► Strange News from Another Star

Strange News from Another Star

Retro's Music Editor, Jake May had some questions for UWIC student Harry Jones, the drummer of Strange News from Another Star. Here's what happened;

How would you personally describe your sound?
It’s like drinking with Ninja outside Ten Feet Tall and then realizing he’s your father. However, after years of neglect you don’t hate him for the empty Christmas days etc, but you love him…why?? Because he can bench press the world. In musical terms it’s a drunken night out with Future of the Left, Queens of the Stoneage, The Bronx, Supergrass and Dolly Parton, while eating Scampi Fries.

Strange News from Another Star is obviously the name of a Blur track, but also, after a quick Wikipedia, is a collection of short stories from the German author Herman Hesse. Which of these, if any, did you take your name from?
Yes, we have got some stick about the Blur reference, although I am a fan…but the band name comes from the Hermann Hesse story…his novels are better, but this one short story stood out as it’s about a stranger on another planet full of hate, and he just wants to borrow some flowers and spread the love…that’s how we feel as a band…read the story, you’ll understand.

How did you all meet and what made you want to form a band together, other than Harry's handsome boyish looks?
About a year ago Harry and Jimmy crossed paths somewhere on the Taff Trail. Both were playing air instruments of their choice: Jimmy the air guitar and Harry the air drums. As they ran alongside each other the imaginary sound was so beautiful that they had to make it real. Mark Foley joined the band after another Taff Trail run where they came across a Bear playing an imaginary bass guitar outside Castle Coch…the local council tried to snare him, but we took him home, gave him water and bread and allowed him to jam and exist within the confines of Strange News From Another Star. And so he became Mark Foley.

You have been booked to play at Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens' Swn set. How exactly did this come about?
After playing amongst our good friends Future of the Left in the May Swn, it was decided by the powers that be that there is in fact a niche for the likes of Double Denim pioneers such as us and so the show goes on.


Now that you're famous and all that, do you have any celebrity chums? I hear Madonna's a bitch.
Fern Cotton came to one of the shows we played in Camden Barfly. Its rumored Mark Foley has a side project with Aqua in the pipelines.

What bands past and present would you cite as influences on your sound?
Future of the Left, Supergrass (Hoo hah!), Queens of the Stone Age, Pere Ubu

When writing new tracks, how do you actually do it? Do you start with the vocals and work with that, or does the music come first?
We used to buy them off this guy called Dennis who ran a Kebab shop…but he moved to London. Now we have to write our own. Jimmy usually comes up with a riff and words, and then we jam it out until we get marmalade. Yeah, so Jimmy gets the words and a general design of the thing and then we all build on it and add stuff or take stuff away. Some songs like Oh My God They’ve Given Me The Suburbs came from a beat I had on the drums and then the song grew from that like a mean flower.

Your MySpace has thousands of views and probably gets commented by lots of young girls (and maybe some guys) wanting a bit of Strange News. Who is the man in charge of replying to all these fans and breaking their little hearts?
We have a PA to do all the heartbreaking, as none of us enjoy breaking hearts. Other than that Jimmy does most of the replying…and he does make the effort to write back to everyone!

What is with these double denim and white jump suit looks?
We don’t wear the double denim, it wears us! Denim is what people come to see, we merely support the denim emotionally.

Whilst on your trek to the local Spar to buy yourself a Ginsters beef slice, the three of you are confronted by a large boxing marsupial on ecstasy. Which of you opts for the tough man tactic, and which of you just legs it?
Firstly I’d offer it some water as it would doubtless be thirsty with all that hopping around on ecstasy. I think Jimmy would run and I’d be left battling it out to the death with a raving marsupial! Hell I might try and choke it with the Ginsters slice! If non of these work there be nothing left to do but call upon and unleash the Bear instinct of Foley.

What does the future bring? Are there any official releases in the pipeline?
We’ve recorded an EP called ‘Double Denim: Full Frontal’ with the genius that is Charlie Francis (REM, Noisettes, Kaiser Chiefs…) and we’re looking to get it released in October/ November…check out www.myspace.com/strangenewsfromanotherstar for more info!

A little about Harry and his life at UWIC;

What course is it you are studying?

Sports Biomedicine and Nutrition.

How do you go about juggling uni life with the expectations of playing in a band (practice sessions, various gigs etc)?

I’m not one for sitting still too long, as well as Uni and the band I’m a competitive Runner, somehow every ball stays in motion. There’s been a few cases over the summer, when one night I’ve had a gig with the band…the night escalates only to have to wake up early the next morning travel to London for race.

What advice would you give to other UWIC students in a band looking to get the ball rolling in terms of support slots and getting your music heard?
Just go out to as many of the gigs around Cardiff, pester the promoters, eventually they’ll cave, keep writing new material, practice, practice, practice, pray to the musical Gods and take the face melt to the world.

You're an annoyingly good drummer, and presumably one that practices. Do you have drum kit in your uni house, and how does this go down with your housemates?
In the first year I came to Cardiff without my kit… times were hard…I lasted two days and then invested in an Electric kit, sure it pesters my housemates from time to time and I don’t think the neighbour’s are big fans but good luck trying to stop me. But I’ll always be going over beats and patterns in my head fear of the ever advancing drum machine threat from the band could soon become too real…I needs to stay ahead of that.

Interview questions by Jake May, with thanks to Harry Jones and Strange News from Another Star

Retro / Music / October 2009 / Strange News from Another Star

Music Reviews