I was very excited when I found out Arnold was coming to the US again, as so far I had only been able to listen to their music via tape or CD and was really looking forward to getting a taste of their incredible energy live. I unfortunately missed their show at The Knitting Factory, but caught their full set at The Silverlake Lounge and they definitely did not disappoint! The lead singer, Phil Morris, has an intensely heartfelt stage presence and is quite good looking- imagine Kurt Cobain mixed with a young David Cassidy and perhaps a tiny bit of Brad Pitt and you can get the general idea. And his vocals range beautifully from a sweet honey dripping seduction to hypnotic whispers to strong and very bold tones as well. And the harmonies from the other band members really pull it all together into a richly full and awe inspiring sound. The music is beautifully layered and really pulls you in like a secret invitation to some supernatural dreamland.

They have been compared to just about everyone- I guess I'd agree most with the T.Rex, Pink Floyd, Big Star, and Radiohead comparisons. And I'd also toss in a bit of The Verve, Mojave 3, The Clientele, Cocteau Twins, and Primal Scream.

The thing I love most about Arnold however, is their astounding ability to sound so different from song to song and they flawlessly run the gamut of all of music's best genres. It's amazing- I can take three of my favorite songs by them- "Wild Colonial Girl" and "God Knows" and "Sweet Sweet Sweet Nothing" (all available on the current E.P. by the way!) and play them back to back for a friend and not only do they think each song is by a different band- they all sound like a completely different style/genre as well. I love it, it's the perfect band for this A.D.D. afflicted society that we live in today.

I met up with them on the day before they were to be driving out to Arizona for a show at Chasers in Phoenix. The five guys, myself, and their manager Graham all decided to conduct the interview at the Hollywood dinner known as Swingers. We secured a large booth in the back and Graham even had our waiter turn down the music that was being feed through ceiling speakers. I was in heaven, surrounded by five lovely English gents and their five lovely English accents. Aaahhhhh... Arnold.

MB = Mary Bond, myself
PM = Phil Morris, Vocals/Rhythm guitar
MS = Mark Saxby, Lead guitar/Backing vocals
PP = Phil Payney, Bass guitar/Backing vocals
RA = Rob Ariss, Keyboards/Rhythm guitar/Backing Vocals
DH = Dave Hill, Drums
GK = Graham Kurzner, Arnold's Manager

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MB: (to Phil Payney) So, I wanted to ask you, how is Arnold?

PP: Arnold is very well at the moment, thank you.

MB: How old is he?

PP: Oh, the dog Arnold?

MB: Yes (the band Arnold was named after Phil's dog by the same name).

PP: Oh right. (we laugh) He passed away last year.

MB: Oh! I was so afraid if I asked that question you'd say that! I was like, should I ask?

MS: He had a long life though, a good strong life.

PP: He was very old you see.

MB: How old was he?

PP: He was over fourteen.

MB: Really?

PP: Yeah, he passed away last year and it's very sad but it was a relief as well cuz he was in a lot of pain. But yeah, we did a radio show in the beginning of this year in New York and the DJ said, "How's Arnold?" and he was dead.

MB: Ah! Yeah, I was so dreading that. I was wondering if I should ask someone first if he's still around or...

PP: And then he goes, "What happened to your first lead singer?" Ah, oh, he's dead; it was just like a really grim...

MB: What? I didn't know that. I thought Phil was the only singer.

PP: He, uh, our first album was based on our first singer who died.

MB: The Barn Tapes?

PP: Yeah, we had another band called Patio and he used to be the singer. Kaney (a.k.a. Phil Morris) used to be the drummer...and when he (the original singer) died, we carried on basically and Kaney started singing. He used to sing and drum.

MB: (to Phil Morris) Um, I was curious, do you sing "Sweet Nothing"?

PM: No, that' Mark Saxby singing "Sweet Sweet Nothing"

MB: (to Mark) Is that you singing?

MS: Yes, it is me singing.

MB: Is that the only one that you sing on?

MS: Um, I've sung on other Arnold songs. But um, it's the only one on the E.P. ... No, I sing "South" on that E.P. as well.

MB: You do? Oh wow.

MS: Yes, it's amazing isn't it? (he laughs at himself and then I laugh too) But that's an unusually high ratio, I don't usually sing that many songs.

MB: It sounds good though because it's amazing cuz if you listen to the E.P. it sounds almost like a compilation of three different bands. I mean the music is so diverse.

MS: I think it can be that's a big thing, but sometimes with record companies- they try to put you in a particular pocket and...

MB: Yeah, that can be difficult.

MS: But in terms of the public, I think the public would like that.

MB: Absolutely.

MS: Yah, I think the best bands, like the Beatles, I mean all of their stuff was, is as varied as our stuff, if not, more so. Ya know, and they had four singers in the band, didn't they? We've got four singers in the band.

MB: Do you think you'll all branch off and go solo one day?

