The Long Blondes are playing the Rock and Roll Hotel in just a day or so (namely TOMORROW), and I’m on tenterhooks waiting for this rather momentous event.
You see, I’m a bit of a fan.
Ever since Brandon and Rick from We Fought the Big One introduced North America to their debut single, “New Idols/Long Blonde,” back in 2004 (yes, stop lying, they were the first), I have been madly in love with this remarkable band.
Kate Jackson is both an excellent singer and a beautiful, glamorous vanguard for a band whose songs are entrancing tales of frustration, loneliness and naked sexual desire, sprinkled liberally with astute
cultural references. I was shocked, then, when I got my copy of their debut album (the incredible “Someone to Drive You Home”) and discovered that the lyrics are almost exclusively penned by the
guitarist, Dorian Cox. Who, shockingly, is a boy. Writing first-person accounts of barely-repressed female sexuality. Hm.

The new album, “Couples” (note: the quote marks are in the title), has just been released in the United States. The debut single, a disco-inflected stormer, “Century” (no quote marks in the title,
though), was released on vinyl only – this after they switched to “Century” from their originally announced first single, “Guilt.”

The vinyl-only release virtually guaranteed that they could not reach the UK top ten. Further, after self-producing and working with Steve Mackey (Pulp’s bassist) on their debut, they switched producers to noted remixer Erol Alkan for some bsides and a remix 12″. This is
followed by mixed album reviews and personal insults in the press from Jarvis Cocker? What?

I caught up with the band in Cologne, Germany, where songwriter and guitarist Dorian Cox was luxuriating in a beautiful Deutscher Frühlingtag.

I started by asking about the seemingly anti-commercial decision to release a vinyl-only single as the introduction to the new album.
“This isn’t the typical second album by a Big British Band –the end-all, be-all, cash in on the hype, with a couple of top ten hits, and the rest filler. Although, it’s true, the golden age of the 7″ single is sadly over.”

Well, though, what about the first album? You put out an awful lot of singles in different formats, (Re-issue, re-package, re-evaluate the songs. Double-pack with a photograph, extra track and a tacky badge), soaking the fans.
He paused.
“When we released our debut, we wanted to be a pop group. Then we realized what that was all about. It’s this big ‘industry’ game and we didn’t want to play. Fortunately, our label understands that.”

Fair enough. Were you under time pressure from the label to put out a second album quickly?
“Not at all. We really wanted to get back into the studio to document our progress from the debut. Remember that the first album was made up of old songs, as far as it goes, dating back
three years by the time they were recorded. The Smiths were putting out an album a year, as were the Beatles. There’s just no excuse to wait three years between albums!”

Okay, what about the recording process for the new record?
“Previously, I would come up with the words and music for the songs and bring it to the band. This time, I just came up with some words and let everyone else have a go. We worked on the songs in a rehearsal room for two months, and then, knowing Erol so well, we just let him go with it from there.”

How about the label – the legendary Rough Trade – founded in London in 1978 by Geoff Travis?
“We love Rough Trade. They continue the
cooperative ethic of the small labels. When we were being courted to
sign, other labels would take us to big fancy dinners and try to
impress us with their money. Instead, we get to talk to Geoff Travis
all the time. He was actually eager to meet us – the man who found
the Smiths and produced the Fall – and one of the only people in the
industry you can really trust…that reminds me, I have to call him…”

Now, there has been some considerable backlash against the new album, including a rather nasty backhander from Jarvis about Kate’s vocals, and a dismissive review from their previous champion, the venerable New Music Express. What up with that?

“About Jarvis, I don’t mind that too much, and I think Kate took it pretty well. I like Jarvis and he’s quite funny. I think it was quite a funny putdown, and he’s been very apologetic about the way it’s been picked up in the press. As for the NME review, it was a bit surprising. I mean, a review is the opinion of just one person at the paper. I feel like if we had put out more of the same, we would have been in for far worse criticism, so the fact that their criticism focuses on the fact that the new album is, well, something new? It sounds like something me mum would say, “well, son, it is a bit weird…” We’re happy with it, so we just don’t mind the
reviews.”

Jarvis’ comments were in a larger context about Sheffield, so I asked about their great indie music tradition, going back to such glorious obscurities as They Must Be Russians, Vice Versa and the British Electrical Foundation.
“Well, I’m very aware of coming from a place with so many great bands. I mean, look at the Human League. They loved glam like David Bowie and big pop like Donna Summers and weren’t
afraid to show it. But we love Cabaret Voltaire and Clock DVA and the rest of it. I think a lot of English record labels think fans just want songs that you can chant in football terraces…”

Like the Fratellis?
“Ah, you guessed, but it’s just this lowest common denominator approach that lots of bands take. They just jump on a bandwagon and mimic a sound to create palatable pap.”

That’s excellent, but doesn’t willfully embracing obscurity risk career failure?
“I think a fear of failure is a healthy part of the creative process. Any artist has to have a degree of self-belief, and then the fear makes you work just a bit harder, working to create the best songs you’ve ever written. I’ll never go back to a regular job; I’ve done my time in that hell. We just want to be allowed to keep writing and recording and performing, so I can’t imagine moving on.”

What about writing for other people? It seems like a natural extension of you writing songs for Kate to sing.
“Now you’re giving me ideas! But not now, I’m still having too much fun. As for writing songs for Kate to sing, I’ve always loved listening to Dusty Springfield and Motown. A songwriter would write a song on a piano and then flesh it out and give it to the singer to sing. It was natural for me to want to be in a band and write for the female singer. I’m not interested in male singing bands!”

Time to go, but one more question – about those b-sides. They’re remarkable in their quality.
“We work hard on our b-sides, really, really hard. We want to put out quality product. I mean, I can’t imagine what’s on the b-side of a Kooks single – the a-side, but live at Shepherd’s Bush? I would like to see a collection of all the bits and bobs. We’re all really proud of our songs.”

And well you should be.

Want More?
Befriend Dorian and the Long Blondes on the myspacer
Catch them this Saturday at RNR Hotel
and stick around for a very special afterparty (featuring DJ sets by the band) upstairs at Garutachi.

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