Blood Sport - Hockey

Fresh from an appearance on Later with Jools Holland and gearing up for a frantic festival season Gigwise caught up with Hockey to discuss Lou Reed, Punk Vs Disco and on-set video accidents.

Crammed into a backstage room, there is a constant traffic of PRs and stage crew. Bass player Jerm AKA Jeremy Reynolds lolls on the sofa with the sound of Friendly Fires sound-checking in the background. Singer Benjamin Grubin busies himself with his emails before muttering apologetically "I’m trying to get rid of tour lung".

Ben and Jerm met about 5 years ago at the University of Redlands in California and formed the band with a desire to "play all the college parties". Jerm says: "We were room-mates before we were even friends really". They are now based in Portland, Oregon, which of course has spawned acts like the Gossip, Modest Mouse and The Decemberists.

The subject of recording their debut album ‘Mind Chaos’, due out this August, comes up. They are fans of DFA and LCD Soundsystem who Ben describes as "production masters". He adds: "Where as we feel the recordings are exactly where we want it, sometimes live it feels a little messier and bigger so we kind of struggle to make it a little more…sophisticated and sonically really cool live. I think we got close to it, but maybe there’s something cool about it being a little more…just raucous or out of hand live".
Gigwise: Are you kind of a perfectionist?
Ben laughing: "Yeah, definitely".
Jerm smirks to himself and catches Ben’s eye
Ben, laughing again: "Yeah, definitely".

While as band they prefer classic American songsmiths like Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, comparisons range from The Rapture and The Strokes to rock legend Bruce Springsteen. The latter as much down to Ben’s dancing and energetic stage delivery as his ever-present headband.

Their recent appearance on Later with Jools Holland has raised their profile in the UK, with previous single ‘Too Fake’ hitting all the right spots. The ultimate dancefloor track, they combine classic funk riffs with Ben’s loose-limbed delivery. At the gig later the crowd all seem to know the words and Jerm admits "We never realised how many people watched that show".

Ben and Jerm moved from California to Washington, then onto their current home in Portland, Oregon meeting drummer Anthony Stassi and guitarist Brian White on the way. Ben explains: "We were always pretty serious, but with moving around it would always be kind of hard to write new songs. It’s easier to write when you’re in your own room, late at night, playing your music or whatever."