Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

feature

"Young Girls Let Us Special Poke Them..."
"Young Girls Let Us Special Poke Them..."
mtaylor by Mark Taylor September 18th, 2001
They're the new bouncy face of guitar pop perfection, are Bearsuit. John Peel loves them, their Sonic Youth-ish, Only Ones-ish debut single 'Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck' might have been the best thing ever. Hell, along with MoTel, they even make Norwich seem like an exciting place to be.

On interviewing them, the band announce they've been using a new instrument even Frank Zappa never went near, whilst vocalist Iain finally admits his secret, sinister insect-related theories. Ace.


How did it feel recording the Peel session? What was it like listening to yourselves on the radio afterwards?

Bearsuit: Embarrasing - we all had shoddy instruments, and they had to fix a guitar and the drums. Listening back was great as we all got highly pissed and had a party...


Whats the best thing about being in a band?

Lisa Horton (vocals/keyboards/accordion/percussion) / BS: Young girls let us special poke them. hounds too. fanmail. makes shitty jobs better.


How does songwriting work in Bearsuit? Is it true that a lot of your songs have come to Matt in his sleep?

Iain Ross (vocals/guitar): That's kind of a joke. They come to Iain in his sleep. He thinks about ants a lot. Everyone adds to Iain's songs with their little bits. It's a collaboration in the long run.


What was the last book you read? Was it good?

LH: 'Hard Boiled Wonderland the End of the Walk' - Murikami - Really cool.
IR: 'Journey to the Ants' - Holsbander [?] - I like ants, they're coming, seal your doors - It's half and half.


Daddy or chips?

BS: Daddy 4, Chips 4. (okay there are 6 in bearsuit but the sickroom label bods were 'round..)


Is 'Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck' about the death of Charles Schultz, as the sleevenotes seem to suggest?

IR: No. The earth died. Charlie Brown's head is the only place we can colonize it's so huge. We could set up a new system of decent government on that guy's head.


A lot of your songs are reasonably intricate, or at least mix a number of unusual instruments. Are the finished versions ever anything like you initially conceive of the being?

BS: We do our best to ruin the songs. Something like we imagine but usually different.


The scene in Norwich seems in rather good health. Is this just a deluded outsider's perspective, or is it really a good place to be in a band at the moment?

BS: Yeah, yeah real good. There's lots of cool bands in Norwich at the moment, especially MoTel, KaitO, Honeyslunk Otter Chaos.


What's the worst thing about being in a band?

BS: Arguing about daddy and chips. Not being able to take time of work to do what we want to do. having to practice.


Time for the free plug - Please give us five good reasons why we should rush out and buy 'Drinkink' (the forthcoming single) as soon as we can.

BS: It's cheap.
It's better than 'Hey charlie...'.
It's our last single (spliting up as we couldn't decide on daddy or chips).
Genius slice of 2 minute punkpop.
Cool b-sides.
It'll make your friends think youre cool.

[No, I didn't point out the obvious. That would have been rude...]


There seems to be a certain escapist theme to a number of your songs, such as Hovercar or Fears of Moonpilot Ben. What is it about the workd that you are keen to get away from?

BS: What isnt there?


What is the strangest instrument Bearsuit have used so far?

BS: A tortoise.


Finally, have I asked too many daft questions?

LH: No way maaaaan alive...



LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees

Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »




LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE
Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND