The Rumble Strips
On the verge of releasing their new single 'Alarm Clock', we caught up with The Rumble Strips for a bit of a chat.
From the moment Charlie Waller and Tom Gorbutt let the words "shall we set up a band?" slip from their lips the Rumble Strips have snaked their way through rave kids and Grandmas in pursuit of their Island destination.
"We were approached by a few record labels. Island were very definite that they wanted to sign us and they put their money where their mouth is." These words fall effortlessly from the bearded mouth of Tom, the saxophonist of the band. "As soon as we were signed we were whisked off to America to record the album."
But before we start looking to the future lets take a trip to the past. After all, what do we really know about the Rumble Strips? "We got together when we were about 14 in this Saturday afternoon music workshop. We used to play a load of music together and bands just sort of split out of that. Charlie had a band and me and Henry [Clark, trumpet] had a band and we used to play pubs down in Devon basically."
However, it wasn't until roughly two years ago that the dynamic sound of the Rumble Strips was formed. "Later on we all converged in London and having known each other in those days [of youth] kind of split up the bands we were in and formed from the remnants of that.
We started writing songs and trying to take it seriously and then we did the first single. Things started happening, we got more gigs and went to South by South West. But we went on a real shoe-string budget and didn't really eat for a whole week."
The band easily laugh about this now that they have Island throwing money at them from all different directions and Tony Hoffer (Beck, The Kooks, Air) as a producer. "It was definitely the right choice to go with Tony, he got our sound pretty spot on." And of course working in LA can't have been too shabby. "It's a pretty interesting place but we didn't have the means or the time to explore it. You need a car and we didn't have one, so we just saw Hollywood, which isn't really us.
Plus we worked really hard all day long and we'd go out and have two beers and be like 'ohh I'm going to bed'."
Up until now Tom has happily chatted away, but with the mention of the album Henry's ears have pricked up and he's ready to spill his opinion. "We all had this idea that a first album should be concise and not overstay its welcome. We recorded 15 tracks and knew we were going to have to cut it down. But I think it's got a nice structure to it. Like these classic albums and the way they move." At this point he waves his arm around animatedly, accompanied by a cheeky grin that seems to say 'and ours is one of those'. But naturally they laugh off the idea with a sincere modesty. "Well not that classic, but yeah."
So perhaps the band aren't party animals just yet, but how else did they fill seven weeks in the old U.S of A if they weren't out exploring? Apparently by listening to Billy Ward And The Dominoes ('50s R&B band) and LA favourites Cold War Kids. "We saw the Cold War Kids for the first time when we were in America for South by South West, and although our music is really different we do feel some kind of affinity with them. Their passion is so raw and they don't do anything by halves.
In fact we were going to do at least one show with them because we thought seven weeks was a long time to do an album, but we got there and Tony literally said 'you're going to need all the time you've got, you're not playing any gigs'. So we just did intensive rehearsing and then literally when the taxi came to take us to the airport Charlie was just singing the last bit of his vocals."
Having completed their first headline tour towards the end of last year the band are gradually getting used to being told where they're playing and having everything paid for. "It's what we all dream of really," says the gratified saxophonist. "No matter how bad you're feeling in the morning, you get to the venue and you just think 'oh we've got a gig to do', and every single night is exciting. We're never going to go on stage and think 'I hate this'."
They've already been to every quirky corner of England and even some around Europe. "We played this gig in Ibiza, and you know they have that Ibiza Rocks thing? Well this was the poor man's version.
It was a horrible environment and we weren't on until four in the morning so they [crowd] were all absolutely pissed and just like 'errr'." It would help to imagine a plaid-shirt-sporting trumpeter groaning at this moment, until Tom interrupts him. "It was the most horrible place I've ever been. This Ibiza town is supposed to be quite pretty but this bit was just grotty. Like the worst part of England.
It was kind of enjoyable though and we came home with such injuries. I twisted my ankle and Charlie cut his foot open on a bottle. We had to push him on the baggage trolley in the airport."
But other than braving injuries in grimy, tourist-clad towns the Rumble Strips are becoming acquainted with the privileges that being the 'headliners' gets you. "It's amazing how you can live on some riders. We did a tour with the Young Knives and they get three pairs of socks on theirs.
We're rubbish with asking for riders because first we said 'oh we just want water and bananas' and we'd be starving, so now we get a proper one."
And as the band's acclaim spreads, so does the variety in their fans. "Someone's Grandma came up to me!" exclaims the thoroughly stunned Tom. "And we played this Chalk night a few weeks ago and there was drum and bass on before us and we thought 'oh God are we really going to fit in?' There were loads of new-ravers but we went on it and they loved it."
It's easy to see the electricity of kids in a sweetshop sparkle through the Rumble Strips' eyes. They speak enthusiastically about every little detail of their lives, and with the multitude of excitement in their trail what are they looking forward to this year? "The festivals this summer and our album obviously, which will be out slap bang in the middle so hopefully people will know our stuff by that point." And with the new single 'Alarm Clock' already humming its way through our heads it would be hard not to.
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