Edgar Wright is my hero. Not so much in an iconic sense, but his career models one of a man who worked hard at a craft and succeeded in carving himself out of the normal mold with a show like Spaced. He’s created a career from his compendium fanboying and helped make fanboys cool; thus, creating more fanboys. And an odd surplus of meta-fanboys was created! I, myself, being counted as one of them.

I never get starstruck by meeting ‘celebrities’ (it’s a quiet mix of professionalism and apathy), but the strangeness of seeing the trailer for a film you’ve seen on television and anticipated seeing and looking over and seeing those people staring at you was (to put it lightly) a little less than ordinary. This seemed to have affected the two men little; as, they walked in and sat down without much question. Michael looks over at the TV screen blaring his image in flashing red. I looked over at the screen. I looked at him. I looked over at the screen. I looked a him. I threw up a little in my mind. It was a bit much to have that happen. It’s like the movie’s branding blocked my mind from comprehending it. This was my first time seeing him or interviewing him, but putting relevance to the individual on a larger scale so rapidly made me flinch for just a second.

I’d seen the film and it’s pretty damn through without noticing the originality. It bothered me how much of the originality was based on what could be a fad. Then, I remembered a past interview with Danny Perez where he talked about a new kind of cinema. We spoke about the changes that would arise in filmmaking as more and more people are exposed to several kinds of media, often at the same time. I asked Edgar Wright if his given has given to this notion by coincidence, “I think there’s definitely something [like that],” he went on to explain. “I even count myself among, this sort of like- well, I’m 36, but I grew up on video games as well. Certainly, there’s an idea that people, for better or worse can take in a lot of information at the same time. It’s amazing, now. I can’t [begin] to think about the people growing up who look at the internet and watch TV at the same time. Or even do something on a computer and have open another window to watch something else.”

It’s actually a bit startling to realize that that wasn’t normal; at least, not always. I didn’t realize it then, but there was already an abundance of distraction in the room. As he spoke, the TV played and the audio turned down slightly but still audible. It’s all the more evident at home. Even as I write this now I am watching television and listen to music.  The fact that my brain is going into meltdown and that this article doesn’t look like I wrote it in the dark (on a typewriter) is amazing. “You can take in a lot of information, ya know? There’s studies today that say that kids today are better driver because they’re used to, um-”

“-multitasking,” Michael jumps in to help Edgar Wright as he is finding the right words and somewhat multi-tasking himself. The TV in the room is still going and there are several reporters around him making eye contact. His eyes were dreamy. None of us could help it.

Outnumbered completely by sexually precocious adolescents  demanding  “Lick your lips! Lick your liiiips!”  followed by infinite OMGs, we were able to snag Tip “T.I.” Harris for a small chat at the Philly red carpet preview of Takers, T.I.’s latest addition to his acting, as well as executive producer, career.

He’s not as warm and fuzzy as his first role in ATL, yet still on the same baller level as his minor role in American Gangster, Takers is your garden variety all-star-cast story about several sexy men who just happen to have a knack for robbing banks (of course with a philosophical rationale behind it–usually explained in a dramatic monologue within the first ten minutes of the film, as well as a damsel-in-distress hottie to boot). In my most humble opinion, despite the fact that there is no actual mind-bender of a story to follow, I still suggest you see this movie–not just to forget the whole economic crisis that still is in existence, but for the pure escapism of sexy men robbing banks.

Here, T.I. briefly talks about his overall gratitude to be involved in producing this film and his awe for action movies. Whereas in this case, I spent most of the conversation marveling at his glowing white teeth. For the record, the lip-licking was enthralling.

Liz Roan: You were pretty amazing in ATL…

T.I. Why thank you…

LR: …after that you were in American Gangster, now this is a pretty big step. Do you see yourself doing more acting in the future?

T.I.: I mean if you guys would have me, i definitely would spend a lot more time on film. I like to go wherever opportunities take me, opportunity is where I’m in a hurry to go.

LR: Any particular directors you wish to work with?

T.I. Ooh, yea!  you know I’m big on action so I would love to work with Michael Mann, or Michael Bay as well. Of course I’m a fan of Gangster pictures, so I love Scorsese.

LR: Yesss! you’d be so pimp.

T.I. Haha! But you know what I’m saying, I think that right now I want to work with whoever’s interested in working with me.

Liz Roan: How’s the overall experience of producing, acting and promoting this film?

