Monday, March 10, 1997
MUSIC:
Space’s catchy pop hooks, lively accessibility poised on brink
of stardomBy Mike Prevatt
Daily Bruin Contributor
Liverpool has a reason to be proud again. Usually, one utterance
of that British city’s name brings forth instant images of Ringo,
Paul, John, and George. But now Liverpool has another group of
hometown heroes conquering the world (well, sort of).
Space, the lounge/kitsch pop outfit burnin’ up the airwaves on
KROQ and Y-107 with their catchy single "Female of the Species,"
have found success not only in their native England, but here in
the States as well. For most British pop bands, U.S. success is
either modest (if they’re lucky) or non-existent. Space has won
over alternative radio in a very short amount of time, and is
getting luckier by the minute.
"To be honest, the way it’s goin’ right now, it’s a big
surprise," says Space drummer Andy Parle. "It’s great that it’s
getting well received. We’ve got lots of good feedback."
Space’s appeal lies in its accessibility. On their debut album,
"Spiders" (Universal), Space offers a wide array of fresh, diverse
sounds. Their bouncy, B-movie style music offers something likeable
for everyone. And Space, unlike some more elitist British bands,
are quite happy with that.
"We just don’t want to appeal to a certain audience. Some bands
want to stay obscure. We’re not about that. In England, the
diversity of (the listeners) we get is unbelievable. We get kids as
young as eleven or twelve, and people as old as fifty! We actually
had a family come backstage once, from the youngest son to his
mother and father," says Parle.
"Go back to a band like the Beatles. They had that kind of
appeal, y’know? Grandmothers would be listening to "Yesterday" and
then there were the tracks like "Revolution," which appealed to the
younger generation," says Parle.
"I think that point’s proved on our record," Parle continues.
"Cause you’ve got a track like ‘Drop Dead,’ which has got a harder
feel to it. You’ve got ‘Female of the Species’ which is a catchy
pop song. Then we’ve got a techno song (‘Growler’) that Francis
(Griffiths), our keyboard player, does. So there’s something for
everyone."
Parle, Griffiths, Scott, and guitarist Jamie Murphy experiment
with old sound effects, different pop hooks and synthesizers that
form a unique sound. "Spiders" could serve as a soundtrack for a
’90s version of a cheesy ’50s horror movie. Coincidentally, that
sort of medium serves as the real inspiration for Space’s
interstellar sound.
"Tommy (Scott) writes the lyrics. He always surprises me with
his songs. He’s more of a movie buff … into stories and
characters. So what we try to do is accommodate that kind of idea
with the right type of sound or feel. It just kinda happens," says
Parle. "With a track like ‘Neighborhood’ he had the lyrics before
we had the music."
"It’s like a chemistry between us. Like some bands get on a
roll, and I think that’s what happened to the four of us. We make
up our own minds on what arrangements go down. We don’t lift
anything. It broadens our horizons," says Parle.
With Space’s original sound, it’s difficult to sort out Space’s
influences, except for Scott’s Burt Bacharach-esque crooning. "The
only thing that might have influenced us a little bit is New Order,
from when we were kids. That changed club music, I think, the way
they used technology," says Parle.
Space’s experimentation and distinct creativity has set them
apart from most pop bands here and in the U.K. Their musical
imagination and inventive tendencies parallel that of only a few
bands, like Beck, Pavement, the Smashing Pumpkins, and U2, a
favorite of the band.
"We wouldn’t argue that ’cause we’re big fans of U2! We really
respect them ’cause they reinvent themselves, they’ve moved with
the times. They’re not scared of using technology, and they’ve
gotten into remixing and using loops and that sort. They’re still
hip and manage to be big, but don’t sell out. To be compared with
U2 on that level is really encouraging," says Parle.
Though Space has a long way to win the world over like U2,
they’re off to a great start. With number one singles and albums in
Britain, Europe and Asia, Space has the potential to really hit it
big. And the are even ready to release their second single,
"Neighborhood," here in the States. But they won’t sell out, rush
things, or compromise their standards just for the sake of being
successful.
"We don’t take (success) for granted," says Parle. "We want to
go as far as we can take it. We don’t think we’re gonna just bowl
’em over with every record we do. There’s a lot of care that goes
into it. We wouldn’t just put anything down. We’ll never restrict
ourselves, either."
Gut Records
Things are looking up for British band Space.