With the lunatic energy of their genre-colliding live shows, the vivacious shock of their improvised guerrilla gigging and their determined self-sufficiency, it's no surprise that London band Imperial Leisure have came from out of nowhere to assert their position as one of the UK's most enthralling new prospects.
Already tipped as one to watch by an eclectic array of sources including Radio 1's Colin Murray and Nihal, XFM, Kerrang!, Big Cheese, Drowned in Sound and the Daily Star, Imperial Leisure are beginning to reap the rewards sown by the scintillating party atmosphere of their live show. Their debut album, 'The Art of Saying Nothing', highlights influences as diverse as The Beastie Boys, The Specials, The Cat Empire, Rage Against The Machine, Madness and Jurassic 5 presented in a uniquely individualistic sound rooted in the best traditions of classic British songwriting.
Initially formed as a conventional four-piece rock band influenced by the perennial greats that are The Stone Roses and The Pixies, Imperial Leisure evolved to add a brass section, a keyboardist and a DJ. As founding member and guitarist AJ says, "There are so many different people in the band that we have so many different elements and influences. Our songwriting isn't forced; we just write and the music becomes what it is." The process also lends itself to originality as the band naturally swerves away from simple repetition. "As soon as you write two songs the same, you're stale and stagnant," states drummer Scott. "People will move onto another gig and forget about you."
Not that anyone is likely to forget the Imperial Leisure live experience in a hurry. "People go to gigs to get it on and jump around," enthuses MC Denis. "We've never really been a moshing kind of band. Our crowd is predominately female and they don't like to punch each other; they like to jump around and have a bit of a skank. It's cool as it's a much better divide."
Imperial Leisure's headline dates at venues such as Scala, Shepherds Bush Empire and the Proud Galleries as well as supports with the likes of Less Than Jake, The Sugarhill Gang, Gym Class Heroes, Ugly Duckling, Skinnyman, Roots Manuva, UB40, Killa Kela, Sway and Youngblood Brass Band have established them as an exciting, infectious live proposition. But their improvised guerrilla gigs are a different prospect altogether. The band have stunned passers by on Tottenham Court Road, Camden High Street and Brighton Beach alike, not to mention departing attendees at festivals such as Lovebox. One chaotically attended set even made ITN News.
"The difference with us is that we turn up as a band with decks, brass and a full drum kit. It's a big deal. And there's the surprise element and the free, in your face element that people like," explains Scott. "People stumble across us and feel like they've discovered it themselves and we haven't forced it down their throats," agrees AJ.
Imperial Leisure's popularity in the live arena soon began to translate into record sales with the release of their debut single, 'In A Letter', in December 2007. All 1000 copies of the limited edition release sold out, buoyed in part by Radio 1 airtime. The album, 'The Art of Saying Nothing', was subsequently recorded live with minimal overdubs during three sessions over the space of a year with producer Junk Scientist (Larrikin Love, The Rakes, Vincent Vincent and The Villains). "We go in to record four tracks, get a bit drunk and end up with six," laughs Scott. It's a relentless, joyous collection of songs that emphasises the importance of music being fun. That said, the quality of the songwriting and the band's finely honed musicianship makes it a set that will also reward repeat listens. Any number of tracks such as 'Untouchable', 'Man on the Street', 'The Beast', 'The Landlord's Daughter' and 'Great British Summertime' could make for hit singles.
Infused with a heavy dosage of self-deprecating humour and with real events given a dramatic spin, the album's lyrics add another dimension to the band's singular style. "When we write lyrics it tends to be a bit of a theatrical performance," states Denis. "We write the lyrics with the delivery and live performance in mind, so it's almost like writing a script to a play."
'The Art of Saying Nothing' will be released by the Steamroller label, a company founded by the band and of which they're all directors. Having signed themselves to a 360 deal, Imperial Leisure have also found private investors to inject cash into the project. "The music industry is changing and this is one way in which it could go. It puts musicians in control, takes out the middlemen and with the Internet you can go straight to the source. You can cut out record labels and publishers," asserts Scott with evident self-confidence. "You don't have to sell many records to make money. You can sell a few thousand to cover your costs and anything above that can be ploughed back into the company and into the next record."
Further assisted by the ownership of their own recording and rehearsal room adjacent to Tottenham Hotspurs' White Hart Lane ground, Imperial Leisure's future is their's to dictate. "The only thing we miss is the major label marketing machine that puts bands at the forefront," concludes Denis. "But out of all the bands at a label, who's going to be one of the few lucky ones? We weren't willing to take that gamble on someone else's decision as to whether or not we're the band that would get a push. We've got enough people who believe in us and who genuinely want to push our material and that's why we've ended up where we are."
It's a situation that means that the band's fate is in their own hands.
