City hard hitters, Ninetails have been fingering (in the musical sense) their way up the local food chain of recent to become one of the city’s finest. With spots on good quality line ups and a recent label deal there’s no knowing where these guys will be finding themselves next year…

I first heard of these guys way back when, midway through 2011. I hadn’t heard them play but word on the street was these guys were good! Another member of the blog covered their big Three Trapped Tigers support slot at Mojo for Liverpool Music Week but norrassed like (*rage*). Fast forward a day or two to the closing party and I managed to catch the crowd walk out the room at the end of their set. Nightmare! It seemed fate was against me. But then! Mello Mello! December 10th! and phwoof! They got me!

Again, I’d managed to walk in near the end of their set but they’re the kind of refreshing light but heavy sounding bands that get your lungs pumping; make you feel good on the inside. I got a humble message the next day from the fellas apologising for their performance? No idea why. I’ll have to turn up to a set they’re happy with next time (and at the beginning). I can already imagine the good feelings rattling around my inners at thought. Anyway, it was just a matter of time before they got a feature on the blog and in the fear of rambling on about my half existent past with these guys, we’ll just get on with it. Phil Morris (PM) and Ed Black (EB) from the band took some time out to have a chat. Here’s what we chin wagged about…

Joe ManGone: So yo, what is the story behind the band that is ninetails?

Phil Morris: It was the inevitable union of four raging hipsters if the mythology in our official biography is to be believed. We were all new to Liverpool and happened to be walking the same route for coffee that faithful day. We ended up swapping iPods somewhere on Bold Street and the rest is history. 

JM: What music do you listen to, how has it had an influence on Ninetails and the way you sound/are on stage?

PM: Well I think me and Ed had the most compatible taste in music initially. We both had lots of Big Scary Monster releases in our archives, Tubelord, This Town Needs Guns etc. 
The first thing I noticed about Jake was the garish Deftones tattoo inked on his forearm. Although I wasn’t as dedicated a fan as he, I was in love with Team Sleep for a while, so I knew we would get on famously.
Jordan has perhaps the most eclectic taste of the bunch. His roots are with the Beach Boys and the Sunshine Pop of the 60s but his taste is pretty infinite. This guy is a genuine muso, he listens for the passion and not the fashion and he hears everything. It’s a treat to introduce Jordan to something he’s never met. When he first landed on our shores (the boy hails from Washington DC) he was pretty naïve to British dance music and it was a really enriching experience re-discovering all the gems our country has formed.
Generally, I think the vein of math rock thumps steadily through our stage performance. Intricate time signatures and complex melodic structures, both hallmarks of the brand, inevitably effect how we are on stage. Our movements are process orientated, in that we use our bodies to count bars and feel where we’re up to. We look pretty lively but it’s not for vogue. 

JM: You are currently signed to Superstar Destroyer Records. How did that happen and how has that helped you?

PM: After a month in the practise room, we can spend that long practising because we’re all studying music, we had churned out a few songs. I showed them to Alex, who operates Superstar Destroyer Records in Manchester. He liked it so much he wanted to put it out and badda-bing badda-boom, Ninetails were signed. Albeit to an infant independent border lining on DIY but we didn’t care. I’ve always been a little bit punk rock myself. 
We gained a lot of exposure from working with SSD. Alex, who writes for Classic Rock Magazine now, is exceptionally well connected and is living proof that the pen is mightier than the sword (he once killed a man with a biro). Within a few weeks we had a really credible press release with reviews and a sensational biography which I think propelled us to the level we’re at now. 

JM: How would you summarise your latest release, Ghost Ride The Whip?

PM: We’d all like to write our own reviews. I think the labels description is quite flattering, if not a little graphic: “We think it’s simply infectious; never less than catchy, more often close to genius. These aren’t dumb songs, but they’ll still burrow into your skull and lay fucking eggs.”

The EP consists of three tracks and was originally meant to be an introduction to what we do. We didn’t want to compile an album at such a formative stage but equally, we didn’t want to sell ourselves short with just a single. The title refers to the act of putting ones ride in neutral, opening all doors, placing the volume dial on 10, and simply rollin.

JM: So when it comes to your own song writing process, how does it work?

PM: The song structures generally come from either Ed or Jordan. They’re each others foils in that they contrast to highlight each others strengths. They are in essence the Lennon and McCartney of the band. The songs are then thrashed and fleshed out in the practise room with the rhythm section. Lyrical duties are shared between Ed and I, while melody and harmony is Jordan’s forte. Give the lad a microphone and a loop station and he will layer that shit like a lasagne. 

JM: How have you found gigging on the local circuit? What’s been your favourite show?

Ed Black: It depends what you mean by ‘local’. We’ve done a load of shows in Liverpool, which is local to us, and Manchester, which is local to the label. It’s been sick times getting out there there and making a name for ourselves and the crowds always seem really receptive – especially in Manchester. Our favourite show had to be as the main support for for Three Trapped Tigers at Mojo as part of Liverpool Music Week. TTT are one of the few bands we all find common ground with, just a quality band of musicians – it was an honour to be on the bill with them. 

A bit of a cliche question but we’re simple folk around ManGone towers, what was it that made you want to be in a band?

PM: Ironically enough we had to answer a similar question as part of our context module at LIPA. I won’t bore you with the 3000 words. But my ‘peak emotional experience’ came as I was positively affirmed by parents and family for singing disney classics in the living room (not so punk rock anymore). Hate to get all freudian on you, but for me being in a band was about belonging. It was exclusive, and I was, to borrow a lyric from Tom Vek, ‘the star of my own game show’.

JM: What are your plans for the near future?

PM: 2012 will be a big year for us. We’ve already been confirmed as support for the Errors show on the 11th of February, which is a bit of a coup for me as I’ve been listening to ‘It’s like Something, but not Whatever’ for years now. 
On top of this, my dear friend Molly Hawkins has just completed the stop animation for our first video which should be released very soon. We also have a split vinyl single in the pipeline, which we’ll talk more about once it’s all been confirmed. Let’s just say our friends Wot Gorilla? , Vasco da Gama and Cyril Snear are going to be involved. 

My personal resolution and quest for the year is a modest one, but I’m determined to realise it. I want to see us in those famous flamingo pages of Bido Lito.

 Preferably, a centrefold spread. That’ll do for me. 

Oh, and expect our first album by the end of the year. 

JM: Finally, you are a contender for ‘MTV’s Unsigned’ competitiion, how can people vote for you?

PM: The deadline for voting is the 5th of January, and I’m not even sure this interview will be published by then. If you did vote for us thank you kindly, if not, then you should probably download our EP to make up for it. (It’s free, don’t worry.)

Hopefully, people will still have a few days to show their support. All you have to do is follow the link and press vote! Fingers crossed we’ll make the shortlist…. http://brandnewunsigned.mtv.co.uk/ninetailsband

Ninetails’ next gig is at The Kazimier on February 11th supporting Errors along with Remember Remember & Vasco Da Gama. Get your tickets here.

Words - Joe ManGone

Links:

http://www.superstardestroyer.co.uk/ninetails/

http://www.facebook.com/ninetailsband

http://twitter.com/#!/ ninetailsband

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