T.I. Well you know, its a great honor and such a great pleasure to be a part of such a great project as an actor as well as a producer. I’m enjoying every minute of it. I just hope everybody else is enjoying it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Yes, we interviewed to stars from Twilight: New Moon. We considered the pros and cons of this and while we were, we realized that lot of people were currently considering the pros and cons of being associated with this movie. The director, the stars, even half of the people on the soundtrack were debating what the hell they were doing with this film. And yet, all of them are reaping enormous benefits from being involved. Twilight: New Moon has surpassed Star Wars and the Dark Knight in most ticket pre-sales of all time. C’mon. It’s not selling out if you  had little ‘authentic’ credit in the first place, hm?  Plus, I mean… the soundtrack was good. Right? Sort of?

Here’s the interview, as conducted by Peter Kuhn. And anyone who is shaking their head in shame at us should especially read it. If you may not like the film, you have to understand that it’s not the actors. These are normal ‘bros’ doing their job and doing an admittedly good one at that.

Elitist Magazine: What was it like getting into the character roles? Any sort of specific preparation you did for the film? Read any of the books? Any background influences on becoming a vampire?

Daniel Cudmore: For me I sit down. I have built it from an emotional place that I can kinda connect. I wanted to find something that, you know you try to find an emotional thing you can kind of connect to your real life what you have so you can really get into this character. For me I just, as you look at Felix and his character the fact that he doesn’t have a special power. So I just kind of put that and said what happened if I was in this elite coven of vampires and I was the only one who didn’t really have a special power. Would I feel a bit jealous? You know, do certain vampires have better powers and now or are they they higher up on the later. Demetri feels he has been doing what they do for so long so well that I think he has a bit of jealousy in the fact that he doesn’t. But so he transfers that into anger and does what he does really well. So that is kind of where I took it from.

EM: So, Twilight mania. You no doubt saw the reaction to the first movie. How have things been so far since you joined on? Any preparation for the screaming teenage girls?

DC: Last night man. I had gone to concert recently and you know when you leave and your ears are kind of like just a little bit overwhelmed. People say something and you can kind of read their lips. That’s kind of what it was like. Tiny little girls blowing your ear drums out. It’s flattering because to have that many people, you know, who you only really know from a character in the book. So they are just associating you with someone they love in the book and you are still getting that kind of a turn out.

Charlie Bewley: There is no set way. There is obvious media training, which Dan and me did where you learn how to deal with the media. It’s not quite the same thing though when dealing with that velocity, that volume of people, who are just screaming rabidly at you. I think it’s your own psychology, your own how you work, how you translate things, how you process them. I don’t think anyone can really teach you how to absorb it or furthermore use it.

EM: Do your own stunts?

DC: Yea, I have been fortunate. I don’t really consider myself a stunt man because stuntman and women are really talented at what they do and that’s all they really do. There are things I can’t do. I have limitations, so I kind of consider myself like more of an actor who really enjoys doing his own stunt. Obviously there are going to be things where they are gonna say you can do it or I am going to look at it and go I can’t do that and I’m going to let a professional come in and do a great job. Yea, I have just been fortunate enough to be able to be in the right place at the right time and say hey I’d like to try it. I’ve had great stunt coordinators around me say, yea let’s go for it.

EM: A lot of stunts in New Moon?

DC: Yea, it was funny because I worked with the stunt coordinator on a show. So when I found out there was going to be a bit of a fight scene I called him up and said I want to do as much as I can. Just because I wanted to be as involved as I can, I’m kind of selfish in that way. I want to do as much of the character as I can and not feel like I sort of just come in said a few lines and leave. So I called him up and said is there any chance and he said yea, let’s work on it. So I worked with him and Rob Pattinson came in and we worked together for a week before and then we got a really cool fight scene. I’ve seen bits and pieces, I haven’t seen it pieced together, and it’s going to bring a whole new audience to this film. It’s kick ass.

EM: So you did most of the filming in Vancouver but then moved to Montepulciano, Italy. How was it there?

