Okay, so it's Six Questions...

(Cord Magazine's questions are in blue. Artist responses are in grey.)


What do you do in your down time?

Mathew: It’d be up time I’m worried about.
Lasse: What does that mean?
Alan: Like time off.
Jamie: We don’t have time off (laughs).
L: We all work so our sort of time off is the music, which is also our time on.
A: Time off…apart from going to my mom’s, swimming. I like swimming, biking as well.
L: Knitting.
J: I was going to go to the Olympics but then we had a gig to do.
A: Just regular things.
M: Pubs.
L: See my real friends. Oh shit, that’s you!

What did you all want to be when growing up?

L: Ballerina. (Laughter) Actually, I wanted to look after kids, that’s actually a real thing. I wanted to be a Nursery teacher.
M: You’ve achieved your goal then. Done that.
J: Train Dolphins.

Did you actually do that?

J: We (Jamie and Alan) trained them at Regents Park, at the London Zoo, training dolphins back into the wild.

Really?

L: Yeah. That’s kind of how we met because we (Lesse and Mathew) basically captured the dolphins and we met over at a conference.
M: Yeah, we (Lasse and Mathew) were tuna farmers.
A: We caught dolphins in a net…
J: And then we released them back into the wild.

What was your favourite Saturday morning cartoon?

L: Are The Simpsons on on Saturdays?
A: No. I’d say Danger Mouse.
M: I’m not going to go with cartoon I’d say Batman. The 60’s Batman, is that a cartoon?
L: I remember that. That came to Denmark in the 90’s. (Laughter).

What’s your favourite city and venue to play in?

M: We’ve only played in three cities so far: London, Brighton and Leeds.
L: We’re going on tour next month.
M: We can’t answer that now.
L: We enjoy London.
M: Yeah, London’s great.
A: In Leeds some of the crowds are a bit different. They’d be up for (some of them anyway) sort of dancing on the stage. One guy did and he wasn’t on drugs. I thought that was a lot different to London where people more just stand around. That’s something I like about Leeds.
M: When we get out on tour it will be interesting to see what the reaction is really. Sort of prove our selves. Starting out in London has been ideal because we’ve done loads of gigs and it builds confidence.
L: One thing that’s sort of funny is people always say London is the hardest place to play but I think it’s just more to do with where people know you. When we went to Leeds, where nobody knew us, it was a lot harder than any other gig we’ve played in London.

With all the things going on in the world what’s the one thing that scares you the most?

A: Hmm. Very serious question…um, Mathew’s mental health?
M: (Shaking his head) They always say that about me. (Picks up tape recorder and speaks directly into the mic) I do not have any mental hhhhhealth problems! (Laughter).
L: I suppose we’re supposed to say the war going on here.
A: The war here?! Where’s that?
L: That’s the thing, everyone says it’s going to be terrible and come here.
A: Terrible, yeah, scary. When the IRA were more serious I remember hearing bombs going off before and I just sort of got used to it, but obviously quite scary.

What’s your vice of choice?

A: Probably Marlboro Lights.
L: Probably meat for my sake because everyone here is Vegetarian or Vegan so I have to feel bad every time I have a steak.
M: No. You don’t.
L: But I do!
A: German lager and fags.

If you could exchange places with anyone for a day who would it be?

A: Jennifer Anniston (laughter), just so that I can…
L: Sleep with Brad Pitt! (More laughter).
A: No not really - Penelope Cruz.
M: “So I can go through divorce procedures with Tom Cruise”. I’d swap places with Jamie cause he’s a man who goes on holiday, plays wonderful bass.
A: James for a day! (Laughs)
J: I’d want to be my own girlfriend just to see what it’s like. (Laughter).
M: Mr. Smooth! “My own girlfriend”!
L: I would want to be a car just to see if they have feeling.
M: Oh my God!
L: I would like to know if fish have feelings, so I could be a fish.

What’s the one question you never want to be asked again?

M: The next question’s going to be that question, right?
L: This question.
A: The Joy Division thing.
M: Yeah, I was going to say that. You know, I’ve got a CD of Unknown Pleasures and it’s alright.
L: My girlfriend’s got the CD Substance.
A: Yeah, we know who Joy Division are and we’re not Joy Division.

Bear vs. Shark?

A:I think the bear might win. Bear has the advantage of going in and out of water. Secondly, if it’s a Polar bear they actually drag out dolphins from the water and Beluga whales. I think the bear 100%.
L: The shark can’t live in salt water?

It’s not my question.

A: Do you know the answer?

I think it would be the bear.

L: I think you’d actually have to stage it…
A: Can we do that? (Laughter)
L Yeah! Whoa, whoa, whoa – stop everybody!
M: Who came up with that?

I presume the Editor, Andy [editor's note : actually, it was Rob who came up with this one...].

A: Can we ask Andy a question?
L: How did you become an Editor?

If you could ask me a question what would it be?

A: If there was a man size squirrel vs. a goat, who would win? And that’s for Andy!
J: I have a question, who’s this interview for?!

Elsewhere

By Amy Hanson
Photos : Amy Hanson
Published : November 15, 2004.