[interview] Samuel Preston - The Ordinary Boys

The Ordinary Boys are back 3 years after they split !
The boys are hitting cities accross the entire country over the first two weeks of December .
What could have brought the band back together ? And who are the new musicians ? 
Here's an interview of the singer/songwriter Samuel Preston !

First of all, can you please introduce the band ? 

          We are called the Ordinary Boys. Les Garcons Ordinaire  (?) 

Your band split once in 2008, then you started writing your own songs and you started a career as a Dj, why did you chose to coming back with the band then ? 

     I actually became and still am a songwriter. The band split up for boring reasons, mainly people wanting to go to University and try to have normal lives, something I was desperate to avoid. Being a songwriter was the next logical step. When I got my first number one record as a writer my publishers said that they would reward me by putting on this tour. Not only is it a tour just for fun but it's sort of a treat for US!

You have 3 new musicians, Dane Etteridge, Toby Horton and Daniel Logan, where did you all meet ? 

     There is a strong community of musicians in Brighton. I've been in various bands with these dudes for years. We were all actually in a thrash metal band called To Kill The Swarm The Host Must Die together. Really, they are just old friends.

Where the name of the band come from ? is it from the Morrissey song, from his 1st album "Viva Hate" ? 

     Of course! We actually toured a lot with Morrissey back in the day. In fact, my first ever TV performance was Jools Holland and the other guests were Morrissey and Junior Murvin, two of my absolute faves. 

You're already famous in England, but not so much in France,how would you define your genre/ musical style, for the french people? 

Are you still influenced by Britpop music, and bands like The Smiths, Madness, The Kinks etc ?

      You kind of summed it up there! In the 5 year break from the band I have definitely changed a lot in the music I listen to. I listen to a lot more electronic stuff but the band just exists on it's own terms. I have started a lot of weird electronic bands and some heavier bands but there is something about the Ordinary Boys that people seem to really love. I guess the Kinks and the Smiths will always be my faves even if I don't listen to them so much. You kind of don't have to when it's your favourite band you know?  

Who write the songs in the band ?

       Me! 

You'll be on tour in the Uk , in December, how do you feel about that ?can you tell us more about that ? How many new songs will you play ?

      Because it's a return to the early days of the band i didn't want to do too many new ones so it's just run this town for now. 

You made a video for a song " Run this town" that you wrote for the tour a couple of months ago, can you tell us more about this song ? Will you release this song as a single ? 

       I think we are just gonna put it up somewhere as a free mp3. Again this whole thing is just for fun and nostalgia! 

Do you have plans for an european tour ? a date in Paris ? 

       We played Paris back in the day and I loved it. I had a French girlfriend at the time so I had brushed up on my French. I did the whole gig speaking French. I remember making some joke about the jokes on Carambar wrappers. I would love to come back. My Mum lives in the south of France, near Perpignan, so I love the country from visiting her. 

  Can you already give us some news about the next album ? 

    I'm not sure there is even going to be one! I would love to but the idea of the odd mp3 seems more likely. 

What was the 1st album you ever bought ?

        I think probably Blur, Leisure. 

What was the 1st gig you went to ?

        Haha, Blur! 

Have you got one song / album in your Ipod 

you'd be ashamed to tell about ?

        I love sound puppets a lot. I'm not sure why. I always wanted to be a puppeteer. Anyway I have the soundtrack to Jim Henson's Dinosaurs TV show. I actually am quite proud of it. It's a rarety. 

What's your favourite song of all time ?

       This is always so hard. Maybe I love how you love me by the paris sisters. It's pretty perfect. 

Marion G

21/11/2011