Indietracks interview #16: Ace Bushy Striptease

Ace Bushy Striptease started in Birmingham in October 2007 with thoughts of becoming a twee/progressive pop band. The never really came to be but through a few lineup changes and a bit of time, they've found a niche of sorts which suits them well they feel. The songs are brief, stubbornly avoid repetition and are a bit fancy-pants sloppy-ass pop-punk, all up in yr face all of the time. The concerts are also brief but they contain a bit more excitement and shouting than the recordings show up.

The band's fourth album 'The Words That You Said Are Still Wet In My Head' is available to order from Odd Box Records as a limited-edition run of 150. Snap one up while you can! They will play on the indoor stage at Indietracks on the Sunday afternoon.

Hi, tell us a little bit about yourselves

We live in part Birmingham, part Brighton, part Milton Keynes, and therefore occupy that under-utilised middle ground between UB40, The Kooks and Capdown. We have a combined age of 125, a combined height of 29 feet 5 inches, and a combined name of Basithevejeremypaulsimon.

Aha, someone's been reading the Bumblebees interview on our blog! Do you have any exciting plans for the rest of the year?

We've done an album recently. It's going to be coming out in real life slightly before Indietracks though. We'll probably do another one afterwards as well though because that's what bands do isn't it? We're going on tour in October with our good friends Falling & Laughing. That'll be fun. Maybe we'll have a split single with a celebrity band as well if it doesn't fall through.

Do any band members have any particular skills, hobbies or claims to fame you wish to share?

Eve: Well, I can fold a note of money into the shape of a shirt and I think it has become a hobby. Jeremy writes for a fanzine called A Load of Bull as a Wolves fan; recently at a house-party gig we played in Manchester a person unrelated to him genetically or socially knew of his writing, from what I could gather most memorable was the fact that he kept banging on about some footballer’s thighs. So knowing Jeremy is also a claim to fame. Bas spends any spare time being smooth and a socialite. He also does an okay impression of a dialogue between someone and John Lennon relatively often. I think I’ve become confused about what a hobby or a skill is haven't I? I bought him a large book called Manwatching by Desmond Morris for Christmas so presumably manwatching is his hobby now too, or it better be.

Simon makes really good zines! He does really well, they’re full of stick men throwing up and reviews and comic strips. He also puts on live music party nights in Birmingham, they go by the name of Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff which is rich because Simon DOES sweat the small stuff. Therefore Simon also makes a hobby of being like ‘do as I say and not as I do’ and is really hot on the yoyo. Paul co-organises gig and indiepop disco nights as well, they are called The Party Planning Committee and they put on The Lovely Eggs and Fever Fever this way! They both like to play the ukulele too when they’re sat at home. I guess they’re rivals in many ways. We ALL dance above averagely well.

Simon’s being followed by Rob ‘Sparky Deathcap’ Campesinos! on Twitter which is pretty neat. When I was younger my little brother and I were sat on some steps outside of Old Trafford and Gary Pallister came out and said ‘’Scuse lads’.

Which bands are you looking forward to seeing at Indietracks this year?

Simon: Papa Topo are so perfect. All their singles sound great and have magic videos. It'll be lovely to see if they have a bit of ramshackle in them when they play live.

I found a copy of The Regulars album when the Tempest record show in Birmingham had it's closing down sale. It was so sad watching the racks empty but underneath I was bubbling with excitement having found such a rare piece of great pop music. Dunc Autumn Store (and Falling & Laughing) had been a big champion and Pete had only just posted his own track-by-track retrospective so it was pretty exciting to find it. But yeah, The Sweet Nothings, along with everything Pete has done, are great. I think because of the Birmingham connection there are a few in jokes in the lyrics I'm glad that I get.

The Bumblebees have been our best buddies since forever, we met them on their first tour just after their EP had been released and they were so lovely. My parents came along when we played with them and my Dad loved them. In an ideal world, The Bumblebees would have a residency in my living room and would be playing ace pop songs everytime I walked through.

The History Of Apple Pie are quite new I think but they're going to be totally massive probably. Our friend Aslam plays guitar for them and he's such a lovely guy that you should see them just for him. They are really good though!

We saw The Wendy Darlings at the Odd Box Weekender this year and they blew us all (I think I can speak for everyone) away. They're beautiful on record but live they're louder and harder and fantastic.

We played a show with Anguish Sandwich at the end of April. They have such a coherent (and brilliant) set of songs that when they make an album it is going to be seriously great. Their EP was cause for van sing-a-longs after only a couple of plays through. Catchy and loud and wonderful.

Great - thanks guys! The band have also recorded an exclusive bedroom video song for our blog! you can watch it at http://www.vimeo.com/24070880 using the secret password 'indietracks'!