Interviews

Look See Proof

Paul Cook 10/11/2007

After a brief but formal introduction to both The Twang's Phil Etheridge and up-and-coming Power-pop band Look See Proof, GIITTV's interviewer Paul Cook sat them down to discuss the tour, the music and what lies ahead for them in 2008.

How did Look See Proof form?

Me and Lee are obviously brothers and we started playing together, not in that way, but musically and then I knew Jason as well and said to him on holiday “shall we start a band.” We started jamming as a sort of three-piece without a drummer but eventually said it's time to get one in. We advertised for one in a phone-box and in came this lanky streak of piss called Jonny Harry! We had our first practice, it all went pretty well and that's where we wrote our first single 'tell me, tell me, tell me' and it all started from there.

You wrote your first single in your first ever practice?

Yeah, Jon brought the flow, he brought the killer riffs and Dave brought the “bass” (fish) and a terrible hairstyle. So we took him to the barbers and got it sorted out and it went from there.

Where does the name 'Look See Proof' come from?

From a maths teacher's mathematics book. It means visual proof of an equation.

What have been your influences and how have they affected your own music?

It all started off really varied. Jason was really into The Libertines, I was into more pop-punk sort of stuff, Lee was into -death metal- no, stuff like Razorlight and bands like that and Jon was into Incubus and stuff like that. Me and Dave really liked older bands like The Police and we're into Bloc Party and bands like that as well.

Recently, what other than Interpol have you been listening to on the tour bus?

Popular Workshop loads, we're really into them at the moment, Get Cape, Wear Cape Fly, and Dartz - Their “This is my ship” album is fucking amazing. And the Sugababes of course - there new tune's banging!

How's this tour going?

Really well, better than we expected actually. Seeing as we're not exactly the same musical genre as the twang we've had some really great crowds. Everyone's starting to get a little bit ill now but we've got a day off tomorrow so we'll be able to recover at home.

Have you played Norwich before and what do you think to it?

We were supposed to but one of us was ill so no, this is our first time. We really like it here, Norwich is a nice city and I've been here a lot. Also playing all the Universities is always good because the crowds are a lot younger and up for it. It's good to be down south again too - we've been up north for so long now!

You have supported some big bands in the past couple of years, how does supporting The Twang compare?

It's top. Top of the pile - Best band we've supported. They're the nicest guys we've met as well. And supporting Little Man Tate as well, they're great guys.

Your own headline tour begins next month, are you looking forward to it?

Yeah, but it's not going to be as fun as this one I don't think. It's weird because we've been working hard for like the last year and a half and we've started to get our name about but we just hope people come. People might like us but it doesn't mean they're going to turn up to the watch you headline. You have to do the ground-work so hopefully ours, supporting bands like The Twang and that, has been enough.

Are there any forthcoming venues on your tour you are looking forward to playing?

We're really looking forward to going to Amsterdam in November. We miss Oxford on this tour and go to Amsterdam instead and then we come back and go to Southampton.

What's it like when you first hear one of your songs on the Radio (Radio 1, for example)?

Surreal. You don't really register it properly. It's the same as seeing a video on MTV2 or something - “I haven't seen that” - Has anyone seen it? It doesn't really register until you think to yourself “shit, there were a lot people listening to that.” The only time I think we ever got really nervous was when we did the session for Steve Lamacq.

What would you say has been the highlight of 2007 for you?

I'd say KOKO. That was amazing. Also the first date of this tour, Newcastle Academy, was brilliant. Glastonbury was obviously amazing too, it was our first festival and we really enjoyed it. Yeah, the KOKO gig was great, it was on the Club NME tour and was a really last minute thing, a band dropped out and we replaced them and it was the first time we'd done anything of that scale and size.

What does 2008 have in-store for Look See Proof?

No festivals planned as yet but we would love to do Reading and Leeds festivals. And the album will be out in 2008, we'll start writing and recording that soon. We're not sure of the release date yet.

I think it will be around spring time myself…

I think it will be later, nearer August or September.

I think it will be any time other than what you two just said.

So we don't really know to be honest but next year sometime!

Look See Proof begin their headline tour this month and release new single 'Local Hero' on 12th November.