Fightmilk Interview (2020)

I fucking love Fightmilk (Bandcamp Page)

The first time I heard them as I was getting ready to go to see Art Brut in Manchester in early 2019. My mate had called and had a spare ticket… Could I be ready in an hour?

As I was getting ready, I quickly looked who was supporting to see if they were worth checking out or not. 

Thankfully I did… the first thing I found was the then recently released on 2018 debut album ‘Not With That Attitude’ album.

The opening track ’How You Move On’ had crashing guitars, barbed lyrics, and a Kirstie MacColl lilt to the vocals… from the opening line ‘Congratulations on your terrible tattoo’ you know you’re not listening to a band that take themselves too seriously. I was hooked! That track also has a fantastic, video as well which is worth checking out HERE

In hindsight I’m gutted that I didn’t get a chance to know the album prior to the gig as all the songs are superb and it’s brilliantly produced. It would have been good to recognise the songs rather than watching and thinking ‘hope that’s on the album’…

It’s a fully formed debut that takes no prisoners. there isn’t a weak track amongst the 10 on it, and several you could imagine popping up on soundtracks for TV Shows aimed at the 20 something market

If you were to pick up this album and listen to just a couple of tracks to start with I would also recommend ‘Four Star Hotel’ which tells the story of a failed rekindling of a relationship in Amsterdam; but you’ll soon be falling in love with the lush ‘Solving Crimes In Sweden’

For one of the only times since I was a teenager, I bought an album from the merch stand, from singer Lily Rae no less and had it signed / personalised by the rest of the band

The first thing I did after getting home was look at their Bandcamp to figure out what had come before… ‘Both Types Of Hayfever’ a compilation of 2 EP’s released in 2016/2017 on Fierce Panda was my next purchase… the songs on here have a rawer punkier edge but all the traits that attracted me to them are still there

Unfortunately, the next time they played Manchester I missed it as I was out of town, so the nearest thing I’ve had to seeing them live again was their Facebook ‘launch party’ for their current single, the magnificently titled ‘I'm Starting To Think You Don't Even Want To Go To Space’ which is also the lead single of the eagerly awaiting second album 

Again, another fantastic video which you can find here... HERE

As the perfect accompaniment to last week’s ‘Captain Handsome’ interview… I give you Fightmilk

How are you all?

Lily: I think we're all a bit sad.

Alex: And angry. But getting by as best we can.

How far were you along recording the new album before going into lockdown?

Alex: We spent two weekends in November back at Dean Street Studios with Keith TOTP and Jonny Solway - the same place and personnel we worked on the first album -  and got 8 songs between 90% and 100% done.

"Space" was done in that first batch, and we'd aimed to go back in for one last weekend in May to record a last batch of songs, and redo some out of tune guitars/add extra vocals etc. Obviously, we've had to put a pin in that. We're trying to figure out a way to finish everything off and get some more things out so that we can have LP2 out before the end of 2020, but...y'know.

We can't guarantee anything at this moment in time, which is heart-breaking, but hopefully everyone will understand.

Is there a name for it yet?

Lily: That would be telling. That's not the title! But no, we're currently dithering over what to call our big ugly second baby. 

How do you arrange the songs? For example, ‘Get A Grip’ has wonderful cascading guitars and harmonies that seem effortless. Is there one person or is this a team effort?

Alex: We don't have the luxury of time when we record (NWTA was done over about three weekends, and a couple of days for mixing), so there's not all that much opportunity to throw too much at the wall.

When we're writing, I usually end up banking a bunch of arrangement ideas in my head; most of the time, what we do live requires trying to hop between about 5 different guitar parts to find something that a human being could actually play. When it gets to recording, I'm usually armed with a notebook like a big nerd, but all the prep in the world can't prepare you for studio cabin fever.

There's a bunch of fun toys at Dean Street - Lily does a great eerie Mellotron part on one of the new songs, for example - so we all get overexcited and throw ideas at the wall. We just need to do it quickly!

Did ‘Not With That Attitude’ achieve what you wanted?  (not necessarily sales but in terms of reception?)

Lily: All we wanted was to make a good album, which we did, I think. We're a tiny band - we're not under the illusion that success can be measured by how much money we make.

The music industry isn't exactly designed with our best interests at heart. We will probably never quit our day jobs. But we'd rather be a good little band than a giant awful band. So yes, it did.

You’re very active across all Social Media.  

