I just finished an interview ...

I have done very few in my life (not including the impostering other people ones, oops!) so I thought it might be nice to preserve this. Thanks to Amy Richardson for asking, it's for her fanzine (do they still make these???) "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", and for some reason I'm writing about my time @ Jeepster. So, if you'd care to read on ...



1.When did you begin working with Jeepster, how did you get that job?

I think I started for proper in May 1997? There's kind of a pre-amble to that, which I hope you don't mind indulging me in? I'd met B&S when they came in to the record store I worked in before a show they were playing @ The Borderline in November 1996, around the time that "...Sinister" was released. Anyway, I ended up being involved in running their fanclub, which was how I met Mark Jones & Stef D'Andrew @ Jeepster, and they had a guy called Ben who was sort of the office assistant person at the time. I think he decided to go back to college, so Mark needed someone to help him run the London office and I said I'd do it as kinda work experience. I think I started on one day a week, it ended up as a trial thing and then I eventually had a job proper, somehow?!

2.What were your responsibilities at Jeepster?

They started out pretty basic: cups of tea, answering phones, etc. I think after all the time I spent there I ended up doing national and regional TV & radio plugging, national and regional press, A&R, office assistant, PA to Director's, merch girl, Production Manager, Manager, International liason, accounts, royalties, general dogsbody ... you name it I did it. It was a very collaborative kinda place to work, everyone pitched in and helped out as and when necessary.

3.Did you deal with Belle & Sebastian from the beginning of their time there?

Umm, yeah, I suppose I must have done? I knew them already, from having met them in the record store and running the fanclub with David from our flat, so I would have been dealing with Neil and the rest of them as and when necessary. Oh sorry, I've just re-read your question! No, I wasn't working there when they were first signed to the label, I only started after the "Dog On Wheels" EP was released and the first record I worked on was the "Lazy Line Painter Jane" EP. And obviously "If You're Feeling Sinister" had come out before both of them.

4.What was your involvement with the band?

Mostly dealing with Stuart & Neil's requests, I think? And then just label stuff like I mentioned above, like fielding press/radio enquiries, helping organise the webchat we did via the IMC #sinister chat room (that was pretty memorable!), sold merch at the gigs - which was my first experience of going "on tour"; booking accom for tours, listening to test pressings. All sorts of stuff! Obviously I was a lot more involved with B&S when I moved up to Glasgow to work for them proper, but when I was at Jeepster, it was mostly that kind of stuff. Such a long time ago now, its kind of hard to remember!

5.What was the best thing about working at Jeepster?

Fulfilling my long held dream of working in London in the music industry.

6.And the worst?

Realising that despite the fact that everyone should want the same thing, bands and labels are sometimes opposed to the best way to go about achieving said "things", and that if you work for the label, you can't be on the bands side. I suppose I realised that the most important thing in my life, music, was actually a business at the end of the day for everyone, the artists included. That took a little of the shine off it, off my favourite songs saying and meaning so much to me and moving me in ways that I'd never experienced before. But, it was something I think I had to learn, and going from a label to a management position kinda highlighted the paradoxes in a sense. It's certainly not a bad thing to realise, it just came a little later to me than most who work in "the biz". I was very naive though!

7.Do you listen to B&S now ever? Do you have a favourite record of theirs?

No, I don't listen to them anymore. I sometimes think - like I am now typing this - about my favourite B&S songs and how much they've meant to me in the past, but I don't have any on my iPod or computer, and all my music is in storage, so I'd have to go and buy it all if I wanted to! I have really fond memories of every record, and I love that it's kind of impossible to think about the songs pre-DCW without thinking mostly of the album. That was the point, that was what they were trying to achieve and totally did it. Such a great legacy, Stuart is certainly a man of vision and belief in himself and his ways of doing things! I love "Tigermilk", and "The Boy With The Arab Strap". I love the "3..6..9..." EP as well as "...Modern Rock Song". I really love "Legal Man" too. I just don't listen to them anymore.

8.Name your top song, book and film:

Oh gees, do you mean of all time? Only one of each? My goodness, I really don't know if I can! I can't figure out whether I should treat this as a recommendation or a self-explanation? Or just my favourite? I'll have to come back to these! I've decided on most popular, for me at least. So that's most times viewed/read/listened to ...

SONG: Joy Division "Twenty-Four Hours" (I have to listen to it again now, so so so amazing. The slight delay on the snare (I think that's what it is) kills me every time. Sends me into a trance.
BOOK: Enid Blyton "The Folk of the Faraway Tree" This book has inspired me to live the fantasy life I do.
FILM: Grease, I have seen this so very very many times and I love it every time.

Three quick alternatives ... "Heroes" by David Bowie, "Blow Up" with David Hemingway and Kurt Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions".

9. When / why did you stop working at Jeepster?

Couple of reasons, mainly that B&S were looking for someone to run the merch out of their office in Glasgow, and it was a job and move I quite fancied. There are personal reasons involved too, but that's kinda boring. I'd also realised that - kind of like I mentioned before - my loyalties lay more with the bands interests than the label's interests, so having the opportunity to jump to the good ship Banchory, it was a good time for both me and Jeepster to leave. It was August 1999 I think?

10. What are you doing at the moment?

I started a BA this year, I never went to University after school, so I found myself living back in my home town - Perth, WA - and thought I might give it a go. However, the same day I got my acceptance, the international manager of my favourite band in Australia got in contact looking for someone to oversee the Australian stuff! So I find myself studying full time and working part time for Cut Copy http://www.cutcopy.net I'm actually over in Melbourne with them just now, as they're on their national tour promoting their second album and I'm organising all the after parties, amongst other things. LOts of fun, but VERY different to B&S!

11. Do you still keep in touch with any of B&S?

Yeah, it was Stuart & Marisa's wedding last weekend in Glasgow and I would have given my right arm to have been there. I miss them all awfully, I worked for them in Glasgow for nearly seven years, plus the two that I was at Jeepster for, so they're a massive part of my life. I never write anywhere near enough, I don't think anybody really does though. But I sort of keep in touch through other people and method's - like Facebook! B&S became my family, seeing as mine were all on the other side of the world! The Banchory office was a very jolly place to be most of the time, very safe and I was very comfortable in amongst it all. It is a family really, all the touring folk, crew, session musicians, label people, accountants & lawyers and management. We had a really nice little self-contained unit and it was my life. Sad as that may sound!

12. What’s your favourite animal?

Oooh, I dunno? I love all animals. I do love cats a lot, I suppose they could be my favourite? Penguins and otters too. Hairy Coos as well! And I find myself liking dogs a lot more than I used to these days too.

Sheesh, I suppose I better go back and do the song/book/film thing now then!