Super Extra Bonus Interview

Posted on 28th Sep 07 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Super Extra Bonus Party
Author: Mark McCarthy

Super Extra Bonus Party released their debut long play earlier this year and had critics falling over themselves with complimentary comments virtually nominating it for album of the year. Listening to Super Extra Bonus Party LP immediately fills you with pleasure and gives you that warm feeling in your stomach. Better still it gives you the feeling that there is a new breed of group out there that can make something interesting" diverse and utterly pleasing to the listener. There is an over"riding sense of joy emitting from the album and one that is entirely infectious. Filled with hooks" blips" beats" scratches and pop tinges it has something for everyone laced as it is with indie" pop" hip hop" electronica and instrumental lo"fi exquisiteness it progresses from smooth opener Adventures right up to Son Varios "With Brazilian Mc Rodrigo Teles" back down to closer Propeller in sublime style. Live SEBP really do personify their name and live up to it sonically. Have you a party hangover" Well listen to this and your cured.

Drop"D catch up with Cormac" part of the programming" blips" production collective to see what"s going on.

How did you first meet and how did SEBP evolve"

We're mates from school in Newbridge that have always swapped tapes and liked the same tunes. Only in the past year and a half did we start playing together in a band as Super Extra Bonus Party.

The way the Super Extra's came into their current form is" first it was Cormac" Mike and Fatsy" then shortly after Rod and Gavin started playing too" then we made a record" then Steve and Cons came on board. It's a good laugh being in this band" there's always stuff happening"

Your name is quite enticing" how did you decide on it"

After some intense brainstorming sessions it was eventually a throw up between 'Bruce Springsteen'" 'U2' and 'Super Extra Bonus Party'. The other two names were taken" so in the end we just stuck with SEBP.

There are a lot of members in the band" do you think this helps in the creative process and has it contributed to the different styles of music you make"

Absolutely. Everybody in the band gets their ideas to the front when we're writing. Nobody is afraid to speak out or pursue their ideas" there's no sound too far"out" no smell too cheesy" no blip too crazy" its just fun that way" We jam out anything until it sounds right to everyone" there's nothing better than staying awake way into the night working on tunes" it's a passion we all share.

Do you think the mix of genres has helped you get out to a wider audience"

I guess when people hear about the type of stuff we do they're curious to check us out" so yeah I'd like to think that to a certain extent that's true.

The Super Extra Bonus Party LP has received rave reviews from various Irish media with "Probably the most inventive Irish album this decade. Brimming with energy and exoticness." and "contender for Irish album of the year" among the superlatives. Do you agree with these and what is your reaction to such press"

It's encouraging to get such a good reaction" who would have thought making a record in your kitchen could be such a positive experience" Anything that helps us along with our collective dream of quitting the day jobs and making tunes full time can only be good news by us.

How has the album done to date"

It's been getting around quite a bit which is great" considering we had about a tenner to promote it with after we made it" We're all dead happy.

What are your plans for future releases"

Well we've plenty of stuff lined up" a single release with some exciting remixes "stay tuned""" and then a remix album of our debut LP" the new album is well under way too. You won't be left short of tunes from us" that's what it's all about after all"

You've played a few festivals this year including Electric Picnic and were one of the highlights at Mantua. What was it like to play at these festivals and what experience have you gained"

Festivals are always a deadly buzz. We've played a good few over the summer and have plenty of tales of general madness to tell" it was a great experience to play Mantua and Electric Picnic" the crowds were quality" it was an honour to play for them.

How are these different to playing your own show in a venue"

I suppose there are less farm animals in the surrounding areas when we put on our own shows.

Are you looking forward to playing Hard Working Class Heroes"

Yeah" this should be great. It's nice to be a part of it" I've gone to it on previous years and caught some great bands. The crowd that get around to attending HWCH are genuinely interested to hear the music that's coming from their home so its going to be a real privilege to play for an audience like that. We love playing live" so an opportunity like this excites us all.

What can people expect from a SEBP live set"

Hyper activity conveyed musically and physically along with sweat" bruises" dancing and fun.

What is your opinion on the current level of music being made by Irish artists and the Irish music scene in general"

I'm constantly hearing about deadly new bands" I suppose the best way to answer this question would be to recommend a few new Irish acts. Adebisi Shank have a fucking incredible EP out at the moment. Nouveau Noise are a couple of dudes from the wesht that could give four"tet a run for his money. Then you have 'Halves'" 'Ten past Seven'" and the mighty 'Jinx Lennon'. The list keeps going" you just gotta keep your eyes peeled.

What are your plans for the rest of the year and the future"

To keep writing tunes" keep doing gigs in Ireland and abroad. Plain and simple. Just keep enjoying it all"

Have you any advice for musicians who are starting out"

The old clich" rings through here" believe in what yer doing.

Super Extra Bonus Party play the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival this Friday 28th September in the Crawdaddy section of the POD.

For more info see:

www.superextrabonusparty.com
www.myspace.com/superextrabonusparty