Meet me at the gloryhole...
26/03/08Alright? Update time. Proxy are busy again... The seemingly never-ending task of finishing off the album looks set to last no more than a few more months. It's been tough going but sounds amazing. It's sounding exactly how it should, it is completely the sum of all it's parts.
New tunes and gigging have been the orders of the day recently- and it's fucking invigorating to be honest. We've been on storming live form recently, and our hunger is there more than ever... there seems to be a kind of energetic violence to our live shows these days, we seem to be naturally moving away from the slick shows we used to do. It's feeling rawer and more visceral. We're all happy about it.
As for future plans- it all depends on how we get on with the album, but everything we're doing, we are doing because we feel it's the right thing to do. No rushing anything out. Until then, we're gonna get back to tearing up venues as that is where we feel amazing at the moment. Next stop- our first gig at the Bull and Gate in Kentish Town for about 3 years for Cancer Research UK, which should be ace. So see you there you little beasts.
W
Milestones
23/01/08Here's a thought... because 'being in a band' is such a well documented occupation- films, books, albums all about it- it's become like almost a well-worn road on which there are various milestones which must be passed. Not a bad thing, but sureley contradictotory to the whole 'spirit' of rock n' roll (at least the cliched spirit of it)...
This comes with the whole idea of 'making it' and the culture of careerism that's emerged in music. I can't be fucked to judge it right now- it's way too early for that. An UNGODLY hour. I studied theology. I know these things.
Anyway. It's become like a list of 'things to do for the first time'... which is fun and exciting when you're in the middle of it...Some examples of these milestones for us are... ooohhh..... the first time we played the 100 Club... Signing with Island... the first time we left London to play a show... the first time we went to the states...first time we were played on Radio1...etc.
But now a new, more daunting milestone is just round the corner which may be the best of the lot. The one which you could die happy when done... we've been invited to Abbey Road to do a Radio session. It's not the biggest deal ever... but the history associated with that place is enormous and so daunting in a way. I'm not gonna start gushing about the Beatles or anything, suffice to say I owe them a hell of a lot. But this whole experience has got me thinking about the 'British Rock Establishment" and whether or not you want to be a part of it- like Oasis or the Stones, or whether you wanna live in your own world, like the way The Beatles did in Abbey Road, or the way Radiohead are doing now god-knows-where... I've decided on the latter- it'll mean a) You don't have to meet and pretend to like Kate Moss and her shit clothes
b) You can go about your business in a meaningful way and write music that's not been sullied with what's essentially a false reality... I Know there are many exceptions to these rules, especially the Kate Moss one.
I've forgotten what I was talking about now. Oh yeah, go see Sweeney Todd and There Will Be Blood if you know what's good for you, and maybe the box office receipts will keep Michael Bay at Bay...
Time for a coffee mainline into my eyeball.
GOOD MORNING WORLD!!!!!!!!!
A battle for dignity.
17/01/08Alright. Happy New Year. Looks set to be a busy one for us. Which is good as I couldn't give a fuck about Olympics, and will be trying my hardest to pretend that the Euros don't count. This year will see the release of the album if we manage to stay alive, and artfully dodge the debris of the falling tower of the music industry. Working on lots of new material at the moment which is good, and are going through the process of finding a brand new manager, which is not so good. All in all though , everyone's more excited than we've ever been. Played a wicked gig at the Fly last week (demons exorcised) for our mate Julia, who took us to the states a few years ago, and it all went swimmin gly. Good to start off '08 on a good strong note... Anyways gonna dash so will hopefully see y'all at the barfly (we're bringing a merch stall)...
Best,
W
Labours of Love...
22/11/07Hello you.
I write this in Mike's place the morning after we were supporting (we are) Performane at the Barfly... A few techy difficulties aside it was a good show, and we gave a nameless new tune it's debut. Nice. Cheers to all who came down to see us, I'm sure you are happy you came instead of watching a pitiful England deservedly not qualify for the Euros. Ta ra Steve. Good riddance, you tomato-faced cock...
No such failure in the Proxy camp... morale is high- back in the studio next week working on some new material for b-sides, next album, box sets, collaborations with the National Ballet, etc. I can't remember being this excited about new songs...
Also gonna be announcing yet more dates for the new year up and down the country... that makes us happy.
PS- Check out Danananakroyd.... I caught them a few weeks ago at the Macbeth and they were fucking amazing...
Will's thoughts on the biz...
10/10/07Well it's all a little odd now that the 1st single is out to buy. It feels weird putting yourself up for consumption, digestion and perhaps excretion. For years it's just been the four of us in our own little world just writing, rehearsing, gigging- just being 'in a band'... now there's this whole new level to it- promotion. You have to completely change your definition of what being in a band is... It's in equal measures exciting cause you get to put your music out there- and at the same time perplexing because I'm not a salesman...
We always knew that we wanted to sign to a label who could get our stuff out there on a meaningful, wide reaching kinda way... we never wanted to be some 'preserve of the musos' act who only connected with a select few bunch of snobs and hipsters... not that there aren't plenty of ace acts out there like who aren't the dog's bollocks. It's just that these acts are often chewed up and spat out when the next album that ticks certain boxes is released... Nor do we wanna be only liked by braindead fuckwits who don't know shit about shit. We don't want to alienate people, and we certainly won't dumb down to get on some playlist.
