Having featured their video for ‘Music Is Dead‘ back in May we caught up with The Computer‘s Aidan to disucss ping pong championships, gigs in his mother’s bedroom and telling Ian Curtis to chill out.
It went a little something like this:
Cougar Microbes: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?
Aidan Computers: Today I woke up at 9:30am, I was on a friend’s couch – not really through choice. One of those mornings when the sunlight shines through a crack in the curtain, right on the face, well annoying.
CM: Describe The Computers to the uninitiated?
Aidan: garage-soul-punk n roll
CM: How have you been killing time on the road when on the road, any hobbies?
Aidan: Well not a lot of people know this but we are not only a rock’n’roll band, we are also a very succesfull ping pong team. We represented Exeter in the Devon Nationals and came first. So to stay that good, any free time we get we set up our travelling ping pong table and practice. Sometimes we put our bats down to make a sandwich, drink, smoke and catch up on the latest tweets.
CM: What have been your favourite venues to play? Any Venues you hated?
Aidan: A really good venue is the Cluny in Newcastle, a really bad venue was my Mum’s bedroom, she can’t do sound very well and the lighting was terrible.
CM: Is there a song you are getting sick of playing?
Aidan: There’s no songs we are sick of playing but there are songs we don’t play sometimes just to keep the set fresh.
CM: What is the songwriting process like for The Computers. you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?
Aidan: We rarely write on the road. Screaming Al has always got something going through his head and when we get home me and him will start jamming out his idea, then over a few more practices the song will form naturally. Then a few tweaks here and there and….. voila, a song.
CM: Favourite The Computers track and why?
Aidan: I personaly like playing ‘Group Identity’, It’s got a good sweaty groove. I also love ‘Teenage Tourettes Camp‘. It sounds like the music I like to listen to, which is the point I guess.
CM: If you could record any cover what would it be?
Aidan: AHHH We’ve covered loads of songs. Elvis‘ ‘Burning Love‘ and ‘Train In Vain‘ by The Clash are both b-sides to our last two singles. We have also covered ‘Rebel Girl‘ by Bikini Kill, ‘Welcome To The Working Week‘ by the other king Costello. And there’s plenty more where they came from. I suppose if i had to cover one song I reckon we could do a great version of ‘I Want To Break Free‘ by Queen. It’s got some great parts and recreating that video would be fun.
CM: Do your songs go through many revisions via demo recordings?
Aidan: Yeah, there’s always plenty of fine tuning before we lay down a demo. And sometimes we change things after hearing it back, that’s the idea of demoing, bloody fun aswell.
CM: What came first, the lyrics or the melody?
Aidan: It varies, I think… its words first, then chords and melody. Or maybe melody and words then chords, I dont know you’d have to ask the Screamer. I just handle the beat.
CM: What are your views on auto tune?
Aidan: Don’t do it. Unless you want to sound like Sesame Street songs. Dont do it. What the fuck is Ke$ha all about? it’s awful, truly awful. I don’t care how many of your girls it gets on the dance floor shaking their thang, it sounds dreadful. Dont do it!
CM: Any other band/bands from your local scene we really should know about?
Aidan: Royals are the newest cats from our parts, they are very cool. They have badges and patches available and a recording coming soon (probably).
CM: Most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?
Aidan: Nothing stands out. It’s always good to read a good review (of which there are many) where people have really understood our band and our sound. A swami in San Diego once said we were cool dudes, and he’s a swami, they are never wrong. That felt good.
CM: What was the first record/tape/cd you ever bought?
Aidan: I think the first tape I ever bought with my own money was ‘Save Tonight‘ by Eagle Eye Cherry. Or it could have been the first Spice Girls album. No it wasn’t I’ve just remembered…it was the Grease soundtrack, that makes more sense, yeah me loves the quiffs.
CM: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Aidan: WELL I saw Morrissey last night and I had ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out‘ stuck in my head all day. It’s been a good day.
CM: What was the last show you paid and queued up for?
Aidan: Morrissey last night, it was brilliant. A real master at work. I have so much love and respect for that man. Great show.
CM: If you had to bring on artist back from the dead in exchange for sending a living artist down ,which artists would it be and why??
Aidan: I’m not a massive Joy Division fan but if i could bring someone back it would be Ian Curtis. Just to say “listen mate, chill out. turns out people quite like what you’re doing so just keep doing it, things will get better” and I reckon a second album after touring America, could have sounded really good.
If I could get rid of someone I guess Ke$ha could go. There’s no need for her in the music world. I dont think her fans would notice either. Just cover Ian in a load of glitter and give him some cowboy boots and tell them everyone’s doing that dance in the LA clubs, its awsome man. They would love it.
The album ‘This Is The Computers‘ is out now on One Little Indian
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