Pop
music on bread? Heartmelting Sixties melodies given a perfect indiepop
sheen? It must be a night out with Greenwich's Lucky Soul.
By Aug Stone
I’m not quite sure how I first found Lucky Soul, but I do fondly
recall when I finally did. Sometime back in March, spring was dawning
in America, and I was anxiously awaiting my return to London mid-April;
wondering what it would be like and thinking back to the excitement
of being in my favourite city in 2005 and discovering Luxembourg, The
Pipettes, The Long Blondes, and seeing a reemergence of The Real Tuesday
Weld. How could anything match that? Then I came across the Lucky Soul
Myspace page and promptly declared “Lips Are Unhappy” THE
BEST SONG OF 2006. Even going so far as to leave them the comment “These
songs are so majestically gorgeous, it hurts. I heart Lucky Soul.”
I’ve seen them three times now in the six weeks I’ve been
back, and they’ve never failed to impress, or make me shake and
shimmy on the dancefloor. I met up with Andrew Laidlaw (guitarist, songwriter)
and Ali Howard (singer) last Thursday at The Trafalgar pub down in Greenwich
to ask them a few questions. (Consumed: Ali – 2 Diet Cokes, Andrew
– 2 Becks Vier, Aug Stone – 2 Guinness Extra Cold)
So before we get to any questions, is there anything you’d like
to say or have the world read about Lucky Soul?
(Ali and Andrew look at each other, shrug, then laugh)
Andrew: “...there you go, I should’ve thought of that before
shouldn’t I? Well, buy our record...on the 19th of June...so we
can make another one (laugh).”
I’ve been saying that “Lips Are Unhappy” is the best
song of 2006 so far. Your thoughts on this? Do you have any different
choices? Do you like anything that’s come out this year?
Ali: “We really like that new Camera Obscura track, “Lloyd,
I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken”. It’s beautiful, beautiful.”
Andrew: “Yeah I think that’s my favourite, definitely...
What did I hear the other day? Perro del Mar, brilliant. I can’t
remember the name of the song... Ah, this year...I don’t know,
I’ve got my head so much on old stuff...
We’ll get to that... (laughter) Do you think it’s a good
time for music in general?
Andrew: “It’s weird. Because guitar music is so much back
in fashion such as the whole, its kind of a new conservatism has come
about in a weird way. So it kinda all gets bunged in the same bucket,
and I think there’s maybe less interesting stuff breaking through
on the sidelines, in a way.”
But there’s still some good stuff. What you guys are doing, the
Pipettes...
Andrew: “Yeah, yeah, there’s some great stuff out there...”
Ali: “There’s a lot of really healthy competition I suppose
as well, suddenly, which is good...(pub noises drown out end of sentence)
Andrew: “I think it’s very interesting because you’ve
got the NME which is still straight-down-the-line indie, but now I mean
it goes kinda back to Britpop, what they’ve been championing is
now suddenly massively in vogue with the general public, whereas a couple
of years ago it just wouldn’t have gotten through. Tends to be
a very sort of, what’s the word?, streamlined area...”
What was happening a couple of years ago? I can’t remember anything
good...
Andrew: “Well, I’m sort of talking three or four years ago,
you had the big dance burst and then suddenly the only thing that was
getting through was very sort of laidback acoustic acts and anything
with a bit of edge didn’t really...wasn’t coming through...but
then there’s a lot of stuff like that coming through now anyway,
seems more healthy.”
Since we obviously hadn’t been born yet when all the great 50’s
and 60’s music that we love came out, how and when were you introduced
to it? And do have any particularly fond memories of being so?
Andrew: “Yeah, I found a History of Motown box set at a car boot
sale...for 7 pounds...”
When was that?
Andrew: “It was when I was at college, probably about 12 years
ago. I was a proper indie kid then, like really into it, and shoe-gazing
and all that sort of stuff, and Blur was just breaking through, just
sort-of pre-Oasis, before the big Britpop wars, and frankly I just found
it really beautiful, a beautiful box, this big purple box, with a gold
record on the front...I thought ‘That looks fantastic’ and
I just ate it up, the whole lot. It had about 60, 68 perfect tracks
on it. Up to that point for me it was all about the Smiths and more
sort of...melancholy, maudlin stuff. And that was kind of a brightness
(laughs) to match it, to deliver me out...”