Would you say for new / upcoming bands this has replaced things like the NME to reach a wider audience?

Lily: Definitely. I'm not sentimental about music magazines. You wouldn't ever find us or half the bands we play with in Rolling Stone for example. They're for dads who use their phones exclusively for Facebook and Sudoku. It's essential for bands to have social media - it's where we share gigs, releases, interviews like this. The only downside is that it gets a bit saturated and you get neck-ache from scrolling.

 

With Music Streaming being the main way many people consume music, how hard is it to build an audience? I imagine there are pro’s and con’s?

Lily: I think it's a good thing - I've discovered so many new bands and artists that I love through streaming, even though Spotify is obviously the devil. The plus side is that you reach so many more people than you would otherwise a lot faster, and then suddenly there's people you don't know at your gigs. The downside is obviously that you end up being paid about £0.000000001 per stream but hey ho.

Alex: I hope that what Bandcamp has been doing since l*ckdown can maybe provide a good alternative to streaming. It's certainly the most direct way for bands to make money from what they do, but it's also a good algorithm-free means of discovery - particularly its artist-curated recommends section at the bottom of most folks' profiles. So that's been an indispensable companion/inescapable rabbit hole these last few months.

How did the Art Brut tour come about?

Lily: We know the Bruty boys tangentially through the big spiderweb of indie rock and roll, but Alex and Nick filled in for them on a BBC session when two of their card carrying rockstar line-up couldn't make it and they were convinced that at least two of us could play.

We also supported them at the Garage with Gaffa Tape Sandy and the rest is history! 

Did you see an increase in your ’audience’ following that tour?

Lily: We managed to shift some vinyl, so thanks to the Art Brut vinyl club. 

Nick: It's tricky to say - we've not been back to some of cities we played with them in yet. We were going to but then that got put on hold 'because of the germs', to paraphrase my friend's 3-year-old.

Which was your favourite night of that tour and why was it Manchester? (Other cities were visited but 😊 …)

Alex: It probably was Manchester to be honest! We got to see some folks we hadn't seen in a while, the floor on the stage was beautifully carpeted, and it was a super fun show.

Manchester's always a good time though - the last show we played there was with Milk Crimes, Nervous Rex and Adam Carpenter at the Castle Hotel in July 2019, and was probably the hottest room any of us have ever been in.

We required several pints of water being over ourselves between songs to remain hydrated and human. We really can't wait to go back, and not just because we can't wait to go literally anywhere.

 
The excellent Tea Towels which Healey designed now appear to be essential ‘band merch’. Have you considered branching out into other areas such as face masks?

Lily: I can't believe that in the year of our lord 2020, DIY bands are providing basic protective equipment to people during a pandemic instead of the government doing it. The tea towels were an inspired idea from Healey - but we're always arguing about what to make next, whether it's tote bags, spanking paddles or vegan bacon. It definitely feels like the days of t-shirts and stickers are dying out (though I love a sticker).

Healey: Personally I have far too many band t-shirts at this stage in life, I've actually been recycling them into face-masks! I've hit that age where I've become extremely boring and all I think about is homeware. Band merch homeware is the future and I will scream it from the rooftops. Give me band oven gloves, mugs and duvet covers, I want it all. 

Nick: I insisted on fridge magnet/bottle openers with our first run of merch. Convinced they'd go like delicious hot cakes. They did not. I think I've lost them now.

Who decides on the merchandise? 

Is this a thing done purely by the band or do your management/label have a say?

Lily: We decide everything! ‘Reckless Yes’ just benevolently enable our hare-brained schemes.


Are there any recordings of gigs that you could put out via Bandcamp?

Alex: I don't think there are actually that many live recordings kicking around, beyond a few really early ones which are still on my work computer. As and when I get access to that again, I'll sift through the archives and see what might be worth unleashing.

The only thing that springs to mind is a rehearsal recording where we're trying to get "Dream Phone" together, in which strings get broken, and for some reason the whole thing goes a bit metal. But anyone who's willing to pay to hear that should probably take a long look in the mirror first.

Your label ‘Reckless Yes’ have a great selection of new and up and coming artists, would you like to a ‘package tour’ with them once things like that are allowed?

Alex: Oh god absolutely. ‘Reckless Yes’ have quietly become one of the best labels around (which will be borne out by some of their new signings we can't talk about yet...), and it's been great seeing them develop since they signed us.

