 Elia, the songwriter, vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist and only static member of “chambery folky punky band” the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, has answered Superstarcastic’s 5 Questions. Since certain members of our little collective cannot tear their ears away from his last album I Bet You Say That To All The Boys, this is cause for great rejoicing.Â
Based in Chicago, the SYGC has a very British or Glaswegian orchestral-pop sound, helped along by the revolving group of musicians adding vocals, cello and other instruments to Elia’s lush arrangements. Said musicians are releasing a new single in February and are currently shopping their next album around to labels…wherever it ends up, we are guessing it will be very successful.
1. When historians listen to your most recent CD 1000 years from now, what will they say?
I hope that historians will be able to note that our music helped people in the way that other artists’ music helped us. My life was deeply impacted by so many bands and musicians- Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Magnetic Fields to name a few- and it means the world to me each time one of our fans tells me how my songs have helped them with their own struggles. My hope is that as we continue to grow in popularity, more and more people will be comforted.
2. If you could play a show with any band/musician living or dead, who would you pick and why?
If The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir could play with one band, it would be The Smiths. Morrissey is one of my top songwriters ever, and while I adore- read ADORE- his solo work, playing with the old group would be magical. I challenge anyone in their right mind to show me a bad Smiths song. There isn’t one.
I saw Morrissey last week when he played in Chicago and it was AMAZING. It was my third time seeing him live, and he never disappoints. He played a mix of Smiths and solo songs that included ‘Panic’, ‘The National Front Disco’ and ‘You Have Killed Me’. You just cannot argue with that.
3. What is the strangest band-related dream you have had?
Throughout SYGC’s years as a group I’ve used over fifty musicians in the studio and live. I am the sole member that is and always will be there. I know that it’s time for someone to leave the band when I begin having violent dreams in which I’m beating them up. I know this sounds pathalogical, but it’s the truth. I know then that walking papers are in order. Thank God that’s only happened a few times…
4. What do your fans look like?
I am consistently surprised at the range of people who come to our shows. Lots of hipsters, lots of college kids but also adults and even a smattering of yuppie types! We’ve played with so many types of bands- from The Arcade Fire’s indie fans to The Violent Femmes’ older crowds to Junior Brown’s blues fans- that they keep coming back and co-mingle wonderfully.Â
5. What bullshit do you run into at most every show that makes you think “man, this bullshit again?”
I’ve been in recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism for nearly ten years now. I have no patience for drunks who act like idiots and I hate when people smoke pot and/or do other drugs at shows. I know that some people can handle the occasional joint or whatnot, but not at our shows, please. It really pisses me off. Alcoholic and drug induced bonding should be reserved for jam band shows, period.
Bonus question: why won’t you forget to tip your bartender?
Although The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir brings in a substantial amount of money between concerts, album and single sales and TV shows and movies using our songs, it’s not yet enough for us to live on. We all work (some more sporadically than others) regular paying jobs, and I choose to work in the vegetarian food industry since it’s a cause close to my heart. I know firsthand how service-industry workers make their money, so when I order a kiddie cocktail I always tip generously.
15 Comments »
it should be considered an honour for elia to dream about you, even if they are mean, violent dreams. that, my friends, is how much i love this band. you should love it too.
Does anyone happen to know the name of that song by them that was on The O.C.?
“Meat is Murder” = TERRIBLE Smiths song. Those bleating animals in the background are too darn much… coupled with the song’s overearnest lyrics, they don’t make me feel horror at all, they just make me giggle. Those goddamn sheep were bad emo before bad emo existed and thusly, the lamb sacrifices must continue.
christine beat me to it! that song is atrocious. i love the smiths and i’m a totally gross fangirl about them, but that song sucks. ‘oscillate wildly’ is crap too, but that’s a cover. still.
NO, NO, NO it’s murrrrrrrrrder!
NO, NO, NO it’s murrrrrrrrrder!
oh and who hears when animals cry?
sorry. couldnt help it.
the song that was on the o.c. is “ellen’s telling me what i want to hear.” and my favourite, “topsy turvy,” is going to be on something too - from his email:
“By the way, I’m so glad you like Topsy Turvy. It was just licensed and will any day be played on The Noggin Network’s new show ‘The Block’. ”
ps. i like “oscillate wildly.”
I used to have fun with my friends making up additional verses to “Meat Is Murder.”
“And the muscular flesh has the godforsaken reek of MURDER!!!!!”
This is also a fun game to play with Nick Cave’s “Babe, I’m on Fire.”
concerning the actual meat (is murder? har har har) of your article:
i downloaded this band finally. they are quite a lot like belle and sebastian , in a good way. they are still pretty distinct, and since b&s kind of sucks now, these guys can take their place. i can hear a lot of smiths/wedding present/etc influence in their music and lots of other good stuff too. i REALLY like them. they make me happy.
and literati -
that is freakin hilarious. i am totally going to start playing that game.
These guys’ answers to the questions make me think they take themselves SO seriously. And gee, you wouldn’t have guessed it by their influences. Ever meet a Smiths fan that didn’t take themselves far too seriously? Or have an imagination for anything other than Victorian poetry and costume dramas that involve cryingthat matter…..
amber, i am so glad you like them. i have been unable to listen to anything besides sygc and two gallants all weekend long.
and hey, some people have more existential angst than others - that’s why we love the smiths.
I resent that comment. I have so much existential angst that I could trade it for the contents of an entire Hot Topic store.
i like to call existential angst the “existential wedgie”. it seems to get the point across more accurately. we have existential wedgies, joie.
I resent that the SYGC makes me ashamed of holding a day job every time I hear ‘Bet You Never Thought It Would Be Like This’.
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Comment by Sam E. — December 4, 2006 @ 11:51 am
I think that if the leader of my band were having violent dreams about beating me to a bloody pulp, it wouldn’t take much convincing to get me to leave. All they’d have to do is casually mention at rehearsal, “You know, Sam, I’ve had five dreams in the last two weeks in which I smashed your face in with a crowbar…”