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MM - Would
you like to start by giving us a brief history on the band, how
it all came about, where you call home etc?
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Mikey -
Yeah, Dan (original guitarist) and myself (Mikey, Vocals) were
at school, we had one or two others that played a couple of
shows with us at school. Then we all went off to uni but
me and Dan kept writing (primarily me, but Dan still doing some
lyrics). I'd always wanted to get a real band together, so
I put out adverts on the internet and first I found Jonny to
play drums, which was crucial cos it meant that we had a
drummer, normally the hardest person to find.
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Then Iain
joined on bass very soon afterwards, again found off the
internet. This made us a four piece, but I ideally wanted
to be 5, so I could just sing on stage. A couple of
Jonny's friends came in on guitar, but after a few shows around
Xmas 05, Dan decided to leave and concentrate on university.
In the mean time we found Steve to play lead guitar off myspace
and kept looking for a permanent second guitar. Another
one of Johnny's friends, Joe, is 'on trial' at the moment and
it's all going well so far, so hopefully we can get a solid 5
piece sorted soon!
We're all from around Edinburgh - I live in town, Iain and Steve
are out Dalkeith way, with Jonny and Joe out in the Haddington
direction. So that's pretty useful, cos we're all within about
30 mins of the city, so practising isn't a big problem. Music
wise after those first gigs in late 05, we kept building through
06 doing gigs when we could until I finished uni, building up to
recording the EP in the summer. Since then it's been hard
graft gigging, myspacing and doing out own PR, agent and manager
stuff!
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MM
- How would you describe your music and who do you see as your target
audience?
Mikey - Hmm, it's hard to describe concisely! we don't really
fall into any really neat boxes. I think that it definitely is
rooted in metal/hard rock with a big slice of punk thrown in the mixer.
We've been described in various ways by different critics and magazines
but I think that this kinda sums it up. As for our target audience
... that's quite varied too!
Obviously teenage metal-heads that read Kerrang and Metal Hammer are
going to make up a large part, but we've got lots of great fans who we
found on really mainstream band's myspace pages like All American
Rejects and Hinder (if you've not heard of Hinder yet, they're HUGE in
the US and they're on their way over here) but also thousands of proper
metal fans into like Metallica, Pantera and Avenged Sevenfold. I
think we've got enough melody for older people to understand that we're
not just 'noise', we're play real music, but it's definitely loud and
rockin' enough for the miniest mosher!
MM - There are countless numbers of rock bands trying to get names
out there. How do you avoid being another band that someone
listens to one and forgets? What do you do to stay unique and
remembered?
Mikey
-
Well, for a start I think we
sound pretty unique, especially in comparison to our peers coming up at
the moment. Most bands are playing emo/screamo, but we're just
doing our own thing. Hopefully it's our songs that will keep
people listening. I think they're good and from the feedback we've
got so far a lot of people agree, so hopefully that will give us an
edge. we don't have the tightest jeans, but hopefully the tightest
tunes count for more!
MM
- At what age did you become interested in being a performer and
what/who inspired you to join a band?
Mikey
- I've been performing all my life ... gimme an audience and I'll
try to keep 'em entertained! whether it was being in plays in
school, singing or just being a clown in class ... it's just part of my
nature.
MM - Who writes the lyrics
and what inspired the lyricist to write them in the first place?
Mikey -
Well, Dan used to write most of the lyrics but now it's me.
Depends ... sometimes it's a real event, sometimes it's just a story.
Normally I'll come up with the chorus and a title and then work out the
rest from there. So for 'Alkaline Nights' off the EP I came up
with the 'acid days and alkaline nights' and it flowed from there.
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MM
- Some people sit around and wish for things but nothing
happens, however, you guys are a motivated band. What do
you really think you will be doing in 5 years time?
Mikey
- 5 years ... writing our thrids album? That sounds
about the right kinda timescale? Maybe nearing end of a
big tour for our second album? I'm really not sure, but I
genuinely believe in this band. As you say, we're highly
motivated, we've made this all happen for ourselves so far.
No labels, no managers, no PR. we're not gonna stop now -
just gotta keep building until we can't go any higher.
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MM
- Your sound, image and lyrics have a strong identity to them. Is
this something you've strived to achieve or something more organic?
