We caught up with Judders of (Seas Of Mirth) ahead of his what looks to be a sell out show at The Old Bus Depot this Saturday 5th October to talk music, mayhem and all things mirthy....
We hear you’ve got some new releases in the pipeline,tell us about them?
- Apart from the gas I'm about to release from my pipeline after these spicy fajitas we've got nothing... Well, a few remixes have been done. We spent ages on Kriller so there's a lot to unpack there for a few years we like to think!
You’ve been together what 15 years now? Is it the same lineup and how have dynamics changed in terms of preparing for gigs and songwriting?
- We have had over 30 different band members in this time, though since about 2018/9 we've more or less stuck to the same. All past members are part of our extended family tho and some do a guest appearance when they can. No argy bargy Jane's Addiction style bust-ups, if that's what the popcorn eaters were after. Me and Paul still write the majority of tunes.
3. Your image underwent a bit of a change, more more bling, less arrrrgg. Was that organic or a group decision?
-We really had to leave the pirate thing behind. We've got so many influences between us and while we took a lot of that in while writing the shantified tunes, it got to the point where we wanted to break free from those shackles. I swear in 2018 nearly the only gigs we could get were "pirate-themed events" and a lot of them sucked. It was getting a bit cringe and we were all over 30 and sometimes you have to make adult decisions. We wanted to do a more sensory underwater album for a long time so that was Sub Marine Dreams in late 2019, and Kriller is a bit of a continuation of that, but with more of a disco/nightlife lens. So these days, the image is deep sea bling/sequins, sparkles and very garish UV lights.
4. Do you have favourite festivals to play and you’ve been playing a lot more gigs overseas (accidental pun). Tell us about that?
-Fave festies: we played Maui Waui in Norfolk this year for the first time and the vibe and size was spot on. Lost In The Hills which we played at last year and generally help out every year, stunning location in the Peaks and the music is always mindblowingly cool. Beat Herder this year was a good laugh. And we did a small gathering last year in Somerset with a big triangular stage, can't remember the name of it...
You’re doing a lot less local gigs nowadays. Was the up and coming gig at the depot something you’d planned with the other bands and how did you meet them?
-Yep, while we are in a good position to travel around we're totally milking that. Maybe when we're older we'll play more locally, for now it's good to space local gigs out so you can add more focus on the promo. We're playing more in Derby(shire) and Leicester gigs too as we have some folk from there. Someone's gotta be, eh! Haven't played abroad since the Brexit hammer. It's a massive faff now. Cheers for that, Boris!
6 . Have you always been in prog bands? How many bands and musicical acts do you share between you all?
Prog is a sticky label, while we're most certainly "progressive", I'm not sure if we're necessarily a prog band. It can be a very serious genre. Serious we are not... Myself Sally and Zorba play in Hallouminati, but we're having a long break right now. Zorba's doing his Komboloi Star project, Paul is aka Pale Stranger, Todd makes noises as Sad Bread, Ted Carp plays in a heavy math rock band called Nostalgia for Ruins.
Where are your three top cities and why?
Manchester is always a vibe, everyone is always up for it and we always get on amazing lineups. Sheffield is the same, they absorb us well! And we'd include Nottingham on there but only if all the people come tonight!!
Is there any other bands locally or further afield we should check out and why?
Yep, Ask My Bull, flamboyant jazz punk from Manchester, Flat Moon, old skool p-funk from Leeds, Not Soup, soulful mathy Brummies, Hot Head Show from London who make wonky and incredibly catchy singalong tunes. They don't gig a lot but we helped bring them out of hiatus a couple of years back on a bill down there and it was just the best. Oh, and there's Ushti Baba from Bristol who are total babes and call themselves Pan-European Folk Rave. In fact, I think they're playing with us tonight! Yeah they are!!
9. If you had a Time Machine and could put together any gig line-up from any time in history who would it be and why?
Nick Cave, with the Chili Peppers. He always ranted about them so it would probably be quite funny watching him cringe. And I like both acts, whizz back to the 90s for optimum performance. Done
10. What can we expect from the gig on Sat 5th October? Irregular dance moves, giant jellyfish, bubbles, trippy visuals, steamed clams. And yes, despite our vibe change, we still do the tug of war.
What’s your rule to live by?
Stay close to the water and try not to hold grudges
Catch Seas Of Mirth tonight at The Old Bus Depot (Sat 5th October) - Advance tickets sold out so pay on the door only (£12) - Support from Ushti Baba & Purple Hat Mob
Interview by Will Robinson
Photos: Haluk Gurer
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