Just over a week to go! Even as we speak, the indiepop collective is already swinging into gear in anticipation. The Indietracks warm-up gigs kicked off in earnest last week: from Sparklemotion in Sheffield to Lostmusic in London; from The Gentle Invasion in Edinburgh to The Autumn Store in Birmingham. Things are happening everywhere. You could call it a scene, but that makes it sound a bit trendy. After all, it's just fun and exciting! Come and grab a tambourine and join in! But first, pop over and say hell to Allo, Darlin. They play beautiful acoustic girl-pop with an alt-country tinge. They formed in the back of a cab in 2006 and released now sold out EP ‘Photos’ in 2007 on WeePOP! Records. They'll be playing on a steam train on Saturday afternoon, as it glides through the Derbyshire countryside.
Hello Allo, Darlin – we love your name – it’s ace! You have an unusual name and Indietracks is an unusual festival. Tell us about an unusual place you've played a gig in the past.
Hmm, well I've recently started having gigs on my rooftop, which has the best view of London I've seen. Does it count as a gig if there are only two people there? I think so! The last time I did it, my boyfriend filmed it and I put it on MySpace. It's definitely something I'd like to do more of. I'm really happy playing anywhere – the laundromat, Hampstead Heath, in friend's kitchens! We've had some awesome gigs in London the last year or so but my favourite ones are in the really tiny spaces, where the audience are literally in your face and it feels more like a party than a show. We played at the Betsey Trotwood recently just as a two piece, and the stage was so tiny that there was no room for us on there, so we just played in the crowd. I love that. Sounds great!
Do you have any exciting plans for the rest of the year?
Yes! I'm going to record another EP which I'm really excited about. This time we'll go to a proper studio, rather than a church, which is where we did the first one. I'm doing some of the arrangements for the songs at the moment, which is really fun. I can't wait to record the samba drums – or at least to see what they sound like anyway. It may all fall over when we realize we can't play in time when we do polyrhythm…
We’re sure you’ll do just fine! You mentioned using samba drums….will that influence what is going to be on your compilation tapes as you travel down to Indietracks?
Hmm, I've been listening to a lot of surf music recently, which is quite summery and festival-ly. Beat Happening and the Surfaris - that'll be it!
Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the Indietracks Festival, and why?
I can't wait to see all of them! If I had to pick a few, I'd say Esiotrot because I've never seen them, and they're friends of friends and are really, really good. Also The Occasional Flickers because my friend Bart from Eagleowl is playing guitar with them and they're great, and The Zebras because they're from Brisbane aren't they? Like me, almost. Oh and of course The Wave Pictures. Scoop – Dave Tattersall's dad - really likes Allo, Darlin. I don't know if that's cool or not though! It makes me feel a bit funny. We're Dad Pop!
Thanks for your time Elizabeth, we can’t wait to hear what Dad Pop with a indiepop tinge sounds like!
Free MP3 download: Allo, Darlin - Henry Rollins Don't Dance
Next up: A Classic Education tell us about making music to make Italian mayors dance to!
And don't forget: If you're in London tomorrow (17 July), there's an Indietracks related gig taking place at the Miller, near London Bridge station. It's a WeePOP! Records night featuring today's interviewees Allo, Darlin, Let's Whisper (Dana and Colin from The Smittens) and Electrophonvintage. There's more details on this Anorak thread.
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