THE TING TINGS
The SiS Interview by Eavvon O'Neal

If you weren't properly informed, musicians are not only artists, but also people. The Ting Tings, who have experienced the musical industry to its tipping point (and have somehow managed to return) don't necessarily shout out their flesh & blood take on life. But they do mention it in passing, like civil music contributors.

Here we get a humble, albeit brief, glimpse into their new take on music, and how much fun it is to be vague.

SIS: You are gaining pretty heavy acclaim relatively quickly, how is the transition affecting not only you personally, but also your professionally lifestyle?

The Ting Tings: We are busy learning new stuff in new countries and cities. There's no time to assess any transitions, but we're sure the minute we take a break we'll look back and it will blow our minds.

SIS: It's said that you have a general distrust about the music industry as a whole, which isn't too surprising for artists. What caused this distrust, and how does it affect your career now, since dealing with "tastemaker" system is inevitable?

TTT: Our last band was a painful experience. We lost friends we thought we had and wasted much time with advice and promises. From that we gave up being over-precious and concentrated on being ourselves. Letting out this frustration gave us songs we liked again.

SIS:Do you see anyway to change the artist/industry relationship to make it more stable?

TTT: No. I'd love to come up with a better way moving forward, but either way you look at it, the artist gets it.

SIS:I've read that Rick Rubin has come to see you perform. Do you think working with him on a record is possible?

TTT: We think so. We spoke to him in Rome a few months ago at a show we played with The Gossip and Annie Lennox and he seemed well up for it. First we have to write new tunes!

SIS:What do you think is the hardest part about trying to cross over from UK fame to the US?

TTT: Flying. We're not the greatest flyers, although we've improved since the beginning.

SIS: How does the writing process work with you, and are you writing now or just focusing on this album?

TTT: We never write on the road. The first album is a snapshot of our lives then. We got to a point where we said let's give an idea two hours. If we get the fix, we keep it on the album, if not we erase it. When we get to 10 tracks, we got an album. I think we'll get to the same point somewhere at the end of the year and do a record again.

SIS:How did you turn a house party into a record deal? Was your intent with the party to have industry people show up, or just for the thrill of partying?

TTT: No intentions. We were washed up, rejects from the biz. We were starting to earn some money selling beer at our parties. The attraction was to pay rent and stay where we're still based in Salford (Manchester, UK).

SIS:What is it about your sound that distinguishes you from the hoards of dance punk/pop bands today?

TTT: We produced the record alone in our own makeshift studio. It's a DIY pop album. I think most pop albums are dosed with pro engineers and producers so they all end up sounding alike.

SIS:Do you see yourself fitting into a scene/group of contemporaries that match the general feel/vibe of your music?

TTT: Guess we're kinda fitting in nowadays as radio plays our records and people copme to our shows. That's fitting in, right? Or are they fitting in?