Stag

Stag are a band that strip through the bullshit and media hype and push through with a collection of songs which demand you listen. Inspired by the success of Oasis, the band takes us back to 1994 when the indie scene was about good songs rather than what tie you were wearing. The bands first single on Karma Lion, "Low Watt Glow", was produced by Julian Standen of Lemonheads and Soup Dragons fame which goes to show where the band are coming from. We got on the blower to frontman Peter John Hobbs to find out about the band where every night is a Stag Night!!!

Q: Taking it back to when you were called User. What are people going to know from your previous band?
A: Nothing. We did the inevitable Camden scene for the record companies and nearly got signed a few times. Our minor claim to fame is that we were booked to signed Glastonbury but we broke down on there way there, so we lost our slot. So User disintegrated and myself and Andy (the drummer) started again really with Stag. About this time last year we got Struan (bass) and then Duncan (guitar) joined. It was really weird because our first gig was the one that Karma Lion came along to and it just moved on from there really.
 

Q: Your first single "Low Watt Glow" has just come out last week and to me it takes me back to about 93 / 94 and what I guess would now be known as old skool indie. Would you agree?
A: I totally agree - were a bit more song based and little less skinny tie. Apart from the Coral there aren't many bands around now that are writing good songs. For us Oasis was year dot and then you work your way back through the Roses, Nirvana, Guns N Roses - just good energetic hook songs. When you look at the garage bands around now you just don't see it making any lasting impact, at least not like Oasis did.

We were thinking about where we fitted in last night because we'd just finished a quite anonymous warm up gig and we were in the middle of these 3 bands. One bands was like London Mockney Strokes style band and the other band were Nu-Metal and we were jammed in the middle doing our own thing. It does feel like were just here for the songs and we don't fit in with any scene, but the interesting thing is people are really responding to just good songs.
 

Q: As you said people are relating to the songs and the lyrics rather than the image your portray. What is "Low Watt Glow" about?
A: People are so ambitious and striving for success and that's the way people are geared up nowadays, but this is just taking it the opposite and saying I don't want all that - I just want an easy life. I thought that was interesting to just look at things from a different outlook. All my songs are just little quirks and twisting the mainstream conventions.
 

Q: You're signed to Karma Lion which are an offshoot of the dance label Karma Giraffe. How did it all happen and can we expect any chart topping remix of Stag songs in the future?
A: I think Jamie wanted to branch out anyway because he's the rock person and his brother is the dance person. It was complete luck of having all these A&R people turning up and he just wandered in from his office across the road. Four days after he saw the gig we signed the deal with Karma Lion.

We've just got traditional songs of verse bridge chorus so it would be pretty hard to do a dance treatment of it...but we'll see how desperate we get for a chart hit!!!

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"Low Watt Glow" is out now on Karma Lion
For more info
www.thestagsite.com
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