Tag Archives: I Am Kloot

My suitcase: I Am Kloot

I have quite some unedited interview material I would like to share. So in this edition, I Am Kloot. I got to do a mailer with the band in 2010 for ROAR E-zine.

Source: Wikipedia

So this is the interview with Peter Jobson, I Am Kloot, position:

BASS GUITAR .

Would you be so kind to introduce yourself and your band briefly?

PETER JOBSON, JOHN BRAMWELL & ANDY HARGREAVES FROM I AM KLOOT.

I Am Kloot does not wish to be part of any ‘scene’ I’ve read in other interviews. Does coming from manchester generate certain expectations and comparisons for a band like yours?

A SCENE IS BASED ON FASHION. FASHIONS INHERINTLY COME AND GO. I AM KLOOT IS FOR LIFE. WE DO OUR OWN THING. MANCHESTER HAS A RICH CULTURE AND HISTORY. WE ALL LOVE THE CITY BUT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT WHAT YOU DO THAN WHERE YOU ARE FROM. MUSICALLY THE JUDGEMENT OF GIG GOERS IS SEVERE AND AS JOHN SAID TO ME ONCE “IF YOU MAKE IT HERE; YOU CAN MAKE IT ANYWHERE”.

Do you feel I Am Kloot fits in with the current folk/acoustic trend? (Mumford & Sons, Stornoway and such)

WE ARE UNAWARE OF SUCH A TREND. ANYONE WHO IS STILL TRYING TO PIGEON HOLE KLOOT WITH TALK OF ACOUSTIC MUSIC OR ANY OTHER RESTRICTION SHOULD REALLY GIVE UP.

How was your last album received generally?

MORE PEOPLE ARE HEARING OUR MUSIC THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS IS DUE TO RADIO PLAY AND GOOD REVIEWS. IT IS LIKE A NEW DAY FOR I AM KLOOT. THIS APPLYS MORE TO THE UK THAN ELSEWHERE AS UNTIL NOW WE HAVE NEVER BEEN PLAYED ON THE RADIO IN THE UK. GENERALLY SKY AT NIGHT HAS BEEN RECIEVED BETTER THAN ANY OF OUR PREVIOUS ALBUMS.

Can you tell something about the process of making it?

DURING THE MAKING OF THE ALBUM WE SPENT A WEEK LOOKING FOR THE NEW SOUND. ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT WE WERE HARD AT IT. ON THE SEVENTH DAY WE DISCOVERED A TOTALLY ORIGINAL COMBINATION OF FREQUENCIES THAT HAD NEVER BEEN HEARD BEFORE BY THE HUMAN EAR. IT WAS THE MOST AUDIABLY UNPLEASEANT SOUND ANY OF US HAD EVER HEARD. WE DID NOT USE IT FOR THE ALBUM.

How would you describe it yourself?

IT IS A ROMANTIC, REFLECTIVE AND RICH ALBUM. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE RECORDED AN ALBUM WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR THE LIVE PERFORMANCE. WE ALWAYS TRIED TO KEEP OUR STUDIO OUT PUT TO A THREE PIECE BAND. THIS TIME WE RECORDED ANYTHING THAT WE FELT WOULD FIT THE MOOD AND LYRIC OF THE SONG. HENCE THERE IS A GREAT DEAL MORE INSTRUMENTATION. WHEN PLAY LIVE WE ARE JOINED FIVE EXTRA MUSICIANS TO RE-CREATE THE ALBUM. WHEN WE STARTED MAKING THE ALBUM WE HAD NO MONEY, NO LABEL, NO MANAGEMENT. WHAT WE HAD WAS TIME, SOME TUNES AND TWO VERY TALENTED AND GENEROUS FRIENDS IN GUY GARVEY AND CRAIG POTTER FROM ELBOW WHOM PRODUCED THE ALBUM. THIS SET UP ALLOWED US TO COMPLETELY REALISE OUR IDEAS FOR THE ALBUM WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL PRESSURES AT ALL.

Source: Roar E-zine/Jörg de Groot
Source: Roar E-zine/Jörg de Groot

For your video’s you’ve used Christopher Eccleston twice to play in them. What is your relation with him and why did you choose him for the video’s or was it not your decision?

CHRIS HAS BEEN COMING TO OUR GIGS FOR YEARS NOW. HE IS A MASSIVE MUSIC FAN AND HAS AN ENCYCLIPEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC AND ITS HISTORY. HE IS A TRULY GREAT ACTOR AND HAS INTEGRITY CHOOSING HIS PARTS. WE ALL ADMIRE CHRIS’S WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS. WE ASKED CHRIS IF HE FANCIED BEING IN THE VIDEO AND HE WAS UP FOR IT. WE HAD A GREAT TIME SHOOTING THE VIDEOS WITH HIM. HE LIMBERS UP FOR A SCENE LIKE A BOXER BEFORE THE BELL GOES TO COMMENCE A BOUT. HE HAS AN IRRESISTABLY DARK SENSE OF HUMOUR WHICH SITS GREAT WITH US.

If the music of I Am Kloot was the soundtrack to a movie, what kinda movie would it be?

I THINK THE SOUNDTRACK TO TAXI DRIVER IS A MASTERPIECE. THE ANTI HEREO; TRAVIS BICKLE IS AN ENTHRALLING CHARACTER.

Wherefrom do you get your inspiration (music and nonmusicwise) and what is the message in your music?

INSPIRATION COMES FROM MANY PLACES. EVERYDAY LIFE, BOOKS, FILMS, STORIES, PEOPLE, NATURE. IF THERE IS A MESSAGE AS SUCH IT IS FOR THE LISTENERS PALLET. WE WOULD NOT LIKE TO SULLY THE TASTE WITH OUR OPINIONS.

What drink goes best with every I am Kloot album?

NATURAL HISTORY – A BOTTLE OF BLUE NUN / I AM KLOOT – NEGRO MODELLO WITH CHERRY VODKA SHORT / GODS & MONSTERS – TEQUILA & DRY GINGER / MOOLAH ROUGE – VODKA REDBULL / SKY AT NIGHT – CHABLIS PREMIER CRU.

You must have heard this one a million times, but what does the band name mean?

MANY THINGS.

What plans do you have for the bands future?

THIS YEAR WE WILL BE TOURING AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE HAVE SOME NEW TUNES. THERE IS TALK OF SOME AUDIO VISUAL COLABERATIONS WITH VARIOUS FILM DIRECTORS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING STUCK INTO EARLY NEXT YEAR.

If your band was a kind of food, what would it be?

GOULASCH SOUP.

Original posting: ROAR E-zine