Our colleague from RTL and music-enthusiast David Winter interviewed Laura-Mary Carter ahead of their Luxembourg show on Thursday 17th of October. Together they chatted about Laura-Mary’s surprisingly close connection with Luxembourg, breaking the routine after years of recording and touring, and her favourite music.
DW: Firstly, have you ever played Luxembourg before? How do you like our little, tiny country?
I have played here quite a few times, and I do really like it. I actually came here on vacation for a few days about a year ago, and I finally got to see the city, because most of times when you are touring you don’t get to see much of anything, especially if you’re somewhere like this...stuck in the venue. It was great to see a couple of things. We went through the caves, the underground ones.
The Casemates?
Yeah, it was really pretty. I really enjoyed that.
You stated in your bio that you had a difficult fifth record. I know a lot of things happened, but can you explain to us a little bit why it was difficult?
I think it was difficult because we challenged ourselves to do something new, and we got to a stage where we were burnt out from touring so much and repeating the same routine of putting a record out in March and touring for a year. We needed time to do something else. I mean, I’ve been in this band since I was 19.
We took some time out and then decided we wanted to change things up. That’s when it became really difficult, things started happening that were difficult to deal with. We had to do a lot of fighting to get it together. Not fighting with each other, but it felt like we had to fire everyone we worked with and for and start again. Then we changed up the music, which was also challenging, because we had to learn to play other instruments we had never thought of playing before.
The recording process was interesting. It was like, okay, let’s write a bass line. We had never done that before. So yeah, that’s why it all took a bit longer and...and felt rather difficult.
What I found interesting is that you broke your arm during the recording. You had some restrictions. How was that? It must have been a very interesting way to work?
Yeah, it’s one of those things that just happen and you think: why has this happened? But then it made me focus on singing. That has been a positive thing for me. Before I never really knew what my voice was, I would always sing in unison with Steve, and I kind of fit into his way of singing. It gave me a little chance to be free and find my voice, not playing guitar for a bit, and concentrate on that. I think that’s what I learned the most. Maybe it would have been different had I not broken my arm, I dunno!
You are touring with the Pixies at the moment. What is that like?
It’s great, it’s an honour to be playing with them. The Pixies are literally the reason why Steve and I are in a band, because we love them so much and they are such an inspiration to us, and continue to be. We put out this song called God Complex last year, and I remember when I was writing that song I really wanted it to be a Pixies-esque guitar line. They’ve always been a huge influence and continue to be. Everyone’s great and everyone is really nice. The audience has been fantastic so that’s also really great.
I love music very much, so I wanted to ask you what your favourite record of the year is?
Uh, of the year? That is a hard one. I really like the new Sharon Van Etten record? I listened to a lot of that, but I never know the names of anything. I really like that record.
Nick Cave?
Is it good? Oh I need to listen to that in the van. Sometimes I need to be in the right space in my head to be listening to that stuff. Yes, that’s my next thing to listen to.
What would be your favourite record of all time? Do you have a favourite album?
It’s a tough one. Of all time, I usually say that a record that I just love for being one-of-a-kind is Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. I love the feel of that record, you can never recreate anything like that.
Very good answer. You stated once that it really annoys you to be compared to the White Stripes. I’m not going to ask about your band name, I know that annoys you too. Do you still hate to be compared to the White Stripes? What do you think of them?
No one has asked me about them for a long time because our sound is so different now. I was never a huge fan of the White Stripes but I do like them. Back in 2007, that was all anyone used to say, but they wrote some awesome songs.
Do you have any guilty pleasures? I still love Spice Girls and Mariah Carey. Do you have any guilty pleasures like that?
I don’t, because I don’t feel guilty about what I like. I do like some questionable things, but I like what I like.
What recording media do you prefer? I read an interview where you said the CD is dead, it’s all about vinyl. What’s your favourite media to consume music?
My favourite would be vinyl if I had a steady home and a record player, but the fact is my life involves travelling all the time, so I tend to listen to digital music on my phone. In an ideal world, I’d be a vinyl-head, maybe one day when I have a house.
What is the craziest thing you or a fan has ever done during a concert?
Craziest thing? I’m trying to think. Well actually, one time we were playing in Brighton, which is where my band mate Steve lives. It was a crazy show with really low ceilings. This guy crowd-surfed and completely cut his head open really bad, blood everywhere. The ambulance came, but he wouldn’t leave until the show was finished. I’ve never seen anything like it. I remember thinking, that guy’s nuts but dedicated!
You also did crazy things. I read that Steven likes to piss in people’s drinks, is that true?
Oh my god, you must be reading articles from like 14 years ago! No. That was when were kids. You can’t believe everything we ever said.
I think it’s funny, I like that. Thank you very much!
