Interviews & Reviews, Unsigned

Exclusive Interview: Junkstar

After releasing their debut single / E.P. MAGAZINE to a huge London buzz, Junkstar toured the USA, Ireland and Holland at breack-neck pace. They topped it with a blistering ITV winning performance and some great support shows.

Even though Junkstar have a extremely busy schedule they managed to fit in some time to answer some questions exclusively for Mega Music News which gives a insight to who Junkstar are and what they aspire to achieve.

Who are Junkstar? How did the idea come out to put the group together?

Anna – Junkstar are myself, JC, KT Zee, Emy and Simon.

We all live in London, but have diverse backgrounds and come from all over the place! (Sicily, Hungary, Southport, Ecuador and Coventry!) Myself and JC formed the band over a year ago and we wanted to write classic pop tunes and give them a heavier, spikier edge.

Which leading artist or group inspires Junkstar?

Anna – Kraftwerk / Pet Shop Boys.
JC – The Dandy Warhols.
Simon – Weezer.
Emy – JC.
KT Zee – Hungarian folk songs.

You’ve had an impressing touring record consisting of the USA, Ireland & Holland. Which was best gig?

The USA was great fun in itself, as a cultural experience (it was my first time!) – so the shows on top made it more special. We had a great show supporting the Drums in NYC, who are now doing great. They were really nice to us and raved about our songs afterwards which was cool. (JC)

Do you prefer the large concert’s or the private intimate gigs where you can interact with the audience?

Small shows are nice when it’s rammed and sweaty – I always have good memories of lots of those. We’ve played in areas like Ashington, Norwich, the Isle of Wight as well as London and had some nice gigs there! (JC).

Supporting top acts like “Supergrass” and “Ting Tings” must have been an exciting experience. Out of all the groups you have supported which was the most rewarding.

Some of those are festival gigs so you don’t exactly hang out with the bands – but I enjoyed playing with the White Rose Movement. (JC).

What future touring plans do you have in the future?

We are currently getting the album tracks down to near master quality and then we will be playing a few shows in the UK, before going to Germany and the USA later in the Autumn. (Fall).

Your debut single “magazine” had raging reviews. Who was the inspiration behind the track “magazine”?

I was with the band after a rehearsal one day, and looking at the Sex Pistols ‘God save the Queen’ cover artwork – and I then thought ‘I want the cover of the single to be like that – but with Princess Diana’s face! It would have been the perfect way to epitomise the song – to depict a public figure who literally died at the hands of the press. It was too controversial for our label at the time (Smoky Carrot – UK independent) – they were like ‘well it costs a lot of cash to buy the image you guys would need, and you might piss off a lot of people’ – so it was great to see how much conviction they had in their artists, even at that stage. The song really is just made up of tacky headlines I read in various ‘glossies’ – ‘why am I having kids with a stranger?’ is the opening line – that was in Bella or something along those lines!

You are currently working hard at putting together a brand new album for 2011. What can we expect from this album?

A collection of songs that I myself would want to dance to / smash up things to / get off with some chick to – in equal measure. (JC)

What is your favourite track on the new album?

There’s a new one of mine called ‘fast computers’ that I hope ends up being on there! (JC).

When is the album due for release?

Autumn! (The Fall).

What future plans does Junkstar have once the album is completed?

I have an experiment going on with jumping mice and rafting ants – I know these 2 guys who told me all about how wondrous nature is and that mice jump and ants make rafts when they are in dangerous water-bourne scenarios. So my future is dedicated to investigating these brave new frontiers! (JC)

What’s the future ambition! Where do you see yourselfs in 5 years time?

Living in a big house together, just like the Monkees did!

There are a lot of wannabe singers and bands out there. What advice can you give these singers and bands.

Make sure your drummer can actually play – the rhythm section should be the engine room of the band. Also steer clear of ‘pay to play’ venues – they specialise in ripping new artists off!

I wish Junkstar the very best for your brand new album and for the future. I most certainly will be listening to and reviewing the album once it becomes available.

Thank you very much for asking the questions

To find out more about Junkstar and to watch videos and listen to some of their tracks visit their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/junkstarband