Caz Meets Active-M By Caroline Murphy

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The last time I was in London, I chanced to meet Donny Osmond and Will Young. This time, however, by design, I met two bands far more closely aligned to my own musical taste, in the form of Active-M and The Walnut Dash. Prior to our meeting in a Soho bar, Active-M's lead singer, JC, had forwarded me a sample of their music. Sunshine, a real feel good tune, certainly got into my brain as I found myself humming it on the bus, and even in the shower!

Maladaptive, a completely different style suited my more adventurous side and may even be sound tracked on my Plane Stunts video. My favourite track Dust has been in my CD player for weeks and will remain there well into 2005!

As a collection, the tracks on this sample show great diversity and passion, with echoes from The Cure and the influence of some of Active-M's favourite bands, such as the rock group Japan. I met up with three of the band members, JC (Lead singer/Guitarist), Paul (Guitarist and Multi instrumentalist!!) and Anna, of the stripy socks and cool bag (Bassist). Ernie, sadly was in Spain and unable to make this lively pre-Christmas bash!

However, Jo from The Bar Fly joined us to complete our merry little group! (As has now become my trademark, here are some more band self portraits for you to tune into prior to the interview! Very fetching picture of JC by Anna, don't you think?) Caz: From your profiles and your bio you all clearly love the band and where you're at now, but was it difficult to gel as Active-M having all come from different bands so recently?

JC: I found it really difficult to gel with Anna when she got on board, we had serious meetings about whether she was right for the band. Naa... just kidding. I think we all get on fine, as kind of friends, I think that's kind of what helps the band tick I suppose. You read about so many bands where they're not talking to each other, like Oasis and Faith No More... and they used to hate recording together so much that they'd send the tape round to each band member with a note saying "here's the guitar bit, now you add the drum beat", it's like, how they ever got anything done I don't understand, but that's how they worked, it's really productive as well, I think, in regards to us, when we all met for the first time it was a social thing you know? Beer, drinks, chat, and we met Anna before we auditioned her and we sort of clicked! Well I like to think so... Anna: I think so! JC: YEAH!! Woo! But yeah I mean we sort of get on as friends basically... Paul: Yeah! JC and I were in a band before as well, just for a short time, we worked together with each other.

JC:...but it doesn't stop you having really bad arguments, and throwing tantrums and stuff... at all! Caz: You seem to have a huge range of influences...Black Sabbath, Stranglers, Blondie, Kate Bush, Japan - do you think this helps when you're fine tuning songs, or can it be a hindrance? Paul: Well it's good to get ideas from a lot of places... I think if you combine the four members of the band your influences are all over the place. It's not so much the fine tuning; it just means that you've got a lot of stuff to work with when you're writing.

JC: ...I suppose like classic guitar pop, I mean there are other things that you might not have heard yet, an acoustic, ethereal kind of track, which is on the CD for you by the way, I won't say the name... the point being that I don't think influences can ever hinder you because you can never write a song... your ears are never closed off to the outside world, whether it's something you've read, or something you've listened to, everything's kind of there somewhere. Sometimes you'll hear a track and play the track back in six months time and pick things out and think "God, that sounds kinda like..."... Caz: What's that track when you sign on your website... that intro? JC: That tracks called "All nighter"...the one we play together with my little China guitar stuff... Paul: Oh yeah! We did that across the internet... JC: You like that? Caz: I really like that yeah!! I have to keep pressing "reload" on your website so I can hear it again... JC:...to hear it again yeah! Paul: it only lasts about 20 seconds... JC: Well, no ...the full track lasts nine and a half minutes, it's a real, like, epic track but it's new and still under progress. Caz: Ahh! Paul: So you like it? Caz: YEAH!

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