The Glasgow PodcART

Sometimes describing a band’s music resembles a Quixotic attempt to taste starlight, you really do have to find out for yourself. Personally I think Phantom have a raw sexuality that permeates everything they do, from singer Elsie Martin’s broken, pleading vocal to Lyndsay Evans insistent, vertical drumming,

Phantom are sexy. Not the supposed sexy of ripped abs and oil drenched bikini’s you see in hip hop videos. Not the z-list celebrity sexy you see in Nuts or FHM. Phantom are sexy the way humid summer nights are sexy, or the way being in danger is sexy. Phantom’s music is filled with passionate urgency. This is not the sound of two teenagers desperate for a quickie before their parents come home, this is the sound of an all encompassing dangerous sexual relationship, the kind of relationship that destroys lives and changes people forever. This isn’t a teen romance, this is a David Lynch movie, this is fucking Blue velvet!!
With first single The Great Pretender about to be released on Parallax Sounds, Phantom have found their feet and are looking to find a place in our hearts and souls. Don’t believe me? Then check out Phantom live and soak up atmosphere, watch the visuals and  be dazzled by the presence onstage. Elsie, Lyndsay and Johnnie look and sound very different to your average band. There is so much more going on. Drive, sonic ambition and an overriding mood, an ambience that fills your head and moves your loins. Debut single The Great Pretender is a throbbing, pulsating mass of noirish guitar and violent vocals. When Elsie sings ‘I am a thief, I am a liar’ there is a pleading quality that insists you grant her your attention. Musically, everything is drenched with a glamourous decadence that is so far removed from the tight jeans and swept fringes so prevelant on the current indie scene. Great Pretender is not so much a breath of fresh air but rather a wind machine from a Douglas Sirk movie set. To celebrate our stylish artists of the week I  asked Elsie and Jonnie to turn their faces to the fan so I could get a black and white close up.

Glasgow PodcART. Describe in one word the current mood in the Phantom camp?

Elsie. Spirited

GPcT. For the uninitiated what is the Phantom ethos?

Elsie. Around every dark corner lies a sparkling snowflake – see it before it is too late. Oh, and if you’re putting the kettle on, we’ll have raspberry tea, thanks.

GPcT. When Phantom are on the road, who is in charge of the music and what is playing?

Elsie. We haven’t been on the road as such – ie. in a tour bus arguing about what should be on the stereo. We prefer high-speed trains, planes or limos anyway and since this is the age of the iPod, of individual escapism, we’re more likely to have our headphones on and drift away than argue.

GPcT. If Phantom were making a film who would be the director?

Elsie. Reviews instantly refer to David Lynch when they hear the music, which is amazingly flattering, but I reckon if Alfred Hitchcock was still alive he could give him a run for his money.
We’ve actually just finished the shoot for the “Great Pretender” music video with Art.War Entertainment Ltd. It was filmed in the middle of the night in desolate London streets, very fitting for the mood of the track. It’s premiered on the 30th Sept – have a look at our myspace page to see it.

GPcT. What are Phantom currently reading?

Elsie: Am reading The Bacchea at the moment. It’s an ancient Greek Tragedy, it’s fascinating. Very dramatic and inspiring. I love a good revenge story.
Jonny: I’ve just finished The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt, a fictionalized account ot the life and inventions of Nikola Tesla. Edison? Pah! Without Tesla there’d be no AC current, amongst many other things we attribute to other people.

GPcT. What are Phantoms favourite tunes of the past 12 months?

Elsie:Teeth Of The Sea’s (debut  EP) Orphaned By The Ocean, Twillight Sad (SP)  I became a prostitute, Factory Floor (EP) Planning Application ( this came out at the end of 2008 but it’s so good I’ve put it here anyway!)
Jonny: Doves – 10:03, The Dead Weather – Hang You From The Heavens, David Sylvian – Snow White in Appalachia

GPcT. If Phantom were making a mix cd for me, what artists would HAVE to be included?

