Slaves kicked off their North American tour playing one night at the Picollo Rialto in Montreal. Montreal Rocks got the chance to sit with Laurie Vincent and Isaac Holman on their very first night in Canada, to chat about their music, their name and other bits and bobs.
MR: One of the things I saw on your Facebook page was a very lengthy response to some attacks on your name back in 2015. Do you find people still have that same reaction to your name, or have they come around to the point you were trying to make?
LV: There’s always going to be some I guess, there’s still some people who have a problem with it. There’s always going to be, it’s the internet.
MR: Do you find the reaction is getting more positive?
LV: In my opinion, it’s like, there’s a few individuals who really disapprove [of] it and then nobodies come around to it, either they have really extreme views about it and they’ve maintained it, but on the whole it’s fine. Apart from Montreal, there’s a group here that tried to move the show and shut it down, but the way they go about it, is kind of inciting hatred themselves, so it’s actually against what they’re trying to achieve. I sometimes see where they’re coming from but it just isn’t a racist act to use.. like you wouldn’t be deemed a racist for saying you feel like a slave to your job today. In Britain we use a lot of words differently, we say things metaphorically, differently, so I don’t know if it could be interpreted different in America.
MR: Well, for example, Kanye West had an intro to a song where he says “This grave shift is like a slave ship.’ Do think that you get a worse reaction because you’re white people talking about slavery when you’re coming from a very white area, where Kanye West can talk about Foot Locker as a slave ship?
LV: I think so, it’s usually people’s go-to target, saying that we’re two white guys, but then that just seems also bad, saying you’re two white guys doing this, then you’re addressing the issue in a negative way and dealing with our race. It is a word at the end of the day.
IH: We understand that there’s connotations with the word, there’s connotations with so many words that people use and our name isn’t meant like that. We were going to jobs that we hated.
MR: What were your jobs?
VL: I used to work for a milkshake shop.
IH: I was in the stockroom of a Topshop, opening deliveries.
LV: Every time people are really outspoken about it, it’s always white people that are outspoken, which I find interesting as well. I don’t understand why we’re offending them, but like directly, it’s never actually been black people that get really offended by it.
MR: About 9 months ago after a show, you said in an interview that you didn’t think Trump’s security would let you into the country if he gets into power because you said Fuck Trump at that show. And now he’s the president and your first US show on this tour is in Washington, are you worried about getting across the border?
LV: I wondered about that because I’m covered in tattoos, because they’re pretty strict on musicians as is and you have to have loads of visas. I wasn’t genuinely worried.
IH: You said “F*** Trump” in Texas and lost a few crowd members.
LV: I actually said, if you’re voting for trump, don’t watch us and then I said it.
MR: Did people leave?
LV: Yeah, only a few, most people cheered. They seemed pretty open minded though. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble though, we’re not big enough threat yet to get on any list. Yet. Rage Against The Machine got on the list, the terrorist list, cause they said something at a concert about burning down the White House, metaphorically. But then they got on the list. And after that they didn’t let anyone film their concerts.
MR: I was listening to your albums all day today, and I found the message very energizing and overall very positive, less with the image of “punk” music that people have.
LV: That’s why, when we started, we never really said we were punk, we just said we’re inspired by it. I think we’re more like English bands, like our style is more like Madness bands that have a bit of that comedy in it. But I don’t think we sound like Madness, we sound like ourselves.
MR: The artwork for your latest album, it’s the balaclava piece done by Laurie. You previously had said it’s nothing to do with Pussy Riot. Is that still the case, now that you’ve used it for your album?
LV: The Pussy Riot thing, obviously they’re linked, but I didn’t do it because of Pussy Riot. I just saw an image of a girl in Vice wearing a balaclava and I just really liked the femininity mixed with the…. if I wore a balaclava down the street, most people would find it intimidating and probably want me to take it off. It was just a play on something being so sweet but also…
MR: So nothing to do with solidarity with why Pussy Riot was protesting?
LV: I definitely have solidarity but that’s not the reason I used it.
MR: Now that you have escaped the slavery of Topshop and ice cream, do you feel like you are slaves to your record label? Who is your new slave master?
LV : I guess to the band itself. It’s our lifeline and stuff. So like the only thing that changes is occasionally you don’t want to go play a show whereas before you always wanted to because it was your release. When it becomes a job, there are days when you feel like “uh, I don’t want to do this one” but then you get on stage and it’s fine.
IH: Yeah, you just have to remind yourself of where you are and what’s happening because it’s easy to take things for granted. We’re very lucky boys.
LV: We’re lucky with our label as well. We’ve always had in our contract that we sign off everything. So nothing gets done without our approval. We’ve got full creative control which a lot of people don’t have.
MR: Are you working on any new material this year?
LV: Yes. Different stuff. We have stuff planned but no definites at the moment.
MR: Your sound was getting a little softer on this latest album, is this a direction you’re heading in and exploring a little more?
IH: No, I just think that we have a softer side, we don’t just make loud raucous music, we love making all kinds of music, so we find a way to get a different release out I guess.
MR: Do you find that your popularity in the UK is translating well into the other countries you’ve toured in?
LV: Not yet. We’re pretty UK-centric. Maybe a few places, like randomly we can play to 500 people in Russia and Ukraine in the main cities.
IH: Holland and Germany.
LV: Holland we’re picking up. Festivals all over Europe are really picking up. The club shows are still quite small.
MR: And you did SXSW last year in Austin?
LV: Yeah, and we’re doing it again in a couple of weeks
IH: We’re finishing our tour there.
MR: What are you guys listening to now while you’re on tour?
IH: Fidlar…I’ve been listening to West Coast by Fidlar, Grace Jones, Pete Rock. I listen to a lot of hip hop.
LV: I was listening to Tom Waits- Heart Attack and Vine ….the new Ryan Adams album in general, Dead Boys- Ain’t Nothing To Do, the new XX album, I’ve been listening to that a lot. And The Cribs. They’re a UK band, they’ve got this album called ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’, and they’re celebrating 10 years of that album soon, so I’ve been listening to that a lot.
MR: Do you eat what you are fed?
IH: I used to be really fussy as a kid. I used to only eat fish fingers and Wheatabix.
LV: My girlfriend eats fish fingers. 30 fish fingers a week at least, she buys the biggest box.
IH: I don’t like liquorice.
LV: I hate fennel. Anything with fennel.
MR: And finally, if you had to tell your Canadian fans one things about yourself what would it be?
LV: I’ve never tried poutine. So if you could bring me some poutine that would be pretty good.
Interview – Tar Carson
Photos – Steve Gerrard