Ali: “I think I’ve always been a bit of a 60’s child,
I actually used to dance to Sandie Shaw when I was about 7. I had this
one tape, which was a compilation of all British number one hit stuff
and it had like The Kinks and Sandie Shaw and all that kind of stuff
on it. It was a really random mix; I think it was all just number ones
or something like that. But that was sort of my first introduction to
it all, and then it’s just something that I’ve always sort
of come back to really; that kind of sound.”
Andrew: “I lived in Glasgow for a bit and there’s a really
good soul scene, that I’ve not really encountered in other cities
I’ve lived in, or it certainly wasn’t so prevalent. There’s
a great club there called ‘Papa Cool’ and they just played
all this marvelous old soul. I started DJ’ing there a bit, collecting
records and DJ’ing there, but that was what made me know I wasn’t
on my own in liking old music really, old classic music. I’m remembering
now, this is when I was back at music class when I was in school, there
was this guy and he used to bring out, I think his mum was pretty cool,
and he used to bring in all these Motown records and everyone would
slight him (Ali giggles), absolutely slight him, and me included, like
that ‘oh we wanna listen to Salt N Pepa or whatever’ (laughs
all round) ...but he was on it, he was on it.”
That’s how I got into it all; my mom would always play all the
45s that she grew up with, when I was really little and then as I grew
older I still really loved that stuff and looked for it in what I was
listening to. So what were you listening to when you were like six years
old?
Andrew: “Well the first thing I can ever remember is ‘Nowhere
Man’ by The Beatles, that and ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’
and then after that my parents’ stuff was like...apart from ‘101
Dalmatians’ (all laugh)...my parents had The Stray Cats, know
them? like rockabilly, then The Vapors, “Turning Japanese”.
Them two, Blondie, and The Beatles, pretty much my first...and awful
stuff like...(laughs)... Barbara Streisand, really, really bad stuff,
just kinda made sure I kept well away...never really had anyone sort
of pushing me towards any good music...and for definite when I was in
my teenage years and all my mates were listening to metal, Guns N’
Roses and I was listening to Madonna; Madonna and Belinda Carlisle...I
hope I haven’t said that too loudly (all laugh)...”
 I’ve
often said that there’s something about a really great pop song
that’s akin to the feeling you have after you’ve first kissed
someone you’ve really liked for a while. (Lucky Soul nodding along)
What do you think is inherent in all great pop music? Or any similar
comparisons?
Andrew: “Brevity (laughs)...Yeah, I think for me all the best
songs make you feel happy and sad at the same time...pulls you in different
ways...and often it can be a happy melody and kind of aching words,
or the other way around, with very matter-of-fact words and then the
melody just... really pulls you...”
Ali: “It’s the simplicity of it, isn’t it?, that makes
it a perfect pop song, that kind of immediate heart-wrenching thing
that hits people...”
Andrew: “I always think you can tell which angle a song’s
looking at ya, (Ali laughs, my eyebrows crease in puzzlement), and the
best ones always look up...at ya...”
They look up at you?
Andrew: “Or look to the sky...”
Ali: “(laughing) What?”
Andrew: (gesticulating explanations, my eyebrows de-crease, understanding
now) “Rather than looking down at your feet...” (pause)
“It’s the melody every time. Always.”
What would you like people to think of or feel when they hear Lucky
Soul?
Andrew: “I’d like to make them feel happy. (all chuckle)...Or
happy in their misery...”
Ali: “Well we have a few people who email in saying, with especially
“Lips”, that it’s been like a soundtrack for them,
soundtrack to their summer or some kind of thing like that...”
Andrew: “I saw someone saying that it was the best music to get
back together... with someone, which was nice...”
Ali: “Yeah...”
And they can blame you afterward... (fortunately they laugh)
Ali: “There’s that thing on Myspace where someone’d
written in saying ‘We love your single, we sing to it in the mirror
with our hairbrushes, and then we fall back on our beds and dream of
the girls that we missed at the station or that we didn’t kiss...”
Andrew: “Yeah...”
Aww...(I did actually say ‘Aww...’)
Andrew: “I like that...I mean, definitely sort of a nostalgic,
romantic feel to them all isn’t there?, and I like that kind of
escapism; I’m sure everybody likes that kind of escapism. Like
you were saying, first kiss...at the time it’s probably...a bit
messy and confusing, isn’t it?...but you always look back at it
fondly...” (all laugh) “Basically it’s...if people
are made to feel as happy as I do when I listen to music, then that’s
it for me really; we’ve succeeded.”
(To Ali) And you...
