The 88 - Interview with Adam Merrin [21st Oct 2008]

"It’s easy to get distracted by everything else, but we enjoy playing together and that’s what it’s all about. "

October 23, 2008, 10:58 PM

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Altsounds: Third album done and dusted, you guys must be pleased?
The 88: We’re very excited for people to hear the new album. We had a great time recording, and now it’s going to be a lot of fun playing these songs live. Most of the songs were written in a cabin up in the mountains far above Los Angeles. It was such an amazing experience to get away from everything and just focus on the music.

Altsounds: What can one expect from the new album, Not Only…But Also?
The 88: We wanted to try to capture how the band sounds when we perform live, so we would all play at the same time as opposed to just starting with the drums and building from there. This album has a little something for everyone. The guys in the band listen to a wide variety of music, so all our influences combined makes for a very unique sound.

Altsounds: What is the reason behind the new album name?
The 88: “Not Only…But Also” was a British television series in the 1960’s starring Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. John Lennon made several appearances on the show. Keith saw it written in a Beatles book and thought it would make a good title. It fits the album because not only did we do things people might expect, but we also took some chances.

Altsounds: How does a band get their music to appear on so many highly rated television shows and commercials? Was this a conscious decision or did it just kind of happen?
The 88: I was passing out CD samplers of our music one night after a Supergrass show and one landed into the hands of Danny Benair from Natural Energy Lab (n a t u r a l e n e r g y l a b). He called us the next day and told us that he places music in TV, film, and commercials, and that he would like to represent our band. At the time, I didn’t even know that there were people that did that sort of thing, so this whole world was totally unexpected for us.

Altsounds: What first inspired you to create the music you do?
The 88: I personally get inspired by playing in the same room as Keith and Anthony. That’s the reason why we keep doing what we’re doing. It’s easy to get distracted by everything else, but we enjoy playing together and that’s what it’s all about.

Altsounds: Do you think a song is better lyrically if it has personal experience behind it?
The 88: The songs that stand out to me the most are the ones that have lyrics that take on different meanings. You can listen to it one day and it can mean one thing, and then listen to it again another day and it means something totally different. Keith’s lyrics have that mysterious quality which I really like.

The 88: We’re at our best when we’re not trying to force something. The greatest ideas are the ones that come out when we’re messing around in a rehearsal or at a sound check. The most important thing to us is a good melody. Everything else is secondary.

Altsounds: Who would be your ultimate artist to collaborate with and why?
The 88: I’d love to collaborate with Paul McCartney one day. That would be a dream come true. He is one of my favorite songwriters and I’d love to see what would come out of a day in the studio with him. It’s not too much to ask, right?

Altsounds: Any plans to tour further abroad in the future?
The 88: Our record release show is going to be at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California on November 1st. Then we leave the following day and do a bunch of shows including a few with The B52’s! We’re really looking forward to this Fall Tour and can’t wait to plays some shows over seas!

Altsounds: Does recording and touring leave much time for anything else? How do you fill in your time off?
The 88: Even when we’re not touring or recording, we’re always keeping ourselves busy with something music related. We’ve made 6 videos in the past 3 months (most of them which you can see at our Myspace page which is linked below).

Altsounds: What is your favourite track from the new album and why?
The 88: One of my favorite songs to play live is “Sons And Daughters.” This one was produced by Babyface which was quite an experience working with such a talented guy. He came to see us play one night and said that he wanted to work with us. The thing that attracted us the most was the fact that he didn’t want to change anything about the band. He just wanted to record us and make it sound as big as possible. We’re really happy with the way that one came out.

Altsounds: Please use this space to plug and promote anything.
The 88: Our album “Not Only…But Also” just came out today on iTunes and they are featuring one of our songs “Go Go Go” as a free “Single of The Week.” You can download the entire album now and get the CD in stores next week. We’re looking forward to coming out to the UK so hopefully we will see you at a show!

http://www.myspace.com/The88

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