INTERVIEW BY VIVIAN HUA.
First off, how was the Innotation Festival in Chicago?
It was brilliant. Very good.

Heard you guys had a really good turnout.
I think everyone did because it was a captive audience. The whole thing was amazingly well-attended. There were people coming from all over, I think. But it is pretty flattering to be on the same bill as a lot of those people and to have such a good attitude towards a festival. It’s quite on the right path, so it’s cool. It’s a good gig. We got some neighboring kids to get on stage with us. The last song was the highlight of the whole tour for me.

What song was it for?
“Lady Flash.” On the last stroke, on the last downbeat of the song, all the kids collapsed to the floor. It was amazing.

Do you find any differences between American and European audiences?
I don’t know. I imagine British crowds are more rowdy because they like to drink and they like moshing. But not really. I think they’re just a little more rowdy in England. In Scotland and Ireland, everyone is just going for it pretty much.

What advantages does having female vocalists give you?
I don’t look at it in an advantage way, but I’ve always preferred female vocals personally. It was kind of a Go! Team policy to not have any male vocals. I’ve always like the girl Shangri-La kind of stuff, and I’ve always liked Double Dutch kind of stuff. What those bands are all about. It’s my taste, really.

You guys have had a lot of trouble with using samples. Why is that not as much a problem in the UK as it is here?
It’s not a lot of problems. They’re just kind of ongoing. It’s quite a long process. There’s copyright everywhere in the world, but assuming the culture of America, everyone just wants to do it honestly. Everyone understands the process in America, and it’s just gotta be done.

How are you guys addressing that?
Well, there are people in the record companies clearing everything. The aim is to have it out in October [Editor’s Note: It is currently out in stores! Hoorah!].

What kind of differences will there be?
For starters, there’ll be two more songs on it, though some of the samples will have to be changed. Bits and pieces will be different. It won’t be a worse record, hopefully. The production will still be pretty trashy and will have a bit more bass to it, I think.

Do you have any expectations for signing on with Columbia Records?
I really don’t know, because I’ve never really imagined us being a major label kind of band, so it’s kind of weird to be in that world now. I’m adamant about keeping it on our terms, keeping it lo-fi, keeping it not too commercial, and not giving into demands that might make it be lame or something. I can’t see any reason why it can’t work as long as they value our judgment.

Was it hard deciding between an indie and major label?
Well basically, the alternatives were either keeping it illegal and not clearing anything or putting it out on a small label and hoping nobody picks up on it. Going with a major gives us the ability and funds to clear everything, so we were bound to go down that road, I think.

Given the problems you guys have faced, will you continue using samples in the future?
It doesn’t make sense financially because it’s not what you are supposed to do. You can kind of lose money on songs, which is surreal. But I’m a great believer that if a song’s right, it’s right, and that’s the kind of music I want to make, and I won’t be swayed by financial issues. I’m prepared to not make any money if it sounds right for me personally, but I don’t know about the label. We might try and replicate samples with vibe instruments and that kind of thing. And we will certainly continue to piece together things in ways that form diverse sounds.