In mid-March British rockers Palma Violets made their return to New York to play some songs from their new album Danger In The Club. I caught their rowdy sold out performance at Baby’s All Right on March 18, a show that literally saw parts of the soundproofing on the ceiling fall on top of the crowd.
Before the show, I met up with Palma Violets bassist and singer Chilli Jesson, along with the bands merch guy and unofficial 5th member, Harry Violent (he introduces the band before every show), backstage to talk about their new album, their return to America, and expectations from their fans and themselves.
Last week Danger In The Club was released via Rough Trade Records, and the band is back in New York for a performance at Bowery Ballroom tonight (tickets available here) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday night (tickets here).
Find our entire conversation prior to the Baby’s show posted below:
——————————————————–
Will: I saw photos from the Shea Stadium show over the weekend, it looked pretty wild. How did it compare to your first show there in 2013?
Chilli Jesson: Shea was mental!
Harry Violent: It was kind of similar, I don’t know if its because we associate Shea so much with our first time here
C: I feel like it was a good reinstatement of ourselves. It felt good to be back.
W: When you last toured you were playing some pretty large festivals and shows, how does it feel to be playing smaller gigs again?
C: Back to the roots, gotta build it up from the bottom.
W: How do American crowds differ from those back at home?
C: I like them a lot. I think people are very receptive and very appreciative of you coming over. You get that feeling. I’m glad they even care.
H: The people seem better exposed to real music as well.
W: A lot of British bands come over here with a lot of buzz and expectations and don’t live up to it or crumble under the pressure. But you guys proved yourself right away.
C: We broke through the fucking door (laughs). No, we didn’t know what would happen. We just do what we know and play.
H: Try to play shows you want to play.
W: Was breaking through here something you guys had on your mind?
H: I think the rest of the world tries to make you worry more.
C: Yeah we never really worried. As long as you do what you do, you’ll be alright. You know, expectations are boring
W: You guys had a lot of expectations with your debut, and now you’re about to release your sophomore album, Danger In The Club. The second album is always tough, was that something that played on your mind?
C: No, that was all taken off our shoulders from our label. The hardest part was probably you know, getting back to the roots. Sitting together, writing together, me and Sam have been working it all out. We had to write songs songs. Once we got through that and we had the first one, we haven’t stopped.
H: We spent so much time touring, it was tough to get to write.
W: With the new record, did you feel like you had anything to prove to anyone else, or even yourselves?
C: Mainly ourselves and our friends.
H: The Guardian… (laughs)
C: (laughing) No we did it for ourselves and our mates, and our manager Milo.
W: Heading into the studio did you have an idea or plan of where you were headed with your direction?
C: No, everything’s on instinct, very primal. I don’t think we’re clever enough to be honest.
W: This time around you worked with producer John Leckie instead of Steve Mackey. How was working with the same guy who produced The Stone Roses debut?
C: Yeah, The Stone Roses! He’s done The Fall, Syd Barrett. He’s a genius. The main reason is, he’s British and he’s got rock and roll instincts. I think that bleeds over into his production. He knows about rock and roll. And he hasn’t produced a rock and roll band in like ten years, so he really wanted to reinstate himself. So when you got that kind of force, and not just you, and not a sausage-making indie fucking shit you get with these producers that charge you millions of pounds. He was hungry, even at the age that he is.
W: Did you guys reach out him or did he come to you?
C: Geoff and Jeanette (who run Rough Trade Records), called him up and said do you want to do it, and he came down and agreed.
W: How was it working with him in comparison to the first album?
C: Oh it was completely different. You know, the first one was capturing the moment at the time. This one was more thought through. Even the order of the songs, took us weeks.
W: Was it more of a studio album?
C: No, it’s still a very live record. I mean it’s the closest we can get (to a studio record).
W: You guys always want to go in with that approach, it makes it easier to play songs live right?
C: Absolutely. But to be honest with you, I don’t think we could do it any other way. It makes it all the more enjoyable. When we write songs, we’re always thinking about the live aspect. Live first.
W: What influenced you on this new record?
C: Pre-punk mostly. Pub rock. Supposedly it’s not cool to do pub rock I was told.
W: As an outsider, I always find it interesting to see the way NME will champion a band and sort of help them breakthrough. We don’t really have that here, aside from Pitchfork, but it’s more a of a niche audience. As a band who experienced this, what’s it like to go through that process?
C: We take it all in stride. I’m personally very grateful for the NME. It’s a mouthpiece for us.
H: For the people as well. America, you can go on the radio and here some leftfield music. But at home, there’s nothing, so little exposure of it for the kids. So in that sense, it’s really good.
C: It’s really important. We’re very grateful.
W: As a band that’s playing new songs for the first time live, how do you find a balance on how many new songs to play versus old favorites?
C: Yeah. I’m quite confused by it myself. I just play what I feel and see what happens. I know what it’s like to be a music fan, and to sit there in a room with loads of new songs without the record being out. I understand what it’s like on the other side of the table. I do think about that.
W: When the band first started, did you ever envision yourself in this position only a few years later?
C + H: Noooo
H: That’s why we like Shea Stadium so much. The first time we flew in, we went out on the rooftop and we’re in disbelief. It was a culmination of everything.
C: It still looks the same! It’s strange. You think you’ll come back and it will be different. But I’ve came back with a lot of my own issues, and I still feel the same about New York.
W: How important is legacy to the band?
C: I think a lot about legacy. That’s why we turn down a lot of things, a lot of interviews (laughs). No, I do. I think that’s all we are. Legacy is really important.
W: You guys got two sold out shows when you return, that’s great.
C: Yeah I know! It’s great. We’ve been off the radar a while. I’m grateful. It’s hard to wait.
W: What’s your favorite song off the new album?
C: Oh, they’re all my favorites. I don’t have one yet. It’s too early and forever changes.
W: I really like “English Tongue.” Can you talk about its recording process?
C: That was like a demo basically. We just recorded a single version that sounds great. Very different. That will be out, and it might be the first one coming out.
W: How many songs did you guys record, and how much got left off and what plans do you have for them?
C: We recorded so much, we left a bunch off. There’s loads of b-sides. We got this deluxe edition of the record coming out, and all these songs were contenders for the record. If I could, it would have been a double record. So we got the deluxe album with four or five songs that could have been on it. It’s quite weird, but there are loads of songs on it.
W: How tough is it to choose what songs make the final cut?
C: On this side, it’s tough. It’s so thought through, every song we really wanted to record. It’s hard. I don’t even want to go back there. I’m just going to write ten next time (laughs).
W: Did you have the same situation with the debut.
C: Nooooo (laughs)
H: That’s all we had!
W: Finally are you guys ready for SXSW?
C: I think I’m ready, I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a slog.
Join the conversation