From left to right: Jamie Morrison, Shingai Shoniwa, Dan Smith
Q&A WITH MISS SHINGAI SHONIWA
SUPERSWEET couldn't have picked a more horrible day for The Noisettes. The band rushed off from the mixing session of their official debut album - currently under working title: What's The Time, Mr. Wolf? - only to face a heavy thunder storm at our outdoor shoot. The lads then left Shingai (vocals, bass) behind for a heavy discussion regarding the new album, the industry and erm... that really heavy bass strapped to her neck!
SS:Tell us about the album you've been mixing today then.
Shingai: It’s like a big old junk box, it’s like going through a mad charity shop or junk sale and knowing at least you’re gonna get something. There’s going to be 11-12 songs. The music is quite punk rock with a bit of a circus feel to it and it’s basically all of us playing live. Some of the songs are really quick, really teeny 2 minute ones like 'Nothing To Dread'. And then you’ve got 'Mind The Gap' which is tour de force doo-wop, a bit late 60s style. Other song titles that I can think of of the top of my head are 'On The Bridge To Canada' and 'Little Destruction'. So far the album’s yet to be called What’s The Time, Mr Wolf?
SS: What’s the story behind it?
Shingai: It’s an old nursery rhyme, kids sing it at school. It’s quite a big game like basically 20 kids standing against the wall and one person will pretend to be the wolf standing on the playground. And all the kids go (shouting) "What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?" And they say like, "1 o’clock?" and he goes, "No", "2 o’clock?", "No". And you then have to step forward for as many as the time you guess until he says "SUPPER TIME!", which means he’s gonna eat you and you have to try to basically get away from him. The wolf is quite symbolic, we’re really interested in powerful animals, and being inspired by them. The wolf provokes some sort of imagery for that.
SS: And this will come out on Universal?
Shingai: No, we’re actually signed to Motown but they’ve recently been bought out by Universal in America. Transgressive has been putting the stuff out in the UK. So this keeps us independent in both territories so that each country doesn’t have to deal with the other country’s promotional work as each country’s different.
SS: What about the music, will it be any different to what we already get to hear live?
Shingai: 'Don’t Give Up' and 'Monte Christo' which I shouldn’t say might be rerecorded and added as secret tracks, we still love those songs. But it’s not to be the same but it will still be similar. It will be rock and folk and a little bit of everything. We’re so all over the place, we like jazz and as well as punk. And I am into soul music too.
SS: Is that because of your burlesque background?
Shingai: Absolutely, I was studying theatre school because I wanted really to be a musician but I was studying more to be like doing acting, kind of more all-round entertainer. Then I was really inspired by that burlesque thing as obviously there was going to be singing and getting to be a jazz dancer. It’s kind of really dirty Betty Page but maybe a bit of Bette Davis in terms of style as well.
SS: Obviously you prefer music yourself.
Shingai: I do absolutely miss the clothes! (laughs) Oh, they’re so amazing, we'd get to come out of a wedding cake sometimes before going onstage. I prefer being a live musician really, although the burlesque cabaret scene is amazing, it’s more contrived.
SS: Are songs you play live and record in studio separate things? Do you treat them differently?
Shingai: Definitely, to answer the first question: if you’ve already got a song prepared and rehearsed, it’s best to go to the studio when you’ve actually played a few gigs because you'd get to actually test it a bit. But at the same time, if you do go to the studio you'll rely on the energy rather than try to add dynamics on because you can’t really add dynamics but you can edit dynamics. You can turn something down or up a bit, add another instrument. Then the second question about treating it differently: I think you can’t help it but you’ll always gonna be a little bit nervous when you go into the studio any way especially if you’re doing vocals because you’re trying to make what happens live but there aren’t that many people there but I think it’s fair as well so people can come and see the other version at gigs where it’s a slightly more animated version than the studio one.
But in the future I'd like to try something acoustic too, see how you can fill in the vocals instead of relying on lots of instruments. The problem right now is not so much that we’ve got so many songs but often the record label will be like, 'Can you keep all your mellow songs for later on in your career?' and we agree as well that there’ll be nowhere else to go because if you start like, 'This is who we are,' then people are more likely to step to accept you in any incarnations you are. If you hold so much back in the beginning then I think you’ve already attracted the people that might want to come see you and sit down on cushions (laughs). I’d rather treat the acoustic thing as a separate thing.
SS: But then bands sometimes have really strong first albums and then second time round people say they’ve lost all the energy?
Shingai: That’s true, that’s always the problem. You have to get past the first album to be able to get to the second time round (smiles), so there’s always that risk to have that second chance.
SS: The labels actually term it 'band lifespan' these days, and they say it's becoming shorter and shorter.
Shingai: Oh, god no, please! (laughs)
SS: Last year the best-selling album globally was Coldplay and they only managed 8.3 million, it makes you feel like if that's the best anyone can do then what about the rest? Do you think MySpace has a lot to do with that? Is it a good thing or bad thing? Musicians will not be an occupation associated with overflowing cash any more.
Shingai: I think any sort of change which gives people more choice, so that they’re not force-fed, is good. However, in terms of bands’ income, it changes. We’re all now relying more on the gigs rather than record sales. And the record company, I think if they’ve supported genuinely and haven’t tried to change them too much in the beginning, should definitely get something for being involved. However, what they’re getting at the moment is far too much, compared to what bands get. They have to give more support, and certainly trust the musicians to understand their potential for their own audience. Because they’re actually going to get more from loyalty, people might download the music from MySpace, but actually they want to have a copy that makes a difference than just downloading it. So it’s actually forcing the record company to accept the bands how to use their imagination a bit more, on how to keep their following. So I think anything that does that isn’t such a bad thing.
SS: In a way, it might just eliminate the needs for labels altogether. There might not be a reason to rely on labels to market your product any more.
Shingai: I think the reason for most bands like us, having to deal with record companies is because they give us tour support. If you can't tour then that’s the end of it. Unless you’re a DJ and you travel around with just you and a laptop then you won't need to rely on that money as much. But if you’re in a band, you need someone to stay at the other end or someone to tell you what time you play and someone to make sure you get something to eat. Otherwise if it’s just with the internet for people to find out about you then it’s a bit of a virtual relationship, I think it’s really horrible.
SS: Is it harder to break though now that there are more bands around?
Shingai: Yes it’s really hard, either you’re going to have to make something really poppy and contrived and absurd or you’re just going to have to go for it and lose it! But I’d rather die trying than wondering what it would have been like.
SS: Do you appreciate all the time and experiences through [Shingai's and Dan's previous band] Sonarfly? Was it something that makes you fight harder and try something that you might not have ever previously considered, like now that you have to now play bass?
Shingai: That had always been a hobby but I miss all that jumping around which I can’t do now that I’ve got that guitar strapped to my neck (smiles). I do really like not having to worry about amps, that kind of thing. I don’t like when technology gets in the way, I do like it when you can use it to convey something. Basically we could have been a 4-piece but it will delay us by about 6 months. I’d always done it for a hobby but now I have to play it which isn’t all that great.
SS: It’s all coming out now, isn’t it?
Shingai: I won’t miss an opportunity to complain, (laughs) sorry SUPERSWEET!
SS: Does it matter that you all like totally different things?
Shingai: I think it’s a blessing and a curse at the same time.
SS: What keeps you guys together then?
Shingai: The love for music, of course! (smiles)
Shingai wears Taffeta dress by Vivienne Westwood Gold Label from The Loft: 35 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9DD
Photography: Krittiya Sriyabhandha