CB: It was a wonderful PR stunt, first and foremost on the part of Summit. We needed about six minutes of footage. We went there for almost two weeks, I think and the decision was probably made that we could find somewhere on location in Vancouver or we could go to Italy and really embrace what it is about the Volturi. Chris and Wick flew out there. They did so much research into finding the right place. When the found it, it was between Volterra and Montepulciano. It just didn’t work in Volterra, so they made the decision to go into Montepulciano, which is this little rustic – it’s beautiful, so ethereal

DC: Tough place to work…

CB: You kind of knew when you were going there that there was going to be this hive of activity up there. But when you are going up the cutbacks and it’s like hilltops, rustic, very very thousand years old. Everything is as was. Cobble streets, little shops. You get there and it’s just. There were 5,000 fans there at the film set. You go in and it’s like the most intense experience. There were only six cast men. Let’s face it, they are there to see Chris, our director and Robert. They want to see Rob Pattinson and Kristen. They want to see these guys. Once they realized, I walked around the first day with a security badge and no one knew who I was…

DC: I was getting security going what do you think you are doing?. Where do you think you’re going? It’s kind of fun.

CB: No one knows who I am, just enjoy the place. Someone was watching, only one person was watching because I don’t give a very good representation of myself. They tug on the shoulder and they say are you in Twilight and I say yea. They turn and look at me, I just kind of knew it was going to happen, that Notting Hill open the door without your pants on moment. Pandomomium, there was a wall  of photographers instantly within about ten seconds and it’s like [imitating camera noise]. I’m just like oh my god, this is ridiculous. This is what it was like all the eight days we were there. We only shot for one day and we got these shots and they were great. We just got to enjoy the lavish hospitality that they guys put on for us, which was just – I don’t think life could get any better than that week.

Exactly, how was it shooting in Louisiana?

I mean: I’ve only shot one movie… so, I can’t really compare Shreveport to other places, but just as a place that this was filmed for four months it kind of sucked. We were there in the middle of like July-August, so it was the hottest month. It was like a hundred and two degrees with 100% humidity, and there’s just nothing there to do in Shreveport, man. I mean, there’s casinos and gambling, but at some point you want to do something other than gamble. There’s just really no culture there. It’s a dead city, kind of. But, you know, there was a good crew. We had a really good crew that worked on the movie and it was cheap. In terms of that, it worked well.

Would you ever shoot the sequels there?

Nah. There’s no chance. I wanna spend three months in a place I like.

I’m actually born and raised there and it’s why I’m here in Philly.

Exactly. So, you know what I mean. That’s why they call it “Shitport”.

So, according to your blog: people have seen your movie and read your book and after all of that somehow you’re still getting laid. How do you explain that?

Wow… That’s what makes it easier, man.

Really?

Aw, dude. Are you kidding? What do you think? Generally speaking, other women want the guy that other women want to sleep with. And so, a lot of women want me for whatever reason and that’s what makes other women want me even more, man.

Having read the book and seen the film, I’m actually kind of confused at how mild it was. I actually expected a lot more gratuitous sex. Did you guys write in anticipation of the MPAA or did you have to cut a few things out?

In the movie? You have to understand that a movie is only 99 minutes long.  So, there’s only so much we can put in, ya know? And beyond that, I never really thought much of the humor in my book came from the outlandish situations. If you’ve been partying or drinking for any number of years, then you can go story for story with me, no problem. The humor comes from the situation, the dialogue, and the perspective on life. So, we really kind of tried to emphasize that in the movie. I mean, granted, we still put a couple outlandish things [in there]. Like, the shit scene is, as far as movies go, that’s an iconic and as outlandish as you can get in a movie. But we didn’t fill the whole movie with stuff like that.

It actually worked well in the film. I was pretty surprised. I was expecting “balls to the wall” type humor.

I’m sorry, what?

I was expecting balls to the wall humor…

Um, “balls to the wall” in what way?

Something more along the lines of American Pie.

I don’t think American Pie was that funny, man. That’s not balls to the wall humor. That’s just people being outlandish. Like, “Look at how crazy I can be”. I mean, I don’t know dude. Have you ever heard of fucking a pie? It’s funny because it’s ridiculous, ya know? It’s funny because it really could never happen, but that’s just not my style of humor, and that’s not really the style of the book, and that’s not the style of humor in the movie. Hollywood [films] like Hangover, American Pie, and Wedding Crashers and all of those movie (i.e. Anchorman); they’re all funny in their own way. I think Anchorman is fucking brilliant, but they’re all a certain style of humor. They’re all slapstick and hijinks. Where as here, I wanted to make a movie that’s very different from that. We wanted to make a movie like Office Space or like Seinfeld; a movie that has a much more situational or contextual, realistic humor. So, in what we wanted to do we succeeded. But if you were looking for just another Hollywood slapstick comedy: this is absolutely not the movie you want to see.

