UNSIGNED SPOTLIGHT
ITCHY TEETH
www.myspace.com/itchyteethuk
Page and Plant, Mick and Keith, Jones and Strummer, Marr and Morrissey… Lennon & McCartney: classic song writing partnerships are a vital cornerstone of rock. London-based rockers Charlie Hannah and Xay Clarke are two young musicians aiming to follow in some pretty illustrious footsteps…
Words: Dan Jones T
he emergence of the Beatles in the early 1960s proved that performers could write their own songs and the partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney demonstrated to the world the power of a dynamic song writing partnership. Charlie Hannah and Xav Clarke of London quartet itchy teeth are the driving
force behind a band whose relentless fervour has an air of infectiousness to it, and it looks like they couldn’t be happier. Their knowledge of music surpasses that of most, their aptitude for melody challenges the greats and some of their tunes have the whiff of genius about them. We caught up with Xav Clarke who tells all about London, false prophets
and his better half… g PM: So, can you introduce your band… g XC: We’re Itchy Teeth! Charlie & Xav (guitar/vox) Oli & Olly (drums/bass) g PM: You’ve lived together for the last four or so years. How important is
that to the strength of your band? g XC: Well, it’s a massive help for song writing because we’ve had a lot of
time to get it right! It’s also a pain because when a certain someone doesn’t pay their rent on time! However, it’s the best way to be because we really feel that we can put exactly what happens in our lives, into our music. Also, a gang
mentality is fun! g PM: You moved up to London just under a year ago, has it been kind to
you since the move? g XC: Yes and no. We keep the tramps sweet and wave at the neighbours as if we’re all related. However, we put on a gig at our house last month and some nutter smashed our glass front door, causing the ceiling in the shop below us to cave in and flood it’s storage room. Also, Charlie was relieved of
his gorgeous acoustic guitar that night. g PM: Have the gigging opportunities presented any significant breaks? g XC: Absolutely not, all the positive things for the band seem to be
happening due to our recordings! We think the shows we do are brilliant and playing the gigs are the most fun we ever have, that’s why we do it and we’ll
never stop! Our nights at the 12 Bar are magic! g PM: Both being songwriters, do you find there is an element of
competition? Or do you bounce off one another… g XC: Bit of both! It’s great to have someone to spur you on, but most importantly, to keep you from self-indulging. We think we have great judgement regarding each other’s songs and we try to keep each other from going too far off the rails, whilst also encouraging each other and making sure
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g PM: Exactly how important are The Beatles and The Stones to Itchy Teeth? I know you’re obviously into a wealth of other music but these two seem to be
your lynchpins… g XC: Yes, they are, but they should be to everyone! As much as we adore them, there are a few other artists that influence us. Mainly XTC, Rufus Wainwright, Todd Rundgren, the 5th Dimension, Laura Nyro, Aztec Camera etc. However, we find that we are actually more influenced by bands that we DISLIKE, in that we make every effort to bear no resemblance to bands like
Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, U2, and Adele etc.!! g PM: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt while making music over
the past few years? g XC: Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb! g PM: What’s next for you all? g XC: We’re recording our first album at the moment and can’t wait for it to be finished! PM
we reach our potential! g PM: Do you think you differ as songwriters? g XC: Yes, I tend to write poppier songs, whilst Charlie can sometimes drift
towards the angsty side of things! However, these differences were more apparent at the beginning of our writing, and now we think we’ve influenced
each other to a happy medium! g PM: Is the decadence of rock and roll as attractive to you as the music? g XC: Music can be so enthralling that it induces decadence. Records like
Some Girls should come with health warnings. Once the needle drops on Miss You, it’s only a matter of time before you’re on the floor! The music is obviously the be all and end all, however, sometimes you’ve got to embrace the by-products.
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