In a couple of weeks you will be releasing your debut mini album on Hassle Records what are your expectations for the album?
Chris Glithero (vocals, bass): Were not expecting to blow everything away, wed be happy to sell a few thousand copies to the kids whove picked up on what weve been doing.
How much has it fulfilled your expectations of what you could do as a band?
Paul Frost (vocals, guitar): We did it in a couple of weeks. Its simple and its fast, its everything we wanted to do.
Youve been playing venues such as the Glasgow ABC when supporting the likes of Nine Black Alps, do you feel more confident in the bigger venues, or do you prefer the smaller venues such as the Arbroath Viewfield?
CG: Honestly, I dont give a shit these days, as long as theres twenty kids at the front who are moshing well just play to them anyway.
PF: Its just a different atmosphere, and the vibes are great. Obviously, its dead rewarding if its a big room and everyones enjoying themselves, but if its really intimate and hectic and energetic then its great as well.
Have you had a good reaction from the tour so far?
CG: Yeah, Scotland especially is wicked weve had people coming back from the last times weve been here, some guy turned up in a Zico t-shirt last night, and wed never been to Edinburgh before!
How were the Zico Chain formed?
CG: Its all a little hazy, I cant remember greatly how it got together. We didnt think too much about the whole thing, and although its clichéd, we were a bit dissatisfied with everything, and we started getting faster and more aggressive.
Were you in any school bands?
CG: My band was called The Blue!
Ollie Middleton (Drums): I was in Penfold! Long live Penfold!
Chris, do you ever get tired of the endless Nirvana comparisons in the press just now?
CG: We think its lazy, really lazy that journalists are saying that. We dont care too much though. You can always tell the person whos had one look at us and just went to the bar, then in the review writes that we want to be like Nirvana. They were a big band and all, but not any more than (Black) Sabbath and Pixies, and all those other punk bands like the Ramones.
PF: With the mini-album review, there are always influences that are kicked up, like Motorhead.
CG: The kids say that we remind them of Nirvana, but musically, theres not any real comparison, obviously Pauls tall, Ive got long blonde hair, and we shout a lot! I can see where they come from.
Would you rather work your way up slowly, or rise to fame like the Arctic Monkeys?
CG: Wed be stupid to say we just want to keep playing small venues, I think thats stupid wed love to play massive venues to loads of people. We dont want to be a hype band, we dont want to be a scenester band. Wed like to build a massive fanbase - we just want to do it the right way, we want to be around for a while.
What did you collectively listen to when you grew up?
CG: Just Nirvana all the way man!
The rest of the band laugh.
Who are your favourite bands at the minute?
CG: I absolutely love the Dresden Dolls we saw them at SXSW and Download, and theyre tremendous theyre pushing the boundaries.
OM: The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster theyre pushing the boundaries too. We played with them in Texas, and they took the roof off. The Like too weve seen them on tour.
CG: We all like real songs from songwriters, like Motorhead, Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age, all the sort of classic influences.
Youre playing the Download festival any other plans for the summer?
CG: We cant fucking wait for Download! Reading and Leeds too were not booked yet but we really hope to be there. We love the festivals, we had a great time as punters last year, thinking were going to be playing next year, and now we are!
Do you feel youd be able to keep up the energy in your shows for a longer set?
OM (laughing): Were dying after 40 minutes as it is!
CG: Weve been playing ten tracks for these headline tours, it went from eight to nine to ten. We dont think bands should be playing hour and a half sets. I think with any band if I watch them for fifty minutes, Ive had enough. If I was a kid at the front sweating, Id not want to listen to acoustic parts of the set to fill the gap, I dont think its right.
PF: Wed much rather play for forty minutes and keep everyones interest.
OM: I think if it was any longer than forty minutes Id just fall off my stool!
FUTURE GIGS
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