Nine Volt Heart recently released their album The Miracle Kids. We caught up with the four-piece for a chat.
Thanks for the interview – could you introduce yourself and tell me a bit about the band?
Ed: I’m Ed and I play bass. Nine Volt Heart is a Bradford based punk rock band.
Mikey: I’m Mikey and I sing and play guitar in Nine Volt Heart.
Alex: Hey I’m Alex and I provide all the funky beats in the band, well maybe not funky but I’m the drummer.
Paul: I’m Paul, I play guitar.
You recently released your new album The Miracle Kids – could you tell me a little about the writing and recording process?
Mikey: The record was written over the course of about 2 years. We had a few songs kicking about and wanted to do another EP, but then after Paul joined the band, we decided to attempt to self record a full length. Most of the songs were written as they were recorded/demoed. I was really into my production work when I was writing so every riff or vocal idea or whatever got dumped into logic and then messed with, and that’s kinda how a lot of the instrumentals of songs were born. Lyrically they’re all part of stories or concepts that run in and out of each other in this post-apocalyptic context in which the album is set. In terms of recording it’s a bedroom recorded album; I guess that’s why it took so long because I was writing these songs and then producing them myself, and those are two roles that I found would frequently come to odds.
Were there any tracks that were more of a challenge to complete?
Mikey: The Poison Race, Teenage Fantasy and The 45_slow took absolutely ages to get to a stage where we were happy with them. Very Much Alive, too. That was the first song we wrote for this record and it was one of the last ones to get finish.
Ed: We had the album pretty much all demoed and written and ready to go for, and then decided to slap this massive, ridiculous 3/4 waltz section on the end of Very Much Alive. That song got messed with absolutely tons.
Are there any interesting tales from the studio?
Alex: The studio was Mikey’s bedroom so I’m sure there were plenty of surprises along the way. If you know what I mean.
Do you have any touring plans?
Mikey: I think we’d love to, but certain members still being in high school’d really get in the way. It’s summer now though, so maybe we could cook somethin up…
Is there anywhere in particular that you’d like to play that you haven’t visited yet?
Alex: I know it’s a long shot but I’d really like to play the Leeds O2 academy.
Ed: That would most likely be playing outside of Yorkshire at some point.
Mikey: Yeah, what Ed said. It’d be solid to get out of Yorkshire for some shows.
What would you say the best show you’ve ever played has been?
Alex: Definitely the album release show at Leeds Cockpit.
Ed: That would have to be our album release show at the Leeds Cockpit, it’s always been an ambition to play there so it really was great to do it.
Paul: The best show we ever did was playing the Cockpit to release the new album. It was pretty packed and was a great atmosphere there. It’s a great venue, and I think everybody had a great night there.
Mikey: I think we’re all agreed it was the Cockpit show in April. it was a sweet crowd and a great night.
If you could choose an animal to represent the band, what would it be?
Alex: Probably a Honey Badger, those things are badass.
Ed: It would probably be a terrier dog, seeing as whenever we play live it always tends to be raw, theatrical and crazy (a lot like a terrier dog).
Paul: I think we’d be a lion, since we’re courageous with music, and also I think our songs are pretty strong, like a lion.
Mikey: Like Alex said, but I think if we were an animal we’d be a honey badger, except with serious anger management issues.
And if Nine Volt Heart could put their name to a product, what would you choose?
Alex: Maybe like popping candy chocolate spread, the popping candy would be the “Nine Volt” surprise.
Ed: That would probably have to be Relentless or some other form of energy drink, for the same reason as the last question, to fuel ourselves at gigs.
Paul: It’d have to be doughnuts, since we eat them pretty much every practise, and everybody loves doughnuts.
Mikey: Tabasco would be killer.
