Zenegeist 識你佳專訪 － The Drums

1.

Z: Expectation of your highly anticipated new album

'Encyclopedia'? How far you it to reach, in commercial and

artistic ways?

Z: 你們期望最新大碟Encyclopedia可以有什麼成績？ 

J: As far as it can...I'd love it all the way success, hahaha. When we make a record, we are not thinking like 'lets write a song that lots of people are gonna want it in commercial' something like that. We just want to make a record that we love. We don't even think of anyone else from the outside world. So after its done, you know, we hope...i mean...we don't hope because we are realistic, but like we would love if it was the number one record in the world. We think of be creating music it was a little made... if successful music came from that sort of pure place rather than all the biggest bands in the world, these manufacturers.

我當然希望它非常成功啦（哈哈哈哈哈）。我們製作唱片時，其實從沒想過去為取悅大眾寫一些商業歌曲。我們只寫我們想寫的東西，沒任何人影響到我們。當然，在完成專輯之後，你總會希望……但又不敢去想太多……當然我們希望它能成為世界第一的專輯。我希 望賣座的音樂, 會有更多是來自地下小眾的樂隊, 而不是天團大廠牌。

2. 

Z: Has anything in the process of creation of new album changed like the belief, environment of creation changed compare to two previous albums?

Z: 和上兩隻大碟相比，創作過程有冇什麼改變？例如信仰，環境 ?

J: I mean not really I mean the essence in the way of we make music is the same. I think we are just sort of...because we have been doing these for a while now, so we really understand like this is our life, this is our career. So we just try to really make music that will we always be proud of, always be important to us. As we try not to do everything we released haphazardly, which is why it took us so long to make 'Encyclopedia'. We spent like over a year recording it and the past we were made a record in a month or two.

我想沒有改變過。我們一直以來也是這樣創作，抱著同一個核心價值。我認為…..我們已經在這個行業裡好一段時間，我們明白到這是我們的職業，甚至生活。所以，我們只想去做一些令自己感到滿意和驕傲的音樂。在沒有弄清方向前我們不會想發佈任何東西，這亦是《Encyclopedia》花了長時間製作的原因。在以前我們只需一至兩個月去做一張專輯，但我們用了一年多時間去做《Encyclopedia》。

3.

Z: It seemed the style of new album has been much more introspective, compare to two former albums 'Portamento' & the eponymous 'The Drums', why these changes made?

Z: 新專輯的風格似乎比以前更加沉鬱內歛 ，為何會有如此轉變？

J: I think a lot of reasons. I mean the band had kinda been through a lot & the band had been through the ringer of the music industry & had a lot of ups and downs. So I think that had a lot to do with it and probably having more time to make the record by had a lot to do to each song could really be focused on and as it all little art piece anyway.

有很多原因。 我們經歷了很多，特別是生存在這個行業當中，會有很多高低起低。這些經歷令我們更想花多一點時間去做一張大碟，如每首歌都可以專注地去做，做到最好。

4. 

Z: With loads of pressure on your shoulders, how do you deal with that? And had this became the bottleneck or something really counter-productive to the creation?

Z: 創作大碟通常有許多壓力，你們會如何應對？這些壓力有否變成阻力？ 

J: I don't think when we were writing or recording, we don't really think about a lot the shows, the performance & pressure. We tried not to feel the pressure, we tried to just to make the record. So yeah putting together the live shows, as it all the process, we are not classically-trained musicians so we have to kind of relearn our songs. because when we were recording them we were just like throwing things on the wall, trying to make something sounds great, we were not writing anything down. We won't do anything like that. So yeah we try to do a good show but I don't think we really let any pressure get to us from doing a show, We just go up there and do the best we can.

我們寫歌時其實沒有太大壓力或是去想關於演出的事等等。我們嘗試不去想令自己感到有壓力的事，專注地去做音樂。當然在演出時我們需要將一切都安排好，同時我們不是受過正統音樂訓練的樂手，在自己的歌曲上亦有很多地方需要學習。因為我們在創作時，很少會將歌有系統地筆錄下來；我們只把覺得好的歌錄起，就是這樣。我們一心想做好現場演出時，不會讓壓力影響到自己；一踏上台板，把會我們最好的一面呈現給觀眾。

5.

Z: How do you two dealt with the departures of band members? Guitarist Adam left before the release of 'Portamento' and this time Drummer Connor departed also before the release of the album. From a quartet, to trio and now being a duo, has this produced you much more pressure?

Z: 成軍至今，前後已有兩位成員退出 （結他手Adam同鼓手Connor)。成員減少，責任加多，又有否構成壓力？

J: Well, it...there are not really a lot of actual changes because Jonny & I are always kind of the ones writing and recording in the studio that sort of thing. So that didn't really change, it was just kind of mental thing, like thinking 'oh, it just us now and we can really do whatever we want, we can have fun with it and kind of breakout of this paddering and we kind of felt like we work ourselves into in the way. I think the really sort of...I guess there is a bit more of pressure in a weird way, it just being the two of us rather than four because now it just the two of us so people hate the record or hate the show whatever you know they are just kind of (ludicrous?) because we are really (barch?) hahaha. When we were in the past that responsibility was kind of splitted between four people to take away. but yeah we are up for the challenges. 

其實影響沒有多大，因為我跟Johnny一向也The Drums的創作核心，寫歌錄製我們一手包辦。也許在心理上，是會有些轉變和影響，如我們終於可以無拘無束地做我們愛做的事。，但同時又感到壓力。因為我們由四人變成兩人樂隊的原故，所以某些人開始討厭我們的一切。同時我們亦要調整好心理去面對挑戰，因為所有責任再不是四人攤分，現在只有我倆去撐住。

6.

