The Chevin are a band to be very proud of, a band that have taken their music to the US and have sustained their success over there. Originally from the humble town of Otley in West Yorkshire, they now reside in New York, and have truly cemented themselves as one of Britain’s best musical exports. A band that myself and Bitter Sweet Symphonies have supported and hyped about from their beginnings as a young band, so to be able to have the chance to chat to them about their music and what’s next for the band was a really humbling moment for me. May I present to you, The Chevin.
I caught up with the band’s bassist, Jon Langford, to discuss their upcoming second LP, living in New York and much, much more.
Firstly, I’d like to say thanks for this interview. What’s one thing that we should all know about The Chevin that we might not know about you now?
Mat is really good at doing impersonations – it’s his hidden talent.
You’re currently working on your second album, how’s it sounding and when can we be expecting to hear it?
It’s very different from Borderland, but I think it’s a logical progression, if that makes sense? We’ve spent a lot of time going from the writing to the rehearsal room and back again. It’s labor of love. We hope to play a couple of new tracks at our next show.
I’m always fascinated by song lyrics and phrases, your band are particularly good at writing the perfect lyric. So I wanted to ask, what’s your favourite lyric that you’ve written?
This is really a question for Coyle as he pens the lyrics. But when we were kids and in a crappy band at school in the year B.C (before Chevin) I wrote a terrible song called Jam & Bread – I don’t remember the lyrics exactly but it was something painful about needing money for Jam & Bread. Just really awful stuff.
It was a big decision to uproot the band to New York, but having said that the US have certainly taken to The Chevin. You must be really happy about that. How is it living in New York, is it like you imagined it would be?
It’s exactly like Otley, only different. No, seriously, it’s the best city in the world, not that I’ve been to every city in the world, but it’s certainly the best one I’ve been to yet…
How does the music scene in the US differ to here in the UK? Is there a big difference?
The radio system works in a different way – regional stations are a much bigger deal in the U.S.A. Whereas in the U.K. you live and die by Radio 1 & 2 (although XFM and Radio 6 are meaningful). Other than that, it’s a lot hotter here than in the U.K.
You got the chance to be the musical guests on The Late Show with David Letterman back in 2012, how was that experience? It’s a huge deal and a big moment understandably in your careers, did you see a significant increase in your fanbase after your appearance on Letterman?
Nothing happens overnight, but it certainly helps. We got lucky because Michelle Obama was the guest on the show we were on and it was in the run-up to an election so the viewing figures were high. It was an amazing experience and one that none of us will ever forget.
Will you be coming back to the UK anytime in 2014 to play some gigs? We miss you guys.
Definitely.
We’re big supporters of new music here at Bitter Sweet Symphonies. Having said that, are there any new artists that have caught your attention recently that you’d like to share with us?
I really like Chvrches a lot. There’s a great band in NYC called HITS who are worth checking out too.
Do you have any tips for new bands starting out, any advice that you could give them?
Practice makes perfect. You’re your own best manager/agent/promoter etc. Don’t be afraid to say “no.”
You are very active on social media, twitter and facebook in particularly. How important is to for you to connect with your fans that way?
It’s fun and vital. Fital, you might say.
What’s next for The Chevin?
A new album and tour in 2014!
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A special thanks to The Chevin for this interview and for more info on the band, check out the following links below.