Nick was actually in the very tentative stages of trying to get that set up at the end of the year, so hopefully once the opportunity presents itself in 2021, we can make it happen in the future.

What’s the first think you’ll do when ‘Lockdown’ is fully over?

Lily: I'm going to take my band out for bowling and shakes.

Alex: I'm going to go bowling and drink shakes with the band.

Nick: This all screams Rowan's. We going to Rowan's? Let's go to Rowan's.

Finally… ‘Challenging’ Quick Fire Questions… 

Favourite gig as a performer?

Lily: It might actually be that tiny sweaty gig in Manchester for Hell Hath No Fury. We played with our milky compadres Milk Crimes and the lovely Nervous Rex. It was the sweatiest I've ever been. I tried to play a chord and my hand just slid off the guitar.

Alex: Leicester Firebug, November 2019 (last show of our first tour with Healey, ended with me on my back smashing a bottle against my guitar. That never happens.)

Healey: Last year we played Norwich and Bury St. Edmunds on the same day. The ‘Fightmilkmobile’ broke down as soon as we got to Norwich and we all had to get out and push the car round and round a car park to jump start the engine. Those two shows were still so fun to play, I think we were all high off the fact that we didn't have to call AA. 

Nick: That same Leicester gig Alex mentioned. Not sure what happened to the two of us, but we lost our minds a little bit. It was nice.

Favourite gig as a punter?

Lily: Probably Carly Rae Jepsen. I was on crutches, so I got to sit down. It was bliss. 

Alex: Finally getting to see Guided By Voices live last June.

Healey: Taylor Swift two years ago. Against all odds I got a free ticket and I uncontrollably burst into tears when Robbie Williams was the surprise guest. 

Favourite album 

Lily: Today it's Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen.

Alex: Pet Shop Boys "Behaviour"

Healey: that dog. "Retreat from The Sun"

Nick: Deftones "White Pony". Probably. 

Favourite single/song

Lily: THE RAT.

Alex: The Byrds "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better"

Healey: Petula Clark "Downtown"

Nick: Another vote for The Rat

All-time favourite band/artist

Lily: Dolly Parton

Alex: Three-way tie - Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, R.E.M.

Healey: Also Dolly Parton

Iain Key 2020 

Lily Rae (Captain Handsome) Interview (2020)

Picture Courtesy of Jon Mo Photography

Lily Rae, is the Dolly Parton loving, lead singer of the awesome Fightmilk who also has an alter ego, Captain Handsome for her solo work.

The talented songwriter signed to label 'Reckless Yes' midway through 2019, her a debut' EP, 'I Am Not An Animal'' was released in January this year following a couple of singles.

The songs have a fragility and 'darkness' compared to the lightness of Fightmilk, very sparse in comparison to the layered vocals and crashing guitars however it's utterly compelling and draws you in and can effortlessly be listened to over and over

Definitely worth buying from HERE or checking out via streaming services

Lily, how are you?

I'm doing alright!

Other than being a musician, what would you have been doing if you weren't on 'lockdown' 

I also work full time so that's what I've been doing. 

If lockdown weren't happening, I'd just be going into work. But I'd also be rehearsing and recording. I'd probably be looking after myself a little less, though I've ordered a lot of pizza in the last couple of months.

Why the name 'Captain Handsome'? 

I overheard someone use it on the 133 (bus) as an insult for a guy who was being really arrogant.

I fell in love with it. It's a very big, confident name to put on a poster, so I like that it's a bit misleading by the time I come onstage.

How did 'the band' come together for the EP? 

Obviously, you have Nick on side already, are Dexy and Heather people you've known for a while and wanted to work with before?

Dexy writes brilliant songs and is releasing his second album this year - I've known him for a long time and was just lucky that he had enough free evenings to come and volunteer his bass skills for me.

Heather, I met through working on a couple of different projects and she loves Dolly as much as I do, so it helps that she's the best violinist in the world. And then there's Nick. Everyone in this band is more musically talented than me so it sounds really good.

There is a Fightmilk album due hopefully later this year. Are there anymore 'solo' plans in the works?

I'm actually trying to get together a few little songs to release in the next couple of months or so - I treated myself to a really nice digital recorder and after a good two months of not being able to write anything, it feels like it's coming back a bit. I'm better when I have a project on the go.

Am I right in saying your Dad is a singer/songwriter?

He is! He was in a very cool rock band. He wore leather trousers.

What kind of music were you brought up on?

