What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, something the Ting Tings know all about as they storm the charts and win our hearts. David Pollock meets the band with the
soundtrack to the summer
alking through Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens with the ' band who are number one in 1 both the UK singles and downloads chart is a cheerful
feeling, and it’s not purely down to the bright, § sunny Saturday aftemoon weather. Katie White 1
and Jules De Martino, collectively the Ting
Tings. are in buoyant mood once they’ve had
their picture taken lying on the grass. and they seem glad of the break.
‘It’s literally been months since we’ve done that.’ says De Martino as we walk back to Queen ;
Margaret Union. where they will play a ,
celebratory. sold out show later in the evening.
‘Going to the park. lying about doing nothing for g a bit. We just haven’t been able to. it’s been non- §
stop.’
During their photoshoot. certain passers-by — chiefly pairs of student-age girls. it must be noted 2 - stop and rubberneck at the duo. who have i worked their way from local notoriety in their native Manchester to national ubiquity with the sassy and immutany catchy ’That’s Not My :
Name’. by way of relentless hard touring over the last year. So how does it feel to be number one? The pair glance at each other. as if telepathically
weighing up the level of modesty required. ’lt
feels,’ they answer together. ‘fucking great’. White and De Martino — who aren’t a couple. by the way, although they finish each others’
sentences like one — have a mutual history that
extends further than just the Ting Tings joumey,
right back to their introduction at a mutual .
friend’s party. Their route to recognition has been harder won than most overnight success stories. and well-documented. but the specifics
of it define the band that they are today. Even though there are only two of them. that gang mentality which holds the best and most
transparently authentic groups together is strong.
Back at the venue dressing room, the pair settle
in. White looks for a plug point for her hairdryer. and De Martino — wearing sunglasses outdoors.
indoors and usually on stage as well — looks like
he still hasn’t recovered from getting back to
nature. He kicks his feet up on the sofa. and the ,
pair sit down to chat before soundcheck. The story doesn’t start well; the first chapter is entitled ’Dear Eskiimo’. the name of the pair’s
first group, and ends up being the kind of music j industry cautionary tale that many unsigned
bands will be glad they haven’t been exposed to.
‘Here’s the perfect example of that time.’ says E
White. ’The first marketing meeting we had with our label, I’d made this big book of all my favourite art and photographs. It took me weeks to get this together. to show them what I was all about. and they didn’t even look at it. Instead
they said. how much are you willing to get your clothes off in men’s magazines? I said. "you’ve
picked the wrong girl for that. fuck you” to them. then a few months later they dropped us.
’But they’d obviously signed us in the hope they could polish us into whatever they wanted.’ White continues. ‘lt was...’
‘...over before it had even started.’ concludes De Martino, right on cue.
What they were left with when Dear Eskiimo came to an end was a rehearsal studio space called The Mill with five months’ rent paid up on
it. and an urge to just be playful. White, who ' would have described herself as a fan of the Spice Girls at the time. began going to see groups like Acid Mothers Temple, and having her mind expanded by the Japanese avant-industrial . collective. Meanwhile. De Martino was happy to
keep his fun cheap and close to home. ’l’d just sit about the studio,’ he says. ‘getting drunk with mates. Then more people would
come along to these parties. so we started to get , beer in and stuck a broken telly in the middle of
the room asking for donations towards it. Eventually this money was paying the rent as well. and Katie and I would perform our own jams on the night. Then when the local press got
wind of the whole set-up. we had to call our own group something. So we became the Ting Tings.
It was all a complete accident. really.’
A happy accident. though. By the fourth or fifth installment of the night. such a buzz had grown about the duo that famous locals like Mike
Pickering of M People. now an A&R man. were ‘
showing up to give them advice. ‘1 don’t follow the fookin’ crowd.’ was how Pickering apparently
greeted them. ’but I think you're fookin’ brilliant.
You need to come and talk to me.’
So they did. and — with assurances from their new manager that the Dear Eskiimo situation wouldn’t be repeated. and Pickering’s
recommendation — De Martino and White met _ Bob Stringer from Columbia. ’We put our own
contract together for them.’ says De Martino. ’and it was appalling. Our lawyer said. "you’ll never get it. It promises complete creative control over the music. the tnixes. the artwork. There’s not a record company in the world that would let you have that”. We sent it off to America and we got it.’
It seems such self-assurance has worked. The pair report their label’s satisfaction at having helped achieved a number one single. but also at the success of their ‘complete control’ experiment. ’They supported us.’ says De Martino. ‘which is what a label should do. None of that asking for more songs and picking what
goes on our album for us. What happened with us
is something that other labels should look at.’ ’You know. Jon McClure’s (of Reverend and the Makers. who the Ting Tings toured extensively with last year) mum sent us a card to say congratulations for ‘That’s Not My Name’.’ says White. ’l’d just done a really shitty interview with
someone from (insert name of national music mag ' here). and then I opened her card. It just shows .
you that there are nice people in the world. huh? Oh. and Neil Diamond sent us one too’.
’Yeah. we’re on the satne label as him.’ confirms De Martino. ‘although I don’t think he’ll send us another when he sees we‘ve beaten 1
his album to number one this week.’ That was back in May — so are the sounds of the summer born.
The Ting Tings play King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent, Sun 13 Jul.
JOCK ROCKS
He‘s Radio 1’s most eclectic proposition so who better than Rob da Bank to pick out some essential tunes from his oompadres in the Slam tent? ~
Richie Hawtin ‘Spastik’ ‘Will he play it. won’t he play it? Hawtin is the don. and this record lives on and on. This track IS the Slam Tent at T.‘ http://tiny.cc/Plastik
Aphex Mn
‘Analogue Bubblebath’ “Heard this at sundown at Sonar last week. and it sounded as warm and inviting as ever. Genius.’ Hear at http://tiny.cc/Aphex
Justice ‘D.A.H.C.E’
‘The crossover hit of last year loved by pop and dance fans
' alike. Fun guys, loved having
_ ’ them on my BBC Radio 1
--- - show. Here they are performing this song on American TV. That’s them with the ghetto blaster at the start. Not sure who the other folks are . . .’ http://tiny.cc/Justice
DJ Hell ‘My Definition of House Music’
‘An early pioneer with that classical riff in the middle.’ http://tiny.cc/Heli893
Miss Kittin 8. The Hacker ‘Frank Sinatra’ ‘Responsible for my fave electroclash anthem. Good catching up with her at Sonar.’ Here’s the video. http:/Itiny.cc/Kittin
Michael Mayer
‘The Art of Letting 00’ ‘Head of the must-check Cologne label Kompakt but more widely known for the
~ . Supermayer album released in 2007, this is a tremendous tune.’ http://tiny.cc/Spinner
. Siam ‘Intensities in Ten Cities’ ‘Often overlooked b- side to ‘Positive Education’, and an inspiration for so many years. Still sounds fresh.’ http://tiny.cc/Intensities
Rob Da Bank
‘Pollce Dogs Bonflne’
’Er. that’s me. My artist guise is Lazyboy with Mr Dan and this summery balearic production \ made it onto a large TV ad.’ Witness the comical video at: http://tiny.cc/DaBank
I Ftob da Bank and all the above artists play the Slam Tent, Sun 13 Jul.
3—1 7 Jul 2008 THE LIST 21