Bradford’s alt-rockers Talk To Angels formed in 2008 and within two years they had completed a 6-week US tour and appeared at South By Southwest. With an ever-growing fanbase, the quartet’s brand of hook-filled rock is gathering momentum with tracks like ‘Hickory Dickory’ proving to be bold, boisterous and energetic.
Already Heard recently sat down with the band take part in our regular “If I…" questionnaire.
If I could re-record one song it would be…
Lee: I wouldn’t want to re-record any of my favourite songs so I think I’d like to take an awful song by Katy Perry or Britney Spears and do something crazy and unexpected with it. A lot of bands that cover songs like that nowadays seem to do it for the gimmick factor and I think it’s really disappointing.
If I could re-live one tour/show it would be…
Craig: I would love to tour America again, it’s an amazing country and that was possibly the best time of my life! We were invited by CMJ to play live in New York in 2008 which was a huge honour. After that we decided to go on an extensive multi state tour. We even went back the next year to play SXSW!
If I had the chance to play one venue it would be…
Mickey: Madison Square Garden always looked pretty cool to me! Or Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, which is a beautiful old theatre with a balcony, little boxes around the edge for small parties, and a huge stage. The acoustics are amazing in there, and there’s a great Indian Restaurant around the corner.
<a href="http://talktoangelsband.bandcamp.com/track/hickory-dickory” data-mce-href=“http://talktoangelsband.bandcamp.com/track/hickory-dickory”>Hickory Dickory by Talk To Angels</a>
If I could play with one band it would be…
Lee: Radiohead. When they played the Leeds and Reading festivals a few years ago I missed them due to drinking a lot and making myself really ill. People were telling me how good they were and how they put on an amazing show. There’s a moral in there somewhere!
If I could play with any person living or dead it would be…
Mickey: It would have to be Frank Zappa. His music had so much scope and ambition, from rock, avant garde to classical. He could make even the most dark ideas sound beautiful and coherent. He made 60 odd albums, and some are harder work than others, but all have something special about them. The record industry didn’t understand him so he set up his own record label and did it all DIY. He’s a huge inspiration to me (grumpy, independent workaholic!).
If I could bring back any band that have split up, it would be…
Craig: I would love to hear the Ink Spots live, a band from the 30’s/40’s. An amazing group who helped define a genre and shape music.
If I wasn’t playing music, I would be…
Lee: I don’t know. that’s a difficult question. I’ve grown up playing music and writing songs, even of nothing came of them, it’s something I’ve always done. I guess I’d be pursuing whatever I’d be doing instead of music, what that would be, I don’t know.
If I could play a different genre it would be…
Mickey: Genres get more blurred each day, which is good. Rock and prog can be blended with hip hop and math rock, so I guess all that restricts any of us is our own musical imaginations. I really admire Why? and a lot of the Anitcon records guys for ignoring boundaries and just trusting their instincts.
If I could have written any song it would be…
Craig: There are so many songs I wish I had written…so much music that has had an impact on me. If I had to pick one it would be “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
If I could have written any album it would be…
Mickey: This is a tough question! Probably the Beatles’ ‘White Album.’ It has raw energy, a sense of playfulness, a great vibe throughout, the ideas are so adventurous and the orchestration is really striking. ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun,’ ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘I’m So Tired’, ‘Sexy Sadie…’ Truly remarkable. And all done in summer on an 8 track tape machine. The fact that they made this straight after Sgt Pepper shows they were never standing still.
If I could headline any festival, it would be…
Lee: I’ve grown up listening to bands on the Warped Tour. It always has great bands and looks lots of fun. I also think that Summer Sonic in Japan looks great.
If I could organise my own festival, the bands playing would be…
Craig: My headliners would be: Radiohead, Brand New and Blur! All three massive influences on me!
If I could play any other instrument, it would be…
Danny: Piano.
If I could give one piece of advice to a new band, it would be:
Mickey: Follow your heart, gut and try not to compromise. Treasure the things about your work which are unique and you’ll stand out from the crowd. Don’t conform!
Talk to Angels links: Official Website|Facebook|Twitter|Tumblr|Bandcamp
Words by Sean Reid