The Drums : Q & A

Ten months into the year and you are probably sick to death of those immortal and overused 4 little words, which when strung together into a music related sentence are meant to induce excitement and hope, yet are more likely to incite cynicism and possibly even a little yawn. Yes, the curse of 'The-Next-Big-Thing' label has struck again, this time its victims being the Brooklyn via Florida quartet The Drums, who make punchy powerful pop with influences gleaned from the glory days of the 50’s and 60’s.  But it looks like The Drums might have the last laugh, as early demos and recent single ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ have proved their capabilities as song-writers and potential hit-makers, making them the current darlings of the industry and giving people more to talk about than just speculation.

Originally building their sound around the desire to sound like 80’s Factory Records band The Wake, yet evolving it to take on a more upbeat melodic pop sound, The Drums have perfected the knack of making music which has an immediate effect.  Fun, simple, catchy and popular, it is ideal for radio playlists yet with its integrity intact.  Plus with finger on the pulse label Moshi Moshi releasing the 7-track EP ‘Summertime’ in follow up to debut single ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ and an album in the final stages of its creation, the Drums look set to start the new decade in showstopping style.      

4or The Record spoke to guitarist Jacob Graham of The Drums to get the story behind their formation, that inevitable surf-pop tag and their plans for UK domination in 2010.

The-next-big-thing? You decide.

4or The Record: For anyone that hasn’t heard of The Drums yet, tell us the story of how the band originated. 



Jacob Graham: Jon and I had been friends since we were kids and we've always been obsessed with the same
 bands and we've always had our own bands but we've never made music together until we started The Drums. Jon moved down to Florida, where I was living last year, and we recorded a bunch of songs. After the songs were finished we packed everything up and moved to New York with stars in our eyes. When we landed in Brooklyn we found our other two guys, Adam and Connor, and that is basically how The Drums came to be. 

4TR: Why did you call yourselves The Drums? 

Jacob: I guess simply because we liked the name. We thought it sounded pretty classic and memorable.  We don't like anything to be fancy, extravagant or experimental. It's short, simple and easy to spell.

4TR: Describe your sound to us.

Jacob: It's like if great pop bands in the 50's and 60's had a little of that factory records sound. Or on the other coin, if a factory records band took a chill pill. We keep the gloom and doom buried in the lyrics for the people who want it, it's in there, and if you don't want it you can just run around and pretend that everything is just fine, it's so pathetic. 

4TR: Was that the sound you always aspired to create when the band formed? 

Jacob: Yes and it's the only thing we've ever succeeded at. 

4TR: We read that you are fans of the music of the 50s & 60s - what is it about that era that inspires you and are there any other periods of musical history that can also be referenced in your music? 

Jacob: Jon would say that it's because the 50's and 60's were the true beginning of pop music, so it's like that whole thing where nothing can ever be as good as the first time. But I think it's because back then people didn't (think they) had to experiment with anything. Everyone these days is always trying to sound different but what about just sounding the same? Just try to sound like that perfect pop band you have in your head and what will be different about you is your own unique voice and song writing and ideas within that realm.

4TR: You are working with the highly regarded Moshi Moshi label in the UK - how did that relationship come about and will it be continuing for future recordings? 

Jacob: I suppose they just liked our songs and we liked them so we made a record together.  It's funny how it could be that simple these days, I guess that's just more of us trying to do things the old fashion way. I don't know how long it will last but we're all very happy together for now. Nothing is forever. 

4TR: Your recent single ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ has had critics putting you into the category of surf pop - but can we assume your album will be full of different styles, sounds and musicality? 

Jacob: Well, that is our only song about surfing, so we always try to dodge that label of surf pop as much as possible. But I think it would be a little misleading to say that our full-length album will be full of different styles and sounds. We're very focused on one sound and we're stickin' to it!

4TR: And the inevitable question, do you guys surf, or the song a metaphor for something else???... 

Jacob: The song is a metaphor for the political climate in America at the end of 2008. 

4TR: When can we expect your debut album? 

Jacob: Early 2010, we're trying to start this new decade right. The future is so huge and we want everything to happen on Earth. 

4TR: Who will you be working on the album with in terms of producers?

Jacob: Probably no one. So far it's just been us, but we're still working on the final touches so who knows? Maybe will bring in someone to tweak a couple little things here and there.

4TR: How does your writing process work? Is it a collaborative effort? 

Jacob: Jon has the most writing responsibility. Sometimes we co-write songs but most of the time it's him writing and me acting as his editor. 

4TR: What do your lyrics stem from - is it autobiographical or more story telling? 

Jacob: I'd say it's a mix of the two. It's sort of autobiographical but changing names and places to protect the innocent (even though in most cases these people aren't nearly as innocent as they would lead you to believe). 

4TR: You’ve been labeled ‘New York’s coolest new band’. Is that kind of hype pressure for you guys or something you don’t pay any attention to? 

Jacob: I don't think any of us have ever thought of it as pressure... we just take it as a nice compliment and keep focusing on our job which is to make music and all those other things that a band is supposed to do.

4TR: New York has been cultivating some very exciting new music, particularly seen in the UK over the past 18 months - why do you think that is? And how does the industry differ at home? 

Jacob: I don't know. Hasn't it always been that way? I don't really know what it's like in the UK but I think all of the cool bands are always either coming from New York or somewhere in the UK. From what people are telling me about everything in UK it seems very different from here.

4TR: Who are you listening to at the moment, or whose music are you currently rating? 

Jacob: Currently we're all loving the new Camera Obscura record. There's a brand new band from Arizona called The Young Friends that are pretty amazing. And it looks like I'll be listening to The Field Mice everyday for the rest of my life.

4TR: You played your debut UK shows recently, a mere 20 or so shows into your career, how did that feel considering it’s still early days in the bands career? 

Jacob: It felt good. We've all been in bands our whole lives so it's not like we've all only played 20 shows. But we've never gotten this far so we don't know if it's normal or not to play in the UK after 20 shows with a new project. We're just very grateful for everything that's happened so far.

4TR: And finally, what can we expect for the rest of 2009 from The Drums and what do you hope 2010 brings for you?

Jacob: For the rest of this year we'll just be finishing up the record and playing a few more shows 
in places we haven't been to yet. I hope in 2010 we get to do some more traveling and 
also I'd like to play on Saturday Night Live, those people are so funny!

Words: Francesca Strange

Write a comment

Name:
Email:
Subject:
Comment: *

Security Code: