Tricky Susan
Interview conducted Feb. 26, 2021
by Dan Locke
A four-piece outfit formed in London, Tricky Susan immediately snatch your attention with their hook-centric tunes and an energy hard to eclipse. Cementing this with a penchant for a stonking good time (on stage and off), it won’t take you long to get what this lot are about. Tricky Susan entice you to join them on their journey. Buckle up for the ride.
Tricky Susan members:
Camilla – vocals
Don – guitar
John – bass
Val – drums
What is your upbringing?
[Camilla] I’m a dirty Northerner, brought up in a household where laughter, group harmony and general tomfoolery was encouraged. All a bit von Trapp – just less curtain and more filth.
[Don] I grew up right on the edge of London – the bit nobody thinks of when they hear “London”. Far from city action but covered in city dirt. My parents worked hard running a shop and my sister and I worked hard at dismantling their house.
[John] I’m also from up North, raised rambling around the hills of Cumbria and listening to Dad’s eclectic mix of records
How did you discover music?
[Camilla] I think my earliest memory was as a toddler listening to Annie Lennox, Walking on Broken Glass being played on vinyl in my sisters’ attic room. I thought, crikey, this intro sounds as if Annie Lennox IS actually walking on broken glass – IT BLEW MY TODDLER MIND!! Soon after, watching my three older sisters sing all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody by heart was pure wizardry to me – I wanted in.
[Don] My Mum had a piano and I used to bang the low notes as hard as I could to simulate the sound of Satan. That’s when I wasn’t singing in the church choir. My Dad is a huge music fan and he gave me a box of singles to ruin. That’s how I discovered the Beatles, surf music (via the Surfaris’ Wipe Out), and the joy of the novelty song (They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Haha). He’d sit me on his lap to listen to Pink Floyd and read along with the words, occasionally skipping the swearing (do goody good bullshine, he’d sing.) I appropriated some of his key records (Autobahn, Aladdin Sane, the Best of the Bonzo Dog Band, After Bathing at Baxter’s) and they stayed in my room throughout my whole childhood.
[John] Me and Dad used to go record shopping every Sunday down our local market. 5 year old me was a big fan of Status Quo – I think we must’ve collected just about every album they did, which was a lot!
How did you start to write music?
Tricky Susan
[Camilla] I first had a hankering around age 9 I think and began thinking up melodies with words. Hopefully the standard’s improved! I write a little bit on guitar and piano but luckily for me being in a band allows me to bring my ideas to the magical fingertips of these wonderful guys who feed into their instruments what I’m thinking.
[Don] Basically as soon as I started playing instruments properly, at about 13. My guitar teacher taught me a few bits of Stairway to Heaven which I had never heard at that point and it immediately sounded to me like it should go off in a totally different direction than it did. I can’t remember what my take on it was really.
[John] We had a piano at home and I would sit for hours and plonk away experimenting – I didn’t have any proper training but I’d just find harmonies and chords I liked
Describe your music.
[Don] We’ve struggled with this one to be honest – probably a good sign, but bloody annoying. Experimental pop punk? Melodic post punk? We never get round to talking about other people’s music really. We don’t ever say “Hey, you know that bit in that track by such and such, let’s do that”. We just play what makes sense at the time really.
[John] I call it post punk without the politics!
You band is pretty new. How did you form the band?
[Don] Camilla put out a listing on Facebook. I had reached a cul de sac with my own weird songwriting and I was amazed that Camilla had managed to write relationship songs that I enjoyed – usually not my thing in any way. So we met up and we got on, and she recruited John shortly after. Val came a bit later – can’t really recall how much!
[John] I’d recently moved to London in pursuit of music and saw Camilla’s listing
How did your band gets it name?
[Camilla] Tricky Susan is intended to be a metaphor for what I have generally felt throughout my ‘working’ life. As a lot of musicians know it’s often out of the question to practice your dream vocation without having a day job. It’s the idea of being one person – pretty ‘straight’ and corporally acceptable throughout the day – the ‘Susan,’ and then transitioning into the ‘real’ self on stage – the hidden ‘Tricky’ edge!
What was your first performance at like?
[Don] We played the Gunners in Highbury – an Arsenal pub. Luckily none of us support Spurs. I had some annoying stuff going on so I was in a bad mood but playing really cheered me up. We were pretty good as I recall. The other bands were angry, angry bands. But we were just about angry enough for them to enjoy too, so that was nice.
[John] The Gunners gig was a bit nuts really – we opened for an evening full of thrash metal bands, but they seemed to dig it!
[Camilla] Awww – those good old kind-hearted brawlers. Lovely chaps indeed, and a great institution all round.
What makes a good songwriter?
[Don] Having something to offer that differs from other songwriters. Within reason, the rest doesn’t matter to me at all.
[Camilla] The melody and hook to get under someone’s skin for me. The guys like to take the mick but “telling the story” authentically is also important for me.
What is the process of writing your music?
[Don] So far, Camilla’s come in with an idea on a dictaphone, sometimes with music and sometimes acapella. She holds it up to the mic and John and I pick out what chords should go underneath. I love odd chord changes so I always try to get them in – makes it much easier to create interesting parts. And if Camilla’s already got a nice tuneful part on the top, we know we aren’t going to wander too far into dissonance.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
[Camilla] Nope. Whoops.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
[Don] It was called Bastards, written aged 14. Tragically it remains unrecorded.
[Camilla] Jesus. Something tragically desperate like “Baby, Baby, Baby, I Love You”. I mean – who was I talking about at aged 9? Noddy?
How has your videos evolved from Tug of War to Undercover?
[Camilla] I think it’s simply evolved to match the song, the contacts, the friends we know who introduce us to other videographers. It simply depends on the time we put the track to the video.
