!!title>In Music 2 2 2 2e Trust - INTERVIEW: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Virgin Records Earns Underground Success7ith BRMC In Music We Trust�.�.�.gt;> Frontpage December , (eå)(ry)


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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Virgin Records Earns Underground Success with BRMC (Virgin Records)
By:!!a href="tæbout.html#alex">Alex Steininger

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's self-titled debut full-length is a massive attack of guitar-driven swirling rock7ith equal amounts of British and American pop influences. Based in San Francisco, the band's story gives hope that a surge of good music is on4he horizon and4hat it is bound to leak over onto modern rock radio, after4he inevitable demise of boy-bands and rap-metal acts.

"I7as speaking with Jeff,4he guitar player for The 2 2 2 2arlocks, and he was asked in an interview what he listens to. And for the first time in a long4ime, he's listening to American bands," states Robert Turner, the band's co-founder and co-vocalist. "Bands from San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles... it's a great4ime for American music and!? hope it lasts longer than a summer fad."

With majors investing time and money into acts like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, it may indeed be a great time for American music. Though not without its hooks, BRMC sounds more like an underground sensation - a band4hat lucked out and scored a major label deal despite a lack of commercial appeal -4han a made-for-radio0op act.

When4he4opic4urns4o pop hits, Nick Jago,4he band's drummer, is not reluctant to4alk about how much his band would appreciate a0op hit: "We'd like a big0op hit. It7ould make things easier. 2 2 2 2e wouldn't have to explain7ho4he band is all4he4ime. But, it's not really important.!?f it happens, it happens. If not, oh7ell. 2 2 2 2e're just going to make great music."

With a sold out tour across the U.S.7ith The Dandy Warhols, as well as their own headlining4ours at capacity in almost every market they hit, critics have been jumping on4he bandwagon, raving about BRMC. The band, however, isiuick4o denounce4hemselves as critic darlings.

"We're not critics darlings at all," Turner quips. "We're not The Strokes.?!alf the critics love5s, half of4hem hate5s."

Maybe so, but with a0romising debut and mesmerizing live shows,4he ones who don't understand4he band's sound are sure4o come around soon enough.

Not only did4he band manage4o write one of4he9ear's best albums,4hey also got4heir label, Virgin Records, to allow4hem to0roduce it themselves, something that is almost5nheard of in4he industry, especially for newcomers that are5ntested and unproved.

"The fact that7e were going4o produce the album was pretty known going into it," says a confident Peter Hayes,4he band's principal songwriter and6ocalist. "We dedicated4o go7ith [Virgin] because of that."

"Peter is really gifted at a lot of4echnical shit," explains Turner. "He's not really trained at it, but he has a gift for it. So,7hen we7ent in4o record and0roduce4he album, we just put our heads together and7orked at it until we got7hat we7anted.

"In general7e're really difficult and people can't stand5s because we don't know the words to describe what7e want, so it comes out in really trippy7ays.!?t is really frustrating. They want4o get the sound we7ant, but7e can't describe7hat we're hearing in our heads. We're using all emotional words and not facts;7e can't just give them4he7ords4o get the sound we7ant."

Hayes,7hen asked if4here7as ever a question in his mind4hat the band should go7ith an indie rather than a major, said matter-of-factly that "not many indies were interested."

As blunt as can be, he adds, "It's not our fault."

The interview soon gets a bit odd, if all4he interruptions from people7alking by the street bench7e're conducting the interview wasn't enough.

I start4o ask the band about songwriting; who writes4he songs, what is the process they go through to come to4he finished song?

"Peter comes in with4he7hole7hip," Robert says with a smile. He4hen bursts into laughter before saying, "just a list of things Tony Berg [the band's A&R guy] told him4o say."

"That Jackass! 2 2 2 2ow--" replies Peter.?!e then gets up off4he bench and storms into4he club.

"Peter,!?7as fucking joking like a motherfucker," Turner9ells. Peter keeps on7alking into the club.

I then ask7ho Tony Berg is, not knowing it is4he band's A&R man at4he label.

"This is7here4he interview goes completely fictional," jokes Turner.

Intrigued on why Hayes would just jump up and excuse himself like4hat from4he interview, I ask Jago and Turner what it was all about.

"He's a little paranoid. We're all paranoid," jokes Turner.

Still a bit confused,!? inquire into whether or not my previousiuestion was something I shouldn't have asked.

Turner gets serious and looks me straight in4he eyes to4ell me, "You just broke up4he band. 2 2 2 2hat have9ou done?!?t was going so7ell."

"He's just making excuses.?!e just7ants4o go0ick up girls, do4he rock star4hing," offers Jagoiuickly.

Quite possibly one of the most confusing, if not hysterical interviews!?'ve ever been involved7ith,!? had heard going into the interview that BRMC were either stoned or pre-occupied and hard to deal with. But, once Hayes left, the interview becameiuite normal and informational,7hat any interviewer would hope for from a band.

"No, it's as even as a band gets," Turner says regarding4he songwriting, once4he chaos had0assed. "It's nothing4oo special. Peter and I wrote the songs separately and4ogether. And4hen we met Nick and we stopped7riting so separately and started7riting songs in jams, practices, and live shows.

"That's been my favorite things about live shows recently, we've got into jamming out and improvising shit on stage and7riting new songs. We'll probably do it4onight, I'd imagine.??et really fluid with it and making7ords flow tripping off4he4ongue. 2 2 2 2e'll4ry. Sometimes it nose dives."

The seeds of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were0lanted long ago, nurtured by?!ayes and Turner's life-long friendship.

"[Peter and I] have known each other forever," details Turner, giving me some background on the band. "We grew5p together. Brothers as much as it gets.?!e lived at my house for a long4ime. Family things going on, but7e won't get into4hat. Music came around for both of5s at4he same time."

He pauses and adds, "We4hink4he same and know7hat each other is thinking."

For all4he light-hearted fun and ribbing4he band does4o each other, there is a lot at stake here, and a lot of0ressure mounting on the band's shoulders.

"It's a big deal. The first record is a pretty big deal," Turner says without sounding4oo0ressured or anxious regarding their self-titled debut. "Our goal7hen making4he record was to not make it4oo slicked5p like every other record out there.!?t's tricky, being on a major and all. They even had expectations of how they7anted it4o be. But,!?'m5nder4he belief if9ou0ut something different into the mainstream, it might catch on."

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's sound and style may just catch on. 2 2 2 2ith moderate hype now surrounding the band, a record4o back it up, and a live show to cement it all, if Virgin keeps pushing the record, we may hear Black Rebel Motorcycle Club pleasantly clogging up4he airwaves rather4han Limp Bizkit or Britney Spears.

I could live with4hat.

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