Q&A: The Boxer Rebellion (Part 2)
By Kate Cliffen on February 10, 2010
| Share |
As the old phrase goes, “That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger...” This is particularly true for London-based rockers The Boxer Rebellion. Life-support machines and shall-not-be-named record labels going under just two weeks after their debut release is all in a day's work for front man Nathan Nicholson. Sure, the band has had to overcome its fair share of trouble and strife, but with a #1 album on iTunes, the band has most definitely – and literally – come out on top.
Fresh from the Australian leg of their tour, FILTER has been speaking with Nicholson, and today he discusses his own inspirations behind that stadium sized sound – which has them selling out venues and touring the world.
How would you describe your sound to people who don't know The Boxer Rebellion?
Nathan Nicholson: Epic indie. We tend to flirt a lot with dynamic and reverbs and delays without sounding too polished or pompous. If we are talking in terms of light refreshment we'd probably be three to four Double Stuf Oreos.
Why the name--do you have strong feelings about the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in early 20th century China? Maybe you could write a song about it…
The name was a bit of luck. Anyone who has ever tried to come up with a good band name or album title will attest that it's one of the most long-winded, sometimes agonizing discussions a band can have! Everyone starts off serious and then it quickly spirals into joke names (My favorites at the time were 'Bad Mortgage' or 'Metallica 2'). We were recording some demos and needed a name to send them out under. Our manager at the time brought a historical dictionary down to the studio and our search ended at section 'B'. I'm not sure anyone would take us seriously if we wrote a song about the actual Boxer Rebellion. Maybe we'll leave that job to Andrew Lloyd-Webber.
Where do you find your inspiration?
In a floating plastic bag caught by the currents of the wind. No, probably from great music. I'm a sucker for melody and that always seems to get me going. For 'Union' I was massively into Big Star. When I heard 'Thirteen' and 'I'm In Love With A Girl' for the first time I was hooked. We don't sound remotely like them, but their music and story really hit me creatively. Around that time I definitely went through an "I wish I had been a teen in the early 70s phase". The fact that bands like Big Star were from Tennessee like me (albeit I grew up on the other side of the state a good seven hours away) was instantly appealing. I have found that as I grown older it's harder for a band to make an impact on me like a few did in my more formative years. I've found that inspiration is harder to find even when I'm looking for it. However, when something sticks I'm usually smitten.
How do feel about comparisons to other bands--such as your ex-tourmates Editors, and U2?
I don't really mind it, though I believe we put our own stamp on things. Oddly enough, Editors supported us a few times before they hit the masses.
Are you looking forward to coming to the U.S. to play SXSW Festival, and is there anything about playing here that particularly excites you?
We are all really looking forward to it. We've heard so much about SX over the years it'll be great to witness it and actually play there. In fact I understand we’re even being hosted by you guys while we’re out there, so thanks for the invite! I'm expecting it to be complete chaos though. I have a few friends making the trek to Austin, so it'll be nice to catch up and watch a few bands.
Check back tomorrow, when Nicholson spills the beans on how the band is going about writing their highly anticipated third album.
VIEW THE NEWSLETTERS