British buzz band the Horrors are often mistaken as goth, and not without reason. Their ghastly pale appearances, abundance of black clothing, eery use of organ, creepy stage names like “Coffin Joe” (we could go on and on, but you get the picture) recall the gloomiest of the early 80‘s cemetery stalkers. Light the candles, dim the lights, and read as organ player and bassist Rhyss “Spider” Webb discusses the change in the band’s sound his disdain for goth, and his favorite Jungle Book character.
What drove you to change the sound from the goth punk rock of Strange House to the expansive psychedelic music of Primary Colours?
It really just had to happen itself, when we started with Strange House, we’d only been playing as a band for a matter of months. [While touring] we really got a new interest in old electronic synthesizers and drum machines. Even recording the first record, we started to experiment a little bit with synthesizers. So, i think it was just members of the band finding new interests, and of course, as soon as you introduce those instruments into what we were doing with the Horrors, it naturally takes it somewhere else.
How’d you start your side project, Spider and the Flies?
Tom (of the Horrors) and I both became very keen on collecting and buying new instruments, and we were wanting to work them into what we do, so for us the first opportunity we had was at home in London. We just booked like three days in a studio and went in with a few ideas. It was the first time we worked in that way and everything was completely electronic.
The new album’s awesome. It got nominated for the Mercury Prize (prestigious British music award), and you’ve now joined the ranks of the likes of Suede, Pulp, Oasis, and Blur:
Primal Scream
Yeah, Primal Scream… How was that?
We were quite happy with it. It was hugely exciting. For us, we’re just doing what we wanna do. British guitar music is kind of dead at the moment – pretty boring – and it seems a lot of the bands around now don’t seem to have much passion. We’ve reached very much the opposite.
You guys really do the DIY (Do it Yourself) thing. Josh (the guitarist) has made his own guitar pedals, and the band made and distributed a fanzine. What inspired the fanzine?
Well, the first thing with doing the fanzine… it’s just a way of telling your [fans] a little bit about what you’re into, and kind of sharing the things you’re enjoying and spreading the word of it. I dunno, I think we wanted to share the music we love with the people who were listening to us.
Can you explain what the Junk Club was?
Junk Club… was again, that DIY thing. There was nothing going on, and there was a huge group of our friends really into music… so we set up this club, and at the time, nowhere in London could you hear the records we were playing. It was like 9 years ago. Anyway, that’s where we really formed.
What are your plans for the next record?
[Geoff Barrow, producer of Primary Colours] said what we need to do next time is just record and produce ourselves with a good engineer. So, next time we’re just going to produce the album ourselves.
What’s your obsession with Joe Meek? I keep reading that you’re completely fascinated with him.
For a start, he was just kind of a maverick, amazing, kind of psychotic artists. He was the first independent producer. More than that, he did it through his own terms in the same way we like to work. He attacked things in very visceral and visual way, which is again like the way we attack our music. He produced everything from the top floor of a small flat in London. We just find it hugely inspiring that this guy built it himself and did it himself.
You guys covered the Witch by the Sonics. What was it like finally getting to play with them? Was it like meeting your idols?
The Witch was one of the first songs we ever played together. We thought the Sonics were one of the heaviest, kind of punk, bands. It was just an honor really to be out to play with them. The coolest thing about it was, we went along and we played, and they then watched us from the side of the stage and they stayed for the whole show. And afterwards, we went upstairs, and I think I had like five of their seven inches with me, so I got each member to sign a single.
Who’s the biggest record collector out of the Horrors?
We’re all completely obsessed with record collecting, and we all buy very different things. Personally, my main passion in collecting is British psychedelic music. Faris is a huge girl group collector. Tom is really into acid house. We’re all really into electronic music as well. Josh, on the other hand, buys these insane noise records.
I’ve also heard you collect antiques. What’s the best one you’ve ever bought?
One [thing I’ve got] is an old framed sideshow postcard of two pinheads. Wherever we go, we always check out the thrift stores. We’re more into the weird oddities and obscurities. Faris collects old postcards which often have really amazing stories on the backs. Actually, I’m quite into amateur paintings.
Straying away from music, I know you guys are Edward Gorey fans. Do you ever think of Edward Gorey drawings in the mornings when you get dressed? What influences your fashion?
I have to say it’s music. I think for us, it’s not really something to think about. Fashion isn’t something we’re really interested in. Our main inspiration behind the way we dress just really stems to the music we like and have always liked. I think that’s just how it works with most bands. I think anyone who thinks about it too much ends up looking like those people who are in those fashion magazines, all dressed up, looking like they shouldn’t be wearing those clothes.
Coffin Joe (drummer of the Horrors) made a guide on how to make tight jeans, but any word on how you keep yours looking so good?
I don’t know, I have no idea [laughs]. Jeans are jeans. I don’t know, they just seem to fit [laughs].
What influences you guys more: mod or goth?
I’m not interested in goth in the slightest and never have been. I love Siouxsie and the Banshees. I like the Cure and I like the Birthday Party. But the thing is, I don’t think these bands are goth bands. It’s just something unfortunately that gets stuck on some things, in the same way things get stuck on us that aren’t necessarily true. It did have a dark edge, but I think the dark edge comes with music which has intensity, which I think is the same thing with us. For me, the mod thing is definitely more of an inspiration. I don’t think we’re inspired by [goth] at all.
Have you ever hopped on a skateboard or surfed?
Funny enough, somebody brought a skateboard on the bus the other day, and Joe actually at one point was almost sponsored. He was really into skateboarding [laughs] when he was a kid. Most of us aren’t particularly athletic. But if someone said, “do you want to go surfing,” I might give it a go.
Disneyland has this day called Bats Day where all the goth and punk kids swarm the place like a black cloud. Ever been?
I’ve never been to Disneyland before and I have no intention of going, but as a group we’re quite fans of the early Walt Disney pictures. We’re quite into the Jungle Book (laughs). Actually, the Jungle Book’s got an amazing soundtrack. I think 3 of the 5 members own that record on vinyl actually.
Seems like you quite fancy the Jungle Book. Who’s your favorite character?
The vultures. That’s where our inspiration came from. They’re our fashion idols — the vultures from the Jungle Book.
So they’d be the coolest dressed band out there huh?
Well they definitely have the haircuts, don’t they?
Ok, for the last words, fill in the blank: The louder you scream ___________
The louder you scream, the closer you’re probably sitting next to Josh on the airplane.
Interview: Kevin Duffel
Photography: Christelle de Castro
Tags: Faris Rotter, Interview, Junk Club, Mercury Prize, Music, Rhys Spider Webb, The Horrors
