Erik: Everyone from America always says that English food is...-sort of the stereotype I guess you’d say- is that English food is really bad. So I was wondering what you thought the grossest thing was about AMERICAN cooking?

Rachel: Just constant use of sugar and salt all the time. Just loads and loads of additives –and you can’t get any bread without any dairy products, because we’re vegan.

Marc: Yhat’s the worst thing for me. A lot of the time we’re fed by people, or we’re taken to really cool vegan or vegetarian restaurants, but when we’re not we have to find stuff in supermarkets, and its like there’s a list of additives that goes half-way down the packet! Which even in Britain you don’t get. Its really strange.

Pete: Bread. I think that’s the worst thing, is the bread. Its just REALLY BAD here (in the United States)! Its really hard to get good bread.

Rachel: I used to be a baker, so we’re very used to having good bread. I used to bake wholefood bread.

I don’t think there’s much wholefoods. A lot of it is really refined. I mean, you can get it, but you have to…

Marc: Even the supermarket bread in Britain doesn’t have anywhere near as many additives. So bread over here tastes really, like… you can taste all the stuff their putting in it –like the honey, or just stuff that’s being put in to sweeten it. Its not what we’re used to, basically.

Rachel: Yeah, we’re used to things tasting of what they taste of, rather than of salt or sugar. Which is why Americans say that English food is really bland, because it actually tastes of the vegetables, or whatever.

Pete: English food is subtle.

(Everyone laughs.)

Marc: Not bland, subtle.

Erik: So… kind of bouncing-off of that, what’s been your impression of the ‘States on this tour?

Rachel: Well, I much prefer the States this year. Last year I just had so much intense culture shock that I couldn’t really deal with the whole thing. But this year I’m finding it… like trying to not be so freaked-out by like the whole way that everything’s really geared to like cosumerism, and car driving, and invidual ownership and stuff. And being able to see the good things in that, in that its really possible for you to do stuff like build things cheaply, and stuff. Like, things are so geared-to consumer choice, you can do things really cheaply in America. Whereas in Britain, things are so much more expensive, its really difficult.

Like one thing that continually blows my mind about America is that there’s so many trees everywhere! Like, in Britain there just isn’t. Its just really amazing. And I’ve met a lot of cool people.

Marc: I’m noticing there’s a lot more… I feel this trip –as opposed to last trip- more like when I’m talking to people they aren’t really listening to what I’m saying. I think its just, especially within the last couple of days I’ve really noticed it, they’re either listening to my British accent, or they just don’t leave me a gap to sort of respond. Like someone will ask me a question, and I’m kind of still thinking about it, and they’ll move on to the next thing.

Rachel: I feel partly that its like American people are much more enthusiastic about things. Like, they’ll come up to you after a show, and its just like "Wow! You were great! Blah-blah-blah-blah…" –and they just don’t give you a chance to say "Wow! Thanks!", or anything. They just REALLY GO FOR IT, telling you how great you are. Which is amazing, ‘cause we don’t get that in Britain at all!

Pete: Everyone thinks we’re shit in Britain.

Rachel: Not everyone thinks we’re shit, it’s just people just don’t go on about it.

Pete: I mean, when I came here last year, I had loads of preconceptions about the United States based on all the things I hated about the country. You know, the obvious capitalist things. And most of those preconceptions were lived-up to by the mainstream, but I was very surprised by the underground scene here. And really excited by this, that there was a reasonably radical –and VERY RADICAL in some places- underground music scene. I was really pleased by that.

But this time ‘round, I’m more inclined to be critical, just ‘cause it’s not a surprise to me anymore. But I’m still really enjoying myself, and I’m still blown-away by some of the stuff people are doing. Stuff like people doing Books to Prisoners, and stuff like that. A lot of people around the world wouldn’t believe that American youth would get off its ass to do something like that. Because the image that we get through the media is just a bunch of stupid people who sit around on beaches all day…

Rachel: …Or watching telly.

Marc: We’ve met a lot of cool people. That’s good. I mean, we met a lot of cool people last year, and the same this year. You know, people that are putting on shows in small towns, or whatever. People that are doing stuff. People that are kind of mixing the music and politics thing as well. And that are appreciative of what we’re doing, and are ENGAGING with the content, as well as the form. –Cause we do get people that I feel that kind of get-off on the sound of the music rather than what we’re saying. I mean, both things are important to us, but sometimes I feel like we’re just some sort of STYLE ACCESSORY, or people like such-and-such a band; they like early 80’s Rough Trade stuff, or British punk, and they think that we’re just about sounding like that.

And I’ve noticed on this tour, that there are a lot more -I dunno, maybe it was the same on the last tour, and I’m only noticing it this time- but you get the odd kind of HIPSTER NAME-DROPPING PERSON and that really weirds me out! Because I’m not interested in gossiping about bands, or what haircut people have –I couldn’t give a fuck about that, you know? Or what clothes they wear, its of no interest to me what-so-ever. I’m too fucking old to care about that shit, you know?

