I had a lot of fun coming up with questions for this band and even more fun when I got their answers. Motor Show sure is a fun band but their sound is nothing to laugh at because they’re seriously amazing, with their sound being the jolt I didn’t know I needed to kickstart this year strong.
Though you may be inclined to think that they’re an American outfit upon first impressions, Motor Show is in fact from the UK, and it was formed by ex-members of Nervous, the precursor band to Black Country New Road, and they’re also working with producer Tony Burrata (Edie Bens, Sports Team, Dolores Forever, Gretel Hänlyn, Endless Digital Birthdays, Ugly and Low Lying Sun). They’ve been playing across multiple venues on the East Anglia scene, selling shows out and packing venues to the brim while supporting bands like Ditz and English Teacher.
Their newest song is called “Fresh and Clean” a song with the eerie vibe of The Gun Club’s “Miami”, only a bit more influenced by the UK’s punk irreverence and dynamism rather than the twangy psycho-billy sundown lyricism of their Californian forebears. They describe it as “Music to crash your car to”.
www.instagram.com/the.motor.show
linktr.ee/the.motor.show
(don’t actually go out and do that, please, read this interview instead.)
‘Fresh And Clean’ is the most kick-ass song I’ve heard so far this January. What can you tell us about it vibe-wise? what inspired this song?
Much obliged! Fresh & Clean initially came about from our manager, Beau Vine, trying to remember a song he’d had on cassette tape as a child in 1970s rural Wyoming. We never did find out what the song was.
Our drummer, Josh, is actually playing the guitar on the tune, with our guitarist at the time filling in behind the kit. The frenzy at the end is the ear-splitting sound of a drummer mashing the dials on guitar pedals he doesn’t fully understand. That particular guitarist ended up deserting and starting a solo career, so Beau sent Josh back to the drums where he knows what he was doing.
Our drummer, Josh, is actually playing the guitar on the tune, as per Beau’s request. The frenzy at the end is the ear-splitting sound of a drummer mashing the dials on guitar pedals he doesn’t fully understand. Shortly after this Beau sent Josh back to the drums where he knows what he’s doing.
The humour feels like an important part of the band. Do you try to keep it tongue-in-cheek most of the time or do you have a serious side to explore?
We like to think of the band as a joke without a punchline. We take the nonsense very seriously.
Tell us a bit about the band’s formation, as I understand some of you come from a previous project together. how did you all assemble and agree upon a sound and a style?
We’d all played in rival bands in & around the greater East Anglia area for years. It wasn’t ‘til our manager Beau Vine lassoed us all together that we finally put down our weapons and made up. We were all big fans of his music & were very willing to let him mould us in his image.
We’ve had a few guitarists come and go since our formation. We’ve lost them to a prison sentence, a vain solo career & a woman, respectively (we know these sound like classic rock tropes but swear this part is all true). Our current line-up consists of Samuel Bufala (vocals/guitar/keys), Josh Elbro (drums/vocals), Tony Burrata (bass guitar/vocals) & Matt Holt (guitar [for now])
You’ve been busy hitting the stages on clubs, do any pre-show rituals to speak of? What’s the audience reception been like so far?
They’ve been largely confused. Why are these guys hanging around with this old man? Who is this for? What’s the end goal? I guess people want answers though as the shows have been getting very very busy.
As for pre-show, Beau’s got a mobile fishing game he’s been trying to get the rest of us into. It hasn’t quite caught on but it helps him relax.
If I hadn’t read that the music video was shot in East Anglia and that the band’s from the UK, I would have figured you’re all from Nashville FL, or Georgia or something. Please Tell us about that curious duality. There seems to be a big affinity or kinship there for the southern U.S..
Americans are more into their cars than we Brits. There’s more room for them – & they’re a lot bigger. They take good care of them too, getting out every Sunday morning & sharing a nod with the neighbo(u)r as they polish the hoods of their respective pride & joy. That’s a world we want to live in. When President Biden was asked recently about the Top Secret documents found at his Delaware residence, he couldn’t help but mention they’re kept in the garage alongside his bottled green ’67 Corvette Stingray.
I was not surprised at all to read that The Gun Club was among your influences, as that’s very much apparent in this single. Tell us a bit about what it takes to achieve such a sound. What’s the key -technical- ingredient? Is it the Microphone/Vocals? The right distortion for the guitar?
Beau (who also produced the track at his home studio ‘The Ranch’) comes from the pre-tech era & hasn’t bought any new recording equipment since it all went digital. Samuel plays a Danelectro ‘63 – a cheap & cheerful guitar that has only one real sound: jangly, twangy garage rock. The rest of the band only really got into The Gun Club recently & are quietly concerned about the similarities.
‘Music to crash your car to’ has got to be the best tagline I’ve ever heard. Who came up with it and how many cars have you guys crashed collectively?
For insurance reasons, we’ve been advised not to answer this question.
Obviously, cars are a very important part of the band’s image. Would you consider yourselves ‘Petrolheads’ in any capacity? if so, what would be the ‘dream car’ for each of you?
Beau: Monster Truck
Samuel: Ford Capri
Josh: Ford Pinto (wood panelling)
Matt: Golf GTI
Tony: A vintage ‘06 Toyota Prius
We absolutely need to know when the next song is coming out. Any plans for an EP later this year?
Good things come to those who wait. But if you’re willing to compromise, our next single, Better Build A Raft, is coming out on March 15th. Another single, Financial Times, comes along shortly after, followed by the full EP, Beau Regards, on May 24th.
