“She’s in a cheese coma. She was a zombie earlier.”
Ben Esser – that’s simply Esser to the music-buying public – is explaining the relatively sluggish movements of his online PR, who looks some shades of suffering; apparently the night before’s fondue fest has left the poor girl regretting a most-calorific intake. But Clash isn’t here to talk dairy; we’re after some smooth electro-pop.
Taking a seat at an East London rehearsal rooms, where his band is gearing up for their UK dates with Kaiser Chiefs – happening right now, so check the listings below and buy tickets HERE – we settle to talk about the ex-Ladyfuzz man’s anticipated debut album ‘Braveface’ – featuring those sounds we’re interested in – and more, while cheesy dance anthems bleed out from an adjacent practise space.
They’re meant to be learning Esser’s own licks, but while the cat’s away…
You contributed a recent Personality Clash piece to Clash magazine, with Andy Bell of Erasure (read an extract HERE), where you talked about experimentation in pop. I get the feeling you’re the kind of musician who can geek out over certain synthesizers, or simply sounds…
I can geek out a little bit, yeah, but I’m interested in the differences in the process. Especially how [Erasure] were coming up with those sounds at the time. They had to work a lot harder to be able to get something, when everything was analogue. I was with the guy who produced a lot of Depeche Mode’s stuff, Flood, and he had this big… Well, it was some sort of system synthesizer that took up a whole wall.
Do you think there’s a move in pop back to those warmer sounds, rather than a reliance on digital technology? As in, are people looking backwards to experiment more?
I think people are experimenting more. This idea that things are easier now – that it’s easy to reproduce a certain sound – isn’t quite right, as it’s more accessible now, but not easier to make music. It’s also less interesting if everyone can do something – that’s boring. It’s always about trying to do what nobody else does.
Which is where having a technological edge, however archaic, helps.
I got into the technology side of things through wanting to hear things a certain way; it was never a geeky thing about faders or things, more about what sound could be made from what instruments. I was interested in sounds as opposed to songs when I was younger, and I was never really into guitar bands. I listened to electronic music, as it seemed so much more interesting, and that kind of got me into music in the first place, and perhaps is responsible for me gravitating towards drums. Drums offer you an instant outlet, and you can change it so easily; plus you have a connection between what’s happening physically and what you’re hearing.
Now you’ve stepped out from behind the drums (Esser played drums for Ladyfuzz), how’s it feel being the centre of attention on a stage?
It was a bit weird, because I’d never really meant for that to be the intention. I wrote these songs without thinking about having to perform them, so it’s kind of through necessity that I’m standing up there at the front of a stage, in front of people. But I’m liking the idea more now.
And you’re caught up in the ‘tips’ for the year a little, too – how’s that?
I am excited about it. I think there’s this wave you ride on for a little while, when people are just interested in you because you’re new.
But then you have to deliver…
I think that’s it – at some point it has to translate into music that people are into, because hopefully it’s good. And then you have to take that into a second album. I’m trying to work with some different people, and keep myself interested, because I’m still learning and discovering things.
That’s important to you, the need to keep progressing?
Yeah, exactly. Once you’ve done something… Well, I find that once I have done something, that’s not something I’m looking to repeat. So it’s interesting for people to see development, in a band or a person, if they’re the sort of person who wants to keep discovering new stuff.
Can you see notable progression in your work to date?
I’ve definitely made progressions – making the album has been a huge progression, and it’s been so exciting seeing it develop while learning things in the studio, from other people. It takes that process to work out what you want to do afterwards.
Sure, especially as the first album for most bands is often a bit of a patchwork affair, more a collection than a cohesive whole. You tend to put them together a little randomly…
You do, and that’s what’s interesting about a lot of bands’ first albums – they’re pieced together quite blindly, with almost this naivety to them. You never get that experience again on an album. I’m just really interested in developing, and working with lots of people. I’m totally up for collaborations, and I’m trying to sort some things out while on tour. I’ve got my laptop set up so I can take it on tour and work as I go along – although I often plan for that and it doesn’t quite work out.
