50FT WOMAN
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 17th September 2010.
London based band 50ft Woman have a new EP Ménage á Trois out on the 1st of November.
Singer Minki tells us more...
Hi Minki, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Minki: Yes lovely thank you!
When did you realise you had a talent for singing?
Minki: I had singing lessons from an early age and did the usual school choir thing. The fact that I kept being singled out for solos gave me an inkling I suppose! Mind you, my Mum's face when I first came home and told her I was joining a rock band was priceless.
Who were your early inspirations?
Minki: I think for sheer showmanship and self-belief Adam Ant. Hearing the drums of Kings of the Wild Frontier and seeing this bloke who was dressed as a pirate... Doesn't get much better than that!
Do you come from a musical family?
Minki: Oh yes, both my Mum and my Dad are very musical. They used to do 'gigs' at old people's homes, and I would join in and that's probably why I know a lot of old war songs, 'We'll Meet Again' all that sort of stuff. Not very rock 'n' roll, is it?! My Mum still sings, but I disowned my Dad when he said he wanted to start playing the Irish bagpipes.
How did 50ft Woman get started – how did the various members come onboard etc...?
Minki: It actually started as a solo project, but the logistics of having to beg, steal and borrow people to come and play live gigs just got too much. Plus the fact I got a bit lonely! So I put an ad on forming bands, found Adie and everyone has come on board via adverts and auditions...which are quite possibly the most demoralising thing any band can go through. You have to sift through a lot of chaff to find the wheat. We had a bit of a Spinal Tap thing going on with drummers, but weirdly our old drummer found Cormac, our current sticksman. He is now chained up in the cellar in case he wanders off too!
Did you know what sort of music the band was going to play right from the start, or did the sound come about when you all got together?
Minki: I had a bunch of songs already, so the sound was already there. However, now that it is a true band line-up it does sound a lot more rock and a bit less punk than it used to. I love chunky guitars though, so I like it even more!
How would you describe the sound of the band to someone who hadn’t heard you before? What other bands would you compare 50ft Woman to?
Minki: It's always really difficult! We really do straddle 3 genres, so we decided to just create our own, so we say we are 'rockpoppunk'. Rock because of the guitars and general sound, pop because it's not a dirty word and there is nothing wrong with having a catchy chorus or hook that sticks in your head, and punk because people say they can hear that New York 70's punk sound in the songs.
Other people say immediately 'oh you sound like Blondie', but I personally don't think so, plus I wouldn't want to bandy that about like some massive flag. It seems damn cheeky to even say it! We've also had the Garbage/Elastica comparisons, but to be honest I think people always do that with female fronted bands. Most of my influences are male, so other comparisons of bits of Aerosmith and AC/DC are fine by me!
How long did the “Ménage á Trois” EP take to write and record?
Minki: Well the songs were written over the past two years, though You're In Love With Love (But You Ain't In Love With Me) has taken on a totally new sound. We recorded them in 2 days and mixed in 1. It was a really easy process, especially since it was the first time we had all been in a studio together. We had help though, from the wonderful Steve Honest who was very patient and put up with my perfectionist megalomaniac diva-ishness.
How does the writing process in 50ft Woman work? How would a typical song be created?
Minki: At the moment it's mainly me and Matt (bass) who write. I am constantly scribbling lyrics and song ideas down. I send some to Matt to see if he gets inspired by any of them. Sometimes you have one of those wonderful moments where the whole song comes together in about 5 minutes. I don't have many of those but they are amazing when they happen. I tend to get a melody or chorus idea when walking down the street to the tube. Must be something to do with the rhythm! Then we have the other boys coming up with riffs and then building on those. I don't tend to sit down with the guitar and just start making stuff up, it comes into my head first usually.
Where do you look for your lyrical and musical writing inspirations?
Minki: Oh God, lyrics come from anywhere, literally anywhere. I love words and am always writing down phrases people say that I like, or headlines, or reading a story in a magazine. I think my most random lyrics was inspired by seeing a CATV cable TV manhole cover (once again walking to the tube) which made me think of my cat staring at my goldfish. And so CATTV was born! I also write a lot about issues I am passionate about such as Skinny Minnie, about anorexic models and Ultra Violet, about waggish fitness freaks. I always try to inject some sort of humour though, it's never too serious. Anorak is about train spotters, though one of the first ever 50ft Woman gigs, someone did actually leave in a huff when we played it. At the moment I am listening to a lot of 50s music which I think is resulting in a few more rockabilly influenced numbers. It's a bit early to get Matt a double bass though.
