THE ANSWERING MACHINE
The SiS Interview by Joanna Ong

When the Answering Machine played SXSW last year, it seemed as though they were here too early. The buzz hounds had not found them yet, and they were playing to crowds of industry and your typical Anglophile. Fast forward to '09, and it seems as the hype has caught up to them. Their debut album hits what few shelves are left in May, while we will be greeted by the lead single from the album, "Cliffer".

In between pints on the road, Martin from the band gave us the lowdown on
one of our favorite records of '09.

SIS: What were some of the first things you played when the band first got together?

TAM: We've never been into covers really, even in the early days. The first song that Pat and I wrote together was a Belle And Sebastian style song, we wrote it after a bottle of whiskey. It was shit. We also tried an 'Arcade Fire meets Brendan Benson' style song in the same night. Needless to say, that didn't last more than one night either. Then the second time we played guitars together we'd already written two tracks that are now on the album (“Oh, Christina” and “Oklahoma”).

SIS: What sound were you guys aiming for at the beginning, and how has that changed?

TAM: The original sound was very raw and very honest: a slight crunch in the guitars but no overdrive. This was mainly because I played through Pat's 10-watt Squire amp (which we used for many of our early gigs) that had been battered around and had a naturally dirty sound to it. The sound hasn't strayed much from this, as its basically what the band is built around. Going in the studio with Dave Eringa allowed us to experiment a lot with our sound, especially the guitar effects. We came with a great sound. We wanted the songs to be recorded live so they'd keep energy. “Oklahoma” was recorded in the first take!

SIS: Is there a band out there that you'd really love to play with some day?

TAM: Clearly, we'd love to play a few dates with The Strokes. I'd personally love to tour with XTC, but I don't think that could happen somehow. We're mates with a band from Manchester called Dutch Uncles, and we've spoken about doing a double headline tour over the UK at some point. There's nothing better than going on tour with your mates... gigs, riders and Travelodges - it's all a man needs.

SIS: On your MySpace blog, you said that your debut album Another City, Another Sorry was recorded in a farmhouse on the Yorkshire Moors. What was that like and how did it influence your sound?

TAM: It was great to remove our selves from an urban setting. The songs on the album document our time living in Manchester, so recording them in the countryside gave us a chance to review ourselves, and give perspective on our thoughts. It also meant that we weren't tempted to drink ourselves to death each night. We've had friends in bands that have recorded in London and Manchester, and there's too much temptation to party each night. We were able to put our blinkers on and draw inspiration from the sheep and pheasants.

SIS: What song did you find to be the most difficult to perfect?

TAM: We have a song called “It's Over! It's Over! It's Over!” on the album, which took a whole new direction once we began recording. Dave (producer) was a big fan of the demo, and had the idea that it should be a huge chaotic chorus, in the style of Flaming Lips. This is then contrasted with a lo-fi, drum-machine led verse. It was a huge task to make the song flow naturally, but we eventually grasped it. It's probably the biggest achievement on the album.

SIS: The Answering Machine has just started its tour with Ra Ra Riot. What was your first night like and how has playing with them been?

TAM: The tour is over now and was great fun. They are all lovely people and very professional musicians. They made us look like a shambolic mess. We had an end-of-tour party and got pissed with them. Your heart pours after several cocktails and sambuca shots, so we probably made a lasting impression on each other.

SIS: Have you thought about when the band will start playing shows overseas?

TAM: We're currently planning a few dates in LA and maybe in New York too. We really want to do a few dates in Europe, but we'll just have to see how things pan out. Japan is the dream though. Maybe one day...