Interview By John Cooper
LUM: Hi guys – thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for Listen Up Manchester. Your new album “Wild Light” is finished & due out next month, did it take you long to record?
65DOS: It took us 15 days to record, then another 10 days somewhere else to mix. It took us the two years before that to write it though.
LUM: Being around for over 10 years now and on your fifth studio album (6th if you include the Silent Running soundtrack), do you find the whole writing & recording process gets any easier as time goes on?
65DOS: Nope. It gets harder. The more records we write, the more we understand why a lot of bands work hard at getting really good at one particular sound or style, and then stick on that, refining it with each pass. At the same time, the more we understand that approach, the harder we work to avoid following it ourselves.
We just keep pushing ourselves into new spaces where we don't know what we're doing. Each time it seems to get a bit more claustrophobic.
Writing Wild Light was a lot like riding a ghost train that breaks down half way through.
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LUM: What words would you use to sum up the sound and feel of Wild Light? & how does it differ from your previous work?
65DOS: I'd use the words 'Wild Light', probably. I like to think that it's more focussed and relatively stripped down compared to other 65 records. Hopefully we didn't lose any urgency in the process of making it that way.
LUM: It’s a good album title “Wild Light”, does that refer to anything in particular or did it just sound good? With most of your music being instrumental do you find it hard coming up with titles for your albums and songs?
65DOS: Thanks. Wild Light is starting to mean a few different things to each of us, but for me personally, it's a useful description of all those shapes in your head that there aren't any words for.
When writing a song, that initial, brilliant spark of an idea in your head is so incredibly exciting. But the second you catch it and try and turn it into something outside your head, you start diluting it with instrumentation or arrangements. It's never as powerful as you think it ought to be. It's the same with anything, right? Words and conversations are useless at explaining those shapes, unless you're really good at talking or writing. I'm certainly not. Making big noise works better for me, but it's never a totally accurate representation.
Anyway. With this record we took the view that you can't ever properly replicate those ideas; that's the wild light in your head. It's a singular, indivisible thing. The best you can do is try to fashion windows through which you might be able to give people clues to what the idea looks like, allow them to glimpse parts of it, from time to time.
LUM: Speaking of names – there seems to be a lot of ambiguity about the origins of your name 65DaysOfStatic – care to give any insight into how it came about?
65DOS: No thanks.
LUM: You’re off on tour soon and will be playing here in Manchester – what are your previous experiences of playing in Manchester? And are you looking forward to returning?
65DOS: I love Manchester. The band are based in Sheffield, but I am from Manchester. The crowds are great. I'm biased, I think, but it's a really exciting city. There's a lot going on, a lot of artists, a lot of protests. These two things are going to be increasingly important going forward. The second more than the first, probably.
LUM: You’ll be off all over Europe after your UK dates – do you find the audiences differ much from country to country? Is there anywhere you are particularly looking forward to playing/visiting?
65DOS: They do differ from country to country but then they also differ from show to show in the same country. Even show to show in the same city. We don't spend much time categorising them.
That said, irresponsible as it might be, I have to admit I'm looking forward to getting off this island for a while, primarily to slow down the torrents of news that hits my eyes every morning about how the government has invented yet another way to increase the speed at which they are dismantling this country.
LUM: You are renowned as being a great live act – but what’s the worst gig you have ever played & where was it?
65DOS: The worst gigs are nothing to do with where they were played and everything to do with us. Or our battered and broken equipment letting us down. Fortunately, I have locked the worst memories in that black hole in the back of my head. I can only see them in dreams and right now I am awake.
LUM: Who’s been the most exciting band/artist you have met, toured with or played with since you guys started out?
65DOS: I really like hanging out with the other three guys in my band. They're exciting. Also The Cure are pretty great.
LUM: We hope the tour goes well and the album is a success – we will certainly be looking forward to seeing you here in sunny Manchester!
65DOS: Thanks a lot! Looking forward to it, although I think we both know that it's not going to be in any way sunny.
The album Wild Light is out on the 16th September and the band play Manchester's Sound Control on the 23rd September - make sure you go check them out if you can!!!