We Were Promised Jetpacks and The Twilight Sad played a sensational show in Brooklyn on Friday night. The morning after, Dear Scotland spoke with WWPJ about the tour and more. See below. The band are back in NYC tonight at the Bowery Ballroom but get there early as the Jetpacks will open the show.
DS: Where are you now and what did you do last night?
We Were Promised Jetpacks (WWPJ): We’re in a bus parking place in Philadelphia! The venue doesn’t have parking so we’re working out a way to get all of our gear to the venue. Besteban our tour manager is rocking it though. Last night we got to hang out with our friends in Brooklyn which was great. We’ve not seen them in a few months and it was great to catch up.
DS: Paul McCartney said he got into music to avoid a job – and get lots of girls. What made you get into music?
WWPJ: I’m not really sure. We started playing in a band because it looked great fun. Then we never really stopped having fun. Avoiding a proper job is definitely a factor.
DS: What is your favourite song of yours to play right now?
WWPJ: It varies, but we’ve just written our first new song since the album, so that one! ‘Short Bursts’ and ‘It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning’ are always fun. The louder the more fun, basically.
DS: On this tour you’ve been all over North America, was there one place on the tour schedule that you were most looking forward to playing?
WWPJ: We were looking forward to Seattle a lot as the KEXP radio station is based there. They’ve been great for us and play us a lot so we knew we’d get a decent crowd. Aside from that, the major cities I think – LA, Boston, Chicago. Canada is exciting too.
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhjAnjmfdFs
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DS: Do you feel more Scottish when you are abroad, or do you adapt well to new places? Anything you’ll miss about Scotland?
WWPJ: No not really. Nothing really changes that much. We do miss home but we do the same things! We always hang out together when we’re home anyway, so it’s just another place when we’re away.
DS: What will be your first words on stage in New York at the Bowery Ballroom?
WWPJ: We’ll fire right into a song. After that who knows!
DS: Are there any Scottish musicians, past or present, that have influenced you?
WWPJ: The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit. And we’re very much influenced by local bands who we love.
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The Twilight Sad
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2zgVcP5WYU
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DS: So you’ve been touring with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, how do people react when they discover you are all Scottish?
WWPJ: The tour has been marketed as the “Fatcat Scotland” tour, so nobody is all that surprised. And the people who come along know what they’re in for!
DS: What should the Scottish national anthem be?
WWPJ: There was some “internet movement” or whatever about making Mogwai’s Fear Satan the national anthem. I think that’d be good. But the best one would be anything by Jocky Venkataraman.
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Jocky Venkataraman
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYlOR5o79w8
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DS: What is the best after-show experience you’ve had?
WWPJ: Hmmmm. Good one. In LA we got to meet Jim and Dwight from the (US) office, so probably that one!
DS: And finally, many many years from now, when you finish your farewell world tour, is there one place to which you would like to retire?
WWPJ: We enjoy New York a lot, but it’s not really “retirement” happy. Our drummer Lackie is going to say Orlando, but the rest of us need to think it over a bit!
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We Were Promised Jetpacks play the Bowery Ballroom tonight with The Twilight Sad and Brakes. Some tickets are still available here.
After New York the tour will stop in Allston, Montreal, Toronto, Ann Arbor and Chicago. Full details are on the Scotland On Tour page as always. After North America the band will head out on a UK Tour beginning November 6th in Sunderland and ending on November 29th at King Tuts in Glasgow. Full details at www.myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks .
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReyblsZQJWE