These New Puritans are back in town to play the Echo tonight. LAist reviewed their new CD, Beat Pyramid, and previewed their Roxy show back in March which was received with much acclaim. Now the band is on a full US tour and is swinging through town as they promised to.
We had a chance to speak to guitarist and vocalist Jack Barnett, one half of the pair of identical twins in the band, as the band walked the streets of Chicago a few days ago. The task of interviewing them typified the experience of a band on the road: we had to break off the interview several times as we were interrupted by el trains passing directly over the band or the seemingly endless cavalcade of fire trucks and police cars that seemed to be magnetically drawn to the band's location. I very much appreciate Jack dashing in and out of doorways and otherwise trying to find a less noisy place to chat, what a trooper.
LAist: So this is your first full tour of the US [after their brief foray to SXSW and LA in March], how is it going so far?
Jack Barnett: It's been really great, we've had really good reception in these cities, I think these are the major cities of the United States that we're going through. We're really looking forward to LA because we had a great time there at the Roxy, plus we really want to see more of LA.
LAist: In the review of your new CD we said that there was a retro industrial sound, reminiscent of Front 242 and others from that era, except that the beats and melodies are truly your own.
Jack Barnett: Yes, people do say that, as well as mention Joy Division which is interesting because we didn't really listen to that music - we're definitely aware of it now and enjoy it, but those bands weren't direct influences. Something that we all enjoy listening to is stuff like Aphex Twin.
LAist: You mentioned wanting to see more of LA, you should head down to Venice since that's where Aphex Twin's video of "Windowlicker" was shot.
Jack Barnett: Oh really?! That would be cool, we'd want to see that, we also want to see [Mann's Chinese Theater] and do all that touristy stuff, because, you know, we'll be in LA!
