ALPHABEAT could quite possibly be the most scandalous and outlandish band to hit UK shores since the Sex Pistols!
Because, let’s face it, what kind of sick-minded madness would cripple a young band’s better sense to slam the door in the face of any offer made by the most publicly troubled major label in the industry, EMI?
But alas, after their debut record went platinum in their homeland of Denmark, ALPHABEAT were the coin-eyed object of interest for a number of major labels, eventually signing to the tabloid-mongering major. “We were actually a bit afraid of going with EMI but the reason we did it was that they were really just the ones most into it and had so many ideas and a really good plan for what we could do compared to some of the other guys. The other labels wanted to do the same, but just didn’t seem as on it.” Anders B (one of three Anders in the super-group) explains artlessly. “The other labels probably had some pretty big acts at that time and so didn’t really need us as much as EMI needed an act to put money and effort into,” adds the shaggy-faced and eloquently spoken drummer Troels Hansen.
One thing’s for sure, ALPHABEAT (the reincarnation of everything brilliant about Wham) are humbly enjoying the perks of being signed to a major label, including having the moola to support a re-working of not just their debut record but a number of low-budget (yet ever so endearing) videos that accompanied their home grown success. Yet the band are quick to add that this makeover of ALPHABEAT’s early work isn’t to fit into any particular UK cliché, but to improve on the tremendous start they have already made for themselves.
“We’ve done a lot of work on it actually the last six months. It was supposed to be more or less a re-release of the Danish album but then we started working on it and discovered we weren’t really happy with the first album so we did a lot of work and it’s very much different and better. We are very excited about it. It’s almost like a brand new album for us now,” states Troels with the upmost sincerity. And really, ALPHABEAT’s determination to have people all over the world dancing to the feel-good, shoe-twisting, cheery-sweet brand of pop they make is as sincere and unaffected as it comes, despite recently uprooting from the softer soils of Denmark and taking up residence in the über-hard and scene-y East London.
Though the members of APHABEAT are yet to delve into the London live music scene and experience its tumultuous nature first-hand (world domination by pop is time consuming business), they demonstrate a rather naïve appreciation for the UK’s willingness to consume live music compared to their mother country. “In Denmark, if you start up a band you rehearse for maybe one year before you dare go into a venue and play where as here (London) you just start a band and go play, and that’s really nice,” Anders SG, ALPHABEAT’s quiffed singer marvels.
“We like to keep it personal”
With the sweat from one UK tour still damp on their brow, and one cracker of a debut single Fascination due for physical release on the 3rd March 2008 (download already available), ALPHABEAT has a joint headline UK tour booked for March, with one mission in mind; to expand their fan base far and beyond rooters for pop. And to assist them on their quest is SPINVOX – a service that allows artists can call up and dictate a tour diary which is automatically uploaded onto their myspace or website, giving their fans the inside scoop from the road.
“It’s very important. Our myspace, it’s always just us writing on myspace. We like to keep it personal. But that’s maybe because we are from Denmark, we are kind of down to earth people,” says Troles, who also maintains the band’s tour blog daily. Though dobbing in an absent Stine Bramsen (female vocalist) as the most likely member of the band to use the technology to accidentally dictate a booze-fuelled message of love to their adoring readers, it’s absolutely certain that in truth, there is nothing neither unlikeable nor outlandish about these children of pop.