How’d you get all those cameos in there?

Yeah, we had Paul Wall, Traci Lord, Forest Griffith. I don’t know if you follow Mixed Martial Arts, but Forest Griffith is in there. He’s a UFC champion and light heavyweight. Drew Curtis, who owns FARK is in the movie. Basically, I just put my friends in the movie dude. They’re all friends of mine. Except Traci, she’s an actress, but we got to be friends during this process. But we’d just ask if they’d do it, they’d say yes, and we’d put them in.

How’s your feud with Michael Ian Black going?

Michael’s not gonna fight me, man. It was a joke on his part . It was a joke to get publicity and I knew what he was doing. But I was totally serious. I actually would have fought him without question, but I knew he was kidding. I’m not mad at the dude. I enjoy the shit out of him, actually.  I think he’s very funny, but he’s not gonna ever fight me.

Have you guys heard anything from the critics of what to expect from the comedy?

You know, everybody expects something different and there are absolutely people that are not gonna like this movie because it’s not a normal Hollywood comedy or they’re not gonna like it because they feel like it represents my character or the book well enough or whatever. There’s really nothing you can do about expectation. You can make the best movie you can and hope it works. I mean so far- I don’t wanna sound rude or a dick about this- but I don’t give more or less weight to the critics’ reactions than I do anyone else’s reaction. Because in this world of digital media, word of mouth is what’s most important. Critics matter, but they really don’t matter anymore than someone who has a thousand Twitter followers that loved the movie. If you know all those thousand people and you go: “Dude, this was an awesome movie. Go see it,” that’s gonna mean more to most people than a professional critic’s review that they don’t know. So, to us, our goal was to make the best movie possible and just hope people talk about it. I mean, so far, the reactions have been amazing.

Awww, yeah...

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart should be your new favorite band if they aren’t already. Their witty lyrics, and blissful indie pop will send you running to the record store, and their earnest, polite, sweet, and hilarious personalities will certainly get you all doe-y eyed. Three quarters of the crew (Kip-guitar/vox, Peggy-keys/vox, and Alex-bass) took a few minutes out of skyrocketing to the top to answer some of our questions.  Also be sure to catch the Pains (and Zaza) at the Barbary, May 6th 2009!

1:  There are a lot of questions about your name, it’s from a friend’s unpublished children’s book, but what was the book about, and  was there anything specific about the book that drew you to the name?

Kip: The short story was written by Charles Augustus Steen– a friend of mine and a legendary “character” from Portland, OR. The story’s moral is that the time spent with your friends and the adventures you have together when you’re young are the most important things in life– besides the beauty of the phrase, the moral really seemed to fit us. We’re all friends and playing music together is just the most exciting possible thing to be doing with our lives.

2: The comparison’s to “John Hughes soundtrack” music is endless…what are some of your less obvious musical influences?

Kip: I really like glam rock. T. Rex, Roxy Music, New York Dolls, Bowie– and their later day acolytes, Suede, Pulp, etc. I also really enjoy garage rock– Nuggets stuff, but also Dirtbombs, The Hunches, The Make Up, The Reigning Sound…

Alex: Kip and I first bonded over the Exploding Hearts (RIP). One of my favorite bands ever.

Peggy: I really like early 90s dance music.  Like Haddaway and Technotronic and Bizarre Inc.

I want to name a band after my favorite children's book... we'd be called "Where the Sidewalk Ends".

3: What are some of your non-musical influences? (art, film, etc.)

Kip: I like books, but not in a “look at me, I’m so smart and sad” way– I just like children’s books that create strange, different kinds of worlds with a matter-of-factness–  Like Babar or The Little Prince.

Alex: You probably won’t catch us sitting around talking about our favorite Renaissance painters, haha. I like art, but as a band I feel like we bond more over silly, funny, awesome pop culture bits like Wayne’s World.

Peggy:  I like the outfits that Claudia Kishi wore in the Babysitters Club.  And I like British Penguin classics from the 60′s. And religious cults are inspiring.  Like, they believe in something and go to great fucked up lengths for the cause they believe in.

4: What’s one question you’ve never been asked, but wish people knew about you guys?

