Trophy Wife are a band we've been excited about ever since we first heard them.
Not so long ago we posted their track 'Microlite', which we feel exemplifies an equilibrium between a delicate yet emphatic sound.
The band where kind enough to answer a couple of questions for us...
1) We really enjoyed the video for "Microlite", is it based on an original concept or is it inspired by something you'd already seen or heard about?
It was all put together in a very short space of time by our friends Joseph Keirs and David Trumble who we were very fortunate to be able to work with on this. We certainly aren't in a position to be paying vast sums of money to people. I think we were very conscious that we didn't want the video to be just us playing our instruments in a room, so we tried to make a sort of 3 minute abstract film with a distinct beginning and an end. I think the next video we do will be more conventional, perhaps without someone dying. We wanted this one to be a Kubrick-esque visual experience.
2) What sort of musical up bringing did you have and how do you think, if at all, this has influenced your current work?
The three of us have been playing in bands since we were really young. I think it has become ingrained within us to such an extent that we don't really know of anything else to do with our time. I remember there used to be this young bands club in Oxford called 'YOBS'. People used to turn up on Saturdays to practice in an old cricket pavillion. One time it all had to be moved and the only place they could find was one of the squash courts at the leisure centre. There was a gig in the scout hut, that kind of thing. Kit's dad used to be in a band in the seventies and still makes music at home. We have been lucky to have gone out on tours with our friends which has taught us so much and helped us to be more self-sufficient as musicians. Our musical upbringings have had a massive influence on how we work as a band.
3) You're often referenced as part of the Oxford musical group of artists/cult Blessing Force. Could you give a brief summary of your experience working in and around this exciting group of artists?
I suppose it's a corner of Oxford made up of people who share a similar outlook and are into similar music and are thus naturally affiliated. It isn't some exclusive members only club. We used to be part of Jonquil and toured a lot with Youthmovies. During this time we learnt a hell of a lot about the myriad pitfulls, how to survive on the road and we now feel more indepedent and self-sufficient as artists in our new guises.
4) What can we expect from Trophy Wife in the future, both near and distant?
There'll be a new single early next year. Aside from that we're going out on tour with Esben & the Witch in February which we're really excited about, they're excellent. We're hoping to get to a few of the festivals during the summer.
5) What current bands/producers/DJs excite you at the moment?
Twin Shadow, Whitest Boy Alive, Esben & the Witch, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Solid Gold Dragons, Young Athletes League.
