NIXON & THE BURN ARE:
Adam Hughes - Guitar
Steve Sowden - Bass / Vocals
Fergus B. Gordon - Drums

DISCOGRAPHY
Singles
Hick
EP

REVIEWS
Live - Totnes Arial Centre
EP

LINKS
Official Site

I’ll get the shameless plug out of the way early on - when is your new single released, and where can people buy it?
It’s out in early February, and will be available via the band’s website www.nixonandtheburn.com, and from our gigs. We are also going to talk to places like the Cavern Club and Solo Records in Exeter, and maybe Aardvark in Paignton.

Can you describe your music in five words?
Scuzzy, quirky, literate, soulful, pop.

Can you describe Paignton in five words?
Scuzzy, quirky, illiterate, seaside resort.

What was the first single you ever bought?
Adam: Cliff Richard and the Young Ones – Living Doll.
Steve: Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby.

What’s the most embarrassing album in your record collection?
Adam: Dog Eat Dog, God, remember them?
Steve: The Cranberries - ‘Best Of’ [shudders].

What were your favourite albums of 2004? Any tips for 2005?
Adam :The best album of 2004 in my opinion was ‘Love The Cup’ by Sons and Daughters. I think they will be ones to watch for 2005. Or Art Brut.
Steve: ‘Pawn Shoppe Heart’ by The Von Bondies or ‘Bubblegum’ by the Mark Lanegan Band. Bloc Party will inevitably become huge in 2005, and Beck’s comeback album will confuse the shit out of everyone.

Do you listen to your own music much?
Adam: I listened to the single a few times when it was first done because I was

immensely proud of it, but since then not at all.
Steve: Yeah, sometimes.

When you’re onstage, what makes you smile?
Adam: Probably Steve rocking out with his flies undone.
Steve: Adam’s jerky leg syndrome or Ferg’s standing-up drum tomfoolery. Or when you can tell people are listening and getting into it.

When you’re offstage, what makes you smile?
Adam: The boy.
Steve: The news.

Are The Datsuns that skinny in real life? Did you try to introduce them to Cornish pasties?
Adam: They were so skinny I thought they were ill. I didn’t want to offer them a Cornish pasty - that would have involved an act of kindness.
Steve: They made us look really fat.

Which Datsuns album do you prefer – the crap album or the crapper one?
Adam: I haven’t heard the second one, the first one is ok. Bless ‘em, they had a go.
Steve: The crap one.

What’s been the most Spinal Tap moment of your career so far?
Adam: Trying to break into Stonehenge.
Steve: See above.

Who’s the most famous person you’ve met up until now?
Adam: I don’t want to say the Datsuns … I met Adam and Joe at a Weezer gig.
Steve: Billy Bragg.

If someone was to make a 24 Hour Party People-style film about Nixon and The Burn, who would play who?
Adam: I’d like Peter Kay to play me, I think Shane Richie would be a good Steve, and Fergus could be played by something from the Jim Henson Creature Workshop. Failing that we could all play ourselves like Mark E smith did, although we would be better. We are trained you know.
Steve: I’d like Bette Midler to play Adam, Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) to play Fergus and I would like my character to be entirely CG. Tim Burton can direct if he wants.

If you could sign a record deal with any indie label – past or present, who would it be?
Adam: Someone like Rough Trade would be cool- or Motown.
Steve: Sub Pop or XL Recordings.

Who would be your dream producer?
Adam: There are the obvious choices like Rick Rubin or Steve Albini, but I would like to work with someone who wouldn’t normally be associated with a rock band - like Dan the Automator or The Dust Brothers.
Steve: George Drakoulias, Beck, Jack White or Pete Waterman.

Who would you rather be trapped in a lift with: the Jackson 5 or the MC5?
Adam: If I was trapped in a lift I would be freaking out so it would be totally irrelevant as to who was there.
Steve: The MC5 would be a bit of a laugh wouldn’t it?

What keeps you sane ‘on the road’?
Adam: Lager, mocking each other, dogging.
Steve: Yeah, booze and sweets and a good CD.

Are truckstops a favourite hangout when you’re on tour?
Adam: No, truckers are surly and territorial.
Steve: … and so are musicians. We like to avoid confrontation.

Which fictional soap opera pub would you most like as your local, and why?
Adam: The Queen Vic because there’s bound to be a punch up in there. Plus Jim Branning drinks there and he’s my idol.
Steve: I’d like to play in the Woolpack.

Where would you rather be reviewed – the NME or Kerrang?
Adam: By both, if we are in NME it means we are trendy that week, and if we are in Kerrang that means we rock hard.
Steve: You didn’t mention The Guardian...

If you had to have the name of any band tattooed on you, which band would it be, and where?
Adam: I’d have Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass tattooed on my face.
Steve: I’d go for The Grateful Dead on my upper arm.

What’s your favourite album cover of all time?
Adam: ‘The Blue Album’ by Weezer – it’s just such a simple idea and really represents where their music is coming from.
Steve: ‘Horses’ by Patti Smith.

Was Elvis Presley the King of Rock ’n’ Roll? If not, who was?
Adam: Elvis will always be the King.
Steve: Bob Dylan. Elvis just stole rock’n’roll from America’s black underclasses. Bob Dylan wrote better songs and tried to redress the balance by penning socially-conscious masterpieces like ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ before he hit his mid-twenties. In comparison, Elvis was the Karaoke King.

Which Beatle do you think will live the longest?
Adam: Pete Best.
Steve: John Lennon.

Beatles or Stones?
Adam: Beatles.
Steve: Beatles.

Pistols or Clash?
Adam : The Clash.
Steve: The Clash.

Oasis or Blur?
Adam: Blur.
Steve: Blur.

Oxide or Neutrino?
Adam: What?
Steve: What?

Which member of the Osbournes makes you feel the queasiest and why?
Adam: They’re all pretty cool. Sharon’s got great tits, so has Kelly. And Jack.
Steve: Ozzy.

Would you ever let any of your songs appear on an advert – Moby-style?
Adam: Only if we were offered obscene amounts of money.
Steve: And it would have to be a lot - we are poor, you know. We would draw the line at Party Political Braodcasts, though.

Do you think Limp Bizkit-style rape-rock has finally died on its arse? Do you care?
Adam: It died ages ago, thank God.
Steve: I hate that music. I hope Fred Durst eats himself into an early grave.

Do you think that you have much in common with mega-selling power-trios like The Police, the Stereophonics and Blink 182?
Adam: Other than the fact that we are all three pieces, I can’t really see any similarities. You just happened to pick three bands I do not like.
Steve: Shit, that would make me Sting … don’t go there - I have issues with the Sting. Nah, can’t see us doing that to be honest, but you never know.

Have you ever drunk a can of lager that you’ve found on a train?
Adam: No, but I’m sure Steve has.
Steve: Ahem, no. But my standards have been known to sink in momentary lapses.

Where do you see yourselves in five years time?
Adam: Rocking all over the world ….or down the bookies.

Interview by Tom Leins