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Interview: The Whip

16th April 2008 | by Gavin Riley

We recently labelled Manchester's The Whip, as one of the best live bands in Britain. Its a characterisation that we don't throw around frivolously, but after seeing them in the U.K and then again at this year's South By Southwest Festival, they've certainly cemented their glowing live reputation.

But recently attention switched to their recorded efforts, and in particular, their debut album X Marks Destination. 

Opening track 'Trash' has been loitering around radio playlists for some time now, so all appears to be going well for a band born from the ashes of Nylon Pylon.

We got together with frontman Bruce Carter for a chat on how things are going, and amongst other things, to discuss some of the interesting venues they've been playing this year.

Strange Glue: Your debut album has been out for a few weeks now, how's it going? Are sales good, or are you now looking at a career elsewhere?

Bruce Carter: We're well happy and Southern Fried [the band's label] are happy too which makes us happier. Since the album came out it's been nice to see the crowd singing along and knowing where the builds and drops are. But yeah we're just happy to be out there playing our album to people every night in a random place. 

S.G: As you said, you're signed to Southern Fried Records, a small label. Is this a lesson picked up from the Nylon Pylon days?

Bruce Carter: They are a great label to be with, in the past we spent a year in the studio with Nylon Pylon and the album we made was torn to pieces and stuck together again by loads of people who all wanted a say so it didn't really work, the guys at Southern Fried are much more up our street, they are mates really and we have a party with them at every opportunity given.

S.G: You packed up and went off to Austin last month for the South By Southwest festival, we presumed rightly or wrongly that you were there to get a distribution deal, did you manage to get everything you wished for?

Bruce Carter: Yeah Texas was a great trip, it's the first time we've been to the states so we were there to make it happen, we played 6 gigs in 4 days and didn't sleep in between. We're really chuffed as we're just sorting out the deal at the moment and are back over there later in the year. We had an amazing time though, all the venues we're in crazy locations. On car park rooftops, by the side of cliffs and one we played for Dim Mak was at some porn type mansion without the nudity, it was a fun time.

S.G: I don't think I've seen such a transformation in an audience's attitude at a show. Timid at first, yet bouncing around towards the end of your set. You certainly seem to be forging a reputation for awesome live performances. Do you worry that The Whip will become synonymous as a band people want to see live and to dance to, but maybe not so interested in the record?

Bruce Carter: No. We just keep doing what we can which is play live stuff almost every night and put out some music in between, we think the album gives a good show of what we do live so it's primed ready for people to come down, see us play, forget about the day and have a dance, that's why we do it too.

S.G: What's your plans for the coming months / year?

Bruce Carter: We're pretty much non stop. We have a European tour at the moment then loads of festivals all around the world till August. Then Australia which should be fun, we've never been there, then back to the States later in the year before we finish the new album and get it out this time next year.

S.G: You've employed Crystal Castles to remix some of your tracks in the past, but you've also been hard at work yourselves on your own material. What's the thinking behind this, and who's better?

Bruce Carter: Hey they are nice guys, we met in a lift in Japan, bands are peers not enemies! We love having a laugh with other bands, no matter what music you make, people are up for having a hoot! We love the remix they did for us and we're doing a couple festivals together in the summer so it will be good to see them play. 

S.G: Any plans to remix any other artists?

Bruce Carter: Yeah we've done a few mixes. We did one for Editors, the dude from Orbital, Hadouken! and we just did one for that band The Music who are coming back with some new stuff. We love doing remixes, we're concentrating on some new stuff too but remixes are fun to do and get done. A fresh slant is always a good thing. 

S.G: You've said that they'll be another album out “before summer next year”, with a packed tour schedule and album number one still to promote, are you not worried about burnout?

Bruce Carter: No it's good, now is the time to do it, we can write on days off, day time TV is rubbish and you can only sleep so much, it's better writing music than playing computer games. Actually I think that's the same thing? 

S.G: And finally, explain (better than we can) why everyone should go out and snap up a copy of X Marks Destination if they haven't got around to doing it just yet?

Bruce Carter: Because you can close your eyes and pretend it's the night, like those whale cd's you get in hippy shops? No, really you can hear what we've been up to best on the album and come down and have a fun night when you have prepared your ears in the musical whip dojo.

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As Bruce said, The Whip are promoting their album here in the U.K for most of next month, with scores of live shows. Catch them while they're hot, at the following venues:

07 May 2008 - Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire (14+)
08 May 2008 - York Fibbers (15+)
09 May 2008 - Dublin Trinity Ball
10 May 2008 - Preston 53 Degrees (16+)
12 May 2008 - Oxford Jericho Tavern (14+)
14 May 2008 - London 93 Ft East
15 May 2008 - Brighton Great Escape Festival
16 May 2008 - Southampton Joiners (14+)
17 May 2008 - Sheffield Plug Neutral (14+)
19 May 2008 - Cambridge J2 (14+)
21 May 2008 - Cardiff Barfly (14+)
22 May 2008 - Manchester Academy 3 (14+)
23 May 2008 - Leeds Cockpit (14+)

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The Whip - 'Trash'

The Whip: MySpace / StrangeGlue Site