This morning Sidewinder vocalists Nick and Martin Craft are recognisable as brothers thanks not only to the similarities between their handsome faces, but also the matching red gristle where the whites of their eyes should be, barely visible through the protective squint. They agree that attempting an interview before 11.30am isn’t going to make for the sharpest conversation. "I done something good on the CD thing," Nick jokes, turning to guitarist and sometime vocalist Pip Branson. "You done good, too."
No one’s especially in the mood. Drummer Shane Melder chimes in with the occasional gag, but Pip’s the most relaxed of the bunch, with a constant grin beneath his neat, insubstantial mo. Sidewinder have the air of a group in recovery, whether that be from last night’s bender or the traumas involved in putting "two million per cent" into recording their new album, Tangerine, or even the breakdown that occurred in mid-’96 when touring became too much. This changes slowly, however, as the day’s first coffee takes effect.
We talk for a long while about Tangerine, a substantial leap from the young band’s debut, Atlantis. Where the debut was all guitar rock, mostly played from the hip with an ear for the dramatic and dynamic, this time the songs are stronger, more focused. And they’re embellished with a new array of sounds. Tangerine is far from being the band’s techno crossover record, but there’s certainly an element of electronica in the loops and bleeps.
"Our love of music is split between two sides," explains Martin. "One side is the love of rock & roll, hearing soul and emotion and heart being poured out through music. And the other is progression. In general we like stuff that’s on the edge of what’s being done, but with Sidewinder we combine the two - make it a bit classic and a bit progressive. The reason we don’t aim at complete progression is because we keep a rock and roll heart. That’s what you come back to in six months."
This helps explain why Tangerine, while boasting production values which reflect the six weeks the band spent in the studio, retains the emotional impact of a live performance. The acoustic pop tunes, especially, have been recorded with an ear for atmosphere, rather than perfection. "We respect what our songs actually are, we don’t try and make a big deal out of a song which is just a pop song," Martin explains. "It’s a picture of the heart, not a picture of the mind."
The mood is quite different when I catch them again a week later at Charing Cross recording studios, where they’re working with album producer Paul McKercher on samples to be used live. Nick insists we take time out to listen to his latest faves, Squarepusher. It’s a bizarre concoction from the mind of Tom Jenkinson - jazz-tinged, breakbeat-driven drum & bass. The first tune is mind-bogglingly complex, but still sounds like the tweaking soundtrack to Super Mario Bros. "This is like the bonus level," Nick smiles as the music enters an airy upbeat interlude.
As dance music goes, it’s far from the norm, and it’s on this level that Sidewinder appreciate the new music they listen to. Listening to Squarepusher certainly makes Tangerine sound like a Sidewinder record, despite the band’s progression, by comparison. "We’re not gonna subscribe to any movement in sound," Nick summarises. "We want to record what the song demands."
