Interview: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
If your band's song gets selected by Apple for an iPod commercial; if the management of Robbie Williams is rushing to your hometown to clinch a deal, and now, within just over a year of existence, you are on the road touring the US and Europe, then it is a safe assumption there has to be something more to your band than the stunning looks of your singer. The band in question is called The Asteroids Galaxy Tour and are from Denmark. It's a Trap! met core members Mette Lindberg and Lars Iversen to find out how their astral tour began.
How did you guys meet?
Lars Iversen: We met many years ago actually. We have many common friends and both live really close to each other in Copenhagen.
Tell me the story of how you found out that Apple wanted to use "Around the bend" for the new iPod Touch commercial. Did you go out celebrating afterwards?
Mette Lindberg: We knew that they were thinking about using the song, but we thought it's not going to happen. It was 1am, I was out and having some beers and our manager called me and left a message on my answering machine saying: "It starts tomorrow!" Well, I bought a lot of drinks after that... [Laughs]
How did the Robbie Williams management get interested in you?
LI: It was actually through an old friend of mine who is a lawyer in the UK music business. I've known him for some years. I brought him some CDs from this new project that I had with Mette. He said that he knew a guy that would be perfect for our management. That was the director of iemusic. He called me up straight away and the day after he came to Copenhagen to meet us.
How was it to be supporting Amy Winehouse?
ML: It was cool! It was our first gig!
LI: It was really good fun I think. A good kick-start. It forced us to gather our band really fast, because before this it was only just the two of us.
Did you get to meet her?
ML, LI: No.
Which fruit did you have in mind when you named your debut album (to be released in September) "Fruit"?
ML: All fruits.
But is there a concept behind the title?
LI: Fruits can be many things. It can be fruit of the work that you did. Fruit can be the outcome of something good. But we actually do like fruit quite a lot. We eat it all the time!
ML: And fruit it's not just one thing. It's so many things. You can have a banana, but you can have grapes and they're so different. It's like describing all colours and shapes.
So how do you go about writing a song? Is there a standard procedure?
ML: Most of the time Lars has got a sketch for a song, a beat or something. He has an idea and a sound, and then he explains to me what's in his head. And then I say: "Yes!" or "Nooo...". [Laughs]
Which instrument do you write music on?
LI: In the band I play the bass, but originally I am a keyboard/piano player. Most songs are written on a guitar actually. I am a really bad guitarist, so that keeps the songs simple.
Do you spend more time on finding the sound, writing the lyrics or writing the music of a song?
LI: There's not really a rule. It depends on the song. The sound is what we usually get first and the lyrics come after that.
Mette you seem to be extremely relaxed on stage. Do you ever get stressed?
ML: Well, I think I get stressed when I have to do too many things at the same time, but I don't get stressed by playing.
Is it hard to be playing to audiences that are listening to your music for the first time?
LI: It's a good challenge. People seem to dig our sound really fast.
Compare audiences in Denmark and abroad?
ML: We haven't played in Denmark that much.
Which of your gigs you remember the most?
LI: It was in the Molotov in Hamburg. It was the first time we realised that we had something big going on, because there was a huge line in front of the venue many hours before the gig. People went crazy!
ML: Yeah, we had to take people away from in front of the stage.
What's the funniest part of being on tour?
LI: Playing.
ML: The humour that you build in the crew and the band. It's a bit like high school.
What's the worst thing?
ML: All the farting in the bus! [Laughs]
What bands are you listening at the moment?
ML: When I get ready for the show I like listening to Billie Holiday.
LI: Last thing I heard was Snoop Dog I think.
What do you like doing when not touring the galaxy?
ML: I like cooking and riding my bike. I miss cooking...
LI: Oh, yeah biking!
Have you got a specific message to get across with your music?
ML: Let yourself free! Feel and enjoy life.
What are your plans for the future?
ML: They are building an elevator to the moon! [Laughs]
LI: Maybe we could play there next year! [Laughs]
Good plan! Only gig tickets might be slightly expensive... [Laughs] Why should people that have never heard of you listen to The Asteroids Galaxy Tour?
LI: Because we'll be the first band on the moon!
Words and picture by Vasilis Panagiotopoulos