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From Melbourne via London, trendy Bethnal Green to be precise, Cobra Dukes have been garnering good words from all sorts of places (Johnny Vaughan likemed them to "a shot of espresso"). Though always keen to make an impact, on the release of their most recent single they provided fans with the email addresses of loads of radio DJs asking them to bug said DJs to play the records - which is the kind of thing we approve of here at CMU! With a load of London dates this month, now is a good a time as any for all your Londoners to check these guys out. As a starting point, Lucas from the band answers the SSQ...
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Q1 How did you start out making music?
We came out of the skips of Melbourne Australia in the 90s, just two of us to begin with. I don't know if you're familiar with the history of music, but it certainly wasn't shaped by the Australian music scene, not in the 90s anyway. We came to London to make it big in the most difficult place to make it big in the whole world. It's hardened us like the recent tour of duty in Afghanistan has hardened Ross Kemp. To begin with it was an MPC2000 and a "bucket o' brawn". This has developed into a five piece drum kit accompanied by a five piece band, with a truly international make-up and feel...
Q2 What inspired your latest single?
Initially, it was whales' songs that inspired 'Airtight'... and wanting to have something a little fast and furious on the album, which will be out sometime next year it looks like. It seemed to just make sense when we did it and, in one sense, it "wrote itself".
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
It depends... The process is never the same for two songs. Some songs seem to just deliver themselves in not much time by first class post. Some tracks have a gestation of about four or five months, followed usually by a c-section at the end of the process when you are just wanting to rip the bastard out. Either way it will go through a number of levels in our mind. The process is usually finished when we hate the track. We end up hating all our music, pretty much as soon as it's done. Our music is like a butterfly to us - a cocoon for far too long, it's great for a day, then it's dead.
Q4 Which artists influence your work
We're inspired by Queen, Talking Heads, Interpol, The Strokes, Michael Jackson, Giorgio Moroder, Bryan Ferry, John Carpenter, Roy Orbison, Radiohead... I mean... the list is infamous.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Nothing - they would be trying to listen. I'd encourage that instead of going "listen to this bit... three, two, one... Shit. Not here, in 8 bars... HERE!... no, wait!..." I don't know. I wouldn't say anything... and try to answer questions if they were asked.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest single, and for the future?
We always aim high. Our current single has performed far better than our last, so we're happy about that. It's over for us now; so it's similar to the butterfly story I told you before. It's out of our hands and passed onto people who like it. We're really glad that people like it, but it's the success that drives us. Success in the belief we have. We won't ever be happy, that's just the way it is. Our plans for the future are to keep growing, playing bigger and bigger shows, and making great records that sell enough for us to make more. Ultimately our ambition is to be the most amazing band that's ever graced the face of the Earth. Otherwise, what's the point right?
published mar 2008
