Who ARE
Annie Christian
by Michael Fairbairn
Soul Burn Magazine
TransAction's Scotland Correspondent
Edinburgh
4-piece Annie Christian have had a busy two years. They have managed to scratch
the surface of the U.K. psyche and convince a few people that they are a band and
not a female solo artist. Soul Burn caught up with David Hunter (bass)
and Larry Lean (vocals/guitar) in December last year, at their successful
Christmas show at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh, before the release of their debut
album, 'Twilight'.
The band are now looking towards their second album, and further success, but what
did they expect to encounter when they first formed the band?
"It's funny, when you first start, I think the objective is to write good songs
and then it's to get a record deal . We want to reach as many people as we can."
Do you feel the attitude has changed since you formed?
"It has changed. The ambition has changed from starting the band to getting
a deal, then you want to have a modicum of success and reach a lot people."
In the two year period since signing their deal with Equipe Ecosse/V2 the
band have toured throughout the U.K ten times, playing more than 200 shows. This
has earned them a solid base of fanatical enthusiasts.
"I think we've got a lot to offer to a wide range of people, so we obviously
want to reach them. Any bands who don't want people to buy their records, well don't,
sit and play for yourself in your bedroom. If you get into this, you've got to go
into it with your eyes open and know what you want. We're in it for the full thing.
We wouldn't have got the record deal with the company we did if we just seemed content
to meander on. Y'know, we've got to go for it. You only get one chance and you've
got to take it."
This positive attitude within the band shows a real sense of commitment and dedication
but sometimes life in a band isn't all it's cracked up to be.
"There's some good and bad points. The deal means I don't have to have a 9-5
job and I don't have to get up early to do something I don't want to. The touring,
being away form home a lot can be annoying. It can take up a lot of time and that
puts a strain on things." Despite this, the bassist remains positive about his
fortunate position. "The best thing is getting to do this every day and making
music. That's what I wanted to do, what we all wanted to do."
"We
don't actually have a plan for the future," admits Larry.......If stuff happens
then that's great but I'm the happiest at the moment. I can't imagine being any happier."
Success doesn't come without a lot of hard work and the band are fully aware of this.
Their busy schedule looks set to continue.
"The level we're at, we have to tour constantly. People don't know who we are
so we have to go out and play to them. I think the first two or three years of a
band's life are spent pretty much on the road, unless you go mega straight away.
It's better to take your time though, because you get more of a fan base from the
people who go to see live bands.
The band have literally played almost everywhere there is to play, from their own
headlining jaunts to a prestigious support tour with Echo And The Bunnymen, an appearance
at Glastonbury this year and opening for Blondie at the S.E.C.C. in Glasgow. Do they
notice any shift in the type of audience that comes to their shows now they are more
successful?
"I think it's different in the fact that people actually have some of our stuff.
Larry was talking about this recently. You sit in your bedroom, you write a song
and then you go down to London where you see people mouthing the words to everything
you've written. It's a really great feeling. I'd like these people to respect us
for what we do. Commercial success is important but I mean Bill Hicks was a huge
influence on us and the way he talked about life and music you realise you can't
sell yourself short or sell out at all. I'd like people to think, no matter what
we achieve, that we've always been true to what we started out to do, which is basically
to play for us. It's still pretty much us, we try to keep it 'pure' I suppose",
he smirks. "That's the direction we had and still have. I trust the friends
of the band we've had since the beginning to tell me if they think we're changing
or diluting what we should be doing."
On record, the band combine ethereal moments of light and shade with a more Punky
element. The live experience is an entirely different prospect and people might not
get the full picture without experiencing both.
"We talk a lot about bands we liked when we were growing up, like Teardrop Explodes
and things like that. I mean, Larry and I are still huge fans of Jane's Addiction
and Levitation, which are obviously heavier bands. I think that comes across live.
Larry offers his opinion on the situation. "It's the same with people like Iggy
Pop or Julian Cope. If you were to only listen to their albums, having never seen
them live, you would never get it." "It's only half the picture",
agrees David. "I think we are a different band live but I hope the people who
have bought the records will come and see us live, so they see the whole thing. I
mean, we are quite manic live. A bit frenetic."
