With their new album ‘It’s A Bit Complicated’, Art Brut are taking their rallying call back on the road and to the kids. Fused caught up with a ‘younger’ looking Eddie Argos and a battered and bruised Jasper Future to find out what’s going on with the Top of the Pops loving, Bloc Party baiting band…
Fate is all an issue of timing. A missed bus, a spilt drink, accidents and injuries – these done at the right time, in the right place could lead to a huge opportunity, a chance meeting or, in my case, a mark on the musical world. Gutting then that I met up with Art Brut two months too late… An ice-breaker in an interview situation has never had such a huge reaction. “What can we expect from the new album then? Hits aplenty?”
“Hits aplenty!” bursts Eddie Argos, “We should’ve called [the album] Hits Aplenty! That would’ve been amazing. ‘Art Brut: Hits Aplenty!’”
“I might change my name to ‘Hits Aplenty,’” Chimes in Jasper Future. “Mr Hits A. Plenty.”
As the excitement at the accidental turn-of-phrase dies down, Eddie returns to the question. “Yeah, definitely ‘hits aplenty.’ It’s poppier than our last album. A bit rockier. Less punky, more poppy.”
“You wrote this one didn’t you?” asks Jasper, taking over as interviewer.
“Yeah, I found the last one…My dad wrote for me,” says Eddie, mischievously. “But then, my dad is Bruce Springsteen!” (At this point I should point out, you should never question Art Brut when they make such claims, you should just go with it – it makes for a much more enjoyable experience!)
“This is Jasper’s first album, of course,” points out Eddie. Jasper replaced original guitarist, Chris Chinchilla, in September 2005 after he amicably left the band. Jasper had been in Eddie’s previous band ‘The Art Goblins’; another great band name, but Eddie’s willing to share.
“Art Brut was such a good name that we felt guilty keeping it for ourselves, so we wanted to share it,” says a rather considerate Eddie. Hence, they became a franchise. Anyone can become an Art Brut franchise for free and be entitled to use their name and their music. “You get an individual number, but you always get someone coming up saying ‘I’m Art Brut 100’ or ‘I’m Art Brut 69’. ‘No, you’re not, I’ve met Art Brut 69 – he’s our tour manager,’” laughs Eddie.
“Art Brut 25 make badges,” says Jasper, “And there’s been Art Brut ‘Battle of the Bands.’ Art Brut 7 won that.”
It’s good to see that the original Art Brut take such notice of their franchises, further cementing the fact that they are all about ‘the kids’ and it’s not just a publicity stunt. But it’s not just ‘the kids’ who are getting onboard for the franchises, with We Are Scientists being Art Brut 47. But did they just feel obliged after touring with Art Brut so long? They laugh as Eddie explains, “That’s one of the first things Keith [Murray of WAS] said to me: ‘Hey, how’d I become a franchise?’”
But Art Brut aren’t the well oiled, all loving band they seem. Jasper, the long suffering guitarist of the band has the bruises and video evidence to prove it. “I am the most bullied member. They trashed my hotel room! They put my mattress in the bath and wrote ‘Jasper is shit on the mirror.’” This incident, amongst others can be found on YouTube, posted by Jasper himself. Noticing a rather sizeable bruise on his arm, it’s safe to assume that it’s a result of bullying too, but not from who you’d expect. “That’s from Black Wire bullying me. I wasn’t even bullied at school. It’s like some horrible karmic revenge.”
“That means you were a bully” deduces Eddie. “No, I wasn’t a bully, or bullied. I was…level,” decides Jasper. “I was a friend of the bullies and the bullied.”
Well now that’s all cleared up, in a rare moment of truth. “Every rumour we hear about ourselves we like to pretend is true!” So if they could start a rumour about themselves? “Hmmm, that’s Ian [Catskilkin] is actually a dolphin.”
But what’s happened to Eddie’s moustache? “I shaved it off because it was making me look older than I am. I’m younger than most of the band so was fed up of everyone asking if I’m 43.”
But what other questions annoy him them? “Is Emily Kane a real person,” spits Eddie instantly. “And before you ask, she is, by the way…”
It’s A Bit Complicated is out now on Mute.
Words: Cassie Smyth