool.

Daniel: The big ones we did with the Cribs in Leeds and London were cool, it’s quite an experience playing to that many people

Richard: Buffalo Bar in Cardiff. It was really good and they give you free pasta

Ben: The Indietracks shed earlier in the year was my favourite. It absolutely pissed it down just in time for everyone to come and get dry and listen to TMB.

Tom: The Ritz in Manchester, Indietracks and my mum’s house for her birthday. Aces

What’s your favourite venue in Leeds?

Laura: Brudenell! They book the best bands and it’s our local. We play a lot of table football at the Brudenell.

Daniel: The Brud and Oporto, good bookers and stages

Richard: I’m going to have to agree with everyone and say The Brudenell

Ben: Brudenell Social Club is probably the best. Always see lots of familiar faces loitering around, up to no good. Quite partial to the Irish Centre as well.

Tom: Brud.

If you could share the stage with anyone who would it be?

Laura: Patti Smith

Daniel: The Strokes

Richard: Aside from myself, probably Ron Swanson. He could make a canoe while I sang

Ben: Kraftwerk

Tom: Ed Sheeran, Rupert Grint and Prince Harry. Together we are stronger.

What was the last album you all listened to individually? 

Laura: Titus Andronicus – The Airing of Grievances

Daniel: Fever to Tell I think

Richard: I listened to the new Meursault album. ‘Something for the Weakened’. It’s a stupid pun but they’re really good in a dour, Scottish-y way.

Ben: The Magnetic Fields: Love at the bottom of the sea

Tom: The Vaccines – Come of age

What can people expect from your forthcoming album?

Laura: Good songs, even better artwork

Daniel: Good artwork, even better songs. At least ten songs people will really enjoy hopefully

Richard: Good artwork, good songs, even better lyrics.

Tom: Jangly, shouty, super-mega-guitar-indie-pop hits

How did you find working with Ryan Jarman?

Laura: Vibey

Richard: Well vibey. He was ace, really fun. He got in a piano to see what it sounded like.

Daniel: Pretty cool obviously, never worked with a ‘producer’ before, but he did an amazing job and added some very cool ideas

Tom: Boombaclat. Way vibey maaan.

How did working with him come about? Did he approach you after you supported The Cribs on tour? And how did the support slot happen?

Laura: We’d already recorded 3 songs at West Heath before the tour. I guess the tour came about after those recordings and Ryan though we were alright. We don’t really know how any of it happened, Jangles keeps it a secret.

Richard: I think he liked us and thought he could make us sound better. He has definitely succeeded

 

Many people will see his involvement as a huge endorsement of your music, how does it feel to have such backing and to have someone of his stature believe in your work so strongly?

Laura: It feels pretty awesome

Richard: Really good because I’ve been a big Cribs fan for a long time. If Ryan said in an interview to check out a band I would listen to them. That’s how much sway he holds over people like me

Tom: It’s rather blooming good

There seems to be a constant stream of exciting bands coming out of Leeds, which bands from the Leeds circuit do you admire?

 Laura: I love Just Handshakes, but I certainly don’t admire them. Ed came to the pub the other day without wearing any socks.

 Richard: Moody Gowns ‘cos I think they have the same element of fun as us. And they’re very nice guys. If you ask their singer Nathan to give you a tomato plant he will. That is true class. I also really like Post War Glamour Girls. Wind-Up Birds too. And Super Luxury! Oh also we saw Take Turns the other night and they were really slack and fun.

Daniel: Moody Gowns are pretty cool as well as Handshakes

Ben: Just Handshakes, Post War Glamour Girls, The Wind-Up Birds, an enigmatic bunch called The Birthday Kiss., look out for them. Very admirable group of musicians.

Tom: All of them ones you mentioned plus theme park and swimming lessons.

Do you have any support acts lined up for the tour and what can we expect from them?

Laura: I’m really excited to be playing with Evans the Death in London as they are amazing and also Moody Gowns in Leeds. They are one of my faves. Nathan gives out potted plants to people who buy their records.

Richard: I’m excited to see the Spills in Sheffield and Evans the Death too, theirs is one of the best first albums I’ve heard in a long time.

Ben: Threads by ETD was one of my favourite singles of last year so looking forward to them.

What does the future hold for This Many Boyfriends?

Laura: One day we’ll be The Strokes.

Richard: I don’t wanna be the Strokes, I wanna be Bruce Springsteen. But for now, we’re going on tour and we’ve got a record out in October. That’s enough for me.

Ben: It’s time to “go Springsteen”.

Tom: Gigs gigs and more gigs…and beer and parties and gigs