Q & A – MIRRORS

We are delighted to be able to bring you an exclusive Q&A with one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Brighton in years. This continues in our growing line of interviewees, from Little Boots, to Marina & The Diamonds, bringing you cutting edge musicians in the early stages of their promising careers.

On this ocassion James and Ally from Mirrors took time out for us, as they prepare for their upcoming Loop Festival performance in their home town of Brighton. Put simply, we couldn’t be more excited if you attached a pair of electrodes to our bollocks. The promise and hype that surrounds this magical band are suggesting big things. The available music that we’ve heard and the live performances to date have only built on the growing reputation.

1.) OK, so you are new to most of us, yet you already have Brighton and the wider music community wetting their pants out there, so lets start at the beginning…We want to know how you all met? We heard you were members of the band Mum-Ra, so is this true and how did you come to form?

I suppose we just gravitated towards one another. James and Tate had just left Mumm-ra and moved to Brighton to start something new. The four of us just clicked. We all had this vision to create a band where the ideas and aesthetic were as considered as the music.

2.) Let’s introduce the band members individually – can we have each of your names and what each of you do in the band?

We are:
James – synthesizer & vocals
Ally – synthesizer & vocals
Tate – synthesizer
Joe – electronic drums

3.) Where do you each come from? Is it fair to introduce you as a ‘Brighton band’?

We think so. Brighton is our spiritual home. Our lives have become so much richer for moving here. It is a very vibrant city. We are all very proud to be a part of it.

4.) Was it true that your first gig was at the New Hero club in town? The Recommender was there and we were surprised at how you came to provide such a tight, well organised set. How many gigs have you played to date? What’s been your favourite?

That was our first show. we’ve only played a handful of shows so far. I think people are surprised how refined the performance is for such a new band. We didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Its all about the details.
Certainly the New Hero show holds a special place in our hearts, as it was the first show in our home city. Our plan is to set up a residency there where we can expand on our ideas – think painted silver dancers handing out trays of frozen flowers, koyaanisqatsi projected on the walls whilst DJ’s throw in some electronic madness. having our own night will give us a chance to create a full on 3D experience.

5.) What’s with the excellent matching ties and suits? Is this perhaps a nod to Kraftwerk or something new you’ve dreamed up?

Kraftwho? The suits compliment our music. A neat, classic image. We’ve seen a lot of scruffy looking fellows in recent times and the suits are just another little thing that separates Mirrors and it’s aesthetic from the other bands around us.

6.) For those readers totally new to you, how would you describe your sound? We heard you mention the fantastic description, ‘Pop Noir’, so can you elaborate?

It’s a phrase we coined ourselves. We wanted to stress the fact that we write “Pop” music as it can sometimes be overlooked when we start talking about our world. We think it’s an accurate reflection of the music we make. It’s memorable.

7.) We have heard reviews that tout OMD, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and Blancmange as comparisons, so can you confirm where and whom your music influences and inspirations are garnered from?

Well, yes, they are obvious reference points. But I think our sound is much denser than these bands and what we do also sounds very contemporary. We are living in the 21st century, the world around us will inevitably influence our music.

8.) We see you’re playing at Brighton’s Loop festival, which has our tails up, but are you planning to play any other festivals this summer?

We’re playing latitude, and maybe a couple of smaller shows around Brighton. However, we’re not the sort of band to play every show available to us. There’s no point. our shows will be select, special.

9.) There’s seems to only be a few demo’s floating around the blogs and online, so do you have many other songs recorded to date? Is there an albums worth written yet?

We have written many songs, but a lot of them still need work. Our writing process is very slow and methodical, but yes, the record is starting to take shape.

10.) Do you have any plans for a single, an EP and/or possibly an album launch yet?

We’ve got a single coming out this month on the Pure Groove label. Then there are plans in place for the rest of the year but nothing confirmed in terms of an album.

11.) We also heard a rumour about a haggle between labels for your signatures, in which it’s been suggested, rather over-excitedly, that a giant contract could be be offered. Although we presume this isn’t quite the case, can you please clarify the situation? Has anything been agreed with anyone yet? Who would be your ideal label?

We’ll work with the label that we feel best understands the band and it’s ambitions.

12.) Apart from the Loop Festival, what’s immediately next for Mirrors?

We want to make our live show something special. That’s very important to us. Writing and recording will continue and we’ll be ready to release a fantastic record next year.

13.) Lastly, we always ask at the end of each Q&A for the interviewees to become honorary ‘Recommenders’ by asking them to suggest any new bands/acts/DJ’s that have caught your eye in recent times that you would like to share with us?

We’re enjoying listening to Amadou & Mariam at the moment. It’s just a great pop record.

MIRRORS – HIDE & SEEK (ysi)

OK, so that’s another great exclusive interview completed. Search our archives for more from Mirrors, as well as the other interviews we’ve done in the past. The Recommender will be at Loop Festival, so if you plan on joining us this coming weekend, pop here to grab a ticket. See you at the front…
Mike