WIDESCREEN POP ? The Sound of Arrows

By Neale Lytollis

The rise of ?real?, some-might-say-intellectual electronic music in recent years (see Justice, Hot Chip and Digitalism) and bands moving away from traditional indie rock and venturing into more experimental territory (Telepathe, Crystal Stilts, Health being perhaps three of the main contendors), has all contributed to the word ?pop? being more or less on par with ?cunt? or ?fuck? in terms its offensiveness. Pop is shallow and disposable; pop doesn?t topple empires or cause revolutions; it?s cheap and irrelevant and only for dumb kids. This viewpoint is frankly bollocks. Pop as we know it as more than outlasted the latest New Genre of the Season and has been around since the year dot. Not bad for a genre which is allegedly about as useful as a hat made out of custard. Sweden has something of a rep for producing brilliant pop music (I wanted to avoid mentioning ABBA but find that I simply cannot overlook their massive achievements in this field and fuck you if you think I?m square for admitting it) and they?re pretty much done it again. This time in the form of Bright Young Things, Sound of Arrows. The band is currently made up of Stefan Storm and Oskar Gullstrand, two chums from Stockholm who beef up the line-up with an assortment of flashy technology. The band recently de-camped to London to schmooze with the business suits there (they?re doing very well at it) and work on their debut LP, hopefully soon to be released on as-yet-unknown label. Eat Your Heart Out recently caught up with Stefan Storm in a chilly, autumnal Regent?s Park in London.

So, Stefan, how are you doing these days? Busy?

Yes, I would say that I am. But it’s all just because of myself. I’m in the process of finishing our debut album and one could say that I’ve gone slightly mental in the process. I’m spending all of my waking hours working or thinking about the album. I’d hate for me to think back on this period one year from now wishing I’d put in more of an effort.

And how?s life in London? It must be a bit different to Stockholm?

It sure is. London is scary, filthy, messy, confusing and wonderful. Stockholm is small, pretty, clean, orderly and boring. 50/50 would be the ideal.

Why did you choose to work in London? Do you find it more inspirational than Stockholm or were there other more practical reasons to re-locate there?

Out of two reasons. One being that I was excited to see whom we could collaborate with here in London. We’ve met a lot of wonderfully talanted musicians and producers. The second being that I felt I needed to get away from home to be able to fully focus on the creation of this album. It’s much easier keeping professionally busy in a town where you don’t have as many friends.

So apart from going slowly insane and having no friends, how is the work going on the LP?

It’s going quite well. But like every creative process, there are ups and downs. I want for it to be PERFECT, something I’m starting to realize will never happen. Not because the album isn’t turning out good, more because I’ll never be 110% happy. Yesterday I finished what is to become the end credits-like end to the album. It’s very Vangelis / Moroder / Enya.

That?s quite a mix! Magic and Into the Clouds have given us a taster about what Sound of Arrows is all about. Is the album going to include any surprises that we don?t expect?

I guess it’ll be a suprise to some that parts of it will be pretty dark. Or darker at least. But that’s how all good albums are. A journey. Also, I guess to some it’ll come as a suprise just how much we do love our synthscapes. Be prepared for at least three instrumentals.

Sound of Arrows is very striking visually and the video for Into the Clouds has a very specific style. It reminds me of Neverending Story although I guess I am not the first person to think that! Do you think it?s important to bring a fantasy element back to pop music?

I don’t think it’s necessarily important to bring a fantasy element to music. But I do think that the music I like the best inhabits some kind of universe. Some elements that are larger than life. Since neither of us has a larger than life personality, we have to get some help from the visual department.

The video looks like it was made for $1 million dollars. Did you really splash out that much money on it or do you have a very clever graphics guy who made all the fantasy backdrops?

Business secrets.

Is this mystical, other world we see in your videos something you try to transfer to your live shows too?

Definitely, that is mainly why we are looking to sign with a major label. To be able to get some help with realizing our BIG vision for the upcoming live shows. It’ll be an audio-visual experience.

Speaking of which, we don?t see you out and about live so much? Are you guys more of a studio band or are there plans to tour?

Originally, I’m happiest sitting in a studio tweaking a new synth. But we do love a bit of performing now and again. Also, I think we are pretty good at it.

It seems that ?pop? has become a bit of a dirty word recently although I think it?s great and a necessary part of music. Do you dislike the pop tag? Would you describe yourselves differently?

I’ve always loved pop music, so to me that word doesn’t have a negative ring. Some people associate pop with soulless music. Not me, I think the best music is achieved when accesability and creativity meet.

Pop or not, NME and Dazed seem to like what you do and you seem to have generated a buzz in London in a short space of time. Are you signed with anyone at the moment? Are you going with an indie label or a major? Do you subscribe to this rather silly theory that all indies are great and all majors are evil?

Nope, not at all. We all understand when there is big money involved, there will need to be some sort of compromise. But we’d never let anyone tell us not to use certain songs we love. Then I’d rather release it myself.

So tell me, what DO arrows sound like?

Widescreen pop.

Do you both tuck into a big, greasy English breakfast every day before you go into the studio?

Hahaha. Absolutely not. I’ve been a vegetarian for ten years and just recently tried going further and becoming a vegan. What is then left in the english breakfast? Baked beans?! I don’t eat canned food.

And finally, do you like it when journalists flirt with you during interviews?

Hahaha. It’s always nice to be flirted with. Journalist or not.

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