Ex Libras

London based trio Ex Libras embark this month on a northern tour, to promote the realease of new single 'Underchiever’. As the band showcase a unique live music experience, built around volume and atmosphere, music-news.com reporter Susan Ford caught up with the band to talk about lyrics, performance and converted garden sheds.

Who are Ex Libras and what’s your story?

Hi Music-news! We, Ex Libras, are a 3 piece from West London, currently touring our 2nd single Underachiever around the North of the UK.

Where does the name 'Ex Libras’ come from?

Ex Libras is taken from the Latin 'Ex Libris' which means 'from the library of...' or 'from the books', which is where we all met - we all worked at our local Libraries.

Describe your music to those who have yet to hear it.

The hardest question but we'll try. A few terms we like to throw around are 'Post Break Beat' & 'Aggressive Ambient' - a cross between Cinematic Orchestra, Radiohead and Mogwai has been suggested to us on numerous occassions. Perhaps a favourite being DJ shadow meets Radiohead. Someone also described our live sound as a "circle trying to fit into a square"...

Where does your unique sound come from?

Unique is high praise. We try to be different by approaching writing in a completely no holds barred approach. We have confidence in each others ability and the humility to make mistakes in each others company. We also employ the use of loops, improvisation, effects, and samples in hopefully inventive ways, with the conscious effort of never repeating ourselves.

Where do you draw influences, in both lyric and music style?

We draw inspiration from soundscapes in the highstreet, break-beats in the clouds, classical and minimalsim bank balances. Lyrics are usually an after-thought, but one that is heavily considered, and they usually come before or after a song takes form.

How do you go about penning lyrics and writing music?

Our musical writing is all based around grooves arising from improvisational jams, where upon listening back, 20 seconds can be something really special out of 30 minutes of recording. It is then these sections/ideas which we will shape into songs. Lyrically, the melody may sing itself back to [Amit] if he's luckily enough to hear it. The lyrics will then only come if the song demands it. The lyrics are usually dark scattered thoughts with very little coherency throughout, but its something we want to work on and improve.

How much does place, i.e. where you come from and where you write your songs, affect your particular music style?

I'm sure it does, but to what degree we can only guess. It would be easier for someone outside our hometown to look in and give their opinion. It's the 'can't see the wood for the trees' scenario. One influential place we can mention is our HQ - the 'Shed'. This is our creative space in which we rehearse, record and shoot videos / photos / etc. We converted it from a garden shed a couple of years ago. The atmosphere inside instils a sense of timelessness and allows us to focus. If anything, we built the studio to filter out all the outside factors we feel are a disadvantage to us. We make a point of playing outside London as often as we can, where a sense of a musical community is much more apparent and a welcome change.

What do you aim to achieve through your music?

A sense of escape and purpose within us. To establish a connection with the listener in a mutually appreciative way......sharing.

What is in store for the band in terms of live shows? What can fans expect when they attend a live performance?

As we mentioned, we are midway through a Northern tour promoting the 2nd single release from our debut album 'Suite(s)'. In the Live show we always try to deliver an honest and passionate performance, which is probably the most important aspect for us as a band.

Talk me through 'Suite(s)’, and where it was recorded.

Suite(s) was written, performed and recorded live in the Shed by ourselves. We consciously wanted the recorded sound to be a true reflection of an Ex Libras performance with minimal overdubs. The album consists of two suites each containing four movements. This was all done on a £250 computer, just for the record. It could not have been made without the help and support of our closest and dearest friends and family.

What are the next plans for Ex Libras after your successful start to the year?

Ah thanks....We have an acoustic EP due for release in the summer, which is a re-imagining of 4 tracks from Suite(s), coinciding with a small acoustic tour. A live DVD will also be surfacing soon, working with the lovely folk at "Eye See Sound", we showcase some new and current tracks. The rest will be a continuous stream of writing for the next album to be released early next year.