Interview : Look See Proof

The Little Stalkers' first meeting with Look See Proof is at The Old Blue Last in London. It's December, and it's time for end-of-year lists and new year's resolutions ... New album, afterparties with Sigur Rós and fangirling at Kele Bloc Party ;) are also discussed.

The Little Stalkers : What are you up to at the moment ? Mostly recording ? Playing off gigs ?
Jaime Randall (keyboards, vocals) : Well not so much gigs, we're trying to write this new album which is coming along nicely, we've got like 4 or 5 songs in the pipeline. And playing some gigs here and there.
Lee Sells (guitar, vocals) : We went to Brighton to record a couple of demos which are up on our Myspace at the moment. Not full songs, it's clips. It went very well, we're very happy with the new direction with Jaime joining the band recently.

TLS : Who are you recording with ?
Lee : Same producer as we used for our first album, Russ Keffert. He's a really good producer. We're really happy to work with him cause he knows what we want and he is fun to work with.
Jaime : And he is ridiculously good !
Lee : And crazy as well !
Jaime : And we were recording some demos with Andy from Get Cape the other week ...

TLS : Are you all taking part in the songwriting process ?
Lee : At the moment it's been Jaime and Jason, but we all chip in at some point.
Jaime : Jason and me we try to crop up ideas and then we take it to the studio ... and see what we can make of it ...
Lee : Pop hits !
Jaime : New sound !

TLS : So when can we expect your second album to be released ?
Lee : I personally would like it to be released maybe around the same time next year.
Jaime : Maybe towards the end part of next year, we don't really wanna rush it ... I mean it hasn't even been a year since the first album came out ...
Lee : Especially when you get the songs polished.
Jaime : Probably at the end part of next year. Let's say November, I'd be happy with that !
Lee : Yeah I'm gonna say November ...

TLS : And I read on your blog that you've been asked to play SXSW again ?
Jaime : This is how it works in the music industry, they ask us to play, they'll give us like $500 but we all have to get American working visas which should be around £200 each, so it will be like £1000 visas + probably over £1000 for flights and then hotels and stuff ...
Lee : But we're gonna try to do it again.
Jaime : Hopefully people will sort of give us grants and some money so that we can go there ...
Lee : We'll find a way !

TLS : Yeah cause it's a sort of investment isn't it ?
Jaime : Yeah yeah, but it's hard to ... well, not to persuade people but ... and the credit crunch doesn't help ... !
Lee : Yeah but hopefully we'll go.

TLS : So Jaime, you're spending quite a lot of time on Myspace, replying to fans and blogging ... is it important to you to keep in touch with your fans ?
Jaime : It's just a fact that ... I live by myself and really far away. The only thing that I kinda have is the net, so when I'm at home I'd rather be on Myspace, making posters, spend time writing blogs just to keep my brain active. It's all constructive, I'm not like sat there speaking to girls ... ! (laughs) I just like writing and replying to people on Myspace and stuff ...
Lee : It's good cause not a lot of bands do that ... We used to be pretty rubbish at this, we've done it the first few months and just got lost with it ... and you know, fans like a reply ...
Jaime : I still send messages to bands I like saying "I love your band" ... some were replying straight away and now we're like good friends. But some bands that I won't name, I wrote to them saying I really liked their band, and they didn't reply. If you do think about it in a way, all you need to do is move your fingers ...
Lee : Yeah and it doesn't have to be a full reply, but at least something ...
Jaime : It doesn't take that much effort to do it. It's just a nice thing to get a reply back.

TLS : Yeah and you feel kind of special when a band personally replies !
Jaime : I still feel like, not special but I feel like they care ...

TLS : What's been your highlight for 2008 ?
Jaime : It would be at the Pukkelpop festival in Belgium, we were backstage and the singer from Sigur Rós came to us offstage and went like ”Hi guys, where are you going ?“, we were like ”We're going back to the hotel.” And then he went ”No, stay and party !” Johnny and me stayed and partied with them and Crystal Castles in a massive dressing room, that was pretty good !
Lee : I was totally amazed. And we spoke to Bloc Party backstage.
Jaime : When you're in a situation like when you have your favorite bands around you ...

