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REPUBLICA are back to spice up your life with a healthy dose of Saffron.
Words: Jonathan Trew
‘Did you see that thing on Tomorrow's World a few weeks ago‘.’ They put two mobile phones together with an egg in between them. They just left them there and about an hour later. the egg was cooked!’
Republiea’s music may have the high gloss of technology gleaming from it’s sleek frame but songwriter. keyboard player. general electronica whim and advocate of hands-free mobile phones Tim Dorney isn’t convinced that all aspects of the future are glowing rosily.
It’s an attitude shared by much of Republica’s second album. Speed Ballads. ‘Everybody‘s talking about a new space station/Your teeth falling out in the radiation‘ sings Saffron on less than optimistic track ‘Millennium'. ‘l‘m allergic to the 20th century’ she groans on the single ‘From Rush Hour With Love‘. ‘Nothing's feeling new‘ she grumbles on uh. ‘Nothing‘s Feeling New". The future‘s not so bright it would seem.
The follow-up to last year‘s Top Five Rt’pllbllt‘u album. Speed Ballads follows a similar route to its predecessor but has replaced some of the previous high octane rush with a touch more relaxed consideration. ‘We've made a conscious effort to stay away from a housey or straight four-four beat on the album.‘ explains Dorney. ‘While we were writing it. it wasn't bringing energy to the tracks anymore so we moved towards a bit more of a rocky beat.‘
They even brought in Lightning Seed Ian Broudie to produce one track. ‘Luxury (Tage‘. ‘Broudie introduced a pop angle.‘ relates Dorney. ‘When we did it. it always sounded a bit Euro-poppy. He brought an element of coolness to it.‘
The last year has also seen Saffron add “guitar slinger‘ to her (‘V. ‘l was really worried when she said she was going to learn to play guitar.‘ confesses a relieved Dorney. ‘l was saying “Oh no. you can‘t do this to us" but she‘s absoltttely amazed us and really come through with it. She's picked it up really
Tim Dorney
quickly and is doing it on stage now. She‘s got quite a
forceful personality and it was like “if I want to play guitar. then I will play guitar”.‘
38 THE llST to M st-p 1998
'Did you see that thing on Tomorrow’s World a few weeks ago? They put two mobile phones together with an egg in between them. They just left them there and about an hour later, the egg was cooked!’
Republica: the sound of speed
Saffron’s personality and. of course. her striking looks have helped boost Republica's record-shifting ability but. as they've become more accustomed to the limelight. not all the attention they attract has been wanted. ‘Saffron‘s had a couple of weird e- mails.’ chuckles Dorney. ‘There was one which said “Me and my boyfriend are underage. He likes handcuffs. Would you care to join us'.’ Ring New York 555 whatever".‘
This isn‘t Dorney's first taste of success. As a former member of Flowered [p be endured life on the road and
sweated under the spotlight of
minor fame but. as he puts it. ‘that was jttst indie celebrity which actually means bugger all really. It
just means that if you go to gigs. there are a couple of
people who are trainspotters and they might recognise
you. 'l’hat‘s indie cred. Nowadays Saffron gets a lot of
it. she has trouble just nipping down to Sainsbury's without having to do a couple of autographs. I could walk into the local Our Price and they won't know who the fuck I am.’
Republica play Glasgow: Garage, Wed 7 Oct: Edinburgh: Liquid Rooms, Tue 13 Oct. ‘From Rush Hour With Love' is released on deconstruction on Mon 14 Sep; 'Speed Ballads' is released on Mon 5 Oct.
Bigmouth
More whimpers, whines and the odd burst of worrying Iucidity from our favourite pop stars.
'On the Diary Of A Madman tour, kids were bringing raw meat, dead cats, dead dogs, anything they could get their hands on. This cop showed me a Polaroid of the kids standing outside one of my concerts and there's this picture of a guy in line with a horse's head on his shoulder. He's killed a fucking horse on the way to the gig. I started laughing but the cop didn't see the funny side.’
Mr Ozzy Osbourne reminisces with 0 about the fun times of yore.
'Goak harmony despair not. This is really a time of good change: the zeitgeist is openness. It was decided earlier this evening . . . l have done terrible things too but I am counting on you to ride through with me with you (sic) head held high. Friends pick their friends noses, and they wipe the buttocks and live the lives of each other.’
Will ’Laughing Boy’ O/dham of Palace Brothers, Palace Songs and Palace Music opens his heart to Dazed And COnlused. No, we don’t have a clue what he’s on about either
'Quail?! What’s my fucking name? It’s Quaye! Not Quail! Who taught you to
E fucking read? Say it!’
Fin/ey Quay/e, oops sorry Quaye demonstrates to T he Face the easy-
going nature which has made him so
popular Within the music industry. 'Sharon and I was always thinking of new ideas for the show. Hanging the dwarf was just one of them. The one we picked was a fun guy but a pain in the arse — he even drank more
than me.‘
Ozzy Oshoorne explains to 0 how difficult it is to from a good dwarf when you need one
‘I count the number of magpies that I
' see. I wouldn’t walk under a ladder. I
probably wouldn’t dabble in black magic.’
PJ. Harvey informs Dazed And Confused that she ’prohab/y’ wou/dn’t dabble in black mag/('7