IC1s “Hip underground late 80’s Slovakian pop with a slice of Guatemalan trip-hop”
American fans of Britpop are in for a treat this coming year
when IC1s rock Austin’s SXSW festival. Hailing from Harrow, northwest London
(home of Billy Idol, Simon LeBon, & Sir Elton John to name a few), the IC1s
have been stirring up the UK music scene for some time now, with a new single “Growing
Up Going Down” just released last month. Signed to Gary Powell’s (Libertines)
25-Hour Convenience Store label, the 5-piece band is quickly gaining a
reputation as one of the best new indie bands in the UK. When I read the band
had donated the proceeds from their single “Karma” to a London homeless shelter,
I contacted guitarist & friend Jesse James, to find out more. Jesse &
band members Daniel Coburn, John Campbell, Jacob Osman and Andy Faulkner were
gracious enough to take time out of their busy touring schedule to give me this
interview, so with that said…America, enjoy IC1s!
GH: We all know that IC1s are hugely popular in the UK, and recently signed to Gary Powell’s label. How did you guys meet and how long have you been playing music together as a band?
Jesse: The stories of our meeting are rooted in ridiculous. Someone came up to me and said they knew someone more arrogant than me and I should meet him, they'd said the same to Dan about me and he introduced, from there we formed an alliance. Dan met the others half way through a fight with a bloke on a pool table in his local, they needed a singer and he needed a band and that was that. We did two singles with Gary recently but are now working with Two Sisters records who are a new label set up in the right way for us to work with them. You'll be hearing more from us and them very soon...
GH: I really like “Growing Up Going Down,” it’s slick and the video is nicely produced. I’m wondering what your writing process is like. Who writes the songs, or is it a collaborative effort?
Daniel: I suppose
I am chief songwriter in the band. It's just something I've always done, like
anything, the more you do something the better you get. I used to scribble
lyrics in the back of my science book, so I had been doing it for a while. God
knows how embarrassing they would read now though. Saying that, the band is
chipping in more and more with songs, which I encourage and some of it is
amazing. I'm the lyrics man, I will always be the lyrics man, no one is taking
that from me. If they write lyrics, they're singing them themselves...
GH: I hear bits of Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, maybe even Blur or a melodic Beatles vibe in your songs. Who were your influences?
John: We all have our own individual influences ranging from Jake's love of Britpop to Jesse's metal, Andy's Indie rock to myself and Dan's love of soul music. We all like a bit of each other’s genres and other bits thrown together which gives us the sound we all love and hear and represent as IC1s. I've often said we are like the Sex Pistols covering a Beatles song sung by Kurt Cobain. What's not to like about that?!
GH: So you guys won Best International Act & Best Rock Act last year on the Online Music Awards. What was that like and how has it changed things for you?
Andy: Yeah we won Best International Act and Best Rock Act at The Online Music Awards last year. Everyone likes winning stuff right?
As an Arsenal football fan this means a great deal to me. Coming close then narrowly failing has been drilled into me from a young age. Having said that though, Dan and John support Tottenham meaning they know even less about winning.
Jacob has changed teams recently to Manchester City who have bought their success and Jesse supports his local village team, Watford. No... Don't worry... I hadn't heard of them either. But seriously it's great being acknowledged but it hasn't really changed anything. We're still doing what we are doing and maybe next time it will be an even bigger award. Erm... Did someone just say GRAMMY?!
GH: The proceeds from your song, “Karma” you dedicated to charity. Can you tell me a little about that?
Jesse: We decided to give it all to UK homelessness charity Shelter, who I actually used to work with in my charity days. I know they do good things with the money and we'd only spend it on cigarettes and alcohol so it made sense. It's harsh walking passed someone in the freezing cold in London so when we have a chance to help, we do.
GH: Alan McGee (the man who signed Oasis) said, “If you go and see a new band, go and see IC1s, they’re brilliant and post-everything”. That’s a pretty big compliment. What’s next for you guys…any American dates on the horizon?
Daniel: I don't want to say too much or give anything away but it's looking likely that we will be popping over to the states before the year is out and I think I am more excited than anyone. Only ever been on a plane once before so I'm nervous but nothing can keep me off that plane, well maybe the law but we will cross that bridge when we come to it! But it's great to have people with their feet under the music industry table, showering us with compliments but its no more than we feel we have earned, so we just keep our focus, coz we're not even half way there yet!
GH: Thanks so
much guys!
Industry Quotes
"If you go and see a new band, see IC1s, they’re brilliant and post-everything" - Alan McGee (Creation Records)
"A proper, no messing about, rock and roll band" - Mark Beaumont (NME)
"Highly exciting to watch and thought provoking to listen to –. A must see for anyone who wants a real rock and roll band with attitude and ability" - Gary Powell (The Libertines)
"They're a little bit Libertines, a little bit Ramones - but they're certainly 100% London" - Pete Donaldson (XFM)
Official Website: ic1sband.com
Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/ic1s
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ic1s
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ic1sband
Bandcamp: http://ic1s.bandcamp.com
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