Male Bonding interview
For every action there is a reaction. For every evolving scene there is, somewhere in the world, an opposite scene evolving. It's yin yang theory, right? Everything needs to be balanced. So it's no surprise that as festivals swell and mega-bands take to giant pyrotechnic stages, pockets of resistance are forming.
In Dalston, East London, a record label and promoter called Upset The Rhythm is pioneering a more democratic gig experience from the bottom-up. And veterans of the scene Male Bonding are a band who totally embody their fun-for-all ethos. Even their name, literally referring to dudes hanging out, points to shared experience. They are joining forces with bands like Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls and Pens to form a lattice of horizontal inspiration.
Now set to release their new album Nothing Hurts, HUCK caught up with the band's drummer Robin Silas Christian to find out more.
HUCK: Can you tell me a bit about how you formed the band?
Robin: We were all working in a second hand record shop called Reckless, on Upper Street [in Islington, North London]. It’s not there any more. We just kept bumping into each other at punk rock shows and shows that Upset The Rhythm put on... I was in a band called Bullet Union, which was kind of like a hardcore band and John and Kevin were in a band called Pre. Those bands were kind of much nosier than what we do now.
Why did those bands finish?
Ah, they just kind of had a life span. Bullet Union broke up before Pre. I don’t know. I guess it was just more fun doing this. We’ve always been into pop music. It’s just that we’d never really done anything really melodic before. We actually ended up living together as well so it kind of was inevitable that we’d try making music together. But we had no idea if it would work.
So you'd call Male Bonding pop music?
Yeah, totally. I mean, we don’t think that we’re a punk band. It’s our attempt at pop music anyway. Honestly, our goal as a band was to make something that was really fun to do. So we didn’t think about what it was going to sound like. But we did sort of make up a concept before we started practising. Like we had a band name before we had a band practice.
Who came up with the band name?
John came up with that and I guess it related to the fact that we were hanging out together. We wanted to try something that wasn’t as heavy as our other bands. But we didn’t talk about the kind of style of music or whatever. It is what it is.
You've released a bunch of 7" records but never an LP. Is it a different process? Did you have to think more about telling a story or having a concept?
We all really like vinyl so we thought it would be cool to kind of construct something that had a Side A and Side B. [...] I think it’s like the 13th release we’ve done but it’s the first one that isn’t shared with other bands. I guess it tells a story just because it’s John and Kevin’s words and the music we wrote together. I like how [vinyl] sounds and it’s nice to have something to hold. We’re all really into the internet and iPods and stuff but now more than ever it’s nice to have a real physical thing. If I didn’t have a record player, I’d probably buy the record on vinyl anyway. You might as well get the real thing.
Is the DIY approach and having creative control important to you?
I guess, yeah. That way, you’ve only got yourself to blame. I don’t see the point in getting to someone else to do it, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t in the future. We’ve got lots of talented friends, we could ask them to do stuff.
How would you describe the punk scene in Dalston?
There’s a bunch of nice people who are doing interesting things but it’s not just in Dalston. It’s in Brighton, Manchester, Glasgow. I guess it’s kind of like a strength in numbers thing where people are just getting along and doing things. People are putting on their own shows, not even to be fiercely independent, just because it’s more fun. We’ve put on shows and it’s fun to do. It’s usually got a different atmosphere.
Is it a bit exclusive though?
No, not at all. I really hope that we can inspire other people just to start bands. We’re not that great I’m sure someone else can do what we do. That’s what I really hope is that some young kids might see us and by like ‘you know what I can do that too’. You don’t have to be an amazing musician or anything.
What did music mean to you growing up?
I think initially it was a way of making friends in school. When people found out I could play drums, I started hanging out with the sort of ‘music crew’. And then I lived in Exeter, which has a really amazing punk scene. I learnt a lot through my friends who run the Cavern Club there and then when I moved to London, I sort of took that with me. I realised that things could work on a different scale up here.
So kids should just create the scene they want to be a part of?
I was really lucky in Exeter. I probably wouldn’t have found out about interesting music if it wasn’t for [the Cavern Club] or it would have taken a lot longer. It was really cool to go to a venue where there isn’t so much separation between the band and the crowd. You can meet the band and actually see how bands operate. If you grew up in a town where it’s just a proper venue and there aren’t smaller shows going on, you’d probably have a different perspective. I never really went to big shows and now I don’t really enjoy them. I’m kind of more into the intimate ones.
There isn’t any money in music. If anyone tells you there is, they’re wrong!
I guess the cool thing about doing things lo-fi is you can blur the line between creator and consumer?
Yeah, it’s fun to just get everybody involved. It’s not an exclusive thing at all and it doesn’t have to be done on a small scale but it’s good to try and do things differently sometimes. We didn’t sit around waiting for someone else to put our records out we just got on with it.
You’ve formed friendships, and 7” records, with bands like Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls. Does being part of that international community make you feel empowered or can your individuality get a bit diluted?
No, not at all. All those bands are our friends anyway but we’ve just been [in the US] for a few weeks and lots of bands that we like, or have made friends with over the internet. We have ended up sleeping on their floor or sharing a bill with them. I guess it’s inevitable if you’re lucky enough to travel then you’re going to bump into like-minded people. And in that sense we know that we’re lucky. That’s the thing about the internet is that everyone has an equal platform.
As a band, what would be the best thing could happen for you?
It sounds weird but we’ve already achieved more than we ever thought we would, so I really don’t know. I’m really happy that we’ve got a record so we’ve kind of documented something we’ve done. It would be really cool if we could do another one. We’re really just driven by having a good time. There isn’t any money in music. If anyone tells you there is, they’re wrong!
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