Belfast’s Strait Laces are one of the Northern Irish contingent at SXSW this year. I always find Northern Irish bands – and the Northern Irish in general for that matter – to be ever-so-slightly but fundamentally crazy, in a cheery but quite patently demented sort of way. Brilliant fun, sharp as a switchblade, but invariably the sort that will leave you for dead in a drinking competition, a race, or a fight. It’s endearing in many ways. Unsurprisingly – to me, anyway – Strait Laces come across exactly like that, all yelping and occasionally unrestrained voltage. As if the wheels are about to come off, but only because they’ve unscrewed them all.

Strait Laces are:

Jonny – Bass
David – Guitars and vocals
Pando – Drums

Where are you all from?
We are from Ireland and we were all born in the same hospital. It has a thatch roof.

How did you meet? What made you stay together?
We met through playing shows and going to shows as kids. You can’t teach that.

Why are you in a band?
With a complete lack of academic achievements and a head full of dreams, it was the best choice.

Who made you start playing music, what band first opened your ears?
When we were younger, the best music we knew was local, friends’ bands – without them we wouldn’t be playing today.

Where do the songs come from?
Each song is wrote with something specific in mind. we don’t want to write meaningless lyrics to any piece of music so our lyrics are based upon world events, betrayal, ambition etc. Something we can perform passionately on stage.
As for musically, if you imagine Biffy Clyro from five years ago fighting Arctic Monkeys with Brand New as referees, then you have a fair idea of where we get inspiration.

Why will people hate you or your songs?
We have terrible accents, they’re not even endearing.

Is it hard work being in a band?
There’s so many bands and so many scenes that you have to work extra hard, especially on the whole internet thing. We’re all a bit rubbish with social networking. It took us ages to even understand what a fucking tweet was.

Have you been to SXSW before?
We’ve never been. We’re hoping it’s worth the visa application, what a nightmare. Also it’s St. Patrick’s day while we’re there, which is, obviously, good.

Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/straitlaces

MP3

Seconds Out