Well slap me sideways, a real good look into the left and right brains of two of South Africa's most troubled heroes - Matthew van der Want and Chris Letcher reveal some inner truths surrounding their latest release 'Low Riding'.

A question for Matthew & Chris:

> Has deciding to go with an independent like Tic Tic (after shopping this CD around quite a bit) put a damper on that elusive overseas dream? Are you still hoping for the 'big deal' or have you decided it's more about the music? - quite a loaded question I'll admit...

Matt answers:

>Tic Tic Bang was the only record company that was excited about "Low Riding" and Gary's attitude the whole way through has been really supportive. I was quite surprised by the indifference that the album received from the so-called "majors". Their indifference just led me to think that most of them wouldn't know a good thing if it bit them on the arse. But hey, I never did take rejection that well. I'm now of the opinion that Tic Tic Bang is the only record company for us. There are no double agendas, and business is conducted in the way that I think all business should be: in shorts. As for the "big deal" - is that really something that can happen in this country? Can one of the "majors" really give you a "big deal" and get you overseas? Do I sound too negative?

Chris answers:

It hasn't really got anything to do with deciding to go with Gary. No company in this country would have guaranteed us an overseas release. Gary was the only person we spoke to who was enthusiastic about what we do and who seemed genuinely excited about putting us out (like the trash?). So that's why. I still want to shift a million units and really be able to enter the continual dialogue that is the luxury of being a first world artist - I mean having your record listened to by the people you admire and vice versa. It would just seem a lot less like releasing an album into a black hole - "I re-lease you now, you are free to go. Goodbye..."

A question for Matthew:

>Your songs seem to deal with two main issues in your life: 1- Mental breakdown and 2- your relationship to Lisa, your long time girlfriend. You seem to be saying (along with a healthy dose of society bashing) : 'I'm an unstable bastard and this is the only way I can make it up to you!' - is this true, or am I missing the bigger picture?

Matthew:

No Hang on...you've got something wrong there. It actually goes like this: I write mainly about mental breakdown and society (with a good dose of Lisa Bashing). Or is it that I write about the breakdown of society and this mental chick-basher called Lisa? But seriously - and I know this sounds selfish, self-absorbed etc, but I really just write about myself as honestly and often painfully as possible. so I don't think that there is really a bigger picture to get.

A question for Chris:

> By comparison, your lyrics tend to be more introverted - less 'in your face' - and yet I still think there's quite a bit of screaming going on in there. Are you as opinionated as Matthew, just less bull headed ? Are your frustrations similar?

Chris:

The main difference between M and I is that when there's a problem with something, say we're really dying in front of some audience, Matthew's reaction is to say "Fuck you all, you'll never get it because it's just too good for you" and then basically give up on them. My low self esteem means my response is to say "sorry I fucked up again, I'll try and sing this line better or write better songs..." My frustrations are completely directed inwards and sometimes I can be very self abusive if you know what I mean but I've spoken to a psycho analyst and we're working on the problem. For me, Matthew is the picture of mental health and soon I'll be as bull headed as he.

A question for Matt:

>Your funny songs on E.P. tombi aside, your most recent composition 'a place of our own' is, I think, your first really positive song (even though, as the lyrics explain, your new domestic upswing is merely the result of routine numbing). Is this just temporary light, or can we look forward to a more bubbly Matthew?

Matt:

I do think Place of our own is really upbeat, but that has a lot to do with its production. It's actually a really sad song, saved from morbid introspection by a kind of sigh of resigned acceptance of my domestic situation. Bubbly Matthew is a long way off, I think, I've written two songs since Place of Our Own (I wanted to call it "Placematt", by the way) and neither of them are remotely "bubbly". "Low Riding" need at least one upbeat song on it and Lloyd (Ross) thought that "Place of our own" was a good one to "apply the treatment".

A question for Chris:

> 'Love the new direction man' seems to be making a particularly cynical statement about the state of the music scene. Any way you see things changing, and to what extent do you see yourselves caught up in these very 'hooks and snares'?

Chris:

To me its more sad than cynical (we know it's all messed up but "sometimes it's a good show" and sometimes it's not - sometimes there's money and I can catch a plane and sometimes there's not) and in some ways I feel pretty resigned but comfortable with my place on the fringes of this scene. I hate most of it - the overly cautious record companies, the fact that you're always expected to play for the lowest common denominator, the fact that money is always a factor in their "artistic" decisions, the fact that quality almost always gets buried by shit, blah blah blah, - but stuff I listen to and love is always the marginal stuff and in a way there's something quite romantic and cool about existing in a trailer on the outskirts of town if you know what I mean. There are some pricks to kick against. Once you realise there's value in this it can be quite liberating in a totally selfish way and you never have to consider tailoring your sound to fit anyone's expectations etc. And the more you come to grips with what YOU want to say, the stronger your work becomes.I can't see the industry ever undergoing any radical change just because by it's nature it's a capitalist enterprise - it's just about selling products to a mass audience... It can be very entertaining though - just to see how other human beings deal with stuff (or don't) - how they manage to get so many ringlets into their heavy metal hair and to see how some people crave being pop stars etc, it's funny and entertaining as well.

designed and written by Ross Campbell