Kip: We’re pretty uninteresting, to be honest…  Maybe “Kip, so is there a band that is really awesome that people are going to love in about 6 months?” And the answer would be “Yes, as a matter of fact there is, and that band is called Zaza”, but Kurt (POBPAH drummer) plays drums in that band so please don’t call the conflict of interest police.

Peggy: I think people have asked us that before.  I like it when people ask us questions about what we were like as teenagers, because I like picturing Alex with his Eddie Bauer rollneck sweater at a punk show with shoulder-length hair and glasses.

5: What’s your favorite kind of pizza? (rumor has it, you’re real into pizza)

Kip: I think late night pizza is the best kind of pizza– there’s quite a few places here that cater to that sort of thing…

Alex: I tried this bacon and chicken pizza over the weekend and it was terrible. I keep it simple, although one of my undercover favorites is a good ziti slice.

Peggy: I really, really love Hot Pockets.  I used to eat them all the time when I was in college and my roommates thought it was bizarre.  They’d see the little paper microwave sleeves in the trash can and be like, “Uh, Peggy, you ate THREE hot pockets today???”

6: Favorite nickname for pizza?

Kip: ‘Za’.  I also like pointing out that “I don’t want no ‘roni on my ‘za” in a surfer voice….

Alex: ‘Za’, definitely. Is there anything else?

Peggy: ‘Pizzazza’?

7: Craziest thing to happen in your whirlwind, meteoric rise to notoriety?

Kip: I don’t think we’re all that notorious…

Peggy: So far, probably getting to play on a late night TV show.

8: Most surreal moment?

Kip: Hearing through a friend of a friend of a friend that Janeane Garofalo is a fan! I mean, that’s pretty mind blowing!

Alex: Watching the Carson Daly bit… so weird.

Peggy: Playing in Iceland was pretty surreal

9: I recently saw you guys play at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, and there was some of Kip’s  family in the audience. What’s it like singing something like “This Love Is Fucking Right!” in front of the family?

Kip: My mom is cool. I think if you ever met her, you’d really like her.  I was really psyched that she was able to come out to our show– she also got a real thrill out of working the merch table!

10. Members of the band also often play in side bands (Kurt, the drummer, is singer/guitarist in Depreciation Guild for example), how important is it to vent some creativity elsewhere, and have that interaction with other creative types?

Kip: We don’t have any side projects. The Depreciation Guild is just as important as Pains and we do our best to allow for both bands to co-exist.

Peggy: I think eventually it’d be fun to be in another band, like maybe a really bad band where I played drums or something (I don’t know how to play the drums).

11: The Brooklyn music scene is exploding, there are hordes of bands bursting out every other day, if it had to come down to cage-ring-death matches to get noticed, what fellow bands do you think you could take?

Kip: This is starting to sound like Beyond Thunder Dome, and we probably don’t need another hero…

Peggy: We’re kind of wussy, in case you haven’t noticed.

12: If you had to pick a specific art form to describe your album, what would it classify as?

Kip: Pop.

Well that’s all for us at the Elitist, hope it was a little more fun than the average interview, and thanks!

Kip: Thank YOU Elitist. We definitely appreciate the time you took to come with interesting questions and, of course, pizza related inquiries!

You’re in Old Navy, a coffee shop, your job, in your car; everywhere you go, you’ll hear the Ting Tings playing somewhere. You find yourself humming the riff to “Great DJ” or the chorus to “That’s Not My Name”; Their songs are stuck in your head everywhere you go.  To some people they’re newly venerated pop demi-gods that have come out of their cult status (which didn’t last long, mind you). To others, they’re a band that’s in an iod commercial who’s songs you can’t get away from. If you’re the latter, then you probably haven’t actually listened to the album enough to even understand why they are being played so much. They’re fucking good pop music. Yeah, that word carries different weight here in America, but in a place where bands like New Order or Arctic Monkeys could be considered pop, perhaps it’s not such a bad thing (even though I don’t enjoy the latter). In this article, you’ll hear just that: this band is not about gimmick at all (you can chalk that up to the American money making machine).  If you’re not a fan, hopefully this’ll help you realize The Ting Tings are actually two artists that are finally getting their due. They’re the perfect example of the duality of being actual artists that gain popularity and dealing with the almost inevitable compromises of integrity that seem to happen to most of the people in their situation (which they are thankfully avoiding).

