Motorcycle Display Team

As London-based trio Motorcycle Display Team prepare for a series of live dates around the country, including the music-news underground night in Edinburgh’s Maggie’s Chambers on April 23rd, music-news.com reporter Susan Ford caught up with the band to talk lyrics, self-released EPs and melodious, vocal-driven pop music.

Who are Motorcycle Display Team and what's your story?

Steve: Motorcycle Display Team is a threeo. We’re all Londonders but Mog’s a Dubliner, I’m a Bletchleyite and Matt’s a Wellingtonian. We met up on the London live music scene when we were all looking for other inspiring musicians to make something a little bit special and I think we found it. We’ve been going about 2 and a half years and our own sound is finally rearing its pretty little head.
Mog: I think MDT is the sum of it’s parts- three individuals from different places that have met in the right environment that they feel comfortable to express themselves in, which is both London and the band. I’ve been in bands since I was 16 and have probably been in more bands than I should have been as I should have known better before committing to some of them.

Describe your music for those who are yet to hear it?

Steve: I think we’re best described as melodious, vocal-driven power-pop. We get through lots of angular twists, jaunty turns and the occasional crashing break, but we keep the central thrust toward hook-laden, accessible tunes that reward multiple listens.
Matt: A song is a forum for all of us to express ourselves, so the end product is not so much an intentionally derived 'sound' as the natural music that comes from the place where the three of us meet, musically speaking. Listening to Motorcycle Display Team with this in mind, I think the influences shine through.
Mog: I think we’re focused on the importance of a melody as opposed to adapting a specific style. You can definitely sing along with the songs and in some cases, have a good old boogie too!

How do you go about penning lyrics and writing songs?

Steve: Well to begin with most of our tracks came from my solo back-catalogue but these days we all bring in tunes and ideas to work with. Then we take the good ones and jam them out a bit in the studio until we have the skeleton structure. Then I take the ideas home and write the vocal melody then set it to lyrics. We all have pretty distinctive songwriting styles and it occasionally results in an eclectic mix. We have a set of crunchy post-punk and a set of sparkling pop and it’s a challenge to put vocals to a tune you haven’t written. I can sometimes struggle with Matt’s off-beat compositions but with perseverance the result is usually quite rewarding. By contrast Mog usually has an idea of the vocal when he brings his ideas in so it’s more straightforward.
Mog: as Steve said!
Matt: Each song is unique and comes from a particular experience. The idea of writing a song according to a formula is anathema to me.

Tell me about the crayon masterpiece e.p...

Steve: We collected the best of our early recordings that we made with our producer and silent 4th member in-waiting, Jack Elphick. Jack’s an amazing and innovative guitarist and on Crayon Masterpiece he wrote some lovely guitar parts to colour the scenery. We got a friend of ours to design the cool cover art, which is a manipulated photograph of the band hanging from a cliff made to look like a watercolour painting.
Mog: We decided instead of shopping it around different companies and organizations, waiting for a label to release the EP, that we would release it ourselves on our own label. This has proved to be rewarding to us as musicians as it means we have full control of what we release and when we release stuff. Plus, in light of today’s environment, for a band like ours to sign a deal right now could be career suicide. By doing it this way, we can reach out to people the way we want to and not worry about being dropped if our releases don’t get to number one on every chart.
Matt: If you don't buy it off itunes in the immediate future you will never be able to claim to have discovered MDT before everyone else without secretly feeling like a charlatan.

Where do you draw influence in lyric and content?

Steve: The lyrics usually come from any old idea off the top of my head while I’m jamming melodies, and then I expand the theme and edit the wording until I’m satisfied my metaphors are not too clunky and the message isn’t trite. Sometimes I might start out intending to write a targeted political song and I get gently swayed by rhymes that occur to me until the meaning has become a small, everyday observation. I’m not very disciplined so I go wherever an idea takes me until I have enough material to trim. So many things get dropped because they don’t fit that I always have a huge pile of snippets like cuttings waiting to be nurtured into their own mature plant.

Who is your favourite live act to see as a fan yourself?

Steve: I’ve seen Acoustic Ladyland loads and they blow me away every time. They play original punk songs with jazz instruments. Such awesome tunes played by such talented musicians with all that passion is a knock-out. Also I loved a band called David Devant & His Spirit Wife who put on amazing shows with shadow plays, props and amazing outfits – they had some excellent songs too but they seldom play together now.
Mog: I stumbled upon a band from California, by mistake in a pub in Stockwell about two summers ago who call themselves Oso. I couldn’t contain my excitement and went to see as many of their shows possible while they were in the UK. I also love watching Red Hot Chili Peppers live- they really know how to set a standard.
Matt: The only truly inspiring band I've seen recently is the Pixies

Do you think you take anything from admirable live performances as mentioned above into your own live performances?

Steve: We give it everything every time when we’re on stage so that passion is something I’ve seen that makes for an inspiring show. We also try to add a theatrical element now so we have stage costumes and make up for our shows, it’s no doubt a hangover from my acting days…
Mog: I think the most important thing is to enjoy yourself on stage and mean every note you play. Nothing worse than going to see a band who are too busy posing and taking themselves way too seriously. I think most people react positively if they watch a band that enjoy what they do. I’m definitely influenced by bands who enjoy themselves on stage.
Matt: I agree 100% with Morgan on this one.

What have the band got lined up in terms of live performances?

Mog: Well, we’re playing shows in London in April in Bird’s Nest in Deptford, then Arch 365 in Clapham, then we’re off to Scotland with Maggie’s Chambers in Edinburgh and then Cosmopol in Glasgow, then we’re off to Ilfracombe in Devon to play a festival in May, then the Water Rats for a pre-rest period gig, before more stuff later in the year.

What can fans expect from a live show?

Steve: To wonder why Motorcycle Display Team aren’t huge already. Ha! Not really - just to expect an honest and engaging show.
Matt: I want people to come with no expectations, whether it's your first MDT gig or you're my weird midget stalker and this is your twenty-seventh MDT gig. I think rock music has become a bit safe in its middle age; all this talk of expectations is a bit banal for my taste.

What’s next for Motorcycle Display Team
Steve: More live shows across the UK, maybe some universities. We’ll also be releasing another EP in the early Summer which will be accompanied by a couple of video promos (I love filming stuff), then our debut album at the end of this year.

For all the latest updates, live dates and news on Motorcycle Display Team, visit their myspace at www.myspace.com/motorcycledisplayteam.

Live Dates
08.04.10 The Bird’s Nest, London
16.04.10 Arch, London
23.04.10 Maggie’s Chambers, Edinburgh
24.04.10 Cosmopol, Glasgow
01.05.10 The Landmark Beer Festival, Ilfracombe Devon
15.05.10 Water Rats, London
28.08.10 Kensal Green Fake Festival, London