West Nile Records
Catcher
Bi Polar Bear Disorder?
That was recorded with Geoff Allan at Cava we reckon it’s the best thing that we’ve ever done. We had a great time in the studio
A lot of thought went into the album and although the songs were already written different parts and melodies came together in the studio.
Geoff Allan is a great guy to work with and makes suggestions like the use of two snares played live. He also puts you through your paces with the vocals and guitar parts which is what Catcher need.
The title track of the album Bi polar bear disorder is lighter in feel than previous Catcher work
Well in the past there have been songs on previous albums using acoustic guitars but they have never been the dominant sound
We felt that it was right for the song.
A bit of a contrast to the last two songs New Years resolution and Radio waves
Yep you can’t really escape the Catcher tendency to try more left field stuff.Its the way the album builds that I really like.
Incidentally those are real satellite sounds in the back ground of Radiowaves
XFM played rock n roll revolutionaries
Yep and that really is a true story. A friend of mines mum really did have her shoes stepped on by Eddie Cochrane. She loves the song too.
What is your favourite track
I like A Tangled web but the BBC Radio Scotland seems to like Reach for the sun. Conclusive proof that you should never judge your own material.
Why Walkabout Classic?
Part vanity but mainly because the baby monitor by my bed is called a Walkabout Classic!
Kenny Beggs has rejoined the band
Yeah that was a bonus. He stood in for us at Barrowlands and it went down really well so he suggested coming back and we thought that was a good idea. It also means that we can mix up some old stuff with some new and he knows exactly how Catcher work. He did some great work in the studio as did Alan Small and Hamish.
Are you suing The View over their blatant rip off of the Different city riff on Superstar Tradesman?
West Nile records are not taking any Legal action against the View regarding the similarities between the 2004 “Catcher” Release Different City and Superstar Tradesman. Rather than sending sympathetic emails to West Nile records we suggest that you go to www.myspace.com/catcherglasgowindieband and listen for yourselves. We will also be putting out the whole Different City ep as bonus tracks on the forthcoming Catcher album “Bi polar bear disorder.” there is always room for a great riff out there
The West Nile Virus
What is the West Nile virus?
It’s like malaria and is spread by mosquito’s .Recently it’s spread to the USA.
So is the album a medical thesis?
Er not really no, although it does contain a bit of bite! There’s a picture of a mosquito on the front cover
What is it about?
It’s not about any one thing. Different songs cover different subjects.
It’s pretty much the current live set laid down live with minimal overdubs.
We played a lot of really good tight gigs last year and decided as a band that it would be good to put down the songs in that way. I think we succeeded in doing that, which was down to the performance of the musicians and Robin Rankin’s engineering skills.
Was this the last ever Cd recorded at Studio 1 at Cava studios?
Its probably one of the last although I don’t know if it was the very last because there were other sessions after us. However when I dropped in a couple of copies of the album the entrance to Studio 1 had been bricked up. The studio has been knocked down to become flats now. Maybe they’ll put up a blue plaque.
You are known for working pretty quickly
We recorded it in a day and mixed it in two which even by our standards is good going.
We didn’t want to produce the life out of the songs but at the same time we wanted them to sound tight and polished.
What’s the best track?
I think there are several .Its interesting that XFM Scotland played “Don’t ever stop, Different City, Rapal played “Ritual in the Dark” and made it album of the week.
What about “White riot”
We got asked to do the Joe Strummer Tribute night at Tuts and I only had an old Clash Songbook that had most of the stuff on the first Clash album. It went down well at the gig and we used to play it at rehearsals. Then we had a bit of time left in the studio and so we just battered it down in one take. I reckon it’s a pretty good version.You should hear our version of Janie Jones too it’s miles better than that Pete Doherty one.
You supported Spear of Destiny at King Tuts how was that?
It was a really great night .They were nice people as well. It made a change to be the youngest on the bill! I’m always a bit dubious about meeting people whose records you admire it can turn out really badly. But on this occasion it was really good.
And Paulo Nutini?
He was 17 at the time. He was pretty nervous but a nice guy. Our careers have of course gone different ways since then!
You hold the record for playing king tuts with 35 appearances how did that all begin?
Well King Tut lived by the Nile didn’t he! We were made for each other.
Actually I just wrote to Geoff Ellis and said if they get a cancellation we’ll do it at short notice. Then about 3 days later he phoned up and said “Sheep on Drugs” have cancelled do you want to play on Saturday night? We ended up headlining with Bis as support.
Since that time we’ve done everything from a first on the bill Monday night to sell out supports with touring bands .I still get a great buzz out of playing there ,so do the other members of the band. We’ve done some good supports with Shack, Spear of Destiny, and Jim Bob from Carter USM at Tuts
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