With their last release dating back to 2010, California Indie rockers We Are Scientists are still on the go with many festival slots this summer.
I met Keith and Chris for a chat before their slot on the Main Stage at Indiependence Festival, Cork.
You guys are getting ready to play the main stage here at Indiependence later on. Feeling good?
Chris: We’re feeling like the champions our parents always told us we would become.
Keith: Yeah. It’s official as of today.
Chris: You hear that rolling noise in the background? That’s all of our trophies they’re bringing to the post-show party. We asked them to roll them around to the other side of this structure.
Have you played Ireland much before?
Keith: Yeah, we have. I was trying to remember how many times we’ve played The Ambassador, and I feel like maybe we’ve played there five times. Like opening for other people and on the NME tour and then ourselves.
Is Ireland somewhere you enjoy playing?
Chris: No! We just don’t like ferries very much. The food on ferries is not very good and the movies are even worse. So Ireland is always kind of getting off on the wrong foot. If you guys had an airport…! The weirdest thing is, there are outgoing flights ’cause we’ve flown home from Ireland. I mean, is it such a leap of imagination to then book some ingoing flights. Just consider it Ireland- we’ll come a lot more frequently.
Keith: I want to see how they get these planes into Ireland!
Chris: On ferries. They land off shore and ferry them in- it’s like an aircraft carrier.
Keith: They ferry them over from England.
Chris: It’s crazy! That just seems not very cost effective right?
So, coming from America- what’s the music scene like over there in comparison to here and the UK?
Chris: The accent is different.
Keith: The industry- yeah, I mean they’re all kind of tied together to some extent I think but I don’t know, Chris listens to new music. What does Irish music sound like these days Chris?
Chris: A lot of mandolins, singers probably whacking at a floor tom.
Talking about the album- ‘With Love And Squalor’ which brought along massive success for you. Did you ever expect that kind of reaction?
Chris: We are actually disappointed with that album.
Keith: You’re being quite respectful Chris. Exactly four times to the digit.
Chris: Yeah, so we were a little pleased that it was such an even multiplier but it was low.
If you say so! You’ve got a real Indie sound, and Indie music is growing pretty popular at the moment. Are there any bands on the scene currently that you really admire?
Chris: Oh yeah! We just toured with a band called Pause.
Keith: Pause are so good.
Chris: Great band. They’re on their first record. Moving on to record their second, they’re scooting along.
Keith: I like the Wolf Alice single, I don’t know if you’ve heard it. I didn’t think it was doing very well, but then at the Japanese restaurant we ate at they were playing the Wolf Alice single!
Chris: Oh yeah, that place is run by Wolf Alice!
Keith: Yeah that’s funny ’cause they’re not Irish. They just have fingers and a head and oh, a Japanese restaurant chain- got it!
Finally, do you’ve any plans for the near future- releases, tours- anything you can tell us?
Chris: Oh yeah. All the things you said.
Keith: Everything you said is coming up.
Any details you can give us?!
Chris: No, we wouldn’t want to do that! Ideally, unless I’m getting this totally wrong, we’re getting an EP out in October and then our album out early next year. And then touring should follow that. So still quite vague, still not nearly as solidified as we were pretending it was when we acted all cocky about it but probably yes is the answer.
Keith: But also, we have a trip we’re supposed to go on next week that’s no more solidified than the stuff we’re talking about next year so that’s just how we do it!
Chris: It’s not a sign that it’s not gonna happen, it just might not happen!
Great! Well, thanks very much for that interview and best of luck with everything!
Chris: You are welcome.
Keith: Thank you.
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