i live in new york city and have been a big fan of TCS for several years. do you have plans to come to new york for a show? also, what's the status of the new recordings?
frank: at the time of writing (jan 13th 2003), the recording work for our new album is one evening’s work from completion. the mixing would hopefully begin sometime in february - probably after the king tut’s gig.
the idea i think is to try and set up some shows in as many places as we can - including new york - and play them once the album is released, but gang aft agley and all that.
john has written a really nice song called new york, by the way.
I have been a fan for years. I first saw you perform at a free show you did in LA with the L-Cage. Do you ever do any West Coast (more specifically California)gigs?
frank: i remember the free afternoon gig. i had my glasses stolen from the dressing room during it. we wouldn’t miss california out on any tour, i wouldn’t think.
When you look back on the three albums, are you proud of them, or do think of things you could/should have done differently (like recording songs differently, recording different songs, releasing other singles)? How do the three rank relative to each other in your opinion? Do you think the fourth is shaping up to be the best?
frank: regardless of how the albums sound or look, or how well they sold, we’re proud of their existence. for better or worse, til death do us part, no regrets. as far as ranking them goes, each has its merits. cake is packed with every idea we had in a 2 year period and i like the unedited, fraying density of the backing tracks; ISE simply oozed (once we had written the songs), so i remember the period recording it
fondly; AHP was compiled from a mountain of songs, so something was going right. it also has great lyrics and a great sleeve. of course this new album is the best yet. thanks for the good luck message.
I'm amused by the fans who think you either don't play the right songs in concert (i.e. what they want to hear) or think the new songs are too slow. When you hear people say things like this, does it piss you off, or do you just chalk it up to people being able to express an opinion? Or does fan reaction actually play any part in deciding what to play or how the band views a song?
frank: part of me thinks that the more expensive the tickets, the more entitled the crowd are to shout opinions/abuse/requests, but that’s obviously not sane. as far as people not liking our songs goes, i suppose anyone who doesn’t like something that all 5 tcsers have hammered out to be a wee bit ‘special’ (as in “special forces in the gulf”).
I hope this isn't completely stupid, maybe it's just being an American and not understanding Scottish slang...but in "The Therapist", what does "give me the hump" mean?
frank: for ‘gives me the hump’, read ‘annoys the fuck out of me’.
who are your heroes and (perhaps this is the more difficult part) why?
Why has the new album taken so long, and will it take much longer?
Is there a specific way that the band goes about writing a song?
What songs would you say are the soundtrack to your life?
What's the best and worst memory you have associated with a song?
What do you think of the current music scene? is it any better or worse than it has ever been, or is it just a case of having to look harder for
what we want?
Is image important, or is it substance that counts?
Any plans to tour in the near future?
Is there any song you wish you had written, or any song you wish you hadn't?!
Finally, is there any other question that you want to answer, or want the answer to?
frank: my heroes are anyone who can admit an inability to get through their lives without making bad choices, and can make a joke about it.
the new record will be along shortly, in relative terms. i suppose it has taken this long mostly because we’ve had to pay for it ourselves.
i think there might be a specific nature to the completion of songs after initial ideas have been dreamt up by individual members. we have a filtering system which does the job that masses of self-confidence should.
i’ve tried to pick the first song that came to mind when recalling each decade: first - “seasons in the sun” by terry jacks; second - “a town called malice” by the jam; third - “i won’t share you’ - the smiths; fourth (so far) - “the name of my sorrow” - richard harris.
best memory associated with a song might be my dad singing elvis’s “let’s have a party” at every single family party we had in our house. worst was at a quiz when i couldn’t remember who sang “movie star” (it was harpo) - cost me £200.
i couldn’t begin to give you an opinion about the current music scene. i don’t watch top of the pops anymore, if that’s an indication of anything.
erm...substance?
hopefully in support of the album.
i wish i could write something like “boeing boeing” by roger miller, but i’d have to be a different person from the one i am. i suppose i wish i had written “easy read” and “earlies”.
i wish someone would ask me what i’m like in bed. (good at sleeping)
will this pain in my ribs ever go away?
My question is when you look back on that time in the USA in 2000, does it feel like a waste of time? I mean, the reason you came here was to record a new album, and after months holed up in the studio, you never released the record, and from the sounds of it, aren't happy with the songs. Did you take anything from the experience or wish the time was spent doing something else?
frank: the time in new england taught me that the further you’re travelling to do a job, the surer you should be that you’ve brought your toolbox. some of the tracks turned out really well, and i know one person who heard the sessions who has never forgiven us yet for ditching them. such a tease. also, my auntie betty and uncle loop stay in conneticut, and i got to know them a lot better. the gigs were great too.