Tell me about “Undercover”
[Camilla] “Undercover” is about bridled retribution. Narrated through espionage and surveillance, it’s intended to be a powerful but covert F.U. to someone who thinks they can deceive you through their web of lies and deception. Tat for tat…but with enormous consequences!
What is your favourite track on the album?
[Don] We’ve just been looking at singles so far. We basically spent a year finishing the lineup, learning to play together and doing our first few gigs. There’s an album’s worth of material but we only managed to record two tracks before the world froze. However, of all of our songs, Grab (our next single) is probably my favourite.
[John] I’m really digging one of the ideas we haven’t quite fleshed out and recorded yet. I think it’ll probably be the next thing after Grab.
How do you stay healthy while performing?
[Don] Well playing is healthy in itself of course – it’s a hell of a workout if you’re doing it right. When gigging I always try and get a good meal in about an hour before playing – falafel or something noodly. And then of course, not too much to drink! At practice, I’ll sometimes eat a big pile of fruit instead of drinking beer.
[John] I try and bounce around the stage to burn off the calories from all the beers I inevitably drink after our set
[Camilla] For the record I have never once seen Don eating fruit at a rehearsal. If cider or wine is counted then I agree.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
[Don] Technologically I think it’s amazing, and the world is enriched no end by the immediate availability of any music imaginable. But something has to be put in place to stop the middleman swindling the artist … it’s the old industry, but with big tech instead of record labels.
[Camilla] It seems we’re at the focal point of deciding which way we turn. Sure – touring these days is an immense payback for artists who have been short-changed, or dare I say (I do dare) “robbed”, of payment for their music during the last 10 years and more. Touring is perhaps the plaster on the ever-seeping wound. It doesn’t however in my view make it ok. I’m not suggesting our band creates “high-art”, but would Christie’s and Southerby’s be happy to auction off art for a couple o’ pence a shot? Or the Premier League charge a couple o’ quid for a seat to a match? Hmm…Not so sure they would. It all seems a bit unjust at times, but we’ve chosen to stream in order to get our stuff out there.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Tricky Susan
[Don] Vinyl.
[John] Vinyl – I’d love to get some of our music pressed!
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
[Camilla] ‘Mother’- John Lennon. Had that masterpiece playing this morning. So raw and hell-darn effective.
Both (Pfizer and BioNTech) and Moderna have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the both vaccine, it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?
[Camilla] I ruddy hope they don’t forget! Those marvelous, brain-heavy scientists have been working day and night on our behalf for us to frolic together again. Shot it up – both shots! To be together again; laughing, singing, dancing…poking each other in the cheek – what the hell could be better?
To make things a bit more complex, There is talk that people could either mix the manufactures of the vaccines or in the case of Moderna studies have show you could take a half doses for the first shot and still be alright for the second vaccine. Do you feel that this is right?
[Camilla] Follow the advice of your national health wizards.
How long before the whole world will be vaccinated against the virus. You have to remember there only has to be a 70% for Herd immunity (Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.)
[Camilla] We surely all realize how incredibly lucky we are if we’re reading this from a developed country where vaccine roll-outs can be delivered effectively through the existing health systems. Millions of people in the less developed countries I’m sure will be waiting nigh on decades. You just have to look at the recent outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, Africa – awful. These things stick around!
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
[Camilla] Urrggghhhhh. NO. Tricky Susan will make sure it doesn’t.
[Don] Nah. People will emerge from this realising how much we all took for granted before. I think there will be a great renaissance when this is all over. Perhaps there will even be some pushback against red tape that prevents more smaller, independent events from taking place.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
[Don] Studying to be a software developer. Also job hunting. It’s been appalling.
[John] I’ve been dabbling in electronic music, and I’ve also become pretty good at making pizza, which hasn’t been good for my waistline!
[Camilla] Being a fool; only without friends having the physical option to prohibit me. They’ve quickly learnt where the ‘Leave Chat’ button is.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
[Don] I pulled out my old PlayStation the other day. Covered in dust but works like a dream.
[Camilla] No new hobbies but it’s reaffirmed my existence as a people-appreciator. I’ve enjoyed the postman’s visit A LOT for the chance to share an affirmative (desperate) “Hello!!!” from a distance.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
[Don] The River Thames.
[Camilla] Second that. Although River Phoenix is pretty dishy (satellite speaking – whey-oh).
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
[Don] I can’t see an upside, even for them. Won’t this just mean people go elsewhere for music promotion?
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
[Don] Keep putting out records, in theory. But in a collaboration that’s obviously hard to pull off unless you’re up at a certain level, financially and professionally.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
[Don] Sadly yes, Pay to Play still comes up. It’s important to research people who randomly get in touch with you. I don’t mind paying to be playlisted – you gotta speculate to accumulate! But paying to play live is bonkers.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
[Don] Yes please!
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
[Don] Anything that allows me to travel the world and visit less humanned territories. Travel writer? Penguin technician?
[Camilla] City bus-tour guide without fail. Failing that, a history/ art museum tour guide. Give me a fact to share about Louis X1V’s knicker-drawer and I’m in. Probably quite literally.
What is your happy place?
[Don] Costa Rica!
[Camilla] Greek Islands
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners With Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival For July 23-25 Event In Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set For September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration In Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days And Shifts From Spring To November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set For October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place? One thing you have to remember you may have to be quarantine 14 days before the show
[Camilla] We would absolutely raise our hand to play these shows. Holler us, folks – the sting of Tricky Susan is waiting to be felt in your areas.
Spotify just deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. Was your saved?
[Camilla] Fortunately we’re still in existence. Thumbs up.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
[Camilla]
Our new single is out soon so follow us on Instagram – @trickysusan .
Keep brushing your teeth – we’ll all be together again soon.
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