 The
artists formally known as The Mike Rosenberg Band return with a new name and
new single! Now known as Passenger, the
band have been making waves on the live scene thanks to support slots with Lior
and Seth Lakeman. UK Music caught up with Mike and co-songwriter Andrew
Phillips for a quick chat on the current music scene and being a penguin for a
day.
So,
why the name change?
Mike:
Well, we’ve always wanted to come up with a name that summed us up and sort of
believe that band names have just got to hit you. It hasn’t up until very
recently so we went with Mike Rosenberg
Band which a sort of working title. When
Passenger came up it just seemed to tick the boxes so yeah, that’s really the
reason.
So
it’s not like a re-branding of the band?
Andrew:
No, more of a development really. I
think it’s just more of the main catch of what we were trying to do
anyway. It’s not like we’ve taken a
radical left turn. I mean we’re still playing the same songs and we’re still
writing the same way, but we just feel that the name puts it across to people
better and gives them a little flavour of what we’re trying to do.
Tell
us about your new single Wicked Man’s Rest.
Mike:
We sort of wrote it about two years ago probably. It took a long while for it
to become what it is now. I think it’s a
really good introduction to what we do. I’m really pleased with the lyrics, and
as for the musical side of things, it’s a cross breed between acoustic, folky
music and electronica and sort of more hip hop beats. I think it really works
as a taster of what to expect from us.
How
do you think you fit into the current music scene?
Andrew:
I think we’re all about taking classic song forms really. We’re all about our
songs, we’re all about songwriting, but we’re also taking acoustic, folky, if
you like, song tradition and making it really contemporary. So I suppose the bands that we really like
are bands like Turin Brakes and Tuung and people like that who are looking and
just making them really modern and just seeing how traditional songwriting
stands up in today’s world.
So
which songwriters are you rating at the moment?
Mike:
I’ve been listening to a guy called Beiruts which I’m really getting into. I
think he’s from New York,
but it’s sort of kind of gypsy, orchestra kind of thing. Really, really
interesting stuff. There’s so much fantastic song writing out there at the
moment.
Andrew:
We listen to a lot of stuff that perhaps isn’t what you would call songwriting,
obvious songwriting stuff, like we listen to a lot of electronica stuff, but
it’s still great music or great songs but they might not be verse chorus,
ordinary songs that you would recognise.
We listen to Tuung a lot, Bat For Lashes, who’s another Brighton artist. She’s a great songwriter but also great
sound, great mood.
Do
you think the current music scene is healthy then?
Mike:
Yeah definitely, certainly parts of it. Since Myspace, in the last couple of
years there seems to be an awful lot of new music around, very accessible, that
we listen to. So yeah, the music scene
today is massive and brilliant.
Andrew:
I think we’re al talking to each other like never before as, especially over
here. I think there’s a really interesting crossover of producers and
songwriters working together and different music traditions being blended and I
think that’s really exciting.
Mike:
I think pop had sort of taken over in the ‘90s a little bit. It’s good to see now that there is a lot more
guitar music, bands and proper songwriting emerging. I think Myspace, that whole thing has really
changed that. I think it’s really on the up.
What
was your most nerve wracking moment then?
Andrew:
Oh it’s always when things go wrong at gigs really. It’s always the same old stuff, like
somebody’s gear packs up or the microphone stops working or something falls
over. The last on stage catastrophe was
last night when the keyboard player’s lap top packed up just at the start of
the song, but you just get used to carrying on.
I don’t think anybody else would notice to be honest, but it’s just
something you get used to in this job.
That’s the thrill of it as well, that things might go wrong but they
might also go brilliantly right. So, I think the down bit is also the up.
OK
it’s time to really get to know you guys now.
Firstly, if you could be someone else for the day who would you be?
Mike:
I might try and be Thierry Henry for the day and play for Arsenal and see what
that’s like. I’m absolutely appalling at football though so I think I probably
made the right choice going down the musical path.
Andrew:
Well, either a penguin in Antarctica or a
mountaineer and be very high up.
So neither
of you would fancy running the country for the day
Andrew:
No, not really.
Mike:
Not at the moment, no.
But
you’d be allowed to make up one law…
Mike:
I’d ban junk mail. I think it’s an absolute waste of time and resources
Andrew: I’d ban massive 4x4’s, gas guzzling vehicles.
If
you could have just one super power, which one would it be?
Andrew:
I’d just fly. Definitely flying.
Mike:
You’ve made a mistake there, I’d be invisible.
Andrew:
No, I’d still fly!
Wicked Man's Rest Is Out Now.
For more info: www.passengerofficial.com/
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