Chatting with bass-player Michael Szpiner from London-via-Paris trio The Teenagers informed yet another layer of appreciation to their music. With the ineffable cool or overriding cynicism that his band are renowned for, original misgivings that this may be a difficult conversation were dispelled immediately. As charming as The Teenagers music reveals itself to be, Szpiner’s charm – at once complex and simplistic, inane and intelligent – makes it all the more charming. I talked to him at half-ten (that’s 10:30) London time, on the eve of their second US tour. We talked about the band’s beginnings, lyrics, favourite Australian bands (which showed that local favourites are the same overseas) and of course, Scarlett.  

How did you guys start out?

We’ve known each other more than 10 years; we met in junior high school. Then one night at Christmas in 2005, the three of us just decided to make a band and put it on MySpace for our friend. So we did ‘Fuck Nicole’, that same night we put that song on the MySpace. Then six months later we did ‘Homecoming’, and everything happened.   

When I first listened to your music I was really surprised, because it started out with this beautiful luscious sound, but then Quentin’s vocals are basically spoken. How were you received when you first started out?  

Well, it wasn’t like that really, because the first time we played, there were a lot of people already listening to our songs so there were a lot of people there. Then when we did our first gig in London it was sold-out.  

In London? So who invited you to play there?

A label, an English label [Merok] who were doing a night, every month or something. It was good because we needed a deadline to start to play live, or otherwise, we don’t need to practice because no one wants to hear our songs. So yeah they were like “you guys are gonna come to London and play your songs”. So we did the first gig in Paris, and our second gig was that one in London. That was a really really hard one, a lot of pressure.  

Is that why you decided to move to London? Was it a better place for you than Paris?   

No, mainly because the label stopped to pay the train tickets [laughs]. Quentin was already living there for three years, and it’s a good place for the music scene.  It’s always good to move sometimes.     

The album has a lot of funny stories on it. How much of them are true, if anything?  

Some parts are true. It’s a lot of fantasies. But for example, ‘Streets of Paris’ and ‘Love No’ are true.  

So you got chased by some guys on bikes. And then did one of you really say: “we are safe now, but we’re sweaty”? Is that what you guys are really like?  

[laughs] Err, yeah, everything is true on this one.  

But no one got their Jazzmaster [lyric from ‘Sunset Beach’] stolen?  

No, never.

And how about fucking American step-relatives?  

Well, to be honest with you, that one was probably on the tour.  

Aaaah, of course… Do you have any favourite Australian bands?  

We’re quite good friends with Ladyhawk. But she is from New Zealand, does that count?  It’s a different country, no? Midnight Juggernauts, we were just hanging out with them three days ago – they’re really nice. I don’t know, The Presets. Cut Copy – they’re getting pretty huge now!  

You’ve toured America before. Did you hear from Scarlett about your song ‘Starlett Johansson’? Have you met her?     

Nooo… Someone told us that her publicist knows about the song. But we didn’t see her at any gigs. We’re still waiting for Coachella this year to see her.

I know she sang with the Jesus and Mary Chain last year…

No, she got her whole set this time! I haven’t heard it yet. But now she’s making music, come on, she can be nice to us. We’re all musicians.    

Yeah, you’re colleagues now!

[laughs] We can have a coffee after work.    

I saw the single art on your MySpace, for ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Love No’. It’s really amazing. Tell me a bit about that.

You mean all of the stuff with the objects spelling words, and the ham roll one?  All the artwork is done by Quentin.

I really like it; the trashy look suits you guys. Why didn’t you go with it for your album cover?

I don’t know; we’d done with it so we did something new. We asked Matt Erwin from [British fashion magazine] Dazed and Confused to help us. So we told him what we want, and he did this picture. He was really, really cool to work with. We’re happy.       

Except for touring, what plans for the future? Any new material coming through?   

Yeah, so far we’re gonna be busy touring. But we’re gonna do a second album, and I think it’s gonna change. It’s gonna be more moody, darker, less innocent and naïve. But we’re gonna try and keep the spontaneous touch, because basically we just make the songs in one night.  

So you all just sit around and write the lyrics together? It sounds like it’s not overly crafted.
 
I think that’s better, the way we fit it together.  Basically we just follow our instincts and hope it’s good.

And are you coming to Australia?  

Maybe, in September or October. Hopefully, ‘cause we can’t wait to go to Australia.    

Tags See All Tags Add New Tag...

Please Enter New Tags Separated By Comma's
  Or Close

The Teenagers