All sorts. The first band I really got into as a kid was The Proclaimers, my folks would play lots of Kirsty MacColl, the Smiths, the B-52s. 

I grew up in the 90s and was a bit too young to care about Britpop, but was really into Sleeper and Catatonia a bit later on.

When did you first having an interest in writing and performing?

Pretty much as soon as I started getting into music. I had a band at school from about 14. 

There was never any question about being a front-person - I wanted to be in charge of everything, front and centre, and had to really quickly get over a fear of singing in front of people. 

We'd play in assemblies and then, rightly, have the entire school take the piss out of us afterwards. We played everywhere from the 'Graveney Upper School' assembly hall to now-defunct pubs in Camberwell where the police had to come and stop a load of kids from drinking and being sick on the floor.

I love the EP, but I couldn't see 'Halloween' being performed by the band.

When you write do you set out for it to be for your own project or Fightmilk or does it just develop?

I promise you Halloween works with a full band! it wouldn't be anything without Heather's panic-attack violins. When I start writing I don't have either project in mind - it often just naturally unfolds as something that would sit really nicely in a Fightmilk set, or it needs something a bit different and might need to be suited somewhere else. 

I've written big pop songs as a way of avoiding the quiet stuff for a little while because I'm not a trained singer and certainly not a very good guitarist, so a lot of it is just trying to force myself to punch my demons in the face.

 

The stories that you tell in your songs are great, there is a real honesty about them, especially talking about relationships, which reminds me of Kirsty MacColl. 

You or people you know must have had some pretty shit relationships?

Ha, thank you! 

There's always an element of truth in the songs I write, and they're always inspired by real things or people. Some people get more than one song, some memories or events get looked at a different way a bit further down the line. 

A lot of the time it's not about an existing relationship at all, but the people are always real.

There are a number of great lines in your songs, such as... 'Did I cut myself shaving for this shit' ;  How can I convince you that we're stuck, A Four Star Hotel and still we didn't fuck' and 'You’re acting up when we’re down at the station, worrying about the background radiation'. What's the line / couplet that you're most proud of? 

To be honest I really love the line "Reading Carl Sagan, looking kind of vacant." 

I don't know if Carl Sagan has ever been directly referenced in a song. He's long overdue. 

You're (quite rightly) very vocal about the lack of representation of female fronted bands at festivals and getting most support slots. What do you think the issue is with promoters and booking agencies that means they won't give you the opportunity?

It's money. They think they'll lose money by booking bands that aren't four white lads cause that's what bands look like. But as soon as you stick a woman in the line-up, suddenly it's a feminist night, and feminism isn't fun for men, and then it's not a fun night, and people won't come. I promise you, it's that simple and it's that stupid 

Is there a way people can help in changing this?

Aside from "don't be a fucking sexist idiot", I'd suggest just supporting nights and venues and promoters that are consistently inclusive, and I don't mean once a year on International Women's Day. Go to the tiny tents they put aside for the women and new bands at festivals - do you really need to see Idles again? - and recognise lip service when you see it. 

Ask yourself what your own preconceptions are about bands that aren't all male.

As these are just your questions... who is the worse member of Fightmilk and why? (promise I won't tell them)

It's definitely me.

What is the first thing you're going to do once lockdown is fully lifted

Probably stay indoors for an extra couple of weeks, looking at my phone, just to be safe. the government is doing a pretty piss poor job of reducing the death rate, so better safe than sorry...

 

Finally - Five Quick Questions

 

Favourite gig as a performer: 

We've not done too many gigs as Captain Handsome yet, but my first ever outing was stepping in solo after a line-up change supporting Panic Pocket. I was on my own, and I had five songs and one of them was Prayer to God by Shellac. That was nice.

Favourite gig as a punter: 

Maybe FKA twigs, though Brixton Academy is not great for a smaller person! 

I did see Carly Rae Jepsen recently and holy fuck. I was on crutches so got to sit down on the balcony and cry like a baby. It was biblical.

Favourite album: 

At the moment probably “Nebraska” by Bruce Springsteen, or more usually “Titanic Days” by Kirsty MacColl.

Favourite single / song: 

”The Rat” by The Walkmen. An honourable mention to “You And Everybody That You Love Will One Day Die” by Slime City.

All-time favourite band / artist: 

Aaaaargh. This changes all the time... but my love never wavers for Dolly Parton.

Iain Key 2020