I love your sister's music (Eddi Reader) , Have you ever collaborated with your sister or plan to?
frank: edna sang on “send for henny”, and there’s an outtake on the demos cd where we duet.
Why does it take so long to record your albums, especially this new one? is it because of money issues, perfectionist attitude, not liking your songs or something else? If you guys released a 'crappy' album(by your standards) every year or two, it would still be better than anything else out there.
frank: all of the above. thanks for the compliments.
I've managed to see TCS 3 times so I reckon I'm pretty lucky. Windsor Old Trout about 500 years ago (just after you stopped playing the good song!), on the Caledonian stage at T in the Park, Glasgow during the middle ages and almost yesterday supporting Lloyd Cole in Manchester. Incidentally, how did you get on with Lloyd?
frank: i wonder what the good song we stopped playing is. lloyd cole liked my paul smith shirt; he had one just like it - very minor celebrity fashion clash.
#1 With all of the music up-and-coming of your gathering years, how is it that you all managed to find one another? Rolling-green-hills folksy pop character-actors in The Days of Guns n' Roses? Surely one or two of you had different ideas as to which direction the band should take during a time when acoustic, melody-driven music was a gamble among gambles.
#2 Enter 2002: Many a year has been swept along and you have managed to stand true to the original theme of TCS; you now have a worldwide almost cult-like following. Do you consider this the blessing it is, or sometimes wonder, perhaps, that with the talent so prevailing in your midst "WE should've gone to the top, baby! The world is full of fools!"
frank: we found each other quite easily really. i remember irvine in the mid-1980s as having a pretty cool musical scene, with lots of quiet, handsome musicians who seemed to be forever reserving opinion. these musicians would be brought together into groups of three, four or at the most five by fatally-flawed, usually uglier, catalysts. by contrast, kilmarnock (only five miles from irvine) was, and still is, a shockingly heavy metal town. of course this worldwide following you speak of is a bunce (is that a word?); and as far as getting to the top is concerned, all you see from the top is...(insert trite aphorism here).
Believe it or not I first got into the band through the NME. Way back in 1990 Obscurity Knocks was voted single of the week and so I bought it. Now the proud owner of everything you've done, I guess it was a pretty good call. What angers me though is that the NME never stood by you and I think every subsequent album and single that they could be bothered to review was simply met with indifference. I'm angry because although everyone's entitled to their opinion, I think in most of the fans' eyes your music has got progressively better without you getting any recognition since that first single. My question is (sorry, got there eventually) do you feel let down by the music press and what is your opinion of music journalists generally?
frank: i believe it.
couldn’t care at all about music journalists who don’t like us, unless it’s someone i particularly like and they’re all dead. i like music journalists who like us though.
We're all anxiously awaiting the new record here in the US. Do you think it'll be released here? Might you tour the States (insert city of your choice here) even?
frank: i think it will, and we might. i hope we do.
I have been a big fan since the late 80's and have always found your lyrics to be quite clever. I was wondering where your inspiration stems from when writing solo or with the band?
frank: i don’t write anything like all the lyrics, but those that i have usually stem from other people - by what they say and do, or threaten and promise. sometimes by what they’ve already written. mishearing things, too, is a big contributing factor.
Why do you sometimes play acoustic guitar in concert and sometimes not? What determines whether you will? Mood? Set list? Do prefer playing or not playing? Does playing provide a distraction from the crowd staring at you? Just curious.
frank: it used to be determined by mood, now it’s determined by set list. i’m not very good at keeping the head onstage, which is a good and a bad thing in a guitar-holder. i prefer to sing and not play, but the guitar is handy for winding me up so sometimes i play it gratuitously.
Hand up.who's been on the rob, then?? (re: The Safecracker)
frank: the mysterious john.
In the "Big Takeover" article/Dec. 2000, regarding you flying back & forth between California and Scotland, you make a comment about choosing "one or the other". "California with the nice heat, or Scotland with the nice light." May I ask what you mean by nice LIGHT?
frank: last sunday in glasgow, i stood on one side of a pedestrian crossing in the freezing rain, whilst those waiting on the other side shaded their eyes from a blinding sun, looking to see if the green man was beckoning them, like a male siren, into the path of a speeding black cab.
