Here at LTB we love a lot of things about The Chapman Family.
Not only have they built up an enviable reputation and played some huge dates already, they are a band still to put out their debut album. We managed to get an exclusive interview with the Tees-band. This is what we, and they, have to say…
LTB: How would you describe “The Chapman Family” to new-comers to the band?
TCF: Either your worst nightmare or your best dream. People either tend to really, really like us to the point of stalkerish obsession or completely hate us occasionally to the point of violence. I quite like the fact that we’ve always polarized people : I think the worst things you can say to a band after they play is “yeah it was OK” or “that was nice” as it essentially means nothing at all. We’ve tried to stay true to ourselves as much as possible with this band and if you get it, bravo well done, and if not, that’s fine, just move along. We’ve never been about “mass appeal.”
LTB: Having formed the band back in 2006, What’s been the highlight for you so far?
TCF: Everything is a highlight, I think it has to be to keep powering you on to (hopefully) bigger and better things. Getting our demo played on BBC Tees for the very first time was heart poundingly amazing; getting the phonecall saying you’re playing at Glastonbury while in the toilet at work made me pretty emotional as Pop (bass player) had fell out of the balcony in the Empire a couple of days before and almost died; walking my dog to the newsagent to pick up a copy of the NME knowing that there was a full page dedicated to us was totally thrilling; going to Japan earlier this year was unbelievable. Considering that for the majority of the time that this band has existed we have done EVERYTHING ourselves – from putting on gigs in pub back rooms, making our own flyers and t-shirts, sacrificing pretty much all of our social lives – I feel honoured and priviledged for every good thing that happens, (even though I am more penniless and debt-ridden now than I have ever been in my life).
LTB: The debut album is currently being recorded…how are the sessions going?
TCF: Nearly finished. Due to finances and other issues it’s been a hard graft. With a bit of luck all of the anger and frustration and passion we’ve been feeling at the time of recording will all come through in the finished record. It might not be entirely comfortable listening but I think it’ll be exhilarating – we never started it wanting to be like Keane. It should finally come out in January.
LTB: Do you find yourself writing more in the studio? Or perhaps trying different directions for the over-all album?
TCF: Since the end of 2009 we’ve been writing fairly prolifically anyway. Most of the songs that are on the album are brand new and will hopefully surprise people who just think we’re going to have ten songs that sound like our single “Kids.” We practice and demo songs in various forms many, many times before we go into the “proper” studio so they’re pretty much failsafe as far as we’re concerned when we come to record them. However, because we’re still so new to recording in studios we do find ourselves bouncing ideas around and experimenting in there. You have to be careful though, we’re not Pink Floyd and it’s very easy to get carried away with stupid instruments and pointless effects.
LTB: Hailing from Stockton, you’re very much a local band to LTB (M’boro), how do you think the area has influenced your sound?
TCF: I don’t think it’s a conscious influence, just an honest one. I think it’s more conscious if you purposely try to distance yourself from your area and lifestyle, in other words to reject who you really are : like if you put on an accent to sound like your idol whether they’re from America, London or wherever, or you sing songs in a style that is completely barren to you but just happens to be in vogue at the moment. I think we’ve taken a lot of Teesside traits simply because that’s who we are : we’re pretty self deprecating and honest and feel like fighting back at a world that doesn’t give two shits about us. We are Teesside.
LTB: Are they any Tees-bands that are currently catching your eye?
TCF: Bands that work hard catch my eye. Bands that sit back and wait for things to happen don’t. “Working hard” could mean practicing all day and night or making demo after demo after demo or putting your own gigs on in shitholes as no local promoters will touch you, it can mean anything at all. You can’t sit back and wait to be discovered as it won’t happen, you’ve got to go out there and get amongst it.
LTB: Who do “The Chapman Family” listen to? Die-hard Gaga-fans maybe?
TCF: Two of The Chapman Family have Lady GaGa on their ipods but I’m not one of them. Sometimes I feel like I’ve stopped listening to music altogether. I turn on the TV or the radio and can’t identify with a single song or artist or anything. The DJs banter is pointless and patronising and the music means absolutely nothing to me. I can’t think of many songs or artists in the last ten years that have connected in any way. I don’t understand the blandness of modern society and culture, I honestly think I hate everything.
LTB: You’ve been chosen by NME as a “band to watch” – how did the band respond to that? was there an element of pressure, especially with the debut album in the works?
TCF: We just put our heads down and get on with it, bollocks to everyone else. You can’t sit back and pat yourself on the back, there’s no time for that. Every successful band we’ve ever had the privilege of playing with never seem like they take anything for granted. There’s always going to be pressure. We had pressure to get people to come to our first gig at Kubar so Jimmy would put us on again. It’s all about graft and putting the hours in.
THE CHAPMAN FAMILY MYSPACE
