INTERVIEW: Beangrowers
Above (Alison Beangrower kindly posed for the camera, during our interview)
Maltese rock trio the Beangrowers have been on the scene for almost ten years. Aged 19 they were snapped up by Rough Trade Germany and shipped from Malta to Berlin to begin their career. They’ve since quit the confines of a corporate label and become independent. We spoke to them on their European launch tour of 3rd album “Dance baby Dance”… So where does the name come from? (We had to ask) Ian: We played our first gig when we were 16, We had no name for the poster so our friend picked one for us. When we saw our new name “Satanchrist”, we knew it was’t going to be that, so we came up with Beangrowers. Then it sort of stuck. Are there any Beangrowers in Malta? Mark: Yes of course Alison: But we have no affiliation with them How do you feel about giving interviews? A: It’s actually a real luxury, that people have an interest in what we have to say and want to know more about us. Have you had any weird interview experiences? A: We’ve had some pretty arrogant journalists who asked us to brief them through “our” album because they hadn’t had time to listen. Do you think a Girl-fronted band will ever be taken more seriously than an all male band? I: No. Thankfully. We belong to the Free Masonry of Antigua and actually got chosen to back female singers in this male dominated world. A: I do not agree I: Life’s a bitch and then she sings in your band! Look if there are not enough women singers and musicians it’s their fault. You’re all more worried about your looks. Alison, you’re quite unusual in that you play lead guitar and you sing. Who was your role model? PJ Harvey. She’s still one of the few women who can accompany herself as a solo artist. What’s the music scene like in Malta? I: Very few bands would come and play. Only people like Bryan Adams. We’d have to go over to Sicily to see anything eclectic. The dance scene is bigger creatively, it’s not like it was for us when Nirvana were huge and grunge had exploded. What languages do you speak? Italian, English and Maltese Would you ever sing in Maltese? No never it’s a really harsh language, although there is a new band who’ve managed to do rock-pop tastefully. How did you meet? A: Ian and Mark have been friends since they were 8. I heard there isn’t much plant life in Malta? It’s quite rocky? I: Yes there are many rock bands A: Actually when the British built their base there they pretty much flattened everything. What does the new album really say about you? I: Its meant to sound like a 3 piece. Not too many frills. Its more about the songs being raw. We’ve already recorded our next one. But the American label want us to wait. It’s a better version of this one. Who would you most like to tour with? I:Paolo Conte M: He’s an Italian Tom Waits. His voice is amazing and his lyrics are incredible. I: It’s a cool story. He made it quite late in his career. He was a postman up until his 40s. How do you feel about the modern record deal? I: It’s better to licence your own records. We were fortunate to get signed at 19 but we had no control. We couldn’t play in territories that our label hadn’t agreed on. Now we have a licence deal with each country who distributes us. We actually get paid when our album sells. And we have people we can trust working for us in each country. www.beangrowers.net
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