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I first started listening to TCS back in 1990 when I saw 'Obscurity Knocks' on MTV (they're actually good for something). I lost touch for a while but have recently found the band's website. While reading through everything, it struck me that the band seems to have a good relationship with its fans. I know that sounds silly, I think what I mean is that the band seems to embrace its fans and actually participates in the website, instead of just 'third party speak' found on so many band sites. Do you think this is true? I wonder with such a long time passing since the last album release, has the support of fans on the internet in particular and in general made a difference and actually helped the band continue, or it that overblown?
frank: the website and support has kept us going, definitely. if it wasn’t for the website, i don’t think we would have made this new record. joe really does a great job.
years ago, on the tour for "I've seen everything", at The Venue in Edinburgh, U dropped the mic at the beginning of "Obscurity Knocks" I picked up the mic and sang the rest of the song for you. I was just wondering if you remember this & if maybe you where a bit miffed by it. Also I am sure I served you in "Coda Music", record shop in Waverley Station with a "Boss Hogg" album, could that be true?
frank: i don’t remember it, but believe it happened. it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that would upset me. and i was selling a boss hogg album.
Hello, I'm a 15 year old fan, and my brother turned me onto the Trash Can Sinatras when I was very young, and as such, the song Hayfever holds a lot of meaning to me. Could you please tell me what the song is about?
frank: a girl walked away from me in disgust when i told her that hayfever was just a bunch of words pulled out of a hat, but i’m afraid it’s partly true that some of it just fell together in that magical way that great songs sometimes do. the illnesses that one might catch from a roll in the hay inspired the title and first verse; the racist harassment of english settlers that was going on in scotland at the time inspired the second verse. thanks for your letter.
I was wondering which one of you guys are more "open" to hearing NEW music. (Not new as in current, but new as in never heard before...Alternative/Rock category.)
frank: all of us, i think.
Regarding the trashcansinatras.com interview, you mentioned that the Glasgow audience was shouting "knob" at you...they paid ten pounds to come in & shout "knob" at you. (?) Is this an insult of some sort?
frank: knob is not nice.
I'm sure you've received many of these messages, but I've listened to the band for many years and am excited to hear the new material you're working on. My question is how in the world have you managed to continue as a band for the last 6 years without releasing an album, not having a record contract and playing only a handful of shows? Have there been times where you or the other band members questioned whether continuing made sense and whether it was time to just 'move on' to another phase of life? I imagine there have to have been some bleak times where you just didn't want to or feel like making music and wonder how many bands would have survived circumstances similar to yours.
frank: there were times when we were dying to get away from each other, but then a song would demand our attention and we always consider a good song to be meta-us. so there was a bit of just staying together for the sake of the kids, but i think now we’re on the verge of something massive, colossal even. gigantic. fucking huge.
Do you guys plan on doing any Canadian gigs on your next tour?
frank: we’d love to come to canada again. apart from the one show (in toronto in 1993) we’ve neglected the giant place. hope to see you soon.
how long do you think the trashcans will be able to keep on as they are?? it must be difficult to keep positive and motivated at the best of times and at times like these it must seem bleak and dismal??.....does a small cadre of loyal, devoted fans help you to keep going or do we merely seem pathetic?? because at times i feel like it really doesn't matter.......
frank: bleak and dismal? the trash cans?
pathetic? trash can fans?
it doesn’t really matter, i suppose, whether a band exists or not except to them themselves. but how do you know that if we broke up, your life wouldn’t just fall apart? it might, you know.
looking back on your career so far, is there anything you wish you/the band had done differently that may have made a difference in having the band be more popular than it is (if you even think it is something you could have controlled)? do you wonder if there is something the band could have done differently or do you think the band is a victim of circumstance, music styles in vogue at the time of each release, media attitude, or other?
frank: i would always place more importance than ever on our own opinions and instincts now, having heard those of others’. and i wish i had walked away from that fucking film.
Frank, first off it has been a pleasure following your band from "Cake" on. I was wondering if TCS plan on touring in support of the upcoming album, and if so, would that include a stop in the Detroit area? Best wishes for the holidays and the new album..
frank: we do plan to tour, though nothing is fixed up yet. is st. andrew’s hall still there?
I'm wondering if any of the greatly anticipated songs will have any of the same sound/feeling as 'Earlies.' Also, have you ever considered asking Alasdair Gray to do art work for an album? From the sketches I saw in Lanark, I think it would be totally fitting with your music. Also, a Glasgow collaboration would be nice.
frank: that’s a great idea. i think alisdair gray and john drink in the same pubs. some of the new songs are similar to earlies; the title track springs to mind.