So, it is weird,‘cause we’re more popular this year. And there’s more hype around us. More people are kind of checking-us-out. I think we’ll probably get more of those sort of people. I dunno… You just get the feeling they want something out of you. I’m not sure what it is. They want to be associated with you in some way. Rather than just, you know, just responding to you as a PERSON. I dunno. I’m quite sensitive to that –how people react. But still, the majority of its been really, really cool.

And yeah, like Rachel (said), the scenery here is AMAZING! Just trees going on to the horizon is just an amazing sight for a British person. We don’t have forests of that size.

Erik: You're from Newcastle, right?

Everyone:Yeah.

Erik: What's your favorite thing about the city of Newcastle?

Rachel: What I really like about Newcastle is that its a really long way away from the London music business. Like we can just create music there and not be bothered about, like, getting coverage in the mainstream press and what-not, because it seems so far away, and it seems so ridiculous and so not a part of our lives. And a lot British bands do get really bothered by that sort of stuff, and so they tailor their music to that. But we...we're not bothered about it at all, and partly its because we're so far away.

And another thing that I really like about Newcastle is just that I've lived there for like eight years, and I feel really part of a community of people, like a musical community, but also a kind of radical community. Like, just before we went away, there was a Reclaim the Streets in Newcastle. And it wasn't like HUGE, there was like 200, maybe 300 people there, but it was really amazing for ME, to be reclaiming the street and dancing in the street and holding it for like three and a half hours. On a street that I'm normally really scared of crossing 'cause its full of cars and stuff.

Pete: On a street that's really near to the banks, as well. And it was just in the middle of the road down the street, and the cops couldn't do anything, so they were just standing around the edge. And they did go in and punch a few people, and stuff like that. But basically, there were only three people arrested, it was just a really successful demonstration. It was really good.

I really like living Newcastle for all the same reasons as Rachel, but I also just like the people.

Rachel: The people are really warm, in general. Like if you're relaxed and not up-tight around them, they're really cool, and treat you as if you're a person. Whereas, its like, the times I've been to London, people are just trying to out-cool each other and stuff.

Pete: Its probably a bit different for Marc 'cause he's from around there, but Rachel and I are not natives, we just went there because it seemed like an interesting place to go, because it doesn't have any strong popular cultural history. I mean, like The Animals, and Dire Straights and Sting about the only bands that's come out of there...

Rachel: Venom! (laughs)

Pete: ...Venom. But no punk bands of note, really, at all.

Rachel: What about Penetration?

Pete: Well, Penetration...

Marc: Fugazi's favorite British band.

Rachel: See, what I think what there is a tradition of strong bands, like, determined bands coming out of there. And in some ways that kinda sorts-out the shit bands. Because its not really a big scene, and you have to totally be self-reliant. So you do learn to focus on what's important, rather than the being cool aspects of being a band, I think. Like there's a really strong tradition of bands that give a really good performance, and like, really live for the moment, stuff like that.

Marc: Its not like we're part of a scene of similar bands. The people that we associate with are from more kinds of different scenes, like, avant garge noise, or techno...just quite diverse. There's not a whole bunch of Red Monkey-sounding bands in Newcastle, or in Britain as a whole. So we have friends who are, like, crusty punks, or hardcore people. You know? Its a real mixture. Its quite good.

Erik: Something I was going to ask you about...you probably get pegged a lot with that early 80's sound that you mentioned. But just listening...I got introduced to you guys with that compilation record, "Taking a Chance on Chances". And all those bands were just so different from one-another in so many ways... and I'm wondering if you guys sought that out, that sort of eclecticism...

Marc: That's definitely what we're into. You know? DIVERSITY of underground culture. 'Cause otherwise it just becomes a stifling ghetto. It just scares people off if its not diverse musically and stylistically.

Rachel: Well its like I think, for example, with Red Monkey a lot of our lyrics and stuff deal with radical things, but I think radical-sounding music comes out of radical ideas as well. I think the whole thing is together. If you're constantly challenging yourself and you're brave, and that have people around you that are asking questions of you, then no matter what level that's on, that's going to spill-over into other levels of your life. I think its very likely to happen. Especially for us being the type where we've all been into a lot of music, and have learned a lot from being in various scenes and what-have-you. And I think radical music does stimulate a more liberal way of thinking about things. Like for example, the "Taking A Chance on Chances" Compilation, I think that's totally about people that are interested in doing something that's vital to themselves and not interested in doing something just trying to fit into a scene. And I think that they just generally ask questions about themselves and what they're doing and stuff. Then that just spills-over into your life in-general.

Fanzine cover featuring artwork by Rachel

Pete: The thing in Britain is such a...The whole Brit Pop thing in the 90s created really a bogus idea of the British tradition of "classic" songwriting. And in the last few years its just been -to me- no British bands have been interesting to me at all, really. I would say in the last two years, i can't remember hearing any British band that impressed me remotely. Probably the closest would be something like Bob Tilton or Baby Harp Seal...