Mikey - Sonically it's totally organic. Just a product of many
years of media overexposure and limited musical training! haha ;)
Image wise again ... we're not a tight jeans, angled fringe kinda band.
Obviously, it's nice to look good, but we definitely try to keep
substance over style.
MM - Where did the bands name come from and what does it represent to
you? Can you remember any of the other names that were considered
at the time?
Mikey - Serpico
is the name of an Al Pacino film from the 70's, his first big lead role.
I just thought it sounded pretty cool ... most young folk haven't heard
of it, so tare generally inquisitive, while it rings a bell with many
older people, who might check us out because of that when they might not
if we were called 'death monkey brains' or whatever. Also it's got
that serpent-y sound to it, which adds a cool second dimension to it.
Other names we've been or thought were under dispute, Agent Raconteur
and Sinister Rouge ... make of them what you will!
MM - How does the song writing process work within the band? Is
it down to one particular person or do you all get involved?
Mikey - I write all the songs, but everyone gets to chip in
eventually - Jonny adds like own drum parts, Iain has bass flourishes,
Steve does the solos. I do the structure and stuff, but the guys
add the finished touches.
MM - Serpico have a great stage show, but who was the first band you
saw in concert?
Mikey - Rammstein! So that gave me pretty high standards for
what a live show should be like - I don't think we're quite at that
level yet ... give us time!
MM - Who in your opinion is the greatest genius of all time in the
music business and why?
Mikey - I'm gonna say that the most under-rated genius is our
producer, Rhys Fulber. Not many people know him, but he's done
some amazing work in his own bands (industrial pioneer with Front Line
Assembly to global number one trance DJ with Delerium) while his
production work includes one of the best metal acts of the 90's Fear
Factory. And he's only in his mid-thirties!! This guys is
going to be an uber producer, mark my words! As for the greatest
genius ... I have no idea ... probably one of the classical greats, way
before music became a business! Without them we wouldn't have
music with melodies like we have today, so you've got to hand it to
them.
MM
- Name your favourite 5 albums of all time and what they have meant to
you personally?
Mikey - Waking The Fallen - Avenged Sevenfold. Just amazing
... I love this band. Their melodies, their power, their solos ...
I love this album to bits. Vulgar Display Of Power - Pantera.
The best heavy album of all time, hand's down. Master Of Puppets -
Metallica - Kinda goes without saying! MASTER! Mutter - Rammstein.
I listened to this album non-stop for so long. My first really
proper metal album - just so many good songs on it. Sing The
Sorrow - AFI. Their career defining album ... again, just
brilliant songs.
MM - How has the internet helped spread the word about the band and
do you feel downloading is harming the scene, or helping to keep it
alive?
Mikey - Yeah, the internet's been crucial for everything. I
think it would be better if people bought things rather than downloaded,
but, if it spreads the word, I'm up for it!
MM
-
If
you were doing a gig on a desert island and could only bring one
instrument with you for the whole band, what would it be and why?
Mikey - A guitar!! So I could
sing and play ... the rest of them would have to improvise! ;)
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MM
- Being in a rock band you are bound to like a drink or two, so
who is the party animal in the band?
Mikey - Hmm, Iain likes the odd
beverage ... but new boy Joe seems to have quite a reputation,
so we'll have to keep our eyes on him!
MM - Tell us something that most people don't know, never have
known, and probably never would know about you if they don't
read this interview.
Mikey - I really like smoked
sausage and mushroom pizzas. If/when we become huge,
they're soooo on the rider.
MM
- For you, what were the 3 high points of 2006?
Mikey - Recording our EP,
graduating from uni to do the band full time, getting the EP out
there sounding as good as it does!
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MM
- What do you hope 2007 will hold for Serpico?
Mikey - World domination, duh ...
MM - Finally are there any messages
you'd like to pass on to all our readers out there?
Mikey - Check us out while you can
still brag to your friends that you knew us before we go big, and then
you can moan about us selling out later. You get a brag and a moan
all in one ... could you ask for more??
MM - We'd like to thank Mikey for taking the time out to chat with us
today and look forward to catching the band on the road on their
forthcoming tour. Check their website for details! |