Altsounds - Vello Verder from Les Gars Interview

In the typical glamour of rock n’ roll, I’m standing in a cold stairwell behind some large double doors that lead to KOKOs’ “Club NME” dance floor, waiting for Vello Verder, guitarist and main vocalist of Canadian band Les Gars to arrive for his interview. There’s a distinct smell of piss, and I’ve already dropped my recording equipment once on the cold hard stairs made of stone trying to test and check the levels. But if you know anything about this band, this is all part and parcel with their life; rock n roll for them isn’t about trashing hotels and huge ridiculous rider requests, it’s just simply about avoiding a minimum paid job.

It having only been a mere ten minutes since the band exited stage, Vello arrives drenched in sweat and takes a seat on one of the piss steps (brave man) smiling from ear to ear bearing his pearly whites, and we soon discover how even promising bands get the blues when they’re idols are cocks, and how even when you’ve accumulated so much in one countries scene, you still have to go back home to no job, no place to live and a dull existence in comparison. Still, what Les Gars have accomplished in the short space of time since their sudden move to London can only be described as hugely promising, building an influential following with even the likes of the mighty Brandon Flowers turning up as a regular punter to check out their smaller London shows. But, the great thing about this band is that they won’t let it go to their heads.

Altsounds: How long have you been living in the UK?
Les Gars [Vello]: Ahhh, since the first date of summer, so June 21st?

Altsounds: I heard that you had moved to the UK on a whim to get this band going?
Les Gars [Vello]: Yeah well, we only played one show in Canada before we came here in June. We’ve only been together since February.

Altsounds: So how many songs did you have before your first gig?
Les Gars [Vello]: Seven (laughs)

Altsounds: Really? Hahahah! So what made you decide to come to London?
Les Gars [Vello]: Oh all kind of things, I mean, all of your bands, well, most of the bands that we enjoy listening to are from England.

Altsounds: Like who?
Les Gars [Vello]: The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Kinks. I don’t know, you know, whatever everyone else says! Hahaha. But also it’s a matter of if you wanna be an actor you go to Hollywood, in my mind it’s like, if you wanna play music you come to England. ‘Cause there’s more of a musical culture in England and it’s also like a smaller country with a denser population so it’s much easier than Canada where there’s four major cities and we’re like the second biggest country in the world.

Altsounds: What are your influences?
Les Gars [Vello]: Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Altsounds: When I heard your EP I initially said I really liked your lo-fi under produced sound, but hearing you live you sound a lot more produced. Which would you say was your intention?
Les Gars [Vello]: I like the live show sound..

Altsounds: I thought you sounded a lot like Kurt Cobain in your EP…have you heard that comparison before?
Les Gars [Vello]: Yeah, yeah. In the process of recording the EP I lost my voice midway through, so yeah [that’s why] ..

Altsounds: What is in the future for you?
Les Gars [Vello]: We’re going back home to Canada, next week. We're going to write new music. Well, we’ve already written six songs, and then we’re hopefully going to record a full length album so we’ll have to write another nine new songs. Get away from each other as much as possible; there hasn’t been one day since June where I haven’t seen both of those guys!

Altsounds: Are you going to miss London?
Les Gars [Vello]: Yeah! I really don’t want go back home. I mean, back in Canada I don’t have a house, I have nowhere to live, I don’t have a job, all my friends are boring - unless they’re reading then in that case I LOVE them (laughs).

Altsounds: Haha, what are you going to do when you get back; stay with your parents?
Les Gars [Vello]: No! We live outside of this city, I don’t want to live outside of the city!
I guess I’m gonna busk and couch surf.

Altsounds: How did you guys all meet?
Les Gars [Vello]: Well Jon, the drummer, and I had been playing in a previous band for about five years and then as soon as we suggested we should go to England for a couple of months the bassist quit because he had a serious career, like an electrical engineering [one]. He just couldn’t leave for that long and we just realised that music wasn’t what he was meant to do as his career. So we lost him, respectively. We had a lead guitarist as well but he quit for no apparent reason – he just called one day and said you have to find someone else to go to England with you. So I said "I’m not even gonna get a new guitarist" (laughs).

Altsounds: So now there’s three members of the band?
Les Gars [Vello]: We have considered finding a new lead guitarist but then, I mean it was partly the challenge, and partly ‘cause it’s just easier, you know, for three people to tour around. You get more drink vouchers each, you get more money each, not that we’re actually making any money ..

Altsounds: If there’s anyone you could go on tour with, who would it be?
Les Gars [Vello]: I’ve been asked this question a million times. I don’t know. I still haven’t found an answer. I’ve said Queens of the Stone Age a lot but I kinda second guessed it. I shouldn’t really say anything but a member of the band isn’t very nice [ME: "Josh Homme -the lead singer? He has that look about him."], Ummmm, [hesitant that he’s said too much] yeah, sure! (Laughs) From what I’ve heard [winks]!

(Laughs) But the bassist was very nice. I don’t know, I’d like to tour with a new band. That would be exciting. I mean today we just dropped by the MGMT show [Shepherds Bush Empire] and watched the opening band [A Place To Bury Strangers]. We went to see them and they were really cool. They’re actually staying at our place this week, so I’ll get the chance to talk to them and hang out with them. They’re really cool and I really like their music so I guess realistically I’d like to tour with them.

Altsounds: In the British indie scene right now there’s a lot of mainstream bands like The Kooks and Pigeon Detectives – have you heard any of these bands, if so what are your views on them?
Les Gars [Vello]: I think it all sounds the same really. I wouldn’t say ‘shit’, it’s just, samey, you know what I mean? I mean everyone is either trying to be The Coral or Libertines.

Altsounds: They WISH they were The Libertines!
Les Gars [Vello]: I KNOW! Even The Libertines wish they were The Libertines (Laughs)

Check out Les Gars for yourself right now:

http://www.myspace.com/lesgars