TLS : But you're meeting bands all the time ! I'd thought you'd get used to it ...
Jaime : Yeah, but when you meet certain bands ... I mean, these are bands you listen to and stuff ...
Lee : I was watching Bloc Party from the side of the stage at Pukkelpop and I remember Kele coming on stage and I swear he looked at us and smiled, and then he looked at me and I was like a little girl like "Oh my God he just looked at me !" (laughs) I've never had so much fun than during the European tour !
Jaime : Another highlight was one night in Holland. The Wombats came down and djed, so we ended up djing and partying with them too ! And Tord the bass player is a massive Weezer fan and he was like "Oh my God, you're my brother now !" and we had a conversation about how Weezer were the proper original emo geeky indie sound ... Yeah that was a highlight, Holland !
Lee : So much isn't it ... we could keep going on !

TLS : Any favorite bands, albums of 2008 ?
Jaime : I downloaded Make Model's album. Because it will never get released so I didn't feel bad downloading it ... Best thing I've ever heard, it's the best album this year so far but it's never gonna get released.
Lee : I can't answer ! So many great bands ... The Xcerts ...
Jaime : Popular Workshop, Johnny Foreigner ...
Lee : There's so many bands who recently made such an impact ... there's a lot of rubbish bands as well but ...
Jaime : I wanna say the Look See Proof album (Between Here And There), cause I can say that because I didn't do anything on it ! I wasn't in the band when it's been released ! And actually, when I heard that the first time I thought it was really really good ...
Lee : Yeah and then you joined us !
Jaime : Yeah then I joined and I hated it ! (laughs)

TLS : Any resolutions for 2009 ?
Lee : Don't have any personal ... (to Jaime) I think you should stop smoking !
Jaime : See, now I can't show my mum the interview ! Erm ... there's this Los Campesinos'! song ... Los Campesinos'! both albums ! There we go ! (goes Jaime, who totally forgot about them about the albums of the year question, ha !) about New Year's Resolutions. Maybe write some really good songs and do really good ... just having fun !
Lee : Just stick together.
Jaime : I wanna meet tons of pretty girls as well, that would be nice ! (laughs)
Lee : Yeah ... ! (laughs)

And they are probably gonna meet tons of them on the road, as they are touring here and there with a couple of dates in March and April. Go and catch them live to hear some of their new material, soon to be pop hits !
Tourdates on www.myspace.com/lookseeproof

JT.


