"There's certainly some shit going on out there, you'd be nuts if you didn't think so"
Since a first headline show where they played to a packed Scala, Arrows of Love have taken their live performances to almost incendiary levels, balancing a tightness of sound with an energy that has hooked audiences and even recently caused a band to refuse to follow them onto stage. Coupling these stage shows with a repertoire only touched upon by this EP, they have drawn comparisons to the world-changing American bands of the early 90’s whilst retaining their own unique and distinctly English voice and sound, incorporating cello and synth into a heavily overdriven guitar-based assault.
Altsounds got a chance to talk to Arrows Of Love ...
_________
[altsounds] ARE THE NAMES YOU USE, LIKE WIM OF LOVE, SERIOUS A LA RAMONES, WHERE THEY WERE ALL CALLED RAMONE, A JOKE JUST FOR MYSPACE?
[Arrows Of Love] Yeah pretty much....
[altsounds] IT IS GOOD TO SEE A BAND WITH A CELLO. DO YOU HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL TRANSPORTING IT TO GIGS AND HAS IT EVER GOT LOST ON ROUTE?
[Arrows Of Love] We're not the best band at looking after our stuff, we manage to leave it everywhere...but yes we like cello
[altsounds] YOUR FIRST LIVE OUTING WAS AT THE SECRET GARDEN PARTY IN 08. WAS IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THIS A SECRET?
[Arrows Of Love] Boom Boom.
Actually it was easy as we were booked under a different name and the program even got the time wrong....but you know how it is, word gets around at a festival like that...and there was a fairly substantial number of confused hungover wreckheads that endured our shambolic first attempt. It was perfect and i really don't believe in a band embellishing the life out of their songs in a musty studio before some grand revelation...but we really did have no idea what we were doing.
[altsounds] YOU TAKE YOUR INSPIRATION FROM WILLIAM BLAKE. HIS VIEW OF ALBION (AS THE UK); THAT IT WAS IN A STATE OF COLLAPSE IS A VIEW YOU SHARE ABOUT THE PRESENT DAY?
[Arrows Of Love] Well we're not going to spell out 'doom', or litter your pretty site with our vexations about society....people get enough of that stuff all the time. There's certainly some shit going on out there, you'd be nuts if you didn't think so, but every collapse means new growth, so let's just get on with chopping some of that dead wood and making space to grow the good shit.
[altsounds] YOU'RE AN UNSIGNED BAND. IS IT HARD TO GET A LABEL THESE DAYS AND IS IT EVEN WORTH IT?
[Arrows Of Love] We're an independent band yes.
This isn't the 70's anymore where bands needed approval from a third party with money to press them a record - the playing field has levelled a lot. Labels aren't capable of as much as they were, and the everyday person is capable of more. With us we just get on with our plans and if we meet natural partners along the way then great, and if not then we keep walking towards where we're going anyway.
[altsounds] YOUR EP YOU ARE GIVING AWAY? WHAT IS THE IDEA? TO GENERATE A BUZZ SO THAT PUNTERS WILL BUY THE FULL ALBUM?
[Arrows Of Love] Nah it's not one of those premediated marketing ploys. We recorded the EP at a friend's studio and it was only meant for our own ears, as a recording practice and to develop the songs. They turned out surprisingly good so we figured let's just let people have the four best songs and it cost us nothing so we'll give it away for nothing.
Actually we were a bit naive cos once you start making an official release loads of unexpected costs turn up, but i like giving music away for free where possible. I rarely pay for music, i think most people are the same, and i always think of a friend of mine who says that music is a gift and noone owns it, i like that a lot.
[altsounds] CAMERON CRAIG HAS BEEN A GREAT HELP TO YOU AS MIXER AND PRODUCER. HOW WAS IT TO WORK WITH HIM WHEN YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE YOURSELVES OF PRODUCING?
[Arrows Of Love] Actually it was the mixing rather than the producing. I've always had a heavy hand in production of anything i've ever released, but i had no experience of mixing. I guess i always thought you'd need a degree in mixing, but as long as you put the love in and use your ears you'll get it sounding right...that's the main thing i learnt.
