Interview: The Tea Street Band

We caught up with The Tea Street Band's Nicholas Otaegui ahead of their headline show at Stereo to discuss the band's early days, Liverpool's music scene, life on the road and more...

Before you were the Tea Street Band, you played together in The Maybes?. Can you tell us a bit about that period, any noteable events, gigs etc...?

"It was a great, explosive, energetic time. We used to rehearse about 40-50 hours a week and lay over 100 gigs a year up and down the country! All explosive young rock and roll antics with too much madness to pick out the highlights. It was all off its cake and I was blessed to part of it"

THE TEA STREET BAND: (L-R) Nicholas Otaegui (bass/vocals), Timo Tierney (guitar/vocals), Lee Smith (guitar/synths), Dominic Allen (drums)

The Tea Street Band have a significantly different sound to the Maybes? Was the progression a natural one, or did you make a conscious decision to try something else? If the latter, was there anything in particular that inspired it..?

"After The Maybes? we used to go out together a lot to clubs and dance events around Liverpool. So it seemed a natural progression. Also, the title track from The Maybes? album "Promise" is not too far away from the sound and style we moved towards with The Tea Street Band."

Much like Glasgow, Liverpool seems to be enjoying an explosion of new music. Do you feel that the emergence of new acts has engendered a sense of community like has happened up here?

"Liverpool is quite a small city really but with a massive amount of bands and musicians, so there's a few little cliques etc but the relationship between lots of musicians is strong. You always see lots of musicians at other bands' gigs, everyone sharing each others events and so on, That collective vibe right now is really boss and great to be a part of it, being surrounded by so many brilliant and different bands.

There’s been a near-continuous line of cutting-edge Liverpudlian music from the Beatles to the

La’s to the Coral et al, which inevitably means every other band from there gets constantly

compared to them. Does that put a bit of pressure on and/or get frustrating for new bands being

judged against such acts rather than on their own merits? Or does it serve as an inspiration/incentive?

"Nah, it's great to have such a rich atmosphere and environment to make music in. The standards are high, but the inspiration and motivation is even higher. What an output Liverpool’s had, and continues to have of unreal music, songwriters, musicians and bands! It's definitely an inspiration for me - aim for the stars, loads of kids by ours done the same and took it even higher."

You’re by a distance (no pun intended…) the most well-travelled band to play a Revol gig so far, with years of touring and festival appearences under your belt. How important are those experiences for helping band's develop?

"I’m just into playing to as many different people, in as many different places as possible - that's how you grow, you get better, the word spreads: both 80 capacaity basement bar gigs to main stage festival slots have their place in a band's development. If you’re not appreciative and game for the pros and cons of all them, then you’re not in the right game. Playing live is crucially important: get as much experience in as many different environments as possible, get out the practise room, get off your arse and get your music out there to people!"

Speaking of travelling, you’re not long back from a tour of Korea. How was that, and how did playing in a relatively unusual country come about?

"Korea is an amazing place. I’m fortunate enough to have worked over there in music over the years so getting the gigs wasn't as far out as it sounds. The love of rock and roll, live music and its surrounding trends and cultures is unreal. Brilliant venues, attentive energetic audiences and an all-round mind-bending tour."

Biggest musical influences?

"Would be drastically different for all the lads, but New Order, The Beatles, Shack, Joy Division, 90’s house music, Acid House remixes - all that gear."

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Timo and Nicholas in live action

If you could have seen one band live…?

"Lucky enough to have seen shit loads of bands, the biggest about, but still yet to see Daft Punk. Catching Jimi Hendrix in his heyday would have been heavy though!"

First gig you went to?

"Smaller's album launch at The State Ballrooms in 1996"

Last gig you went to?

"Aldous Harding at The Arts Club in Liverpool last week [4th December]."

Top 5 new acts?...?

"Red Rum Club, The Snuts, Fontaines D.C, She Drew The Gun"

Non-musical inspirations?

"Me mam & dad, Liverpool Life."

Favourite venue?

"The Zanzibar [Liverpool]"

Top 3 albums?

"Oasis - Definitely Maybe, The Beatles - Rubber Soul and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu"

Dream collaboration?

"The same lads I've been making music with for the last 15 years, but for the next 40 years."

Favourite festival?

"Glastonbury"

And finally, some quick-fire preferences...Pete or Carl?

"Pete"

Coke or Pepsi?

"Coke"

Morrissey or Marr?

"Marr"

Noel or Liam?

"Liam"