Z: So this one should up to Jonny to reply since Jonny has likely told a media of his fascination of The Smiths and his most favourite The Smiths' track is 'This Charming Man'. You know this song got some sort of association with the LGBT community. So do you think LGBT movement has any influence on your music?

Z: 我聽說Jonny是The Smiths的忠實fans, 他最喜歡的The Smiths作品是'This Charming Man'. 這首歌的創作背景有很多人認為和LGBT群體有關，那The Drums的創作又有否受LGBT群體影響？

J: I don't really think the LGBT movement has a real affect on what we are doing as far as like style & aesthetically goals. I don't really see much good creativity coming out of the LGBT movement. I wish there was and I wish that community could embrace us more but they kinda don't that much. I think that we were inspired by LGBT people rather than the culture surrounding it. Specifically people and the politics and that sort of thing which we have definitely be inspired by. But the movement and the culture I think you know the way we move out was kind of wanna to be that sort of like LGBT band but breaks a lot of the moulds. We think we that community found themselves gotta trap-in. I also say we do like the Smiths, you know we listened it the most when we were kids and Morrissey has come to some of our shows. But They are not our favourite band (lol). There are lots of other band that we would say a lot more inspiring to us.

我想LGBT運動對我們創作的風格以及藝術上的追求並沒有甚麼實在的影響。再者，我亦看不到有很多關於LGBT運動的上乘創作。那我當然希望社會上有這種創意和可以包容我們，但事實卻不是這樣。我想影響我們的是LGBT的人或是關於LGBT的政策等等，而不是整個運動或文化本身。我想你知道，我們出櫃是想用LGBT Band的形式來打破固有的框框。我們亦喜歡The Smiths。我們是聽The Smiths長大，而Morrissey亦曾看過我們數次演出，可是The Smiths不是我們的最愛（掩面）。外頭還有很多樂隊啟發過我們。

7.

Z: Is there any post-punk band you like?

Z: 可否說一下你喜歡的Post-punk樂隊?

J: Sure. That's a lot of things were happening in like Scotland &England. Over years ago, Postcard Records & Factory Records that we just love. And there're a lot more (sweet?) bands such as The Durutti Column, The Stockholm Monsters & The Strawberry Switchblade & the stuff like that. We like the stuff that we have been comparing to such as Joy Division & The Smiths but fear not they are not our favourite as I found they are less interested than the (Stockholm) monsters...

當然，那時Post-punk風潮直捲蘇格蘭及英國。我們十分喜歡Postcard Records及Factory Records的樂隊，例如The Durutti Column, The Stockholm Monsters & The Strawberry Switchblade等等。Joy Division及The Smiths我們都喜歡，同時亦常常被人用來跟The Drums作比較，可是，在鐘愛程度而言，他們遠不及Stockholm Monsters的地位……

Orange Juice from Postcard Records

Stockholm Monster from The Factory Reocrds

8.

Z: How do you find your band was much more well-received in UK rather than in your home country? Do you feel strange?

Z: 你如何看待The Drums在美國不及在英國受歡迎？有否覺得奇怪？

J: Yea, it seemed that way at first, for sure. It was strange in a way but in a way it wasn't strange, in a way it was making perfect sense. Because people in America just didn't quite get it. I think it is starting to catch up & starting to get it. But in the UK they are kind of instantly got it and they were like 'oh, I understand this!'

我當然覺得奇怪，但想深一層其實也很正常。那時侯，美國的聽眾一時之間容不下我們的風格。幸好現在他們開始嘗試跟上來了。但無論如何，英國的聽眾接受力是比較強，一剎那就明瞭我們的創作。

9.

Z: But would you like to register a great success in your home country rather than being far more famous in UK ?

Z: 但你們有曾想過要在家鄉變得更紅嗎?

J: Well, I don't know. I am kind of content with whatever happened. To me, it's gonna be nice to tour the world and do all the stuff and be able to go home and just have a bit of normal life, not to be a kind of Superhero.

其實我也頗滿意現況。我追求的生活很簡單，能夠去世界各地表演，做想做的事，之後回家鄉休息就好。我不太想做一個超級英雄。

10.

Z: So this is our last question, it's pretty open. Could you tell me your favourite album or track of the year of 2014? Probably just one.

Z. Jacob, 你可不可以和大家分享一下你今年最鍾意的歌或者大碟？ 

J: Oh gosh...Yes, there is a band called 'The Soundcarriers' from the UK, have you heard them? They are amazing! 

Z: Yes, I like them. all the arrangements (of their tracks) are amazing!). The texture!

J: It's incredible! It's such a sound! They got a song, I probably pronounce it wrong, it is called 'Entropicalia'! It's really great

Z: I (Deadpan) will find it! yea

J: Yeah, find it, play it through!

Z: I (Deadpan) got to say I am not quite getting very close to those indie sound but I love those things from Brooklyn but might not all those things indie.

Z: (NKCH) They (The Soundcarriers) are quite underrated!

J: They really are! I love everything that label they are from, Ghost Box. But Soundcarriers are kind of broke the mould of Ghost Box a little bit of whole the label what they (The Soundcarriers) are doing. They are very interesting!

Z: All right!!! Thank you so much! This should be interesting enough for our readers. 

啊 有呀！有一隊英國樂隊叫The Soundcarriers! 你們聽說過嗎？他們真的很出眾！他們有首歌叫做Entropicalia，真迷倒了我！我想人們都太忽略The Soundcarriers了！他們的廠牌 Ghost Box所有的樂隊我都很喜歡，但因為The Soundcarriers在打破Ghost Box內的常規，所以我特別喜歡他們。