INTERVIEW 55. tear talk

photo by Rosie Woods

Tear Talk is a band from Liverpool formed by 4 boys in their early 20's. They met in school and spend a lot of time together listening to Black Tambourine and all the C86/Sarah Records movement.
Beat Happening changed the perspective a bit and from music lovers they became music makers thinking that "if they [Beat Happening] can make it, why can't we?"

In January, Port Sunlight was released via Bleeding Gold Records. Six songs filled with reverbs, some distortion and indiepop gentleness (and sadness). Pop melodies soaked into a background of noise but also sparse elements. An atmosphere of fog and dust that suddenly let's the sun come out between melodic changes and pure, pure fragility.

Quoting them: "...awkward, introverted and melancholic". 'Broken English', the closing track, is a great example and an outstanding ode to melancholic times and the sad ones.


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Below's our interview. Time to Tear Talk talk....

01. First things first: you know each other since school and from what I've read, researching for this interview, you were fond of discovering new music and sharing with each other. How the idea of turning the 'sharing' into 'making' music came up? And why the name Tear Talk?

Discovering Beat Happening was a major turning point for all of us. It was literally a case of, 'if they can do it, why can't we?' Our bass player also managed to get hold of a floral drum kit (for free) which was the deal breaker in deciding to start the band. Tear Talk wasn't our original name, but we chose that because it was as accurately as we could describe what the point of the band was. Basically, to tell people how miserable we are.

photo by Marie Hazelwood

02. Here's a question that fits extremely well to your music, since it has a very escapist and dreamy atmosphere... if you're music was a planet or landscape what it would look like? What albums would I find there if I went to a record shop (assuming that this planet or landscape has a record shop)?

It would probably just look like Germany, I realise that isn't very escapist or dreamy but we all really like it there. With that in mind you would probably be able to walk into a record store and find some Suicide, Echo and the Bunnymen and on a good day some Sinead O'Connor. Obviously, it would be fully stocked in the entire Sarah Records back catalogue at all times as well.

03.There's a lot of bands with members living away from each other...that's not really a problem or major obstacle – I think... but how does that work for you? How do you create music? Jam sessions via Skype?

 Well I (Josh) only live in Manchester which is only an hour from my hometown so I'm still able to come and jam with Tom and Luis fairly regularly. We just bring an idea with us, and try and throw it together and hope for the best. With Iain living so far away we have to add the bass parts last which has been the most difficult part of writing new songs but we've managed so far.

04. Now, Port Sunlight: a collection of 6 songs bringing melancholy with influences from Sarah Records, distorted guitars and subtle, melodic synths that bring me a certain post punk – new wave feeling mashed up with a subtle sugary indiepop atmosphere. How was the making of it? What you had in mind when creating it?

 Those songs were only ever meant to be a demo. We had no idea they would be released as a collective. We had written them with diversity in mind because we wanted to play them live, but other than that, we really didn't give it much thought. If a song worked for us then we kept it. We recorded them in a small town on the edge of Merseyside called Ellsmere Port and on the train to the studio each morning we would pass the platform for Port Sunlight and we all agreed that it would be a great name for an album should we ever get to make one. Little did we know that the songs we were on our way to demo would become Port Sunlight.

05. How the connection with Bleeding Gold happened? How involved werethey in the making of the EP?

We ambitiously emailed them over a link to our soundcloud because we knew that they put out Golden Glow's 'Tender is the Night' which is a record we are really big fans of. But the songs were already recorded and mixed when we sent them. Bleeding Gold had them mastered and very kindly put it out for us. Something which we are all very grateful for.

photo by Marie Hazelwood

06. You know that there's a buzz around the band, right? What do you think of it?

 I didn't know at all. If there is then we're all very pleased that people care enough to talk about us.

07. Perfect time and place to listen to Tear Talk?

When you're very, very alone.

08. After Port Sunlight, what are you preparing next?

 We've just made a new demo which we are waiting to be mixed and then we're hoping someone is kind enough to release it physically. We're also heading into to a studio with a producer in the next few weeks, to demo some more new songs which will hopefully be the beginning of another e.p or something more substantial.

09.Anything else you feel like saying?

Do bees have faces?