PM: Bloody hope so. (everyone laughs) I'll be doing it maybe next week, get some gigs on me own. Yeah, I'm having a word with Graham on the side.

MB: Oh, Graham's ganna set that up for ya?

PM: Yeah, hopefully.

MS: Maybe you should write down after that: "SARCASTIC."

(now there is a bunch of overlapping inaudible banter and laughs and more people repeating the word "sarcastic.")

GK: In the beginning (of this interview) you can just put: "sarcastic from here on out."

(lots of laughter.)

MB: Yah, that'd be a good idea, good one. So, do you guys get much American TV, what's your favorite show?

MS: Cheers.

MB: Cheers? Really?

MS: Yah, it's my favorite TV show of all time actually. It always makes you very happy when you watch Cheers. And I like Malcom in the Middle...and South Park.

MB: Do you like The Simpsons?

MS: Yeah, absolutely.

DH: The original Star Trek. And The Phil Silvers Show, Sgt. Bilko.

MB: What?

(then we go into a little discussion about how odd they think it is that I have not heard of this Phil Silvers guy. Sorry Mr. Silvers!)

MB: (to Phil Morris) What's your favorite American TV show?

MS: Baywatch. (everyone laughs) In slow motion.

PM: Uh, I'm not really a big fan of...

MS: Starsky and Hutch.

PM: Mine was The Rockford Files.

(there are more shouts for that and mentions of Columbo and Kojack.)

PM: No, The Rockford Files...reminds me as a kid we used to, if you were ill off school, sick at school, they would show it in the afternoons like, in England. You'd be off sick, ya know you'd have a cold or pretend to have a cold, like "Mom, I'm not very well Mom" (he holds his throat and imitates being sick). Oh... Married With Children used to be on at like four in the morning! We used to stay up and watch Married With Children, we thought it was hillarious.

GK: Just so everyone knows, no one here likes Magnumn P.I. , right?

PM: No, I love his mustache. I love his mustache. He's a sexy, a sexy kind of guy. Tom Selleck.

MB: Uh, okay then.

PM: I'm not gay, I'm just saying...

MB: No, I gotcha.

MS: So what was your favorite American show?

PM: Married With Children.

(There is more talk of Cheers and a mention of Fraggle Rock and The Muppets and Dave starts singing the Dukes of Hazzards theme.)

PM: Dukes of Hazzard... no, I didn't never like that. I liked the Incredible Hulk as a kid.

MB: Whats your favorite BBC show? I'm a huge fan of "Bottom". Have you seen "Bottom?"

(there's a few mild "yeahs")

PM: There's a program at the moment in England called "The Office" which based around people working in the office and it's genius.

MB: Oh, I haven't seen it.

PM: Then there's another, there's an Irish program called Father Ted which is based around these Catholic Priests...

MB: Oh, I've seen Father Ted.

PM: That is, that is really hugely popular. Unfortunately the main guy in it, after they finished filming like the third series, died... and he was only like 45, 50. So, it's now... it's played all the time.

MS: We like Faulty Towers.

MB: Yah, that's pretty good. I've seen a lot of that.

(then there is more talk of BBC shows, including Phil Morris saying "Mr. Bean is the worst show that anyone has ever made and he should be ashamed, but he has done some brilliant work." And I mention The Young Ones, which everyone seems to remember and liked as a kid.)

MB: What were you like as a kid, Phil?

PM: Ugly. Spotty. Pustules.

MS: He was slightly more mature in those days... wasn't he?

(laughter)

PM: I find I've regressed. Is it regressed, or degressed?

MB: Regressed.

PM: I was very studious, you know.

MB: Were you?

PM: I started reading "War and Peace" when I was, like, eight years old.

MB: Really?

PM: And stuff like that.

(Meanwhile Rob is shaking his head "no" behind Phils back. So I tell on him.)

PM: Robs known me for... Robs known me since I was 13. And I've always been a bit of a brat really.

MB: (to Rob) So what was he really like?

(Rob motions his hand with fingers rapidly moving up and down off the thumb.)

MB: Oh, talkie, talk, talk.

RA: Talk, talk, talk. Moan, moan, moan.

MB: Was he a bully or did he get picked on?

PM: I was small. As a kid. I didn't get picked on,...but I played drums when I was only like twelve. No- I never got bullied. Cuz I played drums and I was like into music. I dunno... I used to... it was kind of... ya know, I started as soon as I hit puberty basically... I got into music and I started growing my hair and wearing Granddad waist coats and stuff. And then we really just sort of started to develop a love for music, really, at such a young age I suppose. Me and Rob used to have a band, but there was only two of us in it. We used to go into a little hole and Rob would play guitar at deafening volume and I'd smash the hell out of the drum kit. And we did that for two years, just two of us, no singing... just"Ggggrrggghhhhjjjjjjjaaaaaddaaadddeeerrrr."

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Click here to see the 2nd part of the Arnold interview!

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