Due to my anally-retentive husband having alphabetised our CD collection, the trash can sinatras can be found sitting immediately between the Teletubbies and the Tweenies. How do you feel about this?
frank: just glad to hear you haven’t any transvision vamp records.
What is going to be on this new demos CD? Is the band involved in putting this together? I know everyone wants to hear the new album but crap, we'll take what we can get and demos of songs already released are like new songs, as far as I'm concerned.
frank: but crap, i think by the time i reply to this, the answers you require will be available on trashcansinatras.com
I've seen you quite a few times and noticed that more than most bands, fans tend to shout our for their favourite Trashcan song. You always seem quite dismissive of this behaviour. My question is, have the Trashcans ever played a particular song because the audience repeatedly shouted for it, or are these people wasting their breath? Also, what do you do before you come back on for an encore?
frank: i can’t hear much up on stage, so i’m not really dismissive of the shouting, just unaware of what most of it is about. once we played what someone shouted for, but it was just a coincidence. it threw me for a moment, though. stephen suggests escape routes; john, paul and davy have a fag; i usually spend the time apologising to the others if i fucked up, or looking smug if it went well.
what is the singlemost happy memory you have of the trash cans' career to date. btw, my wife says i am anally retentive because i alphabetised our cd collection. how should i feel about this?
frank: a gig in paris in 1996. i do it too, if that helps.
What does the band hope to accomplish with this new album? Has the last few years resulted in cautionary thinking and lowered expectations, or do you expect to go right to the top selling loads of records and touring the world?
frank: the point of making this new album is to rid ourselves of the songload that’s been accumulating. although it’s a great feeling to have a great song in your pocket, you have to get them out or you might turn on them. as far as sales go, i think these days we do have lower expectations, though we’ll do all we can to give the album a chance of being heard.
i was reading the lyrics to obscurity knocks tonight and after listening to the song for the last thirteen years i finally realised the chorus has a pun about pontoons-a cardgame i grew up with-and i was wondering if like me you spent a lot of time learning the game from your grannie? i ask this as learning the game and 'find the lady' are two of my earliest memories whilst on holiday in saltcoats and have stayed with me ever.
frank: my granny did play cards an awful lot, but she mostly played patience while watching saturday afternoon horse racing. our family used to go to saltcoats on our holidays, too. and i still play find the lady, as you call it.
Glad to hear things are going well, I can't wait to hear the new album. I was just curious about the release. I doesn't sound like you have a record deal yet, but since you're already recording the album on your own, are you just looking for a label to release the album and send you on a tour? What type of label support to you expect to get? The record industry has been a dangerous place the last few years with mergers and bands (even well known ones) being cut loose. Do you think you're better off on a smaller label that can pay more attention to you, or with more backing of a larger label, although with a risk that the larger label is more focused on the bottom line? Good luck making it through!
frank: i don’t think the major labels themselves will be interested in our album, but we’ll give them a call too. the important thing is to try to find some people who can at least distribute the album and who we feel relaxed around, knowing they have the same instincts about the business side of things as we do. thanks a lot for the good luck message.
can you explain how the songwriting process works and whether it has changed over time? are the songs a collaborative effort with people throwing words and music around, trying to find something that works, or does each band member basically write entire songs on their own? also, when you write songs, are they generally inspired by personal events or situations or do you just write about whatever words come to mind?
frank: we have a pool that everyone pays music and words into, and in it there’s everything from almost-complete songs to guitar riffs; from pages of unplaced lyrics to single good lines or titles; from half-thought out ideas for a song to entire album concepts (not many of these, though); ideas from 1987 to yesterday. we all have access to the information, and at some point, someone gets the inspiration to finish one off, or we all agree to get together and finish off something that’s really too good to leave lying around. that’s generally how things have worked, but occasionally someone writes a song on their own; though we all prefer the others to be involved because usually a better song results.
I have always wondered how the band has managed to go 6 years without releasing and album and still consider themselves a proper band? I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just that there has only been one single and a smattering of shows, bankruptcy, and yet the band has managed to stay together. I think most bands would have packed it in long ago. What kept you guys going and did you ever consider breaking up?
frank: like i said to a similar question, we‘ve always had a song to finish, and a record in mind, and that has kept us going - along with all the encouragement from you listees. i hope you like the album and think it worth the wait.
How do you manage to uphold your perfectionist standards for recordings when there hasn't been a new TCS release in SIX YEARS?
frank: it’s been easy to have the standards, but we haven’t always achieved them.
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