Ali: “Yeah, same things really. I think it’s just that immediate
sort of it touches you...it’s, you know, brightens up your day...always
a good thing (chuckle)”
And the next few questions are for you as well. I’ve always really
been impressed with the dresses you wear live. (Ali laughs) Where do
you get them, or is that a secret?
Ali: “No, it’s not a secret...um, gosh, all over the place...there’s
a couple of really good vintage shops in Greenwich...ebay...I hunt out
a lot of stuff, I make some things as well, kind of make and mend (giggle)
stuff from charity shops and things like that, but you know I think
it’s important to try and look unique...well not ‘unique’,
but, do you know what I mean, rather than just buying sorta high street
stuff...”
So what do you look for in a dress then?
Ali: “Just basically anything that’s sort of A-line, 60’s
style/theme for a dress...that’s my thing (laugh). I’ve
got one in every colour.”And I was also struck by the first time
I saw you guys live, and every time after, that your voice was always
dead on, doing justice to the recordings I had heard before. Have you
had any formal vocal training?
Ali: “Well, when I was younger I was at the ballet school which
was like (loud pub noise obscures next few words)...well I did have
some singing training but that was just awful Andrew Lloyd Weber-type
stuff, where you had to sing in a very certain way and it probably took
me a lot of years to untrain myself (giggle) and get myself out of that
way of singing...but I suppose I’ve probably kept some of it,
some of the technique and stuff but sort of done it my own way... cause
I don’t worry too much about technique, whatever sort of comes
out comes out (laughs)...”
It comes out well.
Ali: “Thank you.”
Andrew: “There’s so many singers, aren’t there, that
lose their accents and it comes out almost transatlantic...”
Ali: “Yeah, that’s the thing. I did go to one lady a few
years ago just for the odd lesson. She was really good. She makes sure
that you keep your personality and all that, but she gives you some
tips on technique and stuff...but no, not really, I haven’t had
that much...”
Andrew: “I’m self-taught.” (both laugh)
 Favourite
colours?
Ali: (drawn out, resignedly) “Piiinnnk.” (laughs)
Andrew: (even more resignedly and a bit sad) “Blue.” (both
laugh) “Navy blue, that’s it...twilight blue even...”
Ali: (more animatedly now) “Shocking pink...Barbie pink...”
(This impresses me enough to write it down.) “Launch-party dress
pink...” (Andrew mentions something I didn’t quite catch
about ‘launch-party night blue’)Favourite films?
Ali: “My favourite film is “Darling” with Julie Christie.”
I’ve never seen it.
Ali: “Oh it’s brilliant. It’s like “Breakfast
At Tiffany’s” but darker. It’s like a black and white,
slightly more kitchen sink “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”.
It’s brilliant.”
I’ll have to watch it.
Andrew: “I like Butch Cassidy. I like that, and I like “Amelie”.
Favourite books?
Andrew: “And ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”...the first
one....
Ali: “My favourite book of all time is ‘Wuthering Heights’...”
Andrew: “She’s very well read...”
Ali: (giggles) “I’ve got a few favourites and they change...”
What are they?
Ali: “’The Unbearable Lightness of Being’...”
That’s the most depressing book I’ve ever read...
Ali: (animated laughter) “I love it...”
I thought it was really great, it was just so depressing, so much paranoia...
Ali: (more laughter) “That’s probably why I love it...um,
what else? I like ‘The Virgin Suicides’...”
I only saw the film...
Andrew: “That would go in my top films...”
Ali: “There’s a book called ‘Under The Skin’
by Michel Faber, (turning to Andrew) I made you read it, didn’t
I? It’s the eeriest book in the world but it’s absolutely
brilliant.”
Andrew: “Made my head spin, that.” (Ali laughs)
Ali: “I like Ian McEwan...I like ‘The Great Gatsby’...”
(To Andrew) Any particular books for you?
Andrew: “The Guinness Book of Hit Singles” (all laugh)
Beverage of choice?
Ali: “Jack Daniels” (giggle)
Andrew: “Of choice?...Coffee.” (laughter)
Ali: “Coffee?”
Andrew: “Yep. I’d nearly fall over in the morning...if I
didn’t have it.”
Favourite food?
Andrew: (immediately) “Pizza.”
Pizza?
Andrew: “Mm-hmm, it’s the king of foods...You can have it
hot or cold...for breakfast or for dinner...(Ali laughing)...you don’t
have to use a fork...doesn’t take any time to eat...it’s
brilliant. It’s really the classic food. It’s like pop music
on...on bread.”
