Features
Los Campesinos
It's going to be an exciting summer, but then it's been a fantastic eleven months for the seven-piece since they started making music together.
Having signed to Wichita with barely a gig or recording to their name, the industry cogs began to turn and they've been hyped beyond belief ever since. For many young musicians, this could all be too much too soon but LC! are remarkably level headed and self-deprecating - qualities that will serve them well as they try to keep their feet on the ground.
"We're the first people to admit we're in a ridiculous situation," says singer Gareth, "We're just going to make the most of it, have fun and hopefully bring out a record people will like!"
"But we were always really adamant about slowing down the pace and finishing uni," adds guitarist Tom, "We've controlled it - we could have rushed out an album but we've given ourselves eight months to record demos and get our degrees instead."
The band - all currently third year students at the University of Cardiff - have put wider-reaching touring plans on hold until the summer when they're due to graduate. In the meantime, we catch up with them before the Nottingham leg of their March mini-tour. This, they tell me, is how they're spending reading week: holed up in a van (though, we note, it's a relatively salubrious one) and playing less than a couple of handfuls of dates.
At the turn of the year Los Campesinos! (Spanish for 'the peasants') announced their debut single 'We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives' would be put out on limited 7" only... and shortly before its release, decided to give the track away as free download from their new website.
It showcases a young band with grand ideas, welding together leftfield indie influences like Broken Social Scene and Comets On Fire with the boy/girl pop harmonies of The Research or Belle & Sebastian. It's an arresting combination. The double A side vinyl release, backed by 'Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)', looks set to become hot property - so why give it away?
"It was Wichita's idea! They probably realised they weren't going to make money on it and didn't want to embarrass themselves," jokes Gareth.
Why sign to an independent, we ask them, when surely they could have got far more money elsewhere. The response is unanimous praise for the label responsible for bringing bands like Bloc Party and The Cribs into the public's conciousness
Tom: "When you speak to people there, you're speaking to the people that run it and they've got a genuine love for the music, as well as good taste. It was an instinctive thing, and not really much of a decision in the end."
"They give good hugs too!" adds Gareth, "They're really lovely people."
From the half hour we spend with them, the same can be said for these talented youngsters who seem genuinely overwhelmed by the attention focussed on them right now. It's refreshing to see a band so enthusiastic about the music they're making and the direction they're taking, even if it's so wildly different from most other people their age. The only remaining question is that if they're this good now, how on earth will they sound in a year's time? Whatever the answer, it's going to be fun finding out. Viva Los Campesinos!!
Los Campesinos! are: Gareth (vocals/glockenspiel), Alexs (vocals/keyboards), Tom (guitar), Neil (guitar), Ellen (bass), Harriet (violin) and Ollie (drums)
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