The debut album, 'Twilight' is a focused Rock album with a passionate blend of diversity.
Do the four members of Annie Christian view song-writing as a labour of love, or
is it more stressful than that?
"We're doing this as a labour of love but there is so much pressure on you to
find the time", opines David. "The songs keep coming but if Larry has an
idea he can only really play snippets on the bus or at soundchecks because we don't
get the time. I mean, the ideas are always there and they keep coming to us. It's
not like you finish an album and then you stop writing. It's an ongoing thing and
the songs come whenever or however."
Larry has taken a different approach to the writing of the follow up to 'Twilight',
favouring a keyboard/piano and drum machine to compose the songs.
"Larry is half way through the writing process for the currently untitled follow
up to 'Twilight'", revealed band manager, Bruce Findlay. "The band have
played some of these songs on recent tours and debuted new material in some experimental
sets. Titles include; 'L'americana', (which is an infectious jibe about American
culture), 'Don't Talk, Just Feel' and 'Life Is Sweet'. Many of the songs on the debut
expressed the desire to escape form an urban frustration and despite the achievements
of the past eighteen months, this subject is likely to translate on the forthcoming
releases. The band are in talks with several producers with a view to releasing an
E.P. of new tracks prior to Christmas. The new full-length album is expected to follow
in February when the band will undertake a full U.K. tour."
Bruce Findlay and the band are equally appreciative of their respective talents and
are thrilled to be working together.
"When I first saw the band, I thought they were like The Clash or something.
Four good looking guys right up in your face. They've got Punky elements but the
slower stuff is more Floydian and that's what attracted me to them, they've got light
and shade in their music."
David appreciates the support. "We are lucky with the company we have behind
us. Ronnie and Bruce are behind us 100% and they will let us do what we want. I mean,
Ronnie signed commercial acts like, Stereophonics and Kula Shaker and he's signed
a lot of other credible acts. To give him his due, he knows a lot about music and
he's really forward thinking."
Bruce Findlay has also had his fair share of success, having managed Simple Minds
(to name but one success story) and watched them achieve multi-million selling global
success.
Larry refers to him affectionately. "He's a lunatic. An inspired, genius lunatic
and a sweetheart."
This enthusiastic support from two of the most experienced characters in the music
business must be a huge compliment to the band but have they received any other compliments
that meant something to them?
"Tom Lappin", says Larry without hesitation. "He did a write-up on
us for the Scotland On Sunday magazine. He's also quite a fan of Bill Hicks and he
wrote something like, 'Bill Hicks would definitely approve...'"That was like,
'Ooh thank you'", he says with genuine appreciation. David agrees. "I think
he was the first writer who had a real handle on what we're trying to do. There was
a lot of A+R interest when we first started the band and there was one girl who listened
to us play. She would say, 'I like it, I think the songs are really good, but I don't
think you'll have much radio play. Ocean Colour Scene are doing a great Top Ten for
us right now'. "It was like. 'Oh fuck off, you just haven't got it have you,
have you never heard Jeff Buckley?' The first time Ronnie saw us, he came up and
asked about lyrics. He's totally passionate about what he does."
Things have gone well for the band to date and it seems that a lack of planning on
their part and strong judgement feelings have contributed to this.
"We don't actually have a plan for the future," admits Larry. "A lot
of bands seem to map out exactly what they're gonna do and they set goals and they
want to be playing Wembley Stadium by this time. We'd be happy playing places like
Falkirk and Edinburgh. If stuff happens then that's great but I'm the happiest at
the moment. I can't imagine being any happier."
Annie Christian
T w i l i g h t
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Love This Life
2. Kiss The Day Goodbye
3. The Other Way
4. Secrets And Lies
5. Here Is The News
6. Clearwater Goldmine
7. Nothing Is Real
8. Ode To An Indian Summer
9. The Boy With The Golden Arm
10. Hicks (1961-1994)
11. Someday My Prince Will Come Again
12. Stupid Thoughts
13. Twilight
14. The Shattered Burlesque*
15. Satellites Spin*
16. While You Sleep*
17. This World Has No Time For Lovers*
*bonus tracks for Japan only
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