Glasgow-based four-piece Errors recently toured the UK in support of their new mini-albm, and itm? was lucky enough to catch up with Stephen from the Stirling leg at The Tolbooth.
Aside from an in-depth conversation about the Great British Bake Off, we did actually talk about music…
So, what’s the best thing about being on tour?
The best thing about being on tour getting to see loads of places we wouldn’t normally get to see or normally go to. Last year, we did an American tour, and that’s been my dream ever since I was a wee guy. It just felt like a really magically place because you kinda grow up with movies that are set there. We actually went to the house that Mikey from the Goonies stayed in, just outside Portland. Everything was real too – it wasn’t just a set. So we all got our photos taken outside the Goonies house! That was a special day. We also went where Twin Peaks was set… so the travelling is the best bit about being on tour!
What do you think about TV shows like the X-factor? and what do you think they do to music?
I mean, I think it pretty despicable, but it’s entertainment, and it doesn’t really affect what we do. It doesn’t affect sales for us or anything, the sort of people that watch those shows and buy that music aren’t our audience so it doesn’t really bother me. I can see how a lot of musicians can get annoyed though, as they often see it as a quick way into the industry. However as a form of entertainment I think it’s good and it’s quite a funny show! I try not to watch shows like that because I can get sucked in quite easily. I do love the Great British Bake Off though!
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Er, inspiration? I don’t really know! Ive never really been able to answer that question as I change my mind a lot. I don’t really idolize musicians, unless it’s Iggy Pop or Gary Numan. Yeah, I guess those people because they are big legends. And maybe someone like Prince. So people like that I guess. But I think once you start meeting people in bands and start to realise that they are just normal people you kinda stop seeing them like that… I met Gary Numan once and that was amazing!
What do you think of the music scene in Scotland right now?
I think the scene, especially in Glasgow, is good. People are just putting on shows just for the fun of it. Though some are doing it for the money. I go to a lot of gigs in Glasgow and the community is really good.
What’s your favourite place to play, the whole world?
I guess London is always really good. It’s the biggest show we do in the UK. It’s kinda still quite a magical place for me. Because it feels like a “proper” city, like New York or Paris. And it doesn’t feel like you’re in the UK. Especially when you’ve come on the train the whole way from Glasgow, and you appear. It feels like being in a film still, it’s pretty exciting. Berlin is also really good.
Who has the worst tour bus habits?
We all do – we all wind each other up! Simon has a funny habit, it not bad, it’s just really funny! When he wakes up he’s like a baby, and his head rolls about everywhere (laughs). So that’s always funny! James is the guy we bully a lot – I remember once, we put loads of plastic cutlery and plates all over his body, and he woke up utterly confused. So that’s not really a bad habit of his, that’s probably a bad habit of ours!
What can people expect from your new album?
Well, what to expect – it’s just a mini-album, not a full-length one, so we didn’t have too have a much structure. The tunes are a bit looser; there wasn’t as much pressure. We were really chilled, and it was done over a year so it was good that we didn’t have to rush it. The vibes were different. And it happened really naturally. We didn’t have any live drums either so that saved a lot of time! And we didn’t have to have an album full of ‘singles’ on it, which was really good.
What’s the best thing about being in a band?
I guess this harks back to the question about being on tour. Meeting people and travelling. But knowing when I wake up, that I’ve got a full day of making music is really good. And I feel really lucky. But it’s taken us quite a long time to get here and to this point.
Where did you get the name Errors from?
I think it was, we started making music before we got the name, and we were using computers and they kept crashing… and we went through a few names that meant the same and finally ended up on Errors. And it just made sense. Once we were using a laptop at a gig we played with Explosions in the Sky, and the anti-virus software kicked in and shut the laptop down, so after that it because a kind of get out clause. People kept saying “well, that’s your name!” and Errors stuck.
And finally, what would be the one thing that you would take with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
Oh… one thing? I guess it would be a keyboard or something. Aye, a keyboard! It would be a cop out to say a computer. Wait, is there electricity?
itm?: There is sometimes – there’s rolling blackouts!
Stephen: So there’s solar power! Can I have earphones? Good, because otherwise it’s just me hitting keys not knowing if its any good. So yeah, I’d take a keyboard!
New album New Relics is available now, on Rock Action Records.