Clever Thing

Name?
Daisy Coburn and Rich Fownes.

Where are you from?
Brighton

What do you do?
We do some songs and we do some gigs.

Briefly describe your style?
D - Lizard in a sheepskin ball-gown.
R - Conservative-magician meets eccentric-diplomat.

If you could make a record with anyone from history?
Jesus. Let’s settle the John Lennon rivalry once and for all. The track should be King Missile - 'Jesus Was Way Cool'.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
D - The Entrance Band at Sticky Mikes Frog Bar in Brighton. It was criminally not very busy, which granted me a front row place in absorbing all the magnificence and chutzpah of Guy, Paz and Derek. Paz is my queen of performance and artistry, always. It was the first time I’d ever been in the presence of something really f*cking good.
R - Blur at Glastonbury. The Great Escape record was the soundtrack to my inner revolution. To cast aside my cynicism and reserve, and be bouncing to Country House with that many people reminded me of how important and special this whole music shebang is, and without knowing it at the time, I really needed that reminder.

What British music icons inspire your sound today?
D - The Beatles.
R - With the stuff we’ve been writing recently, I think the British band we reference the most, conversationally and otherwise, is probably The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
D - Harry Houdini, because he was really good at hiding his feelings. How do you do that?
R - Donald Trump. But I won’t need an hour.

Which British subculture means the most to you?
Our DIY music scene. I’m not immersed in the inner workings of other countries so have no point of comparison, but there’s always something unique and well-crafted close by. The only modern music I listen to recreationally tend towards young bands with strange ideas and nothing to lose.

If you could share the bill with any British band in history?
The Zombies. I can’t really express how important that band are to us. Technically and emotionally they’ve explored as much terrain as The Beatles, but have this natural dark funk that keeps a really sinister undertone to a lot of sweet melodic ideas. That essence is really important to what we love, and I can’t even think of another band that does that in such a profound way.

What music did you listen to growing up?
D - Madness, Nirvana and Neil Young
R - My mum had all the music taste of a 40-something, white, middle-class, suburban divorcee. Thus my childhood was a heady mix of Wet, Wet, Wet, Bryan Adams and The Bodyguard soundtrack.

Fronted by Rich Fownes (formerly of The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster) and Daisy Coburn, Brighton's Clever Thing cite influences as diverse as Billie Holiday and Black Flag, drawing comparisons to the likes of The White Stripes. Check out their latest song 'Fixer Upper' - out now'.