Rachel: Sozer...(??? - Ed.)

Pete: Sozer, they're from Bristol. There's the odd good band, and usually they're just completely unknown anyway. But in terms of the Melody Maker or NME scene -the so-called "indie" scene, which is all owned by major labels anyway- its just incredibly...you can't imagine how dull it is! Let's see, there's this band that's getting hyped at the moment: Gay Dad. And they're getting really hyped-up by all the press, including the newspapers. And they're just SHIT BEYOND BELIEF, you know?

Rachel: Well, part of the thing with them is that their singer used to be a music journalist. So its really easy for him to control the whole hype thing.

Pete: Its a small garden shed, basically - Britain. So for those kind of media wankers like him its very easy to just pull a few strings. But it doesn't wash with the public. I'm sure Gay Dad will be completely forgotten in a year-and-a-half, but its just kind of...The British music scene, especially the London music scene... again, that's why we live 300 miles north of there, so we can just get-on with our own thing, and not worry about all that.

Erik: So how did the band hook-up with Troubleman? Did you know him (Mike) from before?

Rachel: Mike heard this band me and Pete were in before, called Pussycat Trash, and he said he wanted to put something out by us, but we split-up. And then the next band that we did split-up. And the band after that was Red Monkey. And we sent him a tape and he was still into it, so he still wanted to do stuff with us. Which was really cool, 'cause -having learned from a lot of mistakes from bands that we'd been in before- we really wanted to GO for this band as far as like touring and stuff. And having stuff on Troubleman meant that we could tour, particularly America. Which is something we had always wanted to do.

Pete: We've built-up a really good relationship with Mike

Rachel: He's our Dad.

Pete: We really trust him, and he's done loads for us. Its a good reciprocal relationship.

Marc: And he's very enthusiastic about the band. Very supportive. And also he has...I mean, its good for Pete and Rachel to sort of sit back, and not worry about releasing stuff through their label. You know, Mike can kind of take care of that himself, like with this new album (Different is Easy). So we just concentrate on the music and touring and stuff like that. And Mike can sort-out the record distribution side of things.

ERIK: The impression that I've gotten is that there's a lot more older people who seem to be involved in the whole DIY scene over in England. I don't know if that's true, but...

Rachel: I think that the Reclaim the Streets and This Land is Ours! thing is a lot bigger in Britain.

Pete: Those movements that are termed DIY in the U.K. -DIY doesn't just apply to music. There's a whole DIY political scene.

Rachel: Is that what you meant?

Erik: Yeah, the whole thing, really.

Rachel: I dunno, I think there are political things going on in America, but I think the thing with America is its so...its such a big country, that its like groups of people that are like doing things, and its quite spread-out across the country. Like there were attempts to Reclaim the Streets in New York on June 18th. I mean, there is stuff going on, like Seattle seems to be, like Portland and the West Coast seems to be quite a lot of political stuff going on. Washington D.C.

Pete: Seems like a lot of environmental activism and stuff over there. But, I mean, its pretty amazing to me there was only like 250 people at the New York Reclaim the Streets, whereas there was like five or zix THOUSAND at the one in London on the same day. So in that sense, its bigger.

I dunno! For a band to tour the U.K. -for a DIY band to tour the U.K. is quite hard. And in that sense the American scene is bigger and stronger. You can pull-in more people here.

Marc: As regards to music. The underground music scene.

Pete: And its easier to do a DIY record label here because there's more disposable income around. People buy more records. Its cheaper to buy records. Its cheaper to make records. Its cheaper to ship records around. There's better distribution.

Rachel: DIY is just easier in America. But there's also a lot of real big co-ops here. Like health food co-ops. Stuff like that. Which you don't much get in Britain.

Pete: There's good and bad on both sides.

Rachel: Yeah, TOTALLY. And also, I think we get a more distorted view of America because of all the political people who come to our gigs.

Pete: We tend to meet a lot of radicals, but I don't know whether we really get a realistic picture of the whole country.

Marc: Its mostly punk people that we meet, obviously, because of the nature of what we're doing. And so most of the people we meet are cool.

Erik: The last thing i was going to ask about is your zine that you do...

Rachel: Fast Connection?

Erik: Yeah. And like, what sort of stuff inspired you to do the zine?

Rachel: I've been doing zines since I was 17, which is 10 years now. Just thinking what inspired me.. I used to get to get happy Sarah Records zines, which were like personal, and some kind of analysis of what's going on in the music business and stuff like that. But I don't think I'd really seen many zines before I started. It was just totally like I just have to do it! kind of thing.

What inspired you to do zines, Pete? I know what did: New England.

Pete: When I was like 16, I walked into a record shop in Kent. There was this fanzine that was just from the same area of Kent where I grew up. I grew up in a village with a population of maybe three or four hundred. It was a really small place, you know? And I went to town to look at the record shop and I came across this fanzine and it really opened up a whole world for me.