Love the style...

Katie:

Right! You sound like our dear friend, Bill. That his mission in life; to kind of, get a place to facilitate artists. So they can get inspired by meeting other artists. That’s a great thing to do.
Chris:

Is it Islington?
Katie:

Islington Mill, yeah.
Chris:

Whenever I read that in another interview, I was very happy because people are actually doing it and it’s not [necessarily] a bad idea.

Jules
They often do a lot of, kind of, collaborations with other similar types of set ups in different places, like: Berlin they go to, France, Scotland. They kind of collaborate with young artist groups there, as well. At the moment Bill’s got- not a B & B, but a place where go and do an exchange sort of thing. They can stay there for a week and study and sort of mingle with the artists.
Chris
That’s great. I saw you on One on One or Oxygen…

[A look of confusion hides across their face]

Chris:
Anyway, you played SOS [an AWESOME R&B /funk band from the 80s]

Katie
Oh, yeah, yeah.

Chris
No offense, but I couldn’t believe it. Specifically, English people.

Katie
Really?

Jules De Martino & Katie White

Chris
No offense, though. The more I heard your music [especially] live, I can definitely hear the influence. The bit of funk you guys have.

Katie
Yeah, we kind of like all that [bands like] Chic and that kind of thing.

Jules
SOS Band… that was a pretty good song there, ah? It’s an amazing track; the original. Beats International covered it. Have you heard that version?

Chris
No, I haven’t.

Jules
What’s his name….

Katie
Fatboy Slim.

Jules
Fatboy Slim. He was in a band before called Beat International and he had done a version of SOS Band’s “Just Be Good to Me” and made it a huge hit in Europe and then it comes over here and Norman-

Katie
-Cook.

Jules
Cook, yeah. We kind of do a version where it’s halfway between the cover and the original.

Katie
‘Cause the original-

Jules
-the original doesn’t have a rap in it like we do.

Chris
We were curious as to why you guys don’t have a backup band. Do you ever wish you had one?

Katie
Well, we just got off stage and we’re exhausted, yeah. Well, when we started this band it was just the two of us. You know, we’ve been in bands with more members and it doesn’t necessarily make you a better band, ya know? It seems to suck energy out of you, you know. We’ve been in bands with like 4 or 5 other people and this has got just soo much more chemistry and energy. What are we gonna do? Pay five session musicians to go: “You’re shit, you’re shit. We’re taking your money.” I just think that it’s very interesting with two ‘cause you’ve got nowhere to hide; you’ve gotta give it everything.You have to really have a full on performance to really keep people interested. So, um, we like it ad two. We always kind of make hard for ourselves, but we really like it.

Chris
My partner [Adam] actually had to leave, but he was wondering if you ever danced in front of the mirror. Apparently, he likes the way you dance.

Ting 1 & Ting 2

Jules
I honestly don’t. I can’t do that. [to Katie] You could when you’re young, don’t you?

Katie
Yeah, when I was a little girl but no. I hate seein’ myself the way I perform, but I’m not the loudest person in the room, I’m not such an extrovert, It kinda comes out on stage and I don’t have a loud voice so kind of I have to wind myself to get the noise out. It’s the only way I could really perform. So, I call it like I’m being chased by a wasp. When I see I’m like:”Oh, how embarassing.” But people seem to like it. But, yeah, I don’t do the moves that I do on stage in front of the mirror. I would’ve danced to Madonna once in the mirror as a child.

Chris
Do you guys ever feel [your popularity is] strange? I saw you guys go from Glastonbury backstage to the Peel stage and now, literally, you’re one of the biggest bands in the UK and here [see the amount of sold out shows they have on this tour]. Do you ever get a chance to sit and go, “Oh wait. What the fuck just happened?”

