Cut Off Your Hands Q&A

by Jon Fletcher

Inspired by Cut Off Your Hands' mesmerising live show, we emailed them a few questions to give them the opportunity to let that legendary southern hemisphere sense of humour shine...

"I'd recommend if you really like our band that much that you think about showing it another way - maybe a tattoo?"

We've cut off our hands. What next?
You'll probably want to go see a doctor as soon as possible because you'll effectively be bleeding to death and probably have only around 10 minutes to live... I'd recommend if you really like our band that much that you think about showing it another way - maybe a tattoo?

Are you chatty on stage or do you just keep your heads down and get on with it?
Personally I don't like watching bands that talk too much. I mean, I like a band to introduce themselves and maybe a few songs but I prefer it when bands just get down to it and put on a good show. I like it even more when bands have sets that flow smoothly and have musical links between songs, like some type of guitar distortion/delay thing.

What's behind the band name?
The name reflects our attitude towards songwriting at the time we formed and a change that we'd all just been through. Before Cut Off Your Hands we were all in another band with a fifth member who was the singer and songwriter. We all ended up hating being in that band because we either weren't having fun or found the other guy too controlling. Hence to us the name reflects having to cut something out of our lives that was the main instrument in making music. We had to start a new band and learn how to write songs ourselves. More than that the music changed between the old band and Cut Off Your Hands. Instead of trying to be a post-hardcore/new wave band, we decided to focus on just the song writing. I think we took the name itself from a Bowie lyric, but I can't remember which song.

Your myspace says you're from "Auckland, London". We're confused. Is that somewhere in Hackney?
We live in Hackney but no that means that we're from Auckland but are living in London.

Describe your sound to the unitiated.
We come from a post-hardcore and new wave background and listen to music like Arab on Radar, Ex Models, Q and Not U and At the Drive-In. When we write/record songs we find that in essence we're basically a pop band - the songs focus on melody and lyrics over striving for the newest sounds. Influences include anything from Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Buzzcocks, to Mystery Jets.

Give us a quick history of Cut Off Your Hands – just the highlights (and lowlights).
Some lowlights are Nick breaking his leg twice while playing and also breaking someones nose while stage diving when Foals were playing.

We started playing together in January 2006 but had been friends a while before then. We played our first tour out of New Zealand in June 06 and in our first year played 120 shows. In early 2007 we played the Laneway Festival in Australia, then SXSW in Texas followed by a visit to London which included a live session for Lemacq and some recording with Bernard Butler. I think we ended up playing just over 110 shows in 2007 and signed to 679 Recordings (home of the Streets and Mystery Jets). This year we've played the Big Day Out tour, relocated to the UK and are currently recording our debut album again with Bernard Butler.

Who would you least like to be likened to?
There are a load of bands that I don't like and so wouldn't want to be likened to but just in general the worst is when we get likened to bands that we sound nothing like.

If our listeners decide they love you, what should they be looking forward to?
They should be looking forward to hearing really good songs and, if they see us live, an energetic live show. Our album is coming out on 679 around September and until then we're touring a lot, starting with a tour with Does It Offend You, Yeah? and then with Edwyn Collins in April.

Cut Off Your Hands tour dates
20 Apr 2008 - Glee Club w/Edwyn Collins Birmingham
21 Apr 2008 - Queens Hall w/ Edwyn Collins Edinburgh
22 Apr 2008 - Oran Mor w/ Edwyn Collins Glasgow
24 Apr 2008 - Northumbria Uni w/ Edwyn Collins Northumbria
25 Apr 2008 - Academy 2 w/ Edwyn Collins Manchester
26 Apr 2008 - Cockpit w/ Edwyn Collins Leeds
29 Apr 2008 - Shepherds Bush Empire w/ Edwyn Collins London
16 May 2008 - Great Escape Festival Brighton, South
7 Jun 2008 - Come Together Festival Sydney

With thanks to Alex @ Scruffy Bird

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