Interview with Elephant Facelift

A R T I C L E
Interview with Elephant Facelift
with Ian Duggan
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Elephant Facelift are a new band in Hamilton featuring a couple of familiar faces. We interviewed Sam Brockelsby and Albert Bannister about their sound, aspirations and potential family rivalries!

HUP: Albert has featured in a series of bands, including ‘Goth and the Pixie’, ‘Wink Wink Nudge Nudge’ and ‘Ancient Tapes’, while Sam fronted ‘Ancient Tapes’ through their existence. Does the sound of ‘Elephant Facelift’ feature commonalities with any of these bands, or are you something different again? (feel free to mention any influences here)
 
Albert: Every other band in I’ve been a supporting musician playing other people’s songs. For a while now I’ve been itching to write my own songs and sing in a band. We’re both using Elephant Facelift as a chance to mess around with song ideas that haven’t fitted the style of other projects. My main influences are largely grunge, post-punk, and prog (The Mars Volta, Radiohead, Nirvana, and local heroes Mermaidens). I don’t have great upper vocal range so my favourite vocalist is Johnny Cash.

Sam: No, it's quite different really, and for me that was kind of the whole point. After doing the shoegazing thing with Ancient Tapes, I was keen to try something else. I've always been into prog and space rock, and it has been really cool working those genres into the Elephant Facelift stuff. I'm also the only guitarist, and so my guitar playing has to do a lot more work than in previous bands. And best of all, I get to use my fuzz pedals as much as I want without infuriating the other guitar players.
 
HUP: How many gigs have you played so far?
 
Sam: Two since we formed in Feb.
 
HUP: At the Graeme Jefferies gig, you were higher on the bill than Albert's dad, Matthew Bannister. Did this lead to any family tension?
 
Albert: Haha no, my dad is not competitive so it was chill.
 
HUP: What are your aspirations for the band? I understand Albert is heading overseas soon; is this the end already?
 
Albert: I’m going to be back in July so it’s not permanent. We’re both just looking to play as much as we can while we’re both here. The duo format makes it really easy to practice and write new material.

Sam: I think we're both keen to keep playing once Albert is back - play more shows and maybe get an EP or something out there.
 
HUP: Who writes the songs?
 
Sam: Both of us.
 
HUP: What is behind your name, ‘Elephant Facelift’?
 
Albert: One day I was watching Planet Earth and started thinking about what would happen if you injected elephants with botox.

Visit the Elephant Facelift Facebook -> HERE <-