The Courtesans are a sensual 4 piece audio and visual experience, coming together from as far afield as Holland, Ireland, Poland and England. We met up with the ladies in the car park of a B&Q DIY Superstore just off the M25, we headed instore to the cafe where we grabbed a cup of styrofoam coffee and a piece of stodgy carrot cake and chatted about their debut album, spanking paddles and the Marquis De Sade, here's how we got on....
Please introduce the band and your music in one sentence....
Four humans with curves playing doom pop and in their spare time baking cakes and making delicate instruments from the bones of their enemies.
You’re called The Courtesans, how did you come to settle on this name?
It was undeniably suited to our image and music so when the suggestion arose among other ideas there wasn't any arguments against. There was no other name, thus epitomising our music, personality and artistic facets in its entirety. 'The Courtesans'. Perfect.
How has social media aided your music and would you advise new upstart musicians to put their music out using the various channels?
Social Media like many things on the web can provide a good platform to get your music out across the world but be prepared because by doing so you are exposing your art and thou shall be both praised and criticised. It would be nice to see live music embraced more as we seem to have lost a lot of well established music venues over the years. Never forget you can have internet fans but never underestimate getting out there and networking face to face.
How was your experience using sites such as Pledge Music and Kickstarter?
We had a great experience but we also put in a lot of hardwork to raise awareness of the project. We were overwhelmed with the potential people saw in us to do well. It was exciting to see so much support coming in! It was a great feeling the day when we were allowed to announce the album was being sent out to Pledgers. Thank you everyone who contributed towards the album!
Your single ‘Genius’ has a very deep meaning, can you explain the story behind the single and the process of making it work?
The feeling of hopelessness, frustration and pain you have as a human when all you want is to be treated the same. Without bringing creed, sex, variables into it, persecution over trivial shit is boring the fuck out of us. That's a lot less eloquently put but it gets the message across.
What does music mean to you?
It's just like taking ecstasy but legal and readily available, the buzz is actually better. When we play music we forget who we are, we forget our sins and we are whole again.
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/record ever released and why?
Really can't answer that. Too hard!
Tell me a fascinating fact about you and one of your band members?
One of us is a distant relative of the Marquis De Sade.
‘Lullaby’ has the edge of a haunting track that Nick Cave would normally provide, is he someone who has influenced you?
I don't think so? I don't think any of us are too well versed with Mr. Cave. Very interesting we might have a little listen.
Have you had any ‘Spinal Tap’ Moments? If yes, please share.
If there's anything we don't like, Agnes does a piss on it. She does it standing up and no hook and pull technique needed. Someone made a contract for us, didn't like it pissed on it. Didn't like the colour of a sofa, pissed on it. Piss. It's a talent. We have a communal piss jar when we're on tour, this is where we can do golden waters into.
Your debut album is out on the 27th October, I will be in Seattle catching some cool bands; want me to bring anything back for you?
We are actually pushing the release back to early 2015! Seattle... Bottled rain. Depression in a glass.
Who designed the artwork for your debut record ‘1917’?
The concept of floating in the water was our joint effort, it was an absolutely mental idea considering it was April and still bloody freezing. First we thought we should have our eyes closed and look dead but then we looked at the pictures and realised it’s much more intense and creepy when we stared right into the lens. Then Jones made it into the album booklet. The shots and composition were done by a friend! All in house!
Tell me about the first gig you ever went to, also how would you sell a Courtesans show to a ‘gig virgin’?
Absolute filth! (Not sure about our sales strategies?). To a gig virgin we would say not to come and see us because they'll never be satisfied with live music again.
Where has been your favourite venue to play and why?
RIP Watershed in Milton Keynes – tiny but the vibe was brilliant, unregulated, anarchic, more like you’re playing in the squat rather than a venue. Very intimate!
I am loving your merchandise, who designed this for you and what else are you preparing in the future?
All done by ourselves, even if we had limitless financial backing I still think we would do it ourselves as a lot of professionals we have worked with just haven't delivered something that sparks our imagination. The next merch item will be a lamp shade made of banker’s skin and bones with the tattoo “greed WAS good” and The Courtesans logo in blood.
Where did you record your debut album and what made you choose that studio?
The debut album was recorded in a few locations. Defiant Studios in Barnet is great for doing drums, it's also where the Dirty Killer (Bad Atom) remix came about, thank you Bad Atom! Then we have our own small studio where we did the majority of vox, guitar and bass.