Working with Cameron's a joy and real easy, we usually hear something and agree...that's a priceless thing to have with a producer, rather than someone who doesn't know their stuff or turns up and bosses the whole band about to take it in a direction none of you want to go.
My friend's band ended up paying thousands to work with a producer who threatened them with working in a chicken shop everytime they disagreed....he made their album sound like shit.
[altsounds] BURN THIS TOWN? THE TITLE OF THE EP. HAVE YOU GOT A TOWN IN MIND?
[Arrows Of Love] This Town.
[altsounds] SO HOW MANY ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE BAND. 5 OR 6?
[Arrows Of Love] I don't even know. We're revolving lineup gig to gig right now, though always perform as a 6-piece, and everyone's a part of it whenever they're playing. It just keeps workin out.
[altsounds] GIVE US A CLUE AS TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO STASH THESE 100 FREE CD'S OF THE EP IN A RECORD SHOP. JUST A RIDDLE WOULD BE GOOD LIKE IN THE HOBBIT.
[Arrows Of Love] Rough Trade East & West
[altsounds] THIS GUERRILLA PROMO STYLE WITH PAPER CUPS AT ROUNDABOUTS. WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?
[Arrows Of Love] There's a massive fence on the Old Street Roundabout and for our first headline show we wrote out the band name, venue, and date by pushing paper cups into the holes.
It worked.
[altsounds] YOUR LIVE GIGS ARE DESCRIBED AS BEING INCENDIARY. DOES THAT INVOLVE FIREWORKS AND ROCKETS LIKE THAT GERMAN BAND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF?
[Arrows Of Love] We always leave our rockets at home.
[altsounds] WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
[Arrows Of Love] no
[altsounds] WHAT IS THE NEXT MOST OBVIOUS QUESTION YOU HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED?
[Arrows Of Love] ha ha ha!
[altsounds] FACEBOOK OR TWITTER? OR HELL TO THEM ALL?
[Arrows Of Love] When we started this thing we enjoyed the simplicity of no internet, but right now we like being able to chat with the good people that are listening and getting in touch. All those sites are different so we use them in different ways. Just stick our name in a search and you'll find us.
_______
Check them out here: Arrows of Love on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
Altsounds got a chance to talk to Arrows Of Love ...
_________
[altsounds] ARE THE NAMES YOU USE, LIKE WIM OF LOVE, SERIOUS A LA RAMONES, WHERE THEY WERE ALL CALLED RAMONE, A JOKE JUST FOR MYSPACE?
[Arrows Of Love] Yeah pretty much....
[altsounds] IT IS GOOD TO SEE A BAND WITH A CELLO. DO YOU HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL TRANSPORTING IT TO GIGS AND HAS IT EVER GOT LOST ON ROUTE?
[Arrows Of Love] We're not the best band at looking after our stuff, we manage to leave it everywhere...but yes we like cello
[altsounds] YOUR FIRST LIVE OUTING WAS AT THE SECRET GARDEN PARTY IN 08. WAS IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THIS A SECRET?
[Arrows Of Love] Boom Boom.
Actually it was easy as we were booked under a different name and the program even got the time wrong....but you know how it is, word gets around at a festival like that...and there was a fairly substantial number of confused hungover wreckheads that endured our shambolic first attempt. It was perfect and i really don't believe in a band embellishing the life out of their songs in a musty studio before some grand revelation...but we really did have no idea what we were doing.
[altsounds] YOU TAKE YOUR INSPIRATION FROM WILLIAM BLAKE. HIS VIEW OF ALBION (AS THE UK); THAT IT WAS IN A STATE OF COLLAPSE IS A VIEW YOU SHARE ABOUT THE PRESENT DAY?
[Arrows Of Love] Well we're not going to spell out 'doom', or litter your pretty site with our vexations about society....people get enough of that stuff all the time. There's certainly some shit going on out there, you'd be nuts if you didn't think so, but every collapse means new growth, so let's just get on with chopping some of that dead wood and making space to grow the good shit.