How do you find touring? Is it a side of this business you love, or maybe hate?
Well, I’ve been touring for a long time. When I played in covers bands it was different, but in a way going out on the road was the same, so I’m used to it. I don’t love it, but I’m used to it. The way it works is that I’ll be in the studio working on a song and be desperate to hear how it sounds live, and then when I’m on tour I’ll be wanting to get back into the studio. That’s the balance at the moment.
You’re not out for excess while on the road at all?
I think a lot of people enjoy touring a little too much, and a lot of bands live for that. But I think you learn pretty quickly. For me, if anything goes wrong, because it’s my solo project, it’s on my head, so I have to keep myself in order. The band? So long as everyone’s playing well, they can do what they like.
And are you able to detach yourself from Esser the musician when you’ve got time off?
Not really… It’s bad, but I really get sucked into it. You’ll switch the radio on and hear a song and think: “I should be on this show, too.” So I end up texting in, requesting my song! If I’m not doing things, I feel like there’s something wrong; I always feel I should be doing something.
And what about the business side of things, are you interested in monitoring, and influencing, your fortunes there?
It’s always awkward to know what’s going on. Some people are great at separating the aspects and focusing on their music, and I try to do that as much as possible. Everything I do is music related – I’m not one of these people that spends all of my time trying to promote the band because I think if the songs are good enough, they will sell themselves. There are so many bands who get sidetracked by business matters, or other things, like being a celebrity.
Like Lily Allen? I like her records, but the celebrity side of her existence is a little… depressing.
I think people get into music for different reasons. I don’t think she got into music for the same reasons I did. But I think as long as I keep interested in doing music, then that’s what’s going to keep me here. As soon as it becomes about anything else, it’ll be boring.
Having ‘Braveface’ in the bag, so to speak, must feel great…
I’m really glad that my record’s done, and I’ve that foundation in place, because as soon as people start talking about an artist they want to hear the music. And that side of things is done.
When did you get it finished?
A few months ago.
So there’s been a little delay, then? I guess you have to release at the ‘right’ time…
I want it to reach as many people as possible, and at the moment… Well, it’s hard… You need to be already seen as doing well for something to actually do well, y’know?
Totally, especially on a first album. They make or break a band these days.
The thing about everybody’s first album… Well, it doesn’t always represent the artist fully. I’ve spoken to the label already and we’re gonna do an EP straight after the album, and some remixes and some other bits and pieces. I’ve sort of put the album to one side right now.
So it feels fully finished to you? The weight’s off the shoulders?
Not really… I don’t feel like it’s quite finished. Maybe one day I’ll feel that way about an album, but this one is made up of old songs and new songs, so it feels a little… Well, the stuff I was into when I was writing those first songs is different to what I was into when I wrote the more recent ones, so it’s a little broken in that respect.
But it’s wrapped up, and that’s something few ‘new’ bands will have achieved at this stage…
Yeah, I guess so. But there are always these bands that pop up really quickly and make an album fast, and that’s what I want to do with the next album.
Well, good luck with that, and enjoy the Kaisers dates… And do enjoy them, yeah?
I think you get the point where you realise you can’t get back into the studio or do anything else, so then you let yourself enjoy the experience. So I aim to do so.
‘Braveface’ is released in May, and the single ‘Work It Out’ is out now; both are via Transgressive.
See Esser on tour with Kaiser Chiefs as follows, and find his headline dates on MySpace…
February
26 Edinburgh Corn Exchange
27 Aberdeen Arena
28 Newcastle Arena
March
2 Manchester MEN
3 Liverpool Arena
4 Cardiff CIA
6 London Wembley Arena
Buy tickets to Kaiser Chiefs HERE.
Buy tickets to Esser headline shows HERE.
