Obvious Pseudonym's Anagram Of Hits

The Interview...

What kind of name is Obvious Pseudonym then?

Hey if you were most famous for a song about Keith Chegwin, you wouldn't use your real names either!

How long have you guys been together?

15 years give or take, but we only did our first gig 6 months ago.

What were you doing the other 14 years?

Drinking, having babies, working, quitting working, living, programming, taking photos, drinking, moving round the country, learning kung fu, getting divorced, drinking, falling out with each other and sulking, skiving off generally, and drinking.

So you've stopped drinking now?

Don't be silly, we've stopped all the other stuff to give us more time for music.

Aren't you a bit old for a pop band?

That's why we got in Sminky, the young, pretty one, to stand at the front and add some extra glamour. Oh and do a bit of singing when he's got a free moment between posing and blowing kisses to all his fans of both genders.

So the lineup has changed over the years?

We've had more changes than Fleetwood Mac. But the rest of those guys were deadbeats, I mean deadweights, so we sacked them all. We're sure they won't mind us saying that.

Are you serious?

We take our songs seriously, but not much else, although the songs themselves can very rarely be described as serious. So on balance that's a big no!

Who wrote this stuff?

We did, to date we've only ever performed our own material, and we're proud of it!

Some of your songs sounds kinda familiar.

Well we have a lot of influences, so if you've ever heard the pet shop boys you may recognise a family resemblance.

So no covers?

Not so far. Even if we could agree on something we all liked enough to cover, we'd probably do an orginal arrangement anyway.

Is that cos you're not good enough to do someone else's stuff properly?

Watch it!

The old chestnut - where do you get your ideas?

We steal 'em! Heh, ok that's a lie. We just make them up. The basic idea can come from anywhere, a chance phrase used in conversation, an internet meme, a random thought on the way home from the pub, things that we've heard about, or just blatantly re-using common themes. What's important is what you make of them. We're not one of those bands where every song is deeply personal and draws heavily from our own life experience.

So you're shallow?

Hey!

Oh come on, "Keith Chegwin For A Day"?

There's a complex sub-text there about the dangers of living your life without ever really connecting to what's important in life, as well as the obvious duality of the desire for fame and the consequences of achieving that desire. Keith Chegwin in many ways epitomises modern culture for the majority of the population.

You what?

That's what The Man In Black says anyhow. Best not to get him started.

What actually is the anagram of 'hits'?

'This' of course.

What kind of people listen to your music?

Crazy ones! No, seriously we love all our fans. Wouldn't want to be stuck in an elevator with one or two of them, you know who you are people, but we love them anyway. With our eclectic style, we appeal to a broad spectrum of the music loving populace. They probably need a broad mind, and a sense of humour. And cash, lots of cash! Beer costs money you know.

Why do you do this then? Do you want to be famous?

No, we're in it for the money, weren't you listening? Except Sminky who's just interested in groupies. Ahem. I mean Art, we're in it for the Art. We are all about the music.

So who writes your music?

All of us really - the whole band is involved in the creative process. Cap'n B probably does the bulk of the arrangement, and MiB does a lot of the lyrics, while Sminky and Bernard often come up with the melodies, but it's quite an organic process.

So they're not dashed off when you come in from the pub, drunk?

Hey! Well ok, one song was. But it's a really good one, honest! And one was written at the pub, which annoyed the other lone patron of the tap-room. And we recorded while getting ready to go to the pub. But no, we mostly do them properly. I don't like you.

Drinking seems a large part of the band's life, how come you haven't written songs about that?

We tried once. It was rubbish. Anyway it's a bad subject for a song. Plus the Levellers did it better.

Are you going to write more songs about celebrities?

Probably not. Been there done that. Besides the Man in Black gets an evil glint and starts muttering about Jade Goody, and nobody wants to go there.

Are you going to use more live instruments like brass and strings?

We'd like to, and there are plans to record more live intruments in future, but you know we don't have a full orchestra in our back pocket.

Are you always this sarcastic?

You have no idea. Fear the withering might of the combined OP sarcasm. We might go as far as to say it borders on bitchy.

Aren't two of you married? Does this cause friction in the band?

Well nobody's done a Yoko so far. We've had lots of experience of band members falling out and not talking, so we know how to deal with it. When Cap'n and Bernard get stroppy, Sminky throws a big bucket of water on them. We go through a lot of amps that way.

Are you signed to a record label?

No, but we plan to self publish an album later in the year, available from gigs, or by post. And probably make it available for download from the usual sources. Cap'n B has a complex business model worked out. Labels are a dinosaur from the last millenium, unnecessary in today's digital download world. Actually, best not to get him started either.

Is Obvious Pseudonym a cover for a team of international assassins?

...er, shit guys, we've been rumbled. I mean, err, no, what kind of daft question is that? This is frequent questions, not foolish ones! Now step aside, The Man In Black's got elves to kill.

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