Rakes - A bizarre English shooting star

On October 22, 2009, with a sudden statement sent to the editorial staff of the British magazine Nme, Rakes announced their unexpected split: “We're proud to have given a hundred percent at every show we've played – the former London band explained – The rule we set ourselves from the start was that if we could no longer give our all, we'd give up the idea of doing it. After thinking it over, we jointly came to the conclusion that we're no longer able to give 100%, and so, reluctantly, we've decided to call it quits”. Rakes had a North American tour planned, which was obviously cancelled.

And yet, before this unforeseeable ending, the English quartet had seemed set for a fame almost on a par with that of so many fellow countrymen hailed as the “next big thing”, from Strokes to Franz Ferdinand. As testimony to their fleeting adventure, we publish this interview, conducted during their final Italian tour, just a few hours before their show at the New Age in Roncade (Treviso), chatting with the band's backbone: singer Alan Donohoe and guitarist Matthew Swinnerton.

“Klang“, the title you gave your latest album, means in German the sound of bells or glasses. I don't think it refers to the important Malaysian port, nor to the tiny French municipality in the Lorraine region. Why did you choose it?

Actually, neither of those is the reason (they both laugh, ed.)! We picked “Klang” first of all because it was a name that sounded good, and also because it captured well the idea behind our latest record, namely a noisy album, full of energy.

Your first single, the brilliant “1989”, perhaps refers to the fact that, to get away from London and its scene, which you found flat, and to breathe new life into your new songs, you went to Berlin, in the very year the Wall fell?

No, there's no historical reasoning behind this track, which was actually written before we decided to fly off to the more inspiring Berlin. The choice to release it as a single came down to the chorus, “lalla lalla la la”, which is very catchy and easy to latch onto.

I love the opening part of “Work, Work, Work”, taken from your first record, “Capture/Release”. Does it refer to the fact that you, Alan, worked in a hospital before finding success with your band? Did you ever happen, as unfortunately often happens in Italy, to be treated unfairly by a superior?

Yes, it's actually about that very experience, which was a positive one, though certainly not as electrifying as the life of a rockstar. No, I never suffered abuse from anyone with more power than me, I always got on well with everyone.

In hindsight, do you feel it was the right call to bring in Jim Abiss to produce “Ten New Messages“, your second album, given he'd already been at the helm for major acts like Kasabian, Editors and Arctic Monkeys? Why did you switch producers for “Klang”?

Yes, although maybe, if we could go back, we'd change something... actually, no, I'd say that in the end we were pretty happy with it. As for choosing a producer, we prefer to change it up every time.

Is it true that you're friends with Maximo Park and Bloc Party, fellow English bands who broke through more or less at the same time as you? Don't you think, though, that neither band has managed to repeat the feat of their excellent debut album?

Well, there isn't really a genuine friendship, just a lot of mutual respect. As for your point about the quality of their recent work, we'd rather not comment. To use a metaphor, it's like when someone you admire invites you over for dinner and serves you food that's far from exceptional: it wouldn't be nice to let them know you didn't really enjoy it.

I read in an interview four years ago that you're not fans of the Strokes (a band that they, along with countless others, clearly draw on, especially in those pounding, rapid-fire, obsessive bass and guitar patterns) and that you find them lacking in spontaneity. Is that true?

No, that's not true at all — in fact I think their first record is brilliant, although the song I've listened to and like best from the New York band is “You Only Live Once”, from their third album, “First Impressions Of Earth“.

I think you're a strong band, but that you really come into your own live. I have great memories of seeing you play four years ago, when you were still pretty much unknown, at a great venue in Turin, Spazio 211, alongside another very interesting band, British Sea Power, and I love the way you move and dance, Alan... do you agree with me, or does this observation bother you?

No, we're happy to hear that. It really is very hard nowadays to translate studio work into live shows, though I can't really say whether I agree with you about the bands you mentioned, since I've never had the pleasure of seeing them live.

Is it true, Alan, that when you were young you were arrested for running naked through the streets of Pamplona during a protest organized by PETA, the global non-profit that campaigns for animal rights?

Actually I wasn't arrested — the police simply stopped me when they saw I was completely naked. I have a lot of respect for people who fight for animal rights, and I'm also a committed vegetarian myself.

Will you be releasing a third single, after “1989” and “That's The Reason”? And if so, will it come with a video?

Yes, we've settled on “The Light From Your Mac”, a track that currently opens our live shows. No, unfortunately there won't be a video, not for lack of budget, but for lack of imagination.

Sorry, but when does Tom Cruise cry (a question referring to one of their songs, actually titled “When Tom Cruise Cries”)?

Great question! I don't know if you've seen the film “Magnolia”... (I nod, ed.) at one point Tom, who plays a rather cynical TV host teaching men tricks to pick up beautiful women, breaks down crying in front of his dying father. The song also touches on TV news and the world of media, on celebrity stories in which people see, or think they see, themselves.

(06/10/2009)

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