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as party guests and why?
Albert Einstein, a modern Geisha, Hitler. Albert can teach us his wisdom, the geisha can teach us her skill and the Hitler would be loved to submission, then we would send him back in time to rewrite history and start a revolution of love and keep the Belle Epoque going. We would all be in leather chairs by the fire with more booze than Best, a beast of a snow storm outside. Imagine London without monstrous 70's flats and buildings the 1930’s still intact?
I read that Eileen Daly (X-Factor contestant) started her band ‘The Courtesans’ in 1998, how confident are you that you will be able to carry on using the name and what is plan B if the decision goes in her favour?
It took us about three years to do this interview (which we feel very ashamed of and we are ready for your spanking paddle!). The tribunal took place mid October 2014 and we feel completely confident about the outcome but we will let you know as soon as the ruling is in force. A word of warning to others with band name issues. Register your trademarks! Sites like National Band Registry mean nothing and do not carry any authority!
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to look out for?
Sidewalks And Skeletons remixed one of our tracks and that's how we found him (Jake). Listen to 'Forever', and listen to it loud. The intro is intense and dark, naturally we fell in love. Goes under the pigeon hole of 'Witch House'. As far as signed material, King 810 has put out a very dynamic and impressive anthropological album if you're into theatrical metal, very much like Slipknot but more sinister.
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
Maleficent. She's dark, cruel, captivating and shows a glimmer of what used to be compassion.
What are your plans for the remainder of 2014 and the start of 2015?
Europe, Stateside, as far as we can get. Get our name out there and show the world how much love we have to give. Re release Genius and launch '1917' to the world.
After the initial interview, Saffire and Agnes thought it would be a great idea to cover themselves in the entire range of DULUX tester pots (other branded paint IS available), after we explained that it wasn't body paint, they apologised and headed to the loos to clean up. When they returned, we thought it best to head to the hardware aisle to check out the screws and nails and to ask them a few quickfire questions....
Coffee or Tea?
Espresso Martini! The drink of gaunt, decadent and glamorous super models.
Drum machine or the real deal?
Drum machine can bring interesting sounds to the record but it doesn’t have a hot redhead attached to it so we will go with the real deal plus Vikki.
Mac or PC?
Big Mac.
Hipster or Grunger?
We would do both if they've got gin but hipster would have to get one punch in the face for being tiresomely pretentious.
Fry up or Sunday roast?
Both, on the same day, double! Sinead will have veggie option please.
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)?
Ozzy! Lemmy is a bit of a one trick rock pony, Ozzy has more dynamic musically but Lemmy has retained more motor nerve functions of which we give kudos for.
CD or Vinyl?
Vinyl
Ginger or Bald?
If they have all the right bits in the right place – who cares (we meant brains btw) generally we prefer three ginger hairs right in the middle of a bald head.
Car or Motorbike?
Custom Harley old school Softtail
Dracula or Frankenstein?
Dracula, but Frankenstein is so sweet we would give him a gardening or dog sitting job perhaps.
Acoustic or electric?
It depends if it’s raining.
Shower or Bath?
Bath is a luxury, shower is for washing.
Beard or clean shaven?
As it comes... hold on do you mean upper or lower beard?
Tattoos or Piercings?
Both or none!
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
We are split here, Robert De Niro was great as the gay pirate in Stardust! Scarface epic! Ronin we liked that!
God or Google?
Since the only God we know is our doG, guess we’ll go with google otherwise he will be digging up bones and sniffing ass.
Fry up or Sunday roast?
Both, on the same day, double! Sinead will have veggie option please.
Coffee or Tea?
We only drink gin and brush our teeth with hummus.
Coke or Pepsi?
If it contains vodka the first three has to be coke after that it doesn’t matter!
We'd like to thank the ladies for taking part in our little feature and wish them every success in the future with their theatrical, erotic and tantalising live shows and the release of their debut album early in 2015. If you get the chance to go see these live, make sure you do, you won't be the same again (in a good way!), now, WHERE'S that spanking paddle!
THE COURTESANS ARE
Sinead La Bella - Vocals
Saffire Sanchez - Guitar
Agnes D. Jones - Bass
Victoria Brown - Drums
SOCIAL MEDIA
Interview by Mark Wincott and Steve Muscutt