	HOME INTERVIEWS GIG REVIEWS PICTURES 3 MINUTES WITH SNAPPY SNAPS NEW HEARTBEATS LINKS STALK US 2008 © The Little Stalkers		Interview : Look See Proof The Little Stalkers' first meeting with Look See Proof is at The Old Blue Last in London. It's December, and it's time for end-of-year lists and new year's resolutions ... New album, afterparties with Sigur Rós and fangirling at Kele Bloc Party ;) are also discussed. The Little Stalkers : What are you up to at the moment ? Mostly recording ? Playing off gigs ? Jaime Randall (keyboards, vocals) : Well not so much gigs, we're trying to write this new album which is coming along nicely, we've got like 4 or 5 songs in the pipeline. And playing some gigs here and there. Lee Sells (guitar, vocals) : We went to Brighton to record a couple of demos which are up on our Myspace at the moment. Not full songs, it's clips. It went very well, we're very happy with the new direction with Jaime joining the band recently. TLS : Who are you recording with ? Lee : Same producer as we used for our first album, Russ Keffert. He's a really good producer. We're really happy to work with him cause he knows what we want and he is fun to work with. Jaime : And he is ridiculously good ! Lee : And crazy as well ! Jaime : And we were recording some demos with Andy from Get Cape the other week ... TLS : Are you all taking part in the songwriting process ? Lee : At the moment it's been Jaime and Jason, but we all chip in at some point. Jaime : Jason and me we try to crop up ideas and then we take it to the studio ... and see what we can make of it ... Lee : Pop hits ! Jaime : New sound ! TLS : So when can we expect your second album to be released ? Lee : I personally would like it to be released maybe around the same time next year. Jaime : Maybe towards the end part of next year, we don't really wanna rush it ... I mean it hasn't even been a year since the first album came out ... Lee : Especially when you get the songs polished. Jaime : Probably at the end part of next year. Let's say November, I'd be happy with that ! Lee : Yeah I'm gonna say November ... TLS : And I read on your blog that you've been asked to play SXSW again ? Jaime : This is how it works in the music industry, they ask us to play, they'll give us like $500 but we all have to get American working visas which should be around £200 each, so it will be like £1000 visas + probably over £1000 for flights and then hotels and stuff ... Lee : But we're gonna try to do it again. Jaime : Hopefully people will sort of give us grants and some money so that we can go there ... Lee : We'll find a way ! TLS : Yeah cause it's a sort of investment isn't it ? Jaime : Yeah yeah, but it's hard to ... well, not to persuade people but ... and the credit crunch doesn't help ... ! Lee : Yeah but hopefully we'll go. TLS : So Jaime, you're spending quite a lot of time on Myspace, replying to fans and blogging ... is it important to you to keep in touch with your fans ? Jaime : It's just a fact that ... I live by myself and really far away. The only thing that I kinda have is the net, so when I'm at home I'd rather be on Myspace, making posters, spend time writing blogs just to keep my brain active. It's all constructive, I'm not like sat there speaking to girls ... ! (laughs) I just like writing and replying to people on Myspace and stuff ... Lee : It's good cause not a lot of bands do that ... We used to be pretty rubbish at this, we've done it the first few months and just got lost with it ... and you know, fans like a reply ... Jaime : I still send messages to bands I like saying "I love your band" ... some were replying straight away and now we're like good friends. But some bands that I won't name, I wrote to them saying I really liked their band, and they didn't reply. If you do think about it in a way, all you need to do is move your fingers ... Lee : Yeah and it doesn't have to be a full reply, but at least something ... Jaime : It doesn't take that much effort to do it. It's just a nice thing to get a reply back. TLS : Yeah and you feel kind of special when a band personally replies ! Jaime : I still feel like, not special but I feel like they care ... TLS : What's been your highlight for 2008 ? Jaime : It would be at the Pukkelpop festival in Belgium, we were backstage and the singer from Sigur Rós came to us offstage and went like ”Hi guys, where are you going ?“, we were like ”We're going back to the hotel.” And then he went ”No, stay and party !” Johnny and me stayed and partied with them and Crystal Castles in a massive dressing room, that was pretty good ! Lee : I was totally amazed. And we spoke to Bloc Party backstage. Jaime : When you're in a situation like when you have your favorite bands around you ... TLS : But you're meeting bands all the time ! I'd thought you'd get used to it ... Jaime : Yeah, but when you meet certain bands ... I mean, these are bands you listen to and stuff ... Lee : I was watching Bloc Party from the side of the stage at Pukkelpop and I remember Kele coming on stage and I swear he looked at us and smiled, and then he looked at me and I was like a little girl like "Oh my God he just looked at me !" (laughs) I've never had so much fun than during the European tour ! Jaime : Another highlight was one night in Holland. The Wombats came down and djed, so we ended up djing and partying with them too ! And Tord the bass player is a massive Weezer fan and he was like "Oh my God, you're my brother now !" and we had a conversation about how Weezer were the proper original emo geeky indie sound ... Yeah that was a highlight, Holland ! Lee : So much isn't it ... we could keep going on ! TLS : Any favorite bands, albums of 2008 ? Jaime : I downloaded Make Model's album. Because it will never get released so I didn't feel bad downloading it ... Best thing I've ever heard, it's the best album this year so far but it's never gonna get released. Lee : I can't answer ! So many great bands ... The Xcerts ... Jaime : Popular Workshop, Johnny Foreigner ... Lee : There's so many bands who recently made such an impact ... there's a lot of rubbish bands as well but ... Jaime : I wanna say the Look See Proof album (Between Here And There), cause I can say that because I didn't do anything on it ! I wasn't in the band when it's been released ! And actually, when I heard that the first time I thought it was really really good ... Lee : Yeah and then you joined us ! Jaime : Yeah then I joined and I hated it ! (laughs) TLS : Any resolutions for 2009 ? Lee : Don't have any personal ... (to Jaime) I think you should stop smoking ! Jaime : See, now I can't show my mum the interview ! Erm ... there's this Los Campesinos'! song ... Los Campesinos'! both albums ! There we go ! (goes Jaime, who totally forgot about them about the albums of the year question, ha !) about New Year's Resolutions. Maybe write some really good songs and do really good ... just having fun ! Lee : Just stick together. Jaime : I wanna meet tons of pretty girls as well, that would be nice ! (laughs) Lee : Yeah ... ! (laughs) And they are probably gonna meet tons of them on the road, as they are touring here and there with a couple of dates in March and April. Go and catch them live to hear some of their new material, soon to be pop hits ! Tourdates on www.myspace.com/lookseeproof JT.