Glastonbury 2007 - Exclusive Guillemots Interview

The Guillemots make their first appearances at Glastonbury on the Pyramid and JazzWorld stages this year following the huge success, critical acclaim and Mercury nomination for their first album, "Through the Windowpane".

Singer, Fyfe Dangerfield and drummer, Greig Stewart, took time out of their busy schedules to talk to Jon Andriessen of the Glastonbury website to discuss their music, Ian McKellen, rain dances, sandpaper and Bjork.

So, this will be your first performance at Glastonbury. How does that feel?

Fyfe Dangerfield: Yeah, we're really excited. I mean…it's Glastonbury. And we're doing the Pyramid and the JazzWorld stage as well. I can't wait; it's going to be the biggest crowd we've ever played for… So yeah!

Camping, tour bus, or tipi?

F.D.: Oh, tour bus, but that's because we've got to get to a gig in Scotland the next day.

Greig Stewart: Got to be in the Highlands by Sunday.

So you don't fancy the mud with the masses?

F.D.: If we had time, I don't know. You know what we're like…we're so devious we'd probably want our own castle if we could stay for the Festival, but we can't.

G.S.: We're coming down on the Friday anyway…

F.D.: …to see Bjork!

Which brings me to the other bands you'll you be looking out for?

G.S.: Bjork.

F.D.: Yeah, Bjork. And there was someone else on the line-up too?

G.S.: I can't remember.

Were you surprised by the huge critical acclaim you received for your debut album, “Through the Windowpane”?

F.D.: I don't know really. It was quite amazing.

G.S.: The Mercury Prize nomination was quite a shock. We weren't expecting that. It was hysterical.

But it wasn't just the critical acclaim. I hear you found some interesting fans in some strange places?

F.D.: Mr. McKellen, Yeah. That was weird finding Gandalf in our dressing room. His nephew is really into the band so he came to see us. He liked Greig. He walked in and said; “where's the drummer? Wonderful beats, wonderful music!” and gave him a big bear hug.

G.S.: And I was still sweating from the gig as well.

F.D.: Jake Gyllenhaal was nice. Very shy. Didn't seem like a movie star in his hoodie…

G.S.: …But he did have a girl with him.

F.D.: And he was very cool. He told us he sang along to our songs in his car… Strange.

Any concerns about that “difficult second album”?

F.D.: We'll just see. We just want it to be very good.

G.S.: Yeah, because after what happened to the first one, anything that doesn't match that is no good. That's what causes the concern.

F.D.: The pressure just comes from us really. We want to make sure we do something good.

You've been praised for your live performances, both musically and visually. How much work goes into all that? I'm guessing you're not employing choreographers and stylists, yet.

F.D.: We do have a stylist sometimes, actually. Only for some TV things. We don't have the time to go find things from charity shops anymore. But we don't really think about the performances that much. It's really just instinctive, acting on impulse most of the time.

G.S.: MC is good with his ideas for stage.

F.D.: Yeah, our guitarist Magrão probably has the most ideas. We just think of ridiculous things and try and make them come true. We're a bit like Spinal Tap really.

What/who are your musical influences?

F.D.: Oh, I don't know… there are millions and each other. It's true. We are just like sponges, I think.

Does the international flavor of the bands members help in creating an original perspective to your songs?

G.S.: I think everyone brings in their own musical styles. We all seem to have our own niche, but it's glued together by the fact that we all like Bjork.

F.D.: Yeah, we all like Bjork!

Your music and the bands many side projects encompass a huge range of sound styles and genres. Experimental, improvisational, jazz, free-form and pop… Strange bedfellows or music made in heaven?

F.D.: Anything can go together, they're just sounds. All the names that people give them are irrelevant really. I don't think there's any such thing as Jazz or classical… there's just different combinations of different sounds. We're just sound freaks who get excited about different noises.

We've been graced with the sounds of typewriters and the metallic percussion of giant sculptured guillemots in the past. What random euphonious objects can we expect to hear on your new songs?

F.D.: We really don't know yet. We'll definitely try and use the lift in the studio.

G.S.: And a giant piece of sandpaper.

Finally, any idea how to guarantee a rainless, flood-free Glastonbury this year?

F.D.: If you eat seven parsnips in two seconds and shout “no rain!” at the top of your voice.

G.S.: I have written music for a rain dance.

F.D.: Which one's that?

G.S.: Umbrella.

F.D.: Oh, yeah, Umbrella. Greig has written this incredible song called Umbrella, and we're going to do it one day. It's going to have hundreds of people dancing with umbrellas. Real ones.


June 2007

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