Hailing from the UK, Metronomy offer a nicely balanced mix of experimental electronica and modern electro-pop, and they’ve just released their second album Nights Out to much acclaim. In fact, music tastemaker NME was so impressed that they labeled it as “a record that will sound as fresh and memorable 10 years down the line, as it did the day it was first awarded its mark.” And according to frontman Joseph Mount, the band’s increasing notoriety has paid off where it matters – in the form of groupies, of course.
“The groupies we get are kind of like nice young men, who are interested in being technical and they ask questions about software and keyboard and things like that. But we have our fair share of female friends who come to gigs…” Ever so kindly, Joseph from Metronomy tears himself way to talk Nights Out, groupies, god and their musical inspirations.
You had quite a gap between the first and second album what were you doing in this time?
The main reason is because we had problems with the old record label and we spent quite a long time trying to get out of the deal we were in. The album was actually finished sooner than you think; there wasn’t really a gab, just kind of annoying little gaps with the label.
Are you happy with the new label?
Yes, very happy, very happy. I think at the moment in the UK there are a lot of record labels who are quite scared because no one is buying music and they just don’t take risks. We have got a label who are different… I would hopefully like to be with them in 10 years.
You have been categorized as being in this ‘Nu Rave’ scene along side The Klaxons and Late of The Pier; do you think you have helped create a new genre of music?
No not really… I think nu rave was a bit of a red herring as far as being a type of music, I think the bands like Late of the Pier and Klaxons have similarities to us, and I think the influence is quite comparative to where they are from. They want to try and make something that’s a little bit exciting and different from everything else that is going on, but I don’t think there’s necessarily a specific sound to it.
When asked by a friend how to describe your music, I was lost for words. How would you describe it?
I am lost for words myself, I guess the easiest way to describe it is by what I’ve been influenced by over the years. I’ve been really into electronica and kind of electro music, and I’ve also played in bands most of my life and I have a real soft spot for transitional indie stuff and kind of rock. I would describe it best as kind of eclectic and I suppose the influences come from everywhere.
Your live performances have been described as light shows backed by dancing girls. Where did you get the idea to incorporate push lights in your gigs?
I guess it was kind of a humorous thing… We were trying to get a show together and recruiting Gabriel and Oscar, I was on my own with like a laptop and it was kind of boring to do and boring to watch… I think you kind of associate the laptop with electronic stuff and it’s just boring, so I tried to put on a show that was kind of visual. A few days before our first gig I found these flash lights and I thought, oh well… We could put them on T-shirts. It all came from there really and it stuck. The main idea was to try and put on a show by any means possible, and at the time we didn’t really have much money.
Do you still use the push lights in your gigs?
Yes, I think it has become quite a visual thing… kind of like a dodgy version of Daft Punk’s helmets.
When will we be seeing your push lights in Australia?
In January, we are in New Zealand on the 6th of January for about three or four days and then we are coming to Australia.
I know that you have written most of the music on your own, how has Oscar and Gabriel contributed to Metronomy?
Well, I’d been in bands with Gabriel from the age of 14, he’s been a person that taught me quite a lot about song writing really, but I think they have made it more accessible because the live shows have made it more of a band, and stopped me from going mad by doing gigs on my own.
You remixed many acts from the likes of Gorillaz and Kate Nash to Sebastian Tellier, have you been doing any lately?
I’m kind of holding off them at the moment because we have the album out and stuff. I am going to concentrate more on production, so yeah the remixes are slowing down for a bit… We have been really busy touring doing festivals over here and doing lots of shows busy, busy and it is not slowing down either. But it’s brilliant, we are very lucky.
Even though you are touring are you still producing music?
Well yeah, making music has always been my hobby so it is what I do when I have free time but it is also what I do for a job, so every time I am back in London and I have a couple of days off I try and do stuff, and I do bits and bobs on the tour.
Who has been a great influence in your life, both musically and in general?
Musically there are so many, but I guess I get quite inspired by people like David Bowie and Prince, people who work on their own and try and do everything, I really like Kate Bush as well. Oh and of course god, you can’t forget god… That’s a joke, not really god. God has got nothing to do with Metronomy!
You’ve never been to Australia before, what are your plans when you get here?
I want to find the nearest English themed Pub and get some English breakfast. Then I want to watch English football, haha. No, I think I want to take in as much as I can. I think we have some time off so it will be great.
Metronomy’s Nights Out is out now through Warner Music.
