Jer (aka Afront from the Pansentient League) spoke recently with Sarah and Lloyd about the band, their music, and the new single.
Hi Sarah and Lloyd,
Thanks for taking the time to talk! So how would you describe your music, for those who haven't heard Schmoof before?
Analogue-Atari-electro-synth-pop-with-sexy-girly-vocals.
What are your songs about?
Boys, chocolate, pulling on tube trains and murdering unfaithful farmers.
What would we see at a live Schmoof show?
Sarah, Lloyd, PVC, high heels, ZX Spectrum projections & frantic strap-on keyboard duels.
Is Schmoof the best-kept secret of the London music scene?
We’re not a secret! We run our Warm Electro club nights in London and are about to release our first UK single, "Chocolate Boyfriend".
How did you two meet?
We met at music college. Sarah asked Lloyd to be in a band at college but Lloyd declined because Sarah said she liked Acid Jazz. Sarah got over this teenage fad so Lloyd gracefully accepted.
Your new single "Chocolate Boyfriend" is out soon and features a fantastic video. Did you have an idea of what you wanted for the video beforehand?
We wanted the video to depict the misery of Sarah’s dilemma. But we also included shots of our bright glossy live show to contrast against Sarah’s darkest thoughts. Chocolate features in the video too, naturally…
You've written and recorded a batch of new songs since the release of your debut album "Bedroom Disco" a few years ago. How has the Schmoof sound changed since then?
We have made our sound fuller using more distorted tones, blending electro with a ‘rock’ sound, but without us being an actual rock band.
Your song "Hayfever" is a new synth-pop-meets Country ’n’Western song with some killer lyrics, and the new Menlo Park mix of "Chocolate Boyfriend" takes the song in entirely new directions; sorta like The Cure meets Faithless. Do you think bands are sometimes reluctant to try out new sounds or other musical styles?
Yes. Despite using influences from other genres, we found that our vocals and production style is so distinctive that our recordings always sound like Schmoof.
You've collaborated with various up-and-coming London and UK musicians, such as on the duets for the "Rock Wife" EP. Do you enjoy working with other bands and musicians? Which duet was your favourite?
Working with other musicians is awful because they smell but we tolerated this for the sake of our art. ‘Northern Line’ is usually the most fun live as Sarah makes fun of Nick (Cammack, who duets with Sarah on ‘Northern Line’).
Anyone you'd like to work with in the future?
One of our ambitions is to find as many Roland SH101 (with mod-grip & strap) owners as possible to join us on stage for the last song in a future show!
You've set up your own record label with another London band (Beestings). Why did you decide to do this?
We set up Council Pop so that we had full control over the art, promotion and schedule of our releases.
The single has several new kickin' dance mixes. Is club-culture ready for Schmoof?
Yes, although our own mix of ‘Chocolate Boyfriend’ is possibly one of our least dancey tracks. The Starlet DJs mix is suitable for mainstream house music clubs, a bit like Sheiks on Bognor Regis pier (where Lloyd hails from) and will also go down well with at gay clubs, which has always been a market we have and want to continue to appeal to. The FakeID mix will go down well in cool electro clubs full of people with asymmetric haircuts!
And do you go clubbing or DJing much?
We go to a lot of electro nights and worry that our haircuts are not as cool and asymmetric as the other people there, but dancing makes up for that… We also do the occasional DJ slot. And of course, we have produced remixes for other bands such a fellow US electro girl-boy duo J+J+J from Illinois and our label mates, Bee Stings.
Here's a few techy questions...
[Sarah looks distracted. Lloyd answers the next 4 questions!]
How long does it take to program the ZX Spectrum visuals that accompany your live show? How are they made?
Each one takes 1–2 hours to program in BASIC. Thinking of ideas that would work in that medium takes longer.
And have you "pimped your speccie"?
No, it’s a standard 48K ZX Spectrum. At gigs we have to load the program off a tape which takes about 5 minutes.
What's your favourite piece of hardware?
Our Roland System 100 because it is so flexible in sound creation. The Casio VL Tone is good because it is a lot less heavy…
What equipment do you use to make a Schmoof song?
An Atari running Cubase sequencing a Roland SH101, a System 100, a JX8P, a Juno 6, an E-Max 11 sampler effected by two TLA 5051 valve compressors, a Dunlop wah-wah pedal, a Sans Amp GT2, an Aphex aural exciter/big bottom, all mixed on a Spirit Ghost desk.
You're doing Infest this year along with industrial heavyweights such as Front Line Assembly and Stromkern. How do you think you will go down with the goths and body beaters?
Goths like us because we wear PVC and Sarah has black hair! Or at least we think that’s why…
Three of the songs from your debut album were featured on "Girlstuff/Boystuff," a Canadian animated teen comedy. How did that come about?
Our songs deal with everyday issues that teenagers identify with so this made them prime for synchronisation. We’re not sure how they found out about us but we do have fans in some strange places!
What plans do you have for the future? Is there a new Schmoof album in the works, or some more shows coming up?
‘Chocolate Boyfriend’ is out on 25th September and our 2nd album will follow soon after – we’re putting the finishing touches to it now and are very happy with how it is sounding. It will feature some live favourites such as ‘Backseat Driver’, ‘Rock Wife’ and ‘Northern Line’. We are touring the UK to promote the single in September/October.
Have you any plans to tour outside the UK at some point?
We’re too busy in the UK right now but if time allows, we would love to tour Europe, especially Germany, Spain and France. Further afield places such as Japan and USA would also be interesting to tour and we have built good relationships with bands from the US that we could support, especially J+J+J and Freezepop.
Finally here are some either-or questions:
Silver or Purple?
Lloyd : Purple
Sarah: Purple too. I recently acquired some lovely metallic purple ankle boots but I have some nice silver shoes too. I have shoes in nearly every colour actually!
Leather Wip or Walnut Whip?
Lloyd : Walnut Whip
Sarah: Walnut Whip for eating, leather whip for beating!
Superman or Batman?
Lloyd : Batman
Sarah: Superman
Peanuts or Cheese?
Lloyd : Peanuts
Sarah: Cheese
Ken or Kylie?
Lloyd : Ken
Sarah: Kylie
Surf or Disco?
Lloyd : Surf
Sarah: Disco
Strap On or Hand Held?
Lloyd : Strap-on!
Sarah: Strap-on!
Chocolate or Boyfriend?
Lloyd : Chocolate
Sarah: I still can’t decide…
Thanks again for your time Sarah and Lloyd, and good luck with the single!
Schmoof's 6-track single Chocolate Boyfriend is released September 25th on Council Pop records. Their Rock Wife EP and debut album Bedroom Disco are also both still available via the Schmoof websites:
www.myspace.com/schmoofiness
www.schmoof.com
