INTERVIEW
STRAWBERRY BLONDES
by Taron Cochrane, November 2007
Posted on January 10th, 2008

Hey, how are ya doing? Great to meet you!  Can you share with us a brief insight into your band, Strawberry Blondes?

Ginge Knievil: Yeah, great to meet ya too, doing great cheers… Well pumped up for the Euro tour ahead.  Insight into the Strawberry Blondes?  The Blondes are all about the spirit of ’77 punk rock.  We play short-sharp 2 minute blasts of in-your-face raw punk rock and roll with thought provoking lyrics to live your life by.  The way it fuckin’ should be.

To be honest, not many bands catch my attention anymore... then I caught wind of you guys and it really changed my perspective on "good music".  Who/what inspires the band musically to write such catchy and amazing songs?

Ginge: I think bridging the genre gap and adding pop sensibilities makes for a great record.  Pretty much like what The Clash did throughout their career.  I also think that wearing your influences along with heart on your sleeve will result in a top song.  Hooks, riffs, melodies, attitude, energy and a fuck load of passion will get you a good result.

Mickie Stabbs: We’ve all grown up with punk rock from The Clash to the Sex Pistols to Goldblade to Rancid. We’re always been drawn to those sort of bands. The Clash and Joe Strummer in particular have been a huge influence on us musically. Joe Strummer always wrote songs about people who weren’t getting a fair deal and when you grow up in a no-where town like us you connect with that. We love Reggae and Hip Hop as much as we love punk. At the end of the day they’re all protest music, the people’s music. A lot of people have been comparing us to Rancid and they’re a huge influence on us musically. Tim Armstrong is one of the best song writers in the world but I think the biggest influence that Rancid have had on us is that you can do things on your own terms. Rancid taught us that you don’t need to compromise. Punk rock is a D.I.Y search for the soul. Don’t let anyone tell you what the rules are, there are no rules; make them up as you go along.

I am currently waiting on your debut album, "Rise Up" to arrive in the mail...what I am in for?  Creatively, what do you love the most about this album?

Ginge: You’re in for a treat!  At a minute over half an hour, you’ll be spoilt with an “all killer, no filler” anthem laden album.  Creatively, I think the album benefits from the no frills production.  It’s real, it’s raw and you can feel the energy through your stereo speakers.

Mickie: We know that we’ve made the best punk rock album of 2007 and we’re pretty happy with that. Our only regret with this album is that Joe Strummer never got to hear it.

What has the fan reaction been like so far to, "Rise Up" and speaking of fans... since I've never been to one... what is a Strawberry Blondes show like?  

Ginge: The fans have been fuckin’ great.  Since I’m the newest addition to the Blondes fold, I can’t have asked for a better welcome.  A Strawberry Blondes show is an intense and passionate affair but with an equal feel-good factor.  You get the feeling it could kick off at any moment with the energy we put into it.    

Mickie: We consider our fans to be our friends. That’s the great thing about Myspace, it gives bands the opportunity to be in contact with fans. We reply to every message and comment we receive. If people take the time to contact us we’ll always find the time to get back to them.

I noticed that your about to embark on one hell of a European Tour, what can you tell us about it?

Ginge: We start in London supporting The Unseen and then head over to Belgium, France and Germany before ending with a few headline shows in Germany.  Should be a blast, can’t fucking wait.

Who has been your favorite band to play/tour with? Why?

Mickie: It was great being asked by Rancid to play with them. They’re a great band and good guys. Time Again were great to tour with, another great band and those guys have become good friends of ours. We’re looking forward to this tour with The Unseen. There are a lot of similarities between The Unseen and us. They come from the similar backgrounds and nothing has come easy for those guys everything they’ve done has been through hard work and determination.

If we were to jump ahead in time to let's say Summer 2008, where would we see the Strawberry Blondes? 

Ginge: The only way is up in our eyes.  We want the spread the word to the world.

You guys seem to be taking the United Kingdom by storm!  First of all, congrats on all the great acclaim.  What do you think it is about the Strawberry Blondes that drives people out of their minds? 

Ginge: Why, thank you.  You’d have to ask the fans that, but I feel that it’s the fire we’ve got in our hearts and our ethos of playing every show as it your life depends on it.  Always leave people wanting more, whether live, on record or whatever. 

In your opinion, what to date has been the most influential album on the Strawberry Blondes?  What song of the Strawberry Blondes do you think will influence other aspiring bands the most?

Ginge: It’s gotta be the first Clash album, it’s fuckin’ perfect.  I’d like to think “Rebel Rebel” would inspire other bands to get out there and fuckin’ do it.

Mickie: I think that D.I.Y ethic runs through all our songs. Punk should inspire people to do it themselves. Form a band, start a fanzine, put on your own shows. The important thing is to get involved.

Thanks so much for the excellent interview, I appreciate it!  Is there anything else you'd like to say before we go?

Ginge: Thanks for having us, it’s been a pleasure.  If you’ve got the album, cheers for buying it.  If not, go get it!  I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.  And finally… rise up and stay free, brothers and sisters.

Links:

Strawberry Blondes Official MySpace | http://www.myspace.com/strawberryblondes

Deck Cheese Records | http://www.deckcheese.com