MOLOTOV JUKEBOX are a six-piece, genre dodging, leviathan of an experience, poised to take the world by storm. Incorporating trumpet, accordion, violin and the sultry tones of lead singer Natalia Tena over the most concrete and inventive rhythm section this side of Jamaica, this is a band born out of love; love of each other, love of music and a love of making whole roomfulls of people dance 'til they fall over (or fall in love).
We caught up with Natalia Tena from the band after their amazing set at the Exeter Phoenix on May 23 and asked her a few questions about Gorillas, dogging and The Beatles, here's how we got on....
Please introduce the band and your music in one sentence....
Tropical urban gypsy power pop.
You’re called Molotov Jukebox how did you come about choosing this name?
Sam gave birth to that name loudly at 7 in the morning the last night of secret garden climbing a tent with a violin wearing neon orange dungarees and nothing else.
Being in huge movies and shows such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones how have you managed to combine acting and music?
Through the dedication, patience and the incredible organisation skills of my agents and manager who try and weave a tapestry out my chaotic life. Thank you!!
Who designed the artwork for your album Carnival Flower?
Pawel Piech, a fantastic man who managed to wade through our various ideas and bring them to life in a way that made all the band happy. He used our input at various stages and tweaked colourfully and with great skill.
‘Gyp Step’… can you explain the meaning of this please
It's a way of combining all our different styles and genres without boring someone to death with a list of words.
How would you describe a Molotov Jukebox live show?
A massive sweaty meat bag of sensory woof. At least that is the plan...
Would you rather live with a dog that sings lullabies or a gorilla that can do sign language?
Gorilla hands down as long as it doesn't try to fuck me, hurt me or the cats or break the boat. Why? Are you joking?!! A furry King Kong best friend?! MINE!! Also if I ever ran out of money I'd rent him out to deaf schools...
You play the accordion, what is it about the instrument that you like?
It's a loud self contained lung that breaths out music. And it makes me feel like a gypsy pirate.
Do you own a record that you wouldn’t like to admit you have?
Shakira, 'Hips don't lie'
What does music mean to you?
Everything.
First song you all learnt to play?
'Love Me Do' by The Beatles with a shitty harmonica.
Tell me a fascinating fact about you or one of your band members?
Fuck!!! Define fascinating? I've bred cats, live on a boat, went dogging by mistake and have a bike called Fajita. Tom knows all horror films...
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
Tracks of my tears. Ultimate breakup song. Have listened to it on repeat throughout my life, sometimes wailing it out with a bottle of wine. It’s great. Plus I loved Platoon as a kid.
First gig you ever went to?
Probably for some Spanish live stuff my villages festival in summer that my family would take us to.
Have you had any ‘Spinal Tap’ Moments? If yes, please share!
That would take too long to answer... First you need to meet our manager.....
Who would you like to know has your music on their iPod, MP3 or cassette walkman?
Caitlin Moran.
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
The entire cast of the Little Mermaid... On Ice…
What are your plans for the remainder of 2014?
Work Hard, Play hard and leave a good-looking sweat stain.
Before we parted company with Natalia, we threw in a few quick fire questions for her to chew on, read on to see how we got on....
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee, black, short, 2 sugars, violent with caffeine.
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke. That little red ambulance has sorted out many a hangover.
Drum machine or the real deal?
Real Deal obviously. Unless they are cunts with egos that just want to hit things hard.
Mac or PC?
Don't know. Don't care about either and they both hate me.
Fry up or Sunday roast?
Sunday roast.
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)?
Ozzy
CD or Vinyl?
Vinyl
Car or Motorbike?
Motorbike
Acoustic or electric?
Acoustic
Shower or Bath?
Shower.
George R R Martin or JK Rowling?
Can't answer that truly till he finishes the saga. You need the full picture.
Tattoos or Piercings?
Piercings.
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
Robert De Niro
God or Google?
NATALIA: Google
Interview by Mark Wincott
SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Dates
Thursday 12 June 229, London, UK
Saturday 21 June Secret Solstice, ICELAND
Friday 27 June Iford Arts Festival, Iford, UK
Friday 4 July Rock For People, CZECH REPUBLIC
Friday 11 July Pohoda, SLOVAKIA
Sunday 13 July City Of London Festival, UK
Saturday 19 July Farr Festival, Gloucestershire, UK
Friday 25 July Iboga Summer Festival, Valencia, SPAIN
Saturday 2 August Nozstock, Herefordshire, UK
Friday 08 August Boomtown Faire, Winchester, UK
Friday 22 August Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Shrewsbury, UK
Saturday 30 August The BIG Feastival, Oxfordshire, UK
We would like to thank Natalia for taking time out of her hectic day to answer our questions and we look forward to seeing them play live again in the near future.
You can checkout a great write up of the Exeter Phoenix May 23rd show HERE
Carnival Flower is available to buy now, just visit the link below....
