Interview: Hot Chip

Over the course of three albums rammed full of delirious grooves, beats, funk, and electronica, with an unashamed pop side and clever wordplay, Hot Chip have grown to be one of the UK's most original bands. Their second album The Warning was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, whilst top ten single Ready For The Floor saw them up for a Grammy Award. They have just released their new album One Life Stand and are about to embark on a hectic UK tour. However, their keyboard player, guitarist and percussion man Owen Clarke still managed to squeeze in time to have a chat with us.

Hello Owen, how are you?
I'm good thank you. I've been at the record label this afternoon. I had rehearsals this morning at 10:30am. This week the band have been going through stuff we haven't done in a while. Last week we rehearsed the new stuff for the tour.

Your new album has just come out. How would you say the band has evolved since your debut Coming On Strong?
I was struck recently by the first record. I was in a pub, and the song Playboy from that album came on the jukebox, and it took me by surprise when I heard it and how good it still sounded. We've spent such a long time working on the latest record, so I've had these new songs in my head for ages. To hear the older song and put it along the new stuff made me feel proud to hear them together as it still held up. The first record seemed so excitable in comparison though. I feel that the evolution of the band has been a natural one, we have never exploded or made a giant leap ahead. It's been a gradual process.

How does the songwriting work in the band?
The band started with Alexis (Taylor) and Joe (Goddard) and they started to grow and move in a more electronic direction. Due to this they needed people to play the growing number of instruments, so the band fell in to place because of that. Those two are the main songwriters in the band. It was really on our second album, The Warning, where the songwriting started to evolve a little bit more. Alexis and Jo still brought in the songs, but the rest of the band were incorporated more in to it. On Made In The Dark the band did do some songs together, but that approach didn't work this time around. On One Life Stand Alexis and Joe brought in their demos, which were in various stages, either coherent songs or just ideas. Then the production brought things together.

When the band is in the studio, how are the songs recorded and put together then?
It depends. Some songs are already fully formed by the time we get to the studio and other times the band will work on the arrangements. We set-up banks of keyboards and stations and feed in rhythms and some songs end up playing themselves. Other times, certain songs have to go through various versions. For instance on the new album there is a track called Slush. It ended up being a very simple and elemental song, quite stripped back. But getting there was very difficult. We did about thirty versions of that song before we got to the point where we were happy with it. It's a bit like a farming process, you develop strands and work on them until you get one you are happy with and cultivate that.

How do you go about recreating your music live?
This time around I think that we have produced a very succinct pop record. Things are very stripped back this time as opposed to lots of things going on, which we have had in the past. This means that we have to play less on stage, which is turning in to a bit of a challenge. For the last record we toured for two years and by the end of it, it was so full on and full of energy due to the momentum that we had built up. We don't have that this time around. Due to the new album we are much more dynamic and elemental, so we need to find that energy straight away.

The venues you play are getting bigger. Does this affect the way you approach playing live?
Well, the first gig that the band ever did was a strange one. It was at the Union Chapel supporting SMOG and it was rubbish. We had all these strange organs, various Casio keyboards, drum machines, and guitars and the venue made us sound bad. It was an old church so it was full of reverb, like when you talk in a church the sound bounces around - it was just like that. When you play in larger venues sometimes that sound can still suffer. But because the room is full of people there is a joining of energy. I know that sounds hippyish. You are providing something for people who want it and want a good time, so the room is full of energy and that makes a big difference. I guess it is like a modern day church, but with everyone dancing.

Do you have any fond memories are playing Nottingham previously? I saw you play at the Rescue Rooms in 2006.
Is that the place next door to Stealth and Rock City? I know that people always say this, but I mean it; I always like visiting Nottingham, I get a good feeling when I am there. Who is the curly haired one from Squeeze? Chris Difford? Anyway, he was playing a gig every day or something travelling around in a caravan. He had been playing earlier in the day, so we got to meet him - that was cool. I also remember that when we were unloading we have the massive electric piano that we had to take in to the Rescue Rooms, it was super heavy. We were all struggling to carry it. Then this massive guy with a ginger pony tail came out of the Rescue Rooms. I swear that he was about seven feet. He said “I've got this one” and carried it in all on his own. The Rescue Rooms giant!

There was a misunderstanding that Ready For The Floor had been written for Kylie Minogue, but she rejected it. If you had the opportunity to write a song for one act, who would it be and why?
This is a tough one. It's hard to think of one person. It would have to be someone who has songs written for them. I know he writes his own songs, but to write with David Byrne would be fun. I saw this video on YouTube where he performed Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and to see someone like him do that song was great. Alternatively writing a pop song for Tom Waits would be interesting.

Do you have any final words for the LeftLion readers?
I'm not fond of final words. I would like to say that the band really do enjoy Nottingham - the crowds always seem so excitable. It seems to be a city where people love to go out and have a great time. The gig is the day after Valentines Day. Maybe you could take a date along and break-up during the show. Then make-up afterwards... that's always the fun part.

Hot Chip play at Rock City on Monday 15 February. 'One Life Stand' is out now on EMI. 

Hot Chip website