Caz Meets Active-M continued By Caroline Murphy

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Caz: I see that JC and Paul write for the band - do you write all your own material or does anyone from outside the band provide some of the stuff? Paul: No it's all us... JC: it's all our own... Paul: Most of it's been me and Jim, and since Anna's been in the band, it's her as well... Anna: I wrote Sunshine! (Note: My Mum loves that song and wants it as a ring tone! So when you read this, make one guys! :) ) JC: I told you that Caz didn't I? Caz: Yes you did!! I love that song... Girl power!

Caz: in your bio, you talk about the Dandy Warhol's and Blur - how did you meet them and what influence did they have on you as a band? JC: Well, we met the Dandy Warhol's, cos err... Paul: ...because he blagged us into a backstage gig ALL: Ha ha!! JC: Yeah, I blagged us backstage, and they checked our website out and they really liked what they heard basically, and we got an e-mail back which said that, and next thing we knew we met the band after the show, and great! I've been in love with that band since they kind of got together. They're a big personal influence of mine. I dunno, I've always liked the idea that... the sort of aesthetic they had, to go up there, it really feels like this psychedelic gang of kind of people who just... that you just kind of like to hang out with, not just to watch them play a gig, but just to hang out with. I think that these guys look just like a bunch of cool guys to hang out with. That's really important. Paul: it was like that back stage as well. They really came across like that, "oh just come and have a beer after the gig!" JC: They're not like serious classical musicians, like... Caz: Mathew Bellamy (MUSE)? (JC makes some derogatory comment, which I try not to hear)

Caz: Do you aim to capture a particular audience with your music? Cos my Mum and I love you!! Ha-ha!! JC: Oh really... ha-ha! We've bridged a generation gap YEAH! WOO! Paul: ...not really err, no...It goes right across the board, whatever we fancy doing really. Anna: Yeah when you think about it we're not trying to capture anybody...we just do what we want to do really... Paul:...we notice we're in a particular area I guess, but it's not like by design, you know...

JC: That questions kind of interesting, cos its one of these areas where from one side of the industry i.e. the band side, but then there's the other side, that's what these guys are looking for when they try and market us... they see us like a product, and that's what they want... they hear your stuff and think "what kind of market do we aim this at?".. predicting it. Maybe from Sunshine, they might predict summer song, it's upbeat it catches the mood, somewhat like Supergrass' "Alright" did. Which I thought did catch it, it's got the vibe, you know... it just catches the moment I think. Paul: The Company we did all the original CD's with, we haven't really been using; the feedback we got from the industry was that they wanted something a little more coherent. Almost like artificially doing that, there's a lot of diversity in our work. JC: I don't think any of us have sat down and said "Let's write a 3 minute pop song"... Paul: Oh no! We've written a lot of things like "Breathe" of off the demo... JC: Yeah "Breathe"'s Prog Rock epic man! Caz: Just like Japan? JC: Yeah! Paul: Japan isn't a Prog Rock band!! Ha! JC: They soo were! Paul: *cough*

Caz: On the track "Maladaptive" you've worked with "Noodles" from Gorillaz. If you were a cartoon character what would you look like and what would your name be? JC: Paul first cos he's got it sorted... Paul: oh my god... JC: Actually we've written a world... I'm L.A. and I look like a little sunshine with a funny face and two legs and... I have an atomic bomb with me! Anna, she's a furry ball with eyes and a bushy tail, and she actually rolls up into a ball and attacks things like Sonic The Hedgehog... and Paul is Kod, half man, half fish, half deity, (At this point I wonder how JC did at Maths?)... codfish, with a "K"... and he has a multicoloured cup, don't you!?

Paul: Yeah, no I don't ha-ha! I do actually. Caz: it's all coming out now in this interview! Ha! Anna: I bet you didn't think you'd have that much detail... Caz: NO! Ha-ha! JC: And Ernie is Froge... an ogre, like a bear with a sore head, but he's always smiling. Caz: The Active-M cartoon strip! Paul: ...but I'd just like to tell you this world doesn't really exist. (He says reassuringly)

Caz: JC - you say you love the way you look - what do you think is your best feature and why? Paul: When did you say that? Caz: I read it on your website... JC: I dunno my best feature is my err....I dunno, my err..... My feet! I've got pretty feet. Anna's is her legs definitely. Paul: I don't think I really have a best feature... JC: He loves his knees! Caz:Anna, what do you think JC's best feature is? Anna: ... his eyebrows!

Caz: Before or after the shaving incident? (JC has a slit shaven out of his eyebrow) Paul: I sort of like it now... Jo (Barfly): I like his arms.... JC: Paul's best feature is his lips... Anna: I say eyes! JC: I was gonna say eyes... Anna: He's got nice eyebrows I've just noticed! JC: you're grossing me out! Anna you must go for werewolves...

Discussion continues into the small hours about the attributes of Paul's eyebrows, Oasis, and red wine! It was a thoroughly good night, with a great band who I hope to see more of in the future. Check out their website www.activemworld.com and if you get the chance to see them live it'll be well worth the visit!

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