Interview with FourDayHombre (Exclusive)

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Photo courtesy of Anette Rickard

G: So how did you guys get together?

FDH: Four of us met at university in an explosion of bad cover versions and drunken antics. We moved to Leeds after 3 years of Walking on Sunshine and enlisted the skills of our now drummer Ash to do some labouring on our cellar conversion. It's all true.

G: It's been a long journey for Four Day Hombre. How are you all at the minute?

FDH: We're about to record a new EP and go on tour for 9 weeks, 4 of which we're opening up for Embrace in lovely big venues so we're all pretty good thanks. Tired though. As you say, it has been a very, very long road. There's a theory that you never recover from sleep deprivation unless you catch-up on all the sleep you've lost. I reckon if we started trying to catch-up now we'd wake up just in time to retire.

G: You recently played Reading and Leeds festival. Did you find it at all daunting playing at the 2 biggest fests in England this year?

FDH: The most daunting thing was that I'd just got off a plane the night before from 2 weeks on a beach so the actual volume of people was pretty terrifying. We had a great gig in Leeds, brilliant crowd, and then in Reading we played an intimate back-stage gig on the same bill as people like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs so that was great, many thanks to all at Tiscali for that. Suprisingly corporate backstage though. Still you can't bite the hand and all that..

G: You've a tour with Embrace starting 22nd September this year. Looking forward to it?

FDH: Very much. Some great venues and a real opportunity for us. Plus it's been a while since we were supporting someone else. We've done 2 or 3 headline tours on the trot and I miss the fight of having to convert a room full of sceptics to being FDH fans. We used to gig just anywhere, some really strange pubs in the middle of nowhere, the full chicken-wire thing. It's a great feeling to turn people around from wanting to glass you to asking you to sign their t-shirt at the end of the night.

G: You've also got your own headline tour straight after the Embrace tour... Looking forward to that/ are you not going to be knackered!?

FDH: You get used to it, and it's not as tiring as working down a pit I'm sure. It's a kind of airport tiredness.. Internally dirty. Really looking forward to it though, playing live is such a joy and I want to develop things a bit on this tour, move things on a bit. We'll get some momentum off the Embrace tour and should be getting our second wind by the time our tour comes around. Bring. It. On.

G: You've also just released a DVD ('A Night At The Theatre Live').. What's on there then?

FDH: Now you're asking. All our videos to date, including an unreleased Mr M video, and a full set from Leeds City Varieties last year as well as "Making Of", photo galleries, storyboards etc etc. I was really proud of it when we finally finished it, it was as though it tied together a lot of hard work by a lot of great people and drew a line under an incredible year which has seen us set up a label, record and release our debut album and do 3 national tours. Just re-emphasised what an incredible bunch of friends and colleagues we have around us. And well worth £12!

G: What's been the best and worst gig so far?

FDH: Ever? Some University - can't remember where - Middlesex? There were about 40 people in a room to hold 1000, it sounded like s*** and we'd been travelling and working all day to do it. And we all fell out. Crap. CRAP. There's been a few more as well but that'll do for starters..

G: Your lyrics seem to suggest autobiographical. To what extent would you say this is true?

FDH: 100%. Well maybe 95% Some of it's made up. What else do you write about other than what you know or want to know?

G: You've been compared to Coldplay and Keane. So how do you (and your music) differ from these bands? (apart from not having weird holistic practices and drug problems?)

FDH: We have a lot of problems with these comparisons because we feel our music has a much harder or more extreme edge to it in places, or maybe a less commercial feel. Sure we write melodic songs and I do occasionally sing in falsetto but I think it's a lazy comparison for journalists who are looking for a tag. I think maybe people need to see us live to fully see what we mean â there are more extremes, much more aggression in the playing, much more emphasis on the fluidity of a song. I could rant about this for ages. We do, however, share the same holistic practices and drug problems and my face also has no edges.

G: How was it working with producer Dave Odlum?

FDH: Fantastic. It was like living your life in a house and being comfortable and satisfied in that house and then someone opening a door and saying, "hey, you've never looked in these rooms..". We will definitely be working with him again.

G: You opened your own label (Alamo music). Is there anyone you got your eye on to sign up?

FDH: Not yet. One huge money drain is enough for the moment.

G: Running your own label's a lot of effort yet you turned down major labels in order to do this.. What makes DIYing it better than signing your souls away?

FDH: Two word: control and satisfaction.

G: I went to see you in York and the bassist appeared to be absolutely sh*tfaced. Is this a common occurrence or was I possibly misinterpreting?

FDH: Before or after the gig? Do I need to have a word with him? We've banned excessive boozing before playing because none of us are good enough to carry it off. We do like a drink every now and again. Who doesn't?

G: So what do you get up to post-gig? Crack open a couple of beers infront of telly and order a curry or go boogie the night away at some seedy hot spot (or various other options!)?

FDH: Generally pack the gear up, have a few beers and then drive on to the next town or dive in to a Travellodge, 6 to a room. You have to make your own fun I guess drumming gloves and a false testical come in handy every now and again..

G: Your fan base is obviously very important to you.. What do you think has kept them loyal all this time?

FDH: I think maybe it's the live thing.. We definitely like to see gigs as a shared experience, it's like inviting friends round to your house for a party and being the host, only it's up to both sides to create the atmosphere to make sure it works. I hope we emmit that sense of wanting people to feel like they belong to us and we belong to them, like they're part of what we do because they certainly are. We couldn't do what we do now if it wasn't for the many who support us at gigs and through buying the music and the few that set up our record label.

G: So what's next for FDH? Thinking of another album yet? Any plans for next year?

FDH: A new EP hopefully - we're taking it as it comes and attempting to record it in one week and release it before Christmas and then album 2 which we've started already and is really exciting and then Christmas day off and a Canadian tour in March 2007..busy, busy, busy..

Four Day Hombre are touring the UK supporting Embrace from Sept 21st til Oct 23rd and have a headline tour from Oct 24th til Nov 26th- check out their myspace page or their web page for more info

Interviewed by Gemma for UKEvents.net
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**~~debbydo~~** · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:04 pm Post subject:

Great review ....
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ash_the_minx · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:50 am Post subject:

wicked

Mullin · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

Yeah its fab...someone ha to do them whilst we were not here!!
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**~~debbydo~~** · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:33 pm Post subject:

So what do they sound like, I have never herd of them .. It would be nice if you could put one of their songs up so we could hear them ..
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ash_the_minx · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:24 pm Post subject:

good idea debs!

Mullin · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:27 am Post subject:

Good plan!
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ash_the_minx · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:10 pm Post subject:

captain birdseye lol!!

Mullin · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Mon Sep 25, 2006 3:33 pm Post subject:

Ha ha mmm fish fingers are lush! I havent had them since I was a kid...
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ash_the_minx · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject:

pete has them ll the time only 17p from tesco!!

**~~debbydo~~** · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:26 am Post subject:

Andrea · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:56 am Post subject:

great interview! Cool

Andrea · Tell a Friend or invite with Google: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:50 pm Post subject:

you know what they say, buy cheap and pay twice.....
if they put pigs eyeballs and ears in cheap sausages, what do they put in cheap fish fingers?
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