Hooverphonic
(Geike Arnaert)

Hooverphonic are more than a band. They soundtrack your life and you probably don't even know it. Over the years various songs from their extensive collection have been used in various movies such as "I Know What You Did Last Summer" to TV shows such as "Baywatch". The recent album "The Magnificent Tree" features a collaboration with 80s popstar Cathy Dennis called "Jackie Cane" amongst a soundtrack of orchestra's and harps.

Q: You've had lots of songs used in adverts and films. When you're recording a song do you imagine it used in a certain type of film or advert?
A: No, it comes later. If you listen to this last record and hear "Jackie Cane" and you can see a whole road movie passing by. Its only after the songs are written or recorded that you start to imagine where they could be used, but its never with the intention to be used in a certain type of film. I can see the reason it sounds like that because were all quite big film fans and Alex has done film scores in the past.
 

Q: You music was used Baywatch. Strange choice really?
A: Were not going to be snobbish about it. I think everyone is entitled to our music whether its people that watch silly soap series like that or arty people that would take in a movie. It doesn't really matter.
 

Q: What music did you listen to when you were growing up?
A: Well when I was a teenager I was quite into grunge music and then I started listening to Joni Mitchel and Janis Joplin. What I look for is true emotion be that Beth Orton or Billie Holiday. You don't find that in every type of music or every folk vocal. I think there's always going to be that one outstanding pop record but that's very rare.
 

Q: I think what sets you apart is you can't really pigeon-hole your sound. Its very individual?
A: They've always tried to put us in the trip-hop genre and compared us to Portishead and Massive Attack. I think we've come to that point where they really can't. "Mad About You" has got something that they can compare with Portishead but in other ways its so different.

The privilege about being Belgium is that we've got all sort of influences due to the size of the country and how many countries surround us. French influences, after British and American, is the biggest but to combine them all is something very special and I think that where are identity might come from.

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"The Magnificent Tree" is out now
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