The Chameleons, Nick Cave, The Cocteau Twins, Mogwai, Tom Waits, Joy Division, The Creatures, Twilight Sad, Teeth of the Sea, Morrissey, Echo & the Bunnymen, Bowie, Slowdive, Broadcast, Low, My Bloody Valentine, PJ Harvey, Explosions in the Sky, Bauhaus, Lush, The Radiophonic Workshop, Sonic Youth, jesus & Mary Chain,The National, Billie Holiday,Talk Talk, Japan, David Sylvian, Spiritualized, Brian Wilson, Jeff Buckley, Cotton Mather, Doves, Future Clouds And Radar, Eels, Bright Eyes, Miles Davis, Sparklehorse, Brand X, Clearlake, Steppenwolf, Mercury Rev, Elliott Smith, Ron Sexsmith, Led Zepplin, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Quasi, Pixies, Ornette Coleman, Lowgold, Kent, The Unicorns, Daniel Johnston… Need a couple of cd’s for that lot…

GPcT. If Phantom could choose any historical period to live in which would it be and why?

Elsie: It’s a tough one. I like individual elements of different periods; the classic 20’s era sounds exciting and glamorous, the 50’s period has the rock n roll element and the 60’s revolution sees women throwing their oven gloves out the window! All things I could very well encompass in one time frame.
Jonny:1960’s for the clothes and music – but I suspect the reality would be pretty mundane. The Ancient Roman era was probably much more entertaining – imagine the food… and, umm… the togas!

GPcT. If Phantom had could choose to be any actor (alive or dead) then who would they choose?

Elsie -  Ingrid Bergman or Lousie Brooks I can’t decide…
Jonny: Anthony Hopkins, no contest. Although being Liz Taylor would be an eye-opener I’m sure…

GPcT. If Phantom were to organize a festival and could choose any artists dead or alive to play, who would they pick?

Elsie: The Chameleons would definitely be asked to play, as well as Siouxsie and Budgie to perform as the Creatures, a young Elvis would make me weak at the knees and Joy Division would hypnotize me.
Jonny: Jeff Buckley, Miles Davis (Bitches’ Brew era), The Stooges, Sinatra… early Genesis – hell, why not? Good times.

GPcT. What are Phantom’s plans for the next 6 months?

Elsie. Lots and lots of gigs and we’re aiming to get out of London a lot more, touring the UK and Europe. Hopefully a trip to Glasgow is on the cards (we loved it up there last time). By the end of the year we’ll be getting ready to record the first Phantom full length EP/LP.

GPcT. What is the tipping point for the length of stiletto heels?

Elsie. That depends….there is no tipping point if the purpose of the shoe is to make you look good lying down.

GPcT. How many reviews have Phantom had over the past 12 months that have NOT mentioned either dark, brooding or David Lynch?

Elsie: Ermm… not that many! Although the last review we had – Single of the Month in Artrocker Magazine – suggested we were the most stylish band around and that I looked like a sixties Dr. Who sidekick. I liked that, especially as it would allow me to travel through time and experience the eras I mentioned earlier and see The Chameleons, JD and Elvis live. The Doctor can fend for himself – I’d be off!

GPcT. Tell us something we don’t know that you think we should?

Elsie: Jonny and I have decided that Phantom will now be a duo.
Jonny: Really? News to me…
Seriously though, it’s a natural development, which combined with an enthusiasm for strange, unplayable sounds that gives us the equation: E + J + {Curious Things} = Phantom

GPcT. And finally?

Get your hands on our limited edition CD” Great Pretender” while it’s still available. It’s out on the 28th September in Rough Trade, Puregroove and through Parallax Sounds Records’ webstore.

http://www.myspace.com/thisisphantomuk

Sean would like to thank to the amazing Claire Lim (@weeclaire) from A Badge Of Friendship who look after Phantom and also publicist, photographer and all round hep cat Bryn Evans for his overriding ‘dudeness’ in helping with the interview.