Anyhoo. The album is coming along beautifully. As some of you might know, this record has been in the making for about 4 years, and has been the definition of a labour of love. We're gonna try to tie it up next week and then deliver it to the label for release early next year. I fucking love this record. I remember ages ago Jon and I talking about the overall vibe of the album and wanted it to be like the feeling you get after a really good chat with a mate. That's how it sounds to me- warm and makes you grin...
With all the shit that's currently polluting the airwaves and as B.Hicks would say, "tainting our collective subconscious", I think the album is gonna stand out like the best sounding sore thumb ever. Not that it's that hard at the moment as listening to playlisted radio these days is like putting your dick in a blender.
Best,
W
Gig Monday 1st October with Afterhours
26/09/07Alright.
Just a quick announcement to say we are supporting Italy's finest band, AFTERHOURS (one little indian), on Monday 1st October, at Dingwalls, Camden Lock. Last couple of times they've been over they've sold out everywhere so it should be a bit of a belter...send us a message on myspace if you want some reduced price guestlist spaces...
check 'em out...
myspace.com/weareafterhours
See you there.
W
Interview and acoustic session with Kylie for Sun Online pod-cast at The Capital Radio Building
14/08/07Its great being in the band at the moment cause its like were right at the beginning of a wonderful adventure and everything we do is an initial experience. Kind of like being a kid y'know? That wide eyed splendour of absolutely everything is great. It's even better knowing hard work, graft and belief in what you do is responsible. In fact I don't even care if it all goes tits up from here on in, cause the feeling of slowly disintegrating into a teenage dream universe is enough to satisfy whatever hunger I've had up until now. It's a great state to be in. You've left, you haven't arrived (you may not) but you're moving. It could all burst at any second. Fantastic!
Anyway we arrived at The Capital radio Building in Leicester Square to record an audio podcast for The Sun online which is to be aired to coincide with the release of our first single Jet Lag in September. Will and I did an acoustic session and played Jet Lag and Clowns of Hell. We were interviewed by Kylie who was super in the chair but posed the dreaded question "who are you influences?" We looked at each other and just sort of mentally collapsed at the thought. I don't think we mentioned anyone apart from The View who as far as I'm concerned are our polar opposites musically (the nice lads that they probably are). Next time we all agreed we would be more specific about our influences because it does irritate us when bands try their best not to divulge an influence, which I'm sure, is how we came across.
Water Rats
10/08/07Every once in a while you are plagued by technical difficulties throughout a gig and this was one of those times. We started well, but Will's guitar stared cutting out mid way and I think he must have gone through all our spare guitars! Its weird cause you come off a show like that and everyone is asks "what's wrong?" if we're pulling faces or whatever and we say "that was awful, its like dying on stage" and they always reply by saying "I didn't notice anything". Oh well you can never be sure what the truth is. On the lack of strength of a guitar lead, I would surely have to concur that some gigs (including this one) are best recycled in the recycle bin. Ha!
Strings on Strangers and Footprints
06/08/07Sunday night before, really couldn't sleep as the excitement was too much to contain in anticipation for adding 'proper' strings to Strangers and Footprints. The old Bill (Will) had done some lovely arrangements on a keyboard string setting back when we did our demos. Footprints had to be re-recorded cause we lost some of the tracks in the computer which annoyed us no end cause that was really 'the one' yknow? But anyway I think all in all the re-recorded version will be better. Nick had worked with the brilliantly talented string quartet Eclipse on numerous occasions and so it was we did on this day. First step was to play them Strangers in a Fight as they hadn't heard it yet. We said that we really wanted to have strings in it that resembled an Asiatic tinge, kinda like the way the strings in Venus as a Boy are sort of like modern Bollywood strings. The great thing was that I think a lot of bands get quite nervous when they do strings cause it immediately implies a false sense of maturity which is probably why most strings end up sounding a tad unnecessary. If the track ain't there, adding strings ain't gonna make it any better or grander. Anyway that's what we wanted to avoid: strings for the sake of strings. In the end Will did an amazing job getting the foundations down as we all enthusiastically encouraged Eclipse to 'go nuts' with diminished chords and progressions which were basically the guitar chords (we are so very clever). I think in the end we got ourselves exactly what we thought we had: a doo-wop tune with Asiatic strings. A bloody mess. A complete and utter bloody mess. Footprints was a different beast altogether and stood the biggest chance of being string laden without thought in a 'we're the biggest band in the fookin world" type of way. But I think in the end we wanted exactly what we had with the demo, as the song itself is that kind of 'epic' song anyway.
Vibraphone on both Universe Song and Pole Star Navigation
26/07/07Yes ladies and folks and gents and so it was on this day that it was and is that we added some Vibraphone to the opening track of the album, 'Universe Song'. Id never played vibes before and only to that point 'fiddled' with Will's Glockenspiel. Musically I had to approach the instrument as instinctively as I could. I was doing fine until there was a part that required a scale run into an instrumental passage after the first verse and then it was like "I have no real percussive skills argh! Where the hell is Rich? I can't do it!" But the part needed to be done and Rich had to leave the studio early so couldn't do it to save me from my sins. So Nick (our beloved producer and all round tech guru) persuaded me to have one more go. I closed my eyes and just threw the sticks at the thing doing my best 'air-drums' impression; vibed for Britain as they say (they really don't). Lo and behold I pulled it off. Ha! the biggest fluke of my career so far. At this point it's not mixed in but I think it will sound ace bubbling under the guitars that dominate the track. Long live Space Vibes! Will did a more sonorous backing to the glock part on Pole Star Navigation which as of yet hasn't been mixed but will be great, if indeed the track needs it at all.