Pop music on bread?
Andrew: (dead serious) “Yeah. (pause) There’s a quote for
you.” (I was suitably impressed to write this down as well.)
Ali: “I don’t think I’ve got any favourite food...”
Andrew: “You can’t match that though, can you?”
Ali: “No...(giggle)...toast...”
Andrew: “That’s just like pizza without the pop music.”
Favourite member of ‘The Young Ones’?
Ali: “Vyvyan”
Andrew: “Rik...The People’s Poet...Actually I like Alexei
Sayle best, probably the best. I served him in a restaurant once in
Liverpool. He’s frighteningly uh, frighteningly well-spoken...and
didn’t swear at all.”Of all these favourites, do you see
any influence of them on your songs? Or any similarities between them?
Andrew: “(thinks for long time) That is a very interesting question...
(thinks some more) I think Butch Cassidy has the right amount of laughter
and sadness. (pause) And they’re all coloured blue.”
What’s the perfect song?
Andrew: “’There She Goes’. By The La’s.”
Ali: “Mine is ‘Always Something There’ by Sandie Shaw.”
Andrew: “It’s the perfect length...and it’s...”
It would make the perfect pizza?
Andrew: (laughs) “Yeah, cause it’s circles...” (draws
circles on the table) goes around in circles and it’s like a rollercoaster
isn’t it, start, off you go, couple of loops and finish.”
What’s the perfect album?
Ali: “’Parallel Lines’ I think.” (Blondie)
Andrew: “Yeah, it is. It’s not far off, I thought it was
a greatest hits when I first listened to it...I do like the obvious
ones like ‘Pet Sounds’ and “Forever Changes’...I
don’t know...”
What is the perfect album to listen to whilst watching the sunrise after
you’ve been up all night, for whatever reason?
(laughter, much thought)
Or song, doesn’t have to be a whole album?
Andrew: “This is a hard one, being forced to choose, in such a
short space of time...” (much more thought) “You know, all
that’s going on in my head at the moment is ’Scott 4’,
it’s amazing, but that’s probably more of a sunset...”
I don’t know, “Duchess”, “Rhymes of Goodbye”,
seems perfect for a late night...
Andrew: “I quite like Gram Parsons early in the morning.”
Alright, what’s the perfect album to listen to after you’ve
just stolen a space shuttle and are flying it directly into the sun?
(much giggling from Lucky Soul; I remain dead serious)
Andrew: “I’d have to cover the outside with “Lips”(laughs)...with
my cd, so that melts first...and then...”
You’ve decided you want to fly straight into the sun for whatever
reason, what album do you want to be listening to? (laughter)
Andrew: “This is my going down song...”
Not necessarily...well yeah, but it’s a blaze of glory.
Andrew: “I like...a song we always come back to at the moment,
it’s another Sandie Shaw one, and...“I’d Be Far Better
Off Without You”, that’s what it’s called, and it’s
been quite influential in a lot of Lucky Soul songs.”
Ali: “ I would play ‘Holiday’ by Madonna.”
The tape ran out shortly after this. This being the first time I’d
ever interviewed anyone, I stupidly took only a 60-minute tape with
me by mistake. But we touched on Echo & The Bunnymen (Lucky Soul
did a great cover of “The Killing Moon” when I saw them
at the Vibe Bar last week. Andrew: “It’s just so beautifully
eerie, and edgy, and really pulls at ya. It’s quite a long song
as well, but it doesn’t feel long at all.”) Though having
spent five and a half “formative years” in Liverpool, Andrew
has only recently been delving into the Bunnymen, and thus the song
title “My Brittle Heart” was not taken from “Bring
On The Dancing Horses”. Also the story on their website about
Lucky Soul being flown to Thailand for five days and a sold-out rooftop
show earlier this year is completely true (For some reason I thought
they had made it up.) And when asked their plans for the summer, not
necessarily music-related, Andrew replied that there isn’t really
anything he does nowadays that isn’t music-related. And Ali informed
me there is a short tour of Austria and Germany in the works. Afterwards
we went back to their studio/rehearsal space and Andrew played me some
songs that have yet to be released. If you think what’s come so
far is gorgeous and majestic, just wait until you hear “My Darling
Anything” and “I Got The Magic”; your soul will feel
very lucky indeed.
For more on Lucky Soul, go to www.luckysoul.co.uk
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