Chris Helme
18 Questions To Chris Helme

THE REVIEW

Chris Helme was the leader of the Seahorses. Currently, he is the frontman of the Yards, a rock band with an enticing retro flavor and psychedelic American hues. Thanks to Maureen from Venus Distribution, I managed to ask a few questions to this often grumpy character but undeniably gifted with a rather interesting vocal timbre. Here is what came out of an "email" chat that dates back to August. (I apologize to everyone for not translating from English, but laziness often befalls me mockingly).

1. Hi Chris, where are you now and what were you doing exactly 10 minutes ago?
At home. Checking emails and downloading this interview.

2. When and why did your musical project start? Did you have a clear idea already of the music you were going to develop?
The Yards started about 3 years ago as most of us had been working together in various projects and wanted to give the songs we’d been playing more of a band treatment. We knew we shared certain influences but allowed the sound to develop through a process of trying ideas, scrapping ideas, gigging ideas and sacking guitarists.

3. Chris, who was the frontman that made you go “I’ll become a singer. Definitely.”?
I never wanted to be a singer. It just happened by accident.

4. What did your last musical experience (The Seahorses) give to you? I mean, what did you bring into The Yards, from your past?
Money, a house and a better guitar than I would have had. Oh, and a few wrinkles and grey hairs. I think I know what I want now and I’m in no rush to get it.

5. Why should one be interested in your music? I mean: what’s so special or different from other artists, from your point of view, about The Yards?
Every band that writes its own material and makes the music it wants to regardless of what’s in fashion or what it’s told to make by contractual obligations is special and as far as being different – you name another band based in York called The Yards with exactly the same 5 members!

6. Describe your music using only 5 words.
Deserving of your undivided attention.

7. Have you been around a lot before signing the contract with your record company?
As The Yards we’d worked together for about 2 years and had made the album ourselves before any sort of deal was signed.

8. In your music there are clear sounds of the 60’s and the 70’s American and English rock periods. You can “find somewhere” The Who or maybe Lynyrd Skynyrd. The listeners could also hear more “recent” sounds. In fact I also think that something, from the britpop era and from the early American scene of the 90’s, remained into your music. A few songs sound a bit like The Verve ones and others (like “Up ‘Til Dawn” for example) sounds a bit like a Pearl Jam unplugged ballad. Is that correct or do you think The Yards influences are different from the ones I mentioned?
I think every guitar band in the world has to be influenced, to some degree, by American or English rock from the 60s or 70s. The Britpop thing is bound to crop up to some degree from our ages, nationality and history although “Pearl Jam” is a new one on me! Quality songwriting is the constant throughout our influences and that will stand up in any era and whether it’s recorded in one take in a garage or layered with sweet harmonies and a 60-piece orchestra in Abbey Road.

9. There is a song on the disc that is probably the best “musical episode” of your debut and is a clear attack to George W.Bush. “The Devil Is Alive And Well And In DC”: a beautiful garage song with a gorgeous title and very interesting lyrics on the inside. Talk about it. How was it born?
Out of pure frustration. You can set yourself up for a lot of flak by writing something blatantly political but if you’re allowed to say you’re in love in a song you must be allowed to say you’re pissed off too. We’d hoped that song would be out of date by now but unfortunately it’s as relevant today as it was when it was written. Perhaps “Devil” was too kind a word.

10. What do you think about the current situation of the world? I mean…terrorism, silly politicians, and Christina Aguilera on the radio are not the things a normal person would like to get as soon as he gets up in the morning. Knowing that traveling on a tube, flying in a plane, or just walking out your door could pose a threat to your life is a tragedy for everybody, everywhere. So is having your country invaded just because it fits in with somebody else’s own personal vision of how they’d like the world to be. There are millions of people demonstrating peacefully, and world organizations set up to arbitrate disputes between different people, but still those with the biggest guns, the most money or the least respect for the lives of others carry on regardless – terrorists and politicians. With regards to Christina Aguilera…if I don’t want to hear it I turn it off.

11. Have you or are you going to “hit the road” in the U.K. to promote the album and meet fans? Will you ever come here in Italy?
We’ve just finished what was officially the “album tour” but we’re more or less gigging continually. We’re hoping to be getting to places outside the UK as soon as we can and Italy would be great but these things always seem to take more planning, more time, and more people working for you than you’d originally think. End of the year or the start of 2006? We’ll let you know when it happens.

12. Tell us your favourite bands/artists at this moment in the United Kingdom.
Everybody in the band has their own opinions but personally I like the Nine Black Alps album, The Streets, and a young York band called Black Night Crash.

13. Tell us what you think is the Best band of the last 10 years and why you think so.
Radiohead. Despite thinking their last album was poor (again I’m only speaking for myself), they write amazing songs, play amazing gigs, and despite selling millions and millions of records they’re still brave, original, and true.

14. Tell us, in order,

• A recent underrated rock album you think deserved much more attention
  Don’t know
• An overrated one
  Keane, Keane, Keane!!
• The best rock album of all the times and…
  The White Album, Revolver, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, The Bends, OK Computer, Parallel Lines, The Doors, Songs For The Deaf, Nevermind, Definitely Maybe, Outlandos D’Amour, Beggars Banquet, Never Mind The Bollocks, My Generation – can I stop now?
• ... the worst, too!
  Keane, Keane, Keane!!

15. What do you frankly think about this current new rock movement? I mean, do you like this “new rock wave” (from Maximo Park to Bloc Party…and so on…) or it just seems the same old, recycled, stuff poppin’ up every decade or so?
Things are always going to be recycled and that’s fine – if it introduces people to a scene they hadn’t explored before and gets them listening to more music then it’s no problem to me. I don’t necessarily think the current scene is better, worse, bigger, or smaller than it’s been before although, to some extent, rock bands are back in the space that had previously been taken up by dance or pop acts and that at least means bands are back playing live, which is positive. I like Bloc Party’s album and what I’ve heard by Maximo Park but they’re individual bands to me. I’ll leave bundling them all together and rating the “new rock scene” to the media - just because I like a band doesn’t mean I like “the movement” just as liking an album doesn’t mean I’ll always like that band.

16. What’s your biggest hope for your musical project right now?
To record the second album and make it as good as I think it can be.

17. What is your biggest hope for the future? Do you aim at being featured on every NME issue, like Franz Ferdinand, selling five million of records?
I’d rather have 5 million people wanting our album in their homes than have the editor of NME think we’d sell a load of copies of his paper. My goal is to be able to keep making music I like and believe in and get the opportunity to play it to as many people, in as many countries as possible.

18. And, finally, only for us please unveil a secret that nobody knows (yet) about you.
My time of death is 12.34pm – you wait and see.

Thank you so much for your kind answers. I sincerely wish you and your friends a brilliant rock year, a great live inspiration, and all the best for your life.