Do you do anything special or unusual in the studio to get your sound?
Minki: I did try out a few different mics in the studio to see which one was a better sound for my voice, which I had never really bothered about before. I do like to do a lot of vocal harmonies, but tend to do whole takes and layer them and play with vocal sounds rather than chop and change them. I think a more live sound suits us a lot more. We recorded the drums and bass and rhythm guitars in one go together, with a guide track, then just overdubbed lead guitars and all the vocals. I really think it means our recorded sound is more like we are live which was something really important to me. Previous demos have just been too poppy compared with what we sound like live.
Are there any pieces of kit you and the band couldn’t live without?
Minki: I know Adie and Paul are both really into their Orange Amps. Obviously I couldn't live without my shoe carrier. It always contains my gig shoes and a secret stash of lollipops.
What’s your favourite track on the EP, and is it the sound of the song or the memories behind it that make you love it?
Minki: I think it has to be (Strictly) Only Swinging. I never ever tire of singing or hearing it. I had actually released that on a previous EP but was never happy with it compared to how we play it live now with the full band. The boys all agreed that it was a song that deserved to be re-recorded. The guitar hook all the way through never fails to make get me going. I think I love it so much as it is such a complete story and such a dynamic song. The lyrics really do conjure up the pictures. The old man in tweed really does exist! he lives in Muswell Hill. (but that's another story!)
Do you enjoy the whole studio/creative experience, or do you prefer getting up on the live stage?
Minki: I do like hearing a song take shape, but you can't beat getting up on stage. I hate the waiting around between soundcheck and going on though. I'm not very good at waiting; I get way too nervous.
I understand you are big on fashion, especially shoes at your gigs. What sort of clothes and footwear do you like your fans to wear? Does it only apply to the ladies, or should the gentlemen put some effort in too?
Minki: Well I do like a well turned out shoe, preferably on a well turned out leg! Any of the ladies from Mad Men would be most welcome at our gigs. I do love an excuse to dress up and think it's great when people make an effort. I love the old 50's Hollywood and the Burlesque look and if coming to one of our gigs gives someone the inclination and freedom to do that, all the better. And no, it's not just women, I like it when guys make an effort too. My dream is to have proper themes or fancy dress nights, but you do worry about people NOT coming because they are too chicken!
What is your favourite outfit for a live gig, or are there too many to choose from?
Minki: At the moment it's heels and sequin hotpants. I love the whole pencil wiggle skirt look but find I don't move around very much as it's too restrictive! And I am currently experimenting with corsets - love wearing them, but need to be able to breathe too. I also have a fabulous white and black rubber blouse from Lady Lucie that I can't wait to wear again, though last time I wore it I came off stage hyperventilating!
What is one of your live shows like? What should fans expect from one of your performances?
Minki: Well I can pretty much guarantee there will be one point where Matt will nearly whack me in the face with his bass! We definitely need a bigger stage for us two to be on it! I like to see people's faces, so it's great when you see people getting into it or smiling at a lyric. I would hope that people go away remembering us, making an impression. I hate it when bands just get on stage wearing the same clothes they turned up in, not looking like they are bothered about giving a performance, a whole experience. I LIKE the fact that the band is set apart from the audience. You get up on stage and there is no doubt that you are THE BAND. That's what makes it magical. That's what I want when I go to see a band, so that's what I have to go on too. I can't wait until we get bigger stages and a bigger budget and get the pyros and bubble machines in!
When do you see 50ft Woman hitting the studio to record a full length album?
Minki: Hopefully next year. We have lots of new songs in the pipeline, plus lots more on the way, but I don't want to go in until I know how it will sound as a whole. I think an album is a whole entity, even though nowadays people can pick and choose songs to download - just like when I create a set list - it should be a story, take you on a journey, same as an album.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Minki: Well I won't tell you the question, but the answer is Chupa Chups.
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Minki: Preparing the playlist for the radio show I do, ready for tomorrow night.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Minki: The numbers on the back cover of the EP actually mean something.
Thanks again to Minki for her time!
http://www.myspace.com/50ftwoman