[altsounds] YOU'RE AN UNSIGNED BAND. IS IT HARD TO GET A LABEL THESE DAYS AND IS IT EVEN WORTH IT?
[Arrows Of Love] We're an independent band yes.
This isn't the 70's anymore where bands needed approval from a third party with money to press them a record - the playing field has levelled a lot. Labels aren't capable of as much as they were, and the everyday person is capable of more. With us we just get on with our plans and if we meet natural partners along the way then great, and if not then we keep walking towards where we're going anyway.
[altsounds] YOUR EP YOU ARE GIVING AWAY? WHAT IS THE IDEA? TO GENERATE A BUZZ SO THAT PUNTERS WILL BUY THE FULL ALBUM?
[Arrows Of Love] Nah it's not one of those premediated marketing ploys. We recorded the EP at a friend's studio and it was only meant for our own ears, as a recording practice and to develop the songs. They turned out surprisingly good so we figured let's just let people have the four best songs and it cost us nothing so we'll give it away for nothing.
Actually we were a bit naive cos once you start making an official release loads of unexpected costs turn up, but i like giving music away for free where possible. I rarely pay for music, i think most people are the same, and i always think of a friend of mine who says that music is a gift and noone owns it, i like that a lot.
[altsounds] CAMERON CRAIG HAS BEEN A GREAT HELP TO YOU AS MIXER AND PRODUCER. HOW WAS IT TO WORK WITH HIM WHEN YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE YOURSELVES OF PRODUCING?
[Arrows Of Love] Actually it was the mixing rather than the producing. I've always had a heavy hand in production of anything i've ever released, but i had no experience of mixing. I guess i always thought you'd need a degree in mixing, but as long as you put the love in and use your ears you'll get it sounding right...that's the main thing i learnt.
Working with Cameron's a joy and real easy, we usually hear something and agree...that's a priceless thing to have with a producer, rather than someone who doesn't know their stuff or turns up and bosses the whole band about to take it in a direction none of you want to go.
My friend's band ended up paying thousands to work with a producer who threatened them with working in a chicken shop everytime they disagreed....he made their album sound like shit.
[altsounds] BURN THIS TOWN? THE TITLE OF THE EP. HAVE YOU GOT A TOWN IN MIND?
[Arrows Of Love] This Town.
[altsounds] SO HOW MANY ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE BAND. 5 OR 6?
[Arrows Of Love] I don't even know. We're revolving lineup gig to gig right now, though always perform as a 6-piece, and everyone's a part of it whenever they're playing. It just keeps workin out.
[altsounds] GIVE US A CLUE AS TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO STASH THESE 100 FREE CD'S OF THE EP IN A RECORD SHOP. JUST A RIDDLE WOULD BE GOOD LIKE IN THE HOBBIT.
[Arrows Of Love] Rough Trade East & West
[altsounds] THIS GUERRILLA PROMO STYLE WITH PAPER CUPS AT ROUNDABOUTS. WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?
[Arrows Of Love] There's a massive fence on the Old Street Roundabout and for our first headline show we wrote out the band name, venue, and date by pushing paper cups into the holes.
It worked.
[altsounds] YOUR LIVE GIGS ARE DESCRIBED AS BEING INCENDIARY. DOES THAT INVOLVE FIREWORKS AND ROCKETS LIKE THAT GERMAN BAND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF?
[Arrows Of Love] We always leave our rockets at home.
[altsounds] WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
[Arrows Of Love] no
[altsounds] WHAT IS THE NEXT MOST OBVIOUS QUESTION YOU HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED?
[Arrows Of Love] ha ha ha!
[altsounds] FACEBOOK OR TWITTER? OR HELL TO THEM ALL?
[Arrows Of Love] When we started this thing we enjoyed the simplicity of no internet, but right now we like being able to chat with the good people that are listening and getting in touch. All those sites are different so we use them in different ways. Just stick our name in a search and you'll find us.
_______
Check them out here: Arrows of Love on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
