Errors

Having not long returned from a tour of the states with Mogwai, Glasgow's Errors are about to pack up their electronic post-rock pop, take it to Brazil and let it out all over some festivals. We managed to speak to Steev Livingstone, who I'm pretty sure is the tallest in the band, so therefore is probably in charge.

You're just back from a month-long tour of the US with Mogwai. How did that go? Did you go record shopping much?

It was great. We did a lot of record shopping. To the point that we had to buy extra suitcases to carry them home in. We visited a couple of excellent record shops in Seattle in Capital Hill. Sonic Boom, and one round the corner from that were especially good. I found a basket of neglected Italo Disco records under one of the racks. I stayed for over an hour listening through them. Got some absolute gems. We went to Amoeba Records in Hollywood as well. Could really have stayed there all day. Greg got a limited edition Can VHS and CD box-set.

Why isn't there any singing on your songs? Are you all too shy?

There's a lot of singing- you just need to look for it. The new record has quite a lot of 'vocals' on it so far too. We aren't really that shy any more.

  

What do you find easiest?

a) Playing in a band

b) Working in a busy pub

c) Doing remixes

d) DJing

They're all easy. Except DJing. I still get sweaty with stress whenever I do that. I'm not much fun to be around at that point.

Should people feel obliged to dance to Errors?

People should do whatever they want. I don't move at all when I go and see bands. If you feel self-conscious at a show it's probably the band's responsibility to fix that. Sadly being so tall and awkward, the band would have to be extremely talented to fix me.

Your first EP- and subsequent two LPs- are all very much Errors, but still very different. Do you consciously set out to change the sound each time you make a record?

We don't ever talk about that. Our tastes and the music we listen to changes all the time. We'll talk about what we've been listening to and what blogs we've been on and stuff and because we all DJ together we get an idea of what each other are digging at that moment. There are a lot of cross-overs but also a lot of surprises. I would be disappointed if all our albums sounded a-like, I guess we're quite lucky that we've been able to create a sound that is our own without too much repetition.

 What were you all listening to when you decided to start making music together? Have your influences changed since then?

We were pretty young. I guess we all liked Pavement collectively. I liked mainly 80s pop music, Greg was really into guitar music from the 90s and Simon like most left-field stuff. I arrived late to electronic music. I played in many guitar bands when I was young before I realised there we're actually other instruments out there.

What's been the most amusing description of your music that you've heard?

"It's not something but it is like whatever."

Will your next album title be a pun on a TV show? What about doing an easy listening selection called 'The Only Way Is David Essex'? Or a Detroit techno album called 'America's Next Top Model 500'? 'Celebrity Stars In Their I-Pods'?

I think it's time we moved away from all that. Funny as it is.

Were you worried about handing out your second album to people to remix?

Not at all. My only worry was that someone might remix it so well it was better than the original. Like when Fat Boy Slim remixed 'Brimful of Asha' and he basically re-wrote the song turning them into one-hit-wonders and it wasn't even really their song anymore.

Who would you like to remix? Is there anything out there you think could benefit from a quick once-over?

Can't really think of anyone. I'm open to suggestions though.

What's your favourite video game music?

I was brought up on the Megadrive so I guess Sonic 2, California Games, Road Rash... All that stuff. I recently downloaded a band's DJ mix and they opened the mix with Emerald Hill Zone 1 from Sonic 2 and it reminded me how excellent and imaginative that music was. I'd love to do that as a job, that or making music for children's TV shows. I reckon I could do that pretty well.

Do you follow people like Andre Michelle, and what they're doing?

I don't think I've come across him before so I guess that's a no.

Do you get much money from your music being on Spotify? Have their recent changes made a difference?

We get a little bit. We probably get more money from being played in gyms though. It seems like people like to work out and get sweaty to Errors.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Bear in mind you'll need to be practical.

Pepperoni Pizza. What do you mean practical? It's a pretty impractical situation. I'd probably not survive long if I ate exclusively one type of food regardless of what it was.

Mogwai have had a couple of tracks on adverts- are there any products you'd like to endorse? Or would refuse to?

As long as it wasn't a company that made landmines or the BNP or anything I'd be happy if the money was good. 

What are you listening to yourselves just now? Anything you'd like to recommend?

I've been listening to Tropic of Cancer who I really like. They use some old gear and it's all kind of two-chord Spectrum stuff. We're all into the Peaking Lights album. I'd also highly recommend Midnight Star's seminal 1985 album 'Headlines'. That's pretty much all we listened to in the van on the US tour.

What's coming next from Errors then?

An album later this year. Maybe. with an exstensive UK tour to follow. Probably.

Errors are signed to Mogwai's Rock Action Records.