BRUTAL HONESTY
BY LEN SOUSA
An Interview with Eddie Argos of Art Brut
Art Brut’s pom-pom energy asserts itself proudly in the first fifteen seconds of their opening track to Bang Bang Rock And Roll, appropriately titled “Formed A Band.” A humorous ode to rock bands everywhere, the song repeats the verse “We formed a band!” like a war cry screamed by grade schoolers on speed. And with true pop performer ambition, lead singer Eddie Argos announces mid-bridge what they’ll do with their hit song: “We’re gonna play it eight weeks in a row on Top Of The Pops!”
Hearing Argos speak outside of pop refrains there’s little of the bombastic bravado which he exudes so well on tunes like “Good Weekend” and “Fight.” A charming bloke, the 26-year-old UK native speaks quickly—at times ending his sentences with a quirky strung-together, “d’ya know wha’mean?” Forcing this typically ignorant American to repeat, “Yes,” more often than ever necessary.
Still, the UKer never complains and offers a pleasant reaction to American audiences. “I prefer playing in America because Americans are less cynical,” he says without a hint of humor. “In England people say, ‘That Emily Kane song is hysterical.’ They think it’s all calculated. But in America people say, ‘Oh, you love a girl called Emily Kane.’ They understand that I’m just telling the truth.”
Labeled a joke band by some, with more ironic than honest lyrics and themes, the frontman admits it used to annoy him. “Just because we’ve got a sense of humor doesn’t mean we’re a joke. I just want to be conversational. If I was chatting with you in a pub then I’d be talking to you and making jokes…I want to be as honest as I can and that involves me joking about a bit. People ask me, ‘What’s the joke?’ Well, um, the joke’s me.”
But British fans are right to think “Emily Kane” is a hilarious send up of a traditional love song—honest, perhaps, but also infused with Argos’ unique sense of humor. Who else could sing lines like, “I hope this song finds you fame/I want school kids on buses singing your name!” Or, in the Pixies-esque “Rusted Guns Of Milan” (a tribute to his misfiring member): “Don’t tell your friends,/I promise it won’t ever happen again.” It’s the honesty backing these amusing lines that have found the band such international popularity.
In only three years, the group—which includes guitarist Ian Catskilkin, female bassist Freddy Feedback, drummer Mikey B, and recent addition Jasper Future on guitar—has found itself on the cover of the German Rolling Stone and nearly onto that British hit hyperion, Top Of The Pops. However, this past July, the BBC’s historic music program was unexpectedly cancelled after 42 years on the air—ending Art Brut’s chances of getting on for 8 weeks in a row.
“It’s sad, isn’t it?” Argos says of the cancellation. “The BBC just ran Pops into the ground because they’re idiots. We got a nice letter, though, from someone who works there as a content producer saying we’re his favorite band.” Unfortunately, without a single out at the time, the group was unable to schedule an appearance.
If Art Brut’s work ethic is any indication, however, there should be plenty of new material for fans and countdown shows to feast on this fall. When I spoke with Argos, the band had just finished a rehearsal where they had written two new songs. A sequel to “Emily Kane,” titled “Emily Rang” (about a phone call the real Emily made to Argos after hearing the song about her), is also in the works.
“I’ve written the words. I’m just looking for the right piece of music,” Argos reveals. “But I broke my phone the other week and I’ve lost [Emily’s] phone number, which is really annoying. How am I going to get that again? Should I [name the song] ‘Emily Rang (And Could You Please Get In Touch, Again)’? It’s a bit embarrassing.”
Losing Emily Kane’s number and the chance to be on Top Of The Pops might make some see the irony in things, but despite critics’ claims to the contrary, Argos confesses he has a hard time defining the word or seeing it in his music. “It’s escapism; it’s not irony…I don’t really understand irony, but I know that I’m not doing it. I’m being honest.”
Originally Published:
Skope Magazine (Nov/Dec 2006)
