NZ MUSIC MONTH: Interview With Cut Off Your Hands

Kiwi indie darlings Cut Off Your Hands are back! Hallelujah! After almost 2 years of being off the radar the Auckland based band are set to release their second album Hollows in July on Speak n Spell Records.

We talked to frontman Nick Johnston about what he's been up to, NZ Music Month and the groups new record.

Aside from the odd show here and there we haven't heard much from Team COYH's over the last 18 months. What have you guys been doing during that time?

We just needed a break from touring. It had been 3+ years of constantly being on the road, and in particularly after You and I came out we spent alot of time abroad and played alot of shows, especially in the states. I also wanted to do things other than just live and breath music 24/7. Music is fun, but I have other interests and pursuits as do the others in the band. I'm currently studying architecture, and the others are quite involved with work etc.

Cut Off Your Hands - Expectations

It's pretty safe to say that your debut record You And I was hugely well received throughout the world. Looking back on that first record how do you feel towards those songs and that time as a band?

It was an exciting time, constantly being in new places having new experiences, but I can't listen to most of those songs anymore. That stuff was all about capturing an energy, and now we've moved on to something different. I'm sure with time I'll be able to look back objectively and enjoy that music, but for now im just looking forward to playing the new record.

Can you give us an update on the status of drummer Brent Harris and his hearing?

Brent's playing with us again, he played on the record and will play shows again, but with hearing loss there's not really a chance of getting better. It is a tough reality to cope with regardless of being a musician, and his specialists don't see any necessary correlation between his playing and the hearing loss. He's determined for it not to stop him doing what loves. He's pretty incredible at playing the drums.

We're really excited about your brand new record Hollow being released in July. What can people expect from album number 2 and how does it differ from You And I?

Just way better, sounds a lot closer to how we should sound than the last. There's no cheesey pop-songs or teenage angst, and I guess we sound more like we're in our mid 20s now rather than bratty teens. Maybe the vocals are better, I dunno...more guitar driven perhaps. We acquired a couple 12-strings guitars in between records and that probably influences the sound as much as anything. NZ and Aussie bands..like the go-betweens, the triffids, the bats, the church

The first single off the new record 'You Should Do Better' is now out? Can you give us an insight as to what this song is about?

In short, it's about waking to the fact that you're a useless and selfish partner/lover to the only person that really cares about you.

Cut Off Your Hands - You Should Do Better

With You And I you chose to work with ex-Suede guitarist/producer Bernard Butler (The Cribs, The Libertines) and recorded that first record in the UK. On album No.2 you guys have chosen to do things a little closer to the home by recording the album here in NZ? Who did you work with on Hollow and what was it like making the album on home soil?

We self produced this record mainly for money reasons, and because I knew what I wanted this time around. We had the help of a great engineer called Peter Wood, who brought in some gear, but we just did it all very quickly. It was done in a week at Brent's parents house. I hate spending hours deciding on snares or amps or mic placements so we just limited our options and made quick decisions, and lived with the results, which were better anyway. The pace of recording meant that everyone was still into it by the end. Rather than being bored from having sat around listening to bass tones being perfected all day or whatever. At the end of the day I figure you're always going to wish you could've done some things better/differently, so I'd rather spend time getting the song working rather than focusing on minute changes in frequencies of the snare drum. But then again, I'm no engineer so perhaps that's sacrilege to some.

Being NZ Music Month what do you think sets NZ bands apart from other artists around the world? Is there any major difference to what we do here than say artists in the UK or US?

Accents maybe? Ha! I dont know, it seems with MP3 sharing everyone's aware of what's going on everywhere. A lot of the bands that I'm friends with or fans of in the states are massive fans of Antipodean bands from the 80s, which I guess is due to the DIY punk ethic of those bands. I suppose in NZ, most bands that are doing things in an alternative way are forced to do it all themselves...aint no Sub Pop in NZ.

Do you think we still need NZ Music Month or is there already enough Kiwi music going around?

Anything that promotes more local music on radio etc has got to be a good thing, but the nature of it seems a little odd at times. I guess that's the way with organised things like NZMM. It's become associated more with god-awful middle of the road bands and middle aged men wearing NZMM T's, than the artists that could really put nz music on the map internationally.

If you could invite 5 Kiwi artists to play an intimate showcase for you and your friends who would be on the bill?

I would love to see more of Ghostwave, Dear Time's Waste, Collapsing Cities, Tied on Teeth and sorry I know theyre not NZ but our aussie friends Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders are incredible too

If you could pick 3 songs off the new record that you're most proud of what would they be and why?

Perhaps 'You Should Do Better', 'Hollowed Out', and 'Buried', those three are a pretty good cross section of the record. All fairly melodic and jangly, Byrds-esque tunes, but different enough from each other. I dunno, I like the whole record at the moment, it's still fresh enough for me to be able to say that sincerely.

Cut Off Your Hands new album Hollow is out in July on Speak n Spell.

By Luke Winslade