Doune the Rabbit Hole: Ten Questions with The Phantom Band

The Phantom Band defy easy description.  Their music has elements of folk, krautrock and electro all held together with an indie rock glue.  They released their debut album, Checkmate Savage, back in 2009 and the critics duly fussed over it in a manner that suggested it was something quite special indeed.  Sophomore effort The Wants followed in 2010 and lo the critics did make a mess in their underwear as their ears were treated to a follow up that not only built upon the strong foundations of it’s predecessor but also put a fear in the hearts of those same critics who now felt all kinds of trepidations as they anticipated a third album that could potentially be so potent it could make their tiny heads explode.  They are due to play the Doune the Rabbit Hole Festival later this month and will, I do not doubt, bring the magic.  The band’s guitarist Duncan Marquiss has been kind enough to answer some questions for What F**king Ian Guy?  Read on…

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Q1. At the outset, it has been stated, the band didn’t take things too seriously.  At what point did this change and do you all miss the days when there were no internal or external expectations and pressures?

I’m not sure, I think we still find it hard to take things seriously. Maybe when Checkmate Savage came out there was some added pressure as the album received more press than we’d expected. I think we’ve always been quite self-critical though so there is a continuous pressure within the band to make music that we can live with.

Q2. A myriad of musical reference points can be detected in the sound of The Phantom Band (folk, electronica, krautrock etc.)  Is this a byproduct of each member bringing his own musical preferences to bear and does the reconciliation of the various reference points ever lead to conflict within the band?

Yes I think all those references must come from our collective musical-memory banks. It can be an emotional minefield making music with 5 friends but the unusual combinations and frictions are often the most creative moments.

Q3. The Wants was a logical progression that built on the achievements of your debut.  What should we expect from a third album and given the difficult gestation and critical success of the second album is there a feeling of trepidation?

Shoe-gaze reggaeton, songs about Gaia and augmented reality. Free sachet of Trail Mix in the vinyl release.

Q4. Various members of the band are involved in side projects such as Omnivore Demon, Bronto Skylift and Rick Redbeard.  To what extent, if any, do these other activities feed back into the creative direction of The Phantom Band?

They are all projects in their own right, it’s good for us to play in different ways when possible. The Phantom Band is one thing and we can’t fit all of our ideas in to it, so the other projects are another creative outlet.

Q5. Both of your albums feature nine songs with a few epics scattered throughout.  Does the band enter the studio with a clear idea of the form and length of each song or does this change dramatically throughout the recording process?

Yes and no. Some songs did change when we recorded them, especially on The Wants as the album wasn’t fully written when we went into the studio. It’s hard to strike a balance between composition and improvisation but we’re trying to retain more of the idiosyncrasies on the new record.

Q6. The Phantom Band interviewed Nick Cave on behalf of The Skinny a couple of years ago.  I detect a hint of a Bad Seeds influence in The None of One.  Do you agree and what other bands, specifically, do you feel have had an influence on your sound/songwriting?

We don’t set out to sound like other bands but we’re probably being influenced in some way by all the music we listen to. Clams Casino was getting played in the van quite a bit recently, so were the Louvin Brothers.

Q7. What are your favourite albums by fellow Scottish bands/artists and are there any Scottish bands currently flying under the radar that you feel should be getting more attention?

There are a few acoustic and folk albums that I return to a fair bit. R.M. Hubbert’s First and Last, Alasdair Roberts, the first James Orr Complex album is a classic. Richard Youngs and Luke Fowler’s (Rude Pravo) forthcoming collaboration should be interesting too.

Q8. The Scottish music scene is currently producing a lot of great bands/artists many of whom are playing the Doune the Rabbit Hole festival later in August.  To what extent, if any, is The Phantom Band a product of this tight knit scene and does an element of competitiveness exist between bands?

The Phantom Band didn’t come out of a particular scene but we have met lots of charming people playing music in Scotland. It seems pointless to compete with other bands though as they’re all their own animals.

Q9. Your record label Chemikal Underground say of you, “They’re the Best Band in Britain as far as we’re concerned.”  Where do you think The Phantom Band rank?

Dead last.

Q10.  What’s your favourite movie about music?

Tough one. I can’t pick out one as a favourite but Derek Bailey’s series of films on improvisation for Channel 4 are awesome.

I’d just like to say thanks to Duncan for taking the time to do this.  Now make with a third album already.