British Sea Power
e-mail interview - april 28th 2002
by Barbara H

How are you?

Very well thank you. Healthy and enjoying the spring air.

Could you introduce yourselves to the international audience?

We are British Sea Power, Yan <Vocals, Guitar and Gymnastics>, Hamilton <Bass and angelic Vocals>, Wood <Beat>, Noble <Guitar>.
We are 4 Englishmen, 3/4 from Kendal in the beautiful Lake District and 1/4 Yorkshire.

When did you start playing and how did you meet?

Hamilton and Wood were in a band together in Kendal and Yan and Noble formed a group in Reading.
To form a fully functioning unit Yan called on his brother Hamilton and the 4 of us formed British Sea Power almost 3 years ago.

What were your first favourite records?

Hamilton: "Iv'e got a brand new combine harvester" by the wurzels
Yan: "What a wonderful world" by Louis Armstrong
Noble: "Push it" by Salt and Peppa
Wood: "Debaser" by The Pixies

When do you plan on releasing your Debut Album?

The Album is planned for this summer. We have a new double A-side single coming out on April 8th.
The songs are "The Spirit of St. Louis" and "The Lonely". The tracks engage on different levels.

There is a clear Joy Division influence in 'Remember Me'; are they an important band to you?

They are an important band, and should be to everyone. They were a very REAL band.
They were also a very idealogical band, BUT there are many other important artists/non-artists to us, Charles Lindbergh (Aviator), Iggy Pop, Sir Bernard Law Montgommery <Field Marshall>, The Smiths, Joe Meek and Geoff Goddard.
However as you will see from songs like "The lonely" and from our album that there is far more to British Sea Power than sounding a little bit like Joy Division here and there.

What do you plan to do in the following months?

We are just finishing a tour with Clinic. Then we will play in Dublin on the 9th March and Amsterdam on 16th March.
Without rest we go to record a few more tracks for the Album.
After that we plan to go camping and later host a BSP jumble sale and a BSP sports day.

I read that you were fascinated by the Czech Republic and Culture, where does this fascination come from? Is it something you all have in common ?

Well Noble has been there a few times and recently Hamilton and Noble both went to Prague, Czech Paradise, and Czesky Krumlov and enjoyed it a great deal.
Hamilton has read many books of Czech Authors and enjoys Czech films.
The Czech nation, even in modern times, has been invaded and oppressed at varoius times. Though throughout they seem to have this great indomitable spirit.
Hamiltons song "A lovely day tommorow" is about Operation Anthropoid in which Czech agents assassinated one of the Nazi Leaders Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. They commited suicide to avoid capture. They would rather die then give in.

10 Silly Questions :

Were you ever bit by a dead bee?

Do dead bees bite? i hope not. I would have to bite him back.

What becomes of the broken hearted?

They heal, but never fully. Get drunk or find a new hobby.

Do you like moustaches?

Oh Yes! The curlier the better.

Which band is the best band in the whole world?

British sea power of course.

What was your first song about?

Hamilton: "sheep"

Do you have a plan? What is it?

Tunnel our way out, set up camp, train, learn and hit back with an extra leg.

Mogwais or Ewoks?

Water is ok but dont eat after midnight.

What is your favourite song at the moment?

Yan: "Only the lonely" by Roy orbison
Hamilton: "Johnny Remember Me" written by Geoff Goddard

Did you have an imaginary friend?

Yan used to eat stones if that counts?

What is your favourite memory ever?

Hamilton: "Walking through the Lake District in winter with hat, scarf and thermal underwear"
Noble: "Sitting in a rain forest with some wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania"

Thanks!

Thanks Barbara