Jules
Maybe a bit strange. It’s a battle. People don’t realize that wen we done this band we did a lot of artwork, we do the art on our sleeves, we threw house parties, we do our own single designs, we do our own 12”, and produced our own record in our own (kind of) bedroom studio. And when people start to like it, it creates a lot of problems. In a way that: you start traveling and people start buying your records, you sign a record deal, you’ve got management all of a sudden ;cause you gotta be in all these different places at all these different times. Before you know it, and it’s literally overnight, I mean you do a year’s touring it goes like [snaps his fingers] that because, we went over about four times last year and for us it’s like: “Oh, my god, China, Japan…” We’re seein all these peoples and it’s just like one big trip. You don’t realize who all are there. All of the sudden, there all these people involved in what you do looking after you supposedly. That means there’s people in the kitchen. With art, Ya know, with any form of art sometimes the most simple things are the most powerful things. When we define our art… some of the things we do with our audience is we give them paint and we get them to design some of our sleeves. We got such a reaction with that and some of that paintwork and artwork we’ve got on some of our record is just amazing because we’ve let people see the band, feel the energy. Give ‘em paint, brushes, toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes with pens, and they’re trying ti draw with them or we’d tie people’s arms up with six people, so that when one of them draws it pulls the others back and all this sort of shapes.

Chris
Oh, really?

Jules
All that is the freedom of what we do and on the other side is where people say: “You can’t do this gig.” “Well, why’s that?” “They don’t have a deal with your record label” or “They’re not in with your record label”. You know, that whole kind of politic behind the bureaucracy of the music industry. That’s the battle for us. We’re totally anti- that whole sort of thing. We like to do what we did tonight; say, we play in front of 50 people… there’s no difference. You know, we’re doing 55,000 people in the UK in the Summer and 20,000 people last year. It makes no difference to us. I guess the only difference it makes when you play in a place like this is, it’s hotter. It’s sweaty and the people are right close to you. You know, you get your hair all down and you let it go. When you place the sort of windy, open arenas or you know like, a festival stage, the audience is much further away. And it’s sometimes a bit more difficult to reach out to them. You’re playing hard, but they’re like: “Where’s the Ting Tings?” And that can be slightly frustrating.

Chris
So, do you guys have any hfkglkhj?

Katie
Pardon?

Chris
Do you guys have any art shows planned… I read about the Ting Ting nights [theywould have parties and play everytime their songs got above a certain amount of plays on myspace. This is also where the crazy paintings would be done].

Katie
Yeah, we did one about three weeks ago, didn’t we? In Manchester… We whited out the room, pull like 10” sleeves on the wall everywhere. We kind of sent an invite out on our myspace and invited like a vast load of people to email us [to] come to this party. And we like dressed them all in our big ass track suits, white ones (they gave em to us for free), so everybody looked the same. It’s really weird… ‘cause normally, you kind of work your audience out. You shouldn’t be, but as a human, you sort of do. You gotta kind of, ya know-

Chris
See who’s out there.

Katie
Yeah. You couldn’t even see that. They all just kind of looked like kind of, we have this term in the UK called Scullies (sp?) like Trackies. ‘Cause they’re all like… [Insert cute and funny noise here]. We even wore and we all looked the same. It was really good ‘cause-

Jules
It was  like a blank canvas. A completely white canvas.

Katie
Yeah. And we started to play and people started to draw and then it turned into this huge paint fight.

Jules
Amazing.

Katie
People were coming out and it shocked us because we was like “this is gonna be good” and it was the most memorable show we’ve ever done. Which kind of warmed our hearts, ya know. We’re like a year ad a half in and we’re signed to a really big record company, and all the stuff to  be a big band, but we actually dod one of our best gigs a few weeks ago.

Jules
In a little kind of place.

Katie
Yeah. It’s so memorable and people wouldn’t ‘ave forgotten that gig when they’re old. Just because it was such a surreal experience; everybody lookin’ the same, covered in paint and they completely just let go. I had paint in my mouth, my eyeballs, I had to wear a wig ‘cause it was all in my hair. At one point, I had to stop playing ‘cause there was too much paint on my  guitar; I couldn’t play it. But yeah, we do stuff like that. We’re hoping to do something like that in the states one day. Maybe in New York or LA or something like that.

Chris
Let me know when you do.

Katie
Yeah. You’re invited. It was weird ‘cause I went on stage and for like, the first half of the song I was like: “Don’t like this. I’ve got paint in my eyeball. I cam’t sing properly.” And then as I got more covered in paint I started to really enjoy it.

There’s a lot of debate about whether or not gaining popularity is selling out. A sell-out is someone that gains popularity and loses touch with their fans; as well as, possibly completely losing their audience and not giving a shit. That’s not the Ting Tings. I could tell that if these two were to lose their fans, it wouldn’t be the same for them.

[I’d like to apologies if I was being a bit overdramatic with my prologue. I’m currently on a Cure and Joy Division binge... holding back the tears.]