Words by Marisa Brickman
Photos by Andy Mueller
Japandroids make balls-out music in the vein of stuff we liked in college in the late ’90s (the real emo like Jawbreaker and Drive Like Jehu). Recent comparisons have been bands such as Titus Andronicus (well, not so juvenile), No Age (not really so dissident), and Health (not so noise rock). We see the connections to those bands, but “angsty” puts it best. Japandroids are self-proclaimed maximal rock ‘n’ rollers. And honestly, they just write really fucking awesome rock songs. Not for fans of the twee, that’s for sure. Their album Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl), is beginning to end an amazing piece of work. We like the way it makes us want to crowd surf or push some people around (all in the name of fun, though).
We caught up with Canadian duo Brian King and David Prouse this winter and asked them a few things that have been on our mind.
Is there a sort of scene you guys find yourself in musically?
Well, as far as a local scene in Vancouver that we are a part of, not really. The Vancouver music scene is a bit fragmented and there are a lot of smaller pocket scenes within Vancouver – there isn’t one big unified scene at all. There are a lot of great musicians out there though: bands like Brasstronaut, Fine Mist, Twin Crystals, Basketball, Makeout Videotape. I don’t think there’s really a Vancouver sound though. Musically, people like to lump us in with other lo-fi bands, or other two piece bands a lot – No Age, Wavves, Death From Above. I like those bands, but I don’t think I feel any kinship with them in terms of coming from their scene.
What have you been up to this year? Lots of touring?
We’ve been touring like crazy for the last few months. It’s been pretty amazing. The day that our album was released in Canada, Brian fell ill and needed emergency surgery, which was incredibly scary. After he was reasonably healthy again, we hit the road and have been touring pretty much non-stop since then, all over the US, Canada and most recently the UK!
What kind of crowds do you play to? How big and who?
Our crowds range in size. In smaller towns where we’re playing the first time, there will be somewhere around 100 people there. In bigger cities where we’ve played a few times the crowds will be somewhere between 200 and 500. And then we get the occasional festival gig in front of a few thousand, which is pretty exciting and somewhat frightening. I have to admit, our crowds are mostly young dudes. Not a lot of girls in the audience. That said, our crowds are very rowdy up front a lot of the time, so perhaps all the cute girls are hanging out in the back avoiding the craziness. Obviously it varies, but we have seen a lot of stage diving this tour, which is awesome. The more energy in the crowd, the better we play and the more fun the show is for everyone involved!
How old are you guys?
We’re both 27. It was just Brian’s birthday a couple of days ago actually.
Your album is so fresh, but at the same time sounds really old. I mean that in the best possible way. I used to be super into Jawbreaker and Drive Like Jehu and Quicksand. Do you like any of those bands or ones that kind of came through in the late ’90s?
We definitely grew up listening to a lot of emo bands in the ’90s. I guess you can hear it in our music a bit, eh? Brian and I both like Jawbreaker and Jets to Brazil a whole bunch. We’re also big Rick Froberg / John Reis fans, so yeah that makes us Drive Like Jehu fans, though we both prefer Hot Snakes, I think. I’ve never really listened to Quicksand. Four Minute Mile (by the Get Up Kids) is one of my all-time favorite albums. Can’t get much more emo then that, right?
Tell me about “Wet Hair”. What’s that song about? Have you hooked up with French girls, or is that just aspirational?
You know what? Brian is very cryptic about his lyrics. I honestly don’t even know who or what that song is about! No joke! I’ve never seen him make out with a French girl, but he can’t be quite a charming guy so I don’t think it’s out of the question…
“Heart Sweats sounds” a little different from the other songs on the album – it’s a bit more bluesy.
I think it’s got a sounds a bit more like some of the stuff from our older EP Lullaby Death Jams. I would say it’s Blues Jazz, more than it’s Jazz Blues…
Favorite bands of all time.
Elliott Smith, Super Furry Animals, Beatles, Velvet Underground, The Sonics, Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Weezer – just the old stuff though, Do Make Say Think, the Constantines.
Favorite bands right now.
Timber Timbre, Amadou and Mariam, Why?, Future of the Left, Mew. I’ve also been listening to this awesome vinyl box set of Atlantic Records Soul and RnB from 1952-1977 or something like that, whenever I’m home. So many great songs! We’ve been listening to a lot of Daft Punk in the car. You can’t help but be happy when you’re listening to them.
Who do you think was the first emo band – both legitimately and then the one that blew up the term in the media?
People always say rites of Spring and Embrace were the first Emo bands, I think. Or at least that’s what I read in Our Band Could be Your Life. Have you ever read that book? You should! So good! One of the most interesting and entertaining books I’ve ever read! Anyways, when I think of emo I think of those mid-’90s bands like Braid, Jawbreaker, Get Up Kids, Sunny Day Real Estate, etc. I suppose emo really blew up with all that glossy pseudo-emo in the early 2000s – bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance. I don’t really think those bands are emo though. I don’t know what to call them.
I read in the NME that Pete Wentz got Mark Hoppus from Blink 182 to cut his hair on stage with him, claiming death to the emo haircut? How do you feel about that?
To be honest? Really don’t give a shit.
Most exciting thing so far about this year?
For me personally? Touring, touring, touring. Getting to see so many new places and play in front of so many people. It’s been really amazing. Tiring sometimes, but fucking amazing…
What do you hope your music inspires people to do when they hear it?
I hope it means something to people and that they have a good time listening to it and have a great time at our shows. That would be pretty nice. If it somehow inspires world peace that would be wonderful, but I think it would be smarter to have more realistic goals.
