THE OLYMPUS MONS
January 02, 2008
WORDS: IAN MARSHALL
PHOTOS: LAURENT JULLIAND

London is a city where scenes, trends and the next big thing are closely watched and change on a daily basis. Few bands fight their way through the hype machine to a position where they can do their own thing without fear of losing the plot. Those that find their own sound in an industry obsessed with genre and classification – an industry that tries to pin down what the kids want before they know it – can rise above the humdrum and create something special. The question is whether a band that defies classification in this way can be successful, whether you can make a living on the margins, or whether the music is enough to leave as a legacy.

The Olympus Mons are a band who sound different. Not to the extent that you need a new dictionary, but certainly different enough that you wonder how they will fit in. Their angular guitars and bombastic delivery initially make you think “This band is pure punk,” but gradually the strength of the rhythm section and the subtle chord progressions reveal to you the greater depth here. Lead singer Aaron's vocals are the otherworldly howl of a man feeling not just the lyrics, but the emotions behind each word, eking out every last drop of spirit and emotion and leaving himself bare.

Potential in abundance, then, as this young group continue their progression through the world of indie rock. 'Sup spoke to Moran from the band about their new record deal and the state of the industry he’s prepared to tackle.

'Sup: You have recently been signed to the French Dad Records and have been recording your debut album – how did that come about?
Moran: We knew David from Dad Records for a while before signing to the label. He is an extremely cool guy, very down to earth and quite different from most other music business people we have had the pleasure to meet. I think we were a bit naïve in the beginning thinking "Hold on, where is the suitcase with the million dollars and how are you going to make us bigger than Coldplay?" It's hard deciding on a record label, you know, because it feels like you're signing away your bands future but we are all very happy with Dad Records and the approach so far. Really!

Did the recordings go well and when can we expect to hear the fruits of your labour?
To be honest, recording a record as such is quite stressful. Everyone around had very high expectations so the pressure was on, and there were times when everyone was quite tense.
The good thing was that we recorded in Versailles next to Paris where the Kings used to live. So we got to know some new food, people, cultures and we could relax a bit in between.
The album is going to be released sometime next year; should be before summer.

What effect has being signed had on you as a band? Are you spending more time working together or has it always been quite tight-knit?
We definitely spend more time together since the recording of this record. I mean every day for six weeks, does that sound a lot to you? Also now we are on a strict rehearsing regime plus gigs so it never really stops. It's OK because we are very good friends but in all honesty if it wasn't for being in a band you probably wouldn't go and see the same two people every day so it can be tough at times too.

Can we assume that being signed now means you are being driven from hotel to venue in limousines and receiving foot massages and outfits as part of your daily schedule – or is it not quite as glamorous as that?
Well you're really close there. In fact if you exchange the hotel for a living room floor, the limousine for the tube, foot massages for a heavy amp to carry and outfits for the clothes I've been wearing for the past two years, you're there. No, there is not really much glamour about being in a band anymore these days. Except maybe for these bands that play Wembley stadium.
On one side that's OK because if the reason you became a musician is that you wanted to drink champagne off some supermodel's foot then there is probably something seriously wrong with you anyway. On the other side though it would be nice to be appreciated a bit more sometimes.
Especially in London where some promoters think you're lucky to only pay them £50 to play their night, while you pay for your own beers and he probably chats up your girlfriend while you play.

You won the 2006 Fopp New Music Award – how important was that in establishing yourselves and did it open any particular doors for you?
Hmm... we actually won a couple of awards that year. What they did for us is hard to judge. We did get an EP, a Video on MTV2 and some other stuff out of them. But then also people like kicking their boots in to you if you run around with "best unsigned band UK voted by your mobile phone provider" on your banner. To be honest really I can understand it because I always found battle of the bands stuff a bit doubtful, and just one word of advice - it doesn't open doors.

Fopp famously went bankrupt last year (not that I'm suggesting a link here!) but it does seem that independent record shops are struggling on the high street. One reason is the rise of the Internet, which has produced a wider variety of choice to the consumer as well as making piracy and copying easier. From a financial point of view, do you think there is a future in recorded music in the current model or is it in the live arena that you can make a living as a band?
Well you hear these stories everywhere these days isn't it? Apparently making a living is definitely not in CD sales anymore but in the live thing, but then I never made a living from music before so I can't really tell you from experience. On the other hand, I could tell you how to make a living from shit jobs!
Really, one thing I found is the more I concentrate on this whole music business thing and how important is your friend list on MySpace the further I get from what I actually wanted to do, which is to make music. In fact if I could travel back in time and assassinate the guy who thought it would be good to connect the whole world via computers I probably would.
And one last thing on Fopp, they still owe us the money from the CD sales. But then someone cleverer than me is probably paying for his cocktails on some tropical island with that money right now....

So you obviously aren't a huge fan of the Internet, but it does allow exposure for smaller bands like yourselves, through social networking sites and the availability of music through download services. Has the internet been important as part of your journey? How do you see that continuing?
It is important and good because it allows people to access your music and to get in touch. Then again, if they wanted to get in touch and the Internet wasn't around maybe they would have to come to a gig. Maybe if they wanted to hear the music without the Internet they would have to buy a CD. I think it harms us at least as much as it helps us.
Did you know that music business people are not going to be interested in you if you haven't got enough MySpace hits? And that there are programs widely used that fake views and plays on MySpace. So do you think that anything got better really?
Nonetheless there is no way around it now and I know that it will be important for the future success of this band to get the whole Internet thing right. Sad no?

Finally, what's next for the Mons? Promotion for the album? Touring?
If it was up to us we'd be touring for the whole of next year. Nothing is confirmed yet though so you'll just have to be patient for a bit longer.