The Airfields decided to interview themselves having already done a Wavelength interview only last summer. David of the Airfields had these following questions for his band mates.

PETE, DESPITE YOUR RELATIVELY BRIEF TENURE AS THE AIRFIELDS' BASS PLAYER, YOUR VIEWS ON THE APPLICATION OF THE CAPO TO THE GUITAR HAVE BECOME ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. DO THESE SAME VIEWS APPLY WITH REGARD TO THE BASS GUITAR AS WELL? IN SHORT, WHY ARE YOU SO OBSTINATE?
Pete: In short, all the Airfields are blessed with an index finger on the left hand.

IAN, A) WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO RECORDS BY BOYRACER? B) YOU HAVE RECENTLY EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE PUNK BAND THAT REHEARSES DOWN THE HALL FROM US IN OUR APARTMENT BUILDING IS INDEED IMPROVING. COULD YOU PLEASE BE MORE SPECIFIC? C) HOW MIGHT THE AFOREMENTIONED GREASY ADOLESCENTS BENEFIT FROM THE PURCHASE OF, SAY, A RAZORCUTS RECORD? D) WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK OUT THE RECYCLING?
a) You know the famed stories of how Tony Wilson and Pete Shelley and various others went to see the Sex Pistols and had epiphanies and went on to form groups and/or just generally change the musical world forever? Listening to Boyracer sort of encapsulates that type of phenomenon.

b) When hearing them now, instead of grimacing, I crack a smile.

c) They might try to cover 'Horror At Party Beach.' I'm not sure if that's a good or horrible thing for them to do.

d) A long time ago...

SHEILA, I) WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE "SMARTIES AND COKE" DIET? DO YOU FIND IT HELPS YOU TO ACCOMPLISH MORE AT 5 AM? II) WHEN IS THE NEXT OFFICIAL MIXED TAPE CLUB SWITCHEROO? III) WHAT'S ALL THIS I HEAR ABOUT THE "RECESS PRESS"?
i) I am pretty sure that I owe my morning life to Smarties, Coke, my screaming cat, and alarm clock. I'm pretty confident that in five years Smarties-and-Coke will be the new bangers-and-mash.

ii) The Mix Tape Club is currently on sabbatical. We are in the process of launching a new website; give it another month or two of sleepless nights. The MTC members all miss each other a lot; we should really do something about that.

iii) recessPRESS is a small art publishing company I co-founded with my pal Jeremy Lenz. We were getting tired of a lot of what we were seeing around us and decided to do something about it by redefining the book and by bringing a conceptual and experimental approach to book design and production. We are currently working with two Toronto artists, Catherine Jette and Mike Ness. We are going to put on shows, maybe our
band can play at one of them.

JAKOB, X) WHY SHOULD THE JOE MEEK TUBE COMPRESSOR/EQUALIZER BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACTUAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT RATHER THAN THE MEAGER TOOL OF OBSESSIVE AUDIO GEEKS SUCH AS YOURSELF? Y) WHY ARE YOU LEAVING PARKDALE? WON'T YOU MISS LIVING A STONE'S THROW AWAY FROM ROSIE'S CHICKEN?
x) That's a great question. I hate the sound of real instruments and all of their uncontrolled "dynamics" and "overtones". This tool/instrument is an inexpensive and elegant way to file down the sounds into little slivers that can be placed into coherent arrangements in the stereo field.

y) After the last couple mixing sessions a deep feeling of paranoia overtook me. I felt the uncontrollable urge to kill my landlady because she was spying on me. I have to move to a better place, one with acoustic isolation to prevent the "voices" and "poisonous gas" drifting in from the next room, and to afford me a workspace where I can continue my work in secrecy. And I have never eaten at Rosie's.

PETE, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO ATTEMPT TO WITHHOLD GOVERNMENT CHEQUES FROM YOU AS A RANSOM FOR "STOLEN" RARE 7" RECORDS?
Pete: One word of advice: re-issues.

IAN, A) WHY ARE THOSE OF LIVERPUDLIAN STOCK SUPERIOR CONSUMERS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE THAN, SAY, THOSE OF GLASWEGIAN HERITAGE? ARE THERE ANY HAZARDS RELATED TO THIS CLAIM? B) WHEN IS YOUR WORK GOING TO FIRE YOU FOR BEING LATE EVERY SINGLE DAY?
a) It's likely to do with the toxic constituents in the river Mersey. Many generations slowly building up a tolerance to all sorts of chemicals and this having the general effect of thickening the blood, and the constitution of Liverpudlians. Hazards? In a word, yes.

b) A co-worker asked me this very question today. We were lost as to an answer.

SHEILA: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE FROM NEIGHBOURING YUPPIE DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS WHO STAND OUTSIDE YOUR APARTMENT SMOKING WHILST LEANING AGAINST YOUR DOORBELL ALL NIGHT?
The sense of disgust I feel is only exaggerated and made worse by the sense of elation and hope I feel at the prospect of an unexpected visiting friend. You know that look that comes upon your face when you pass by someone on the street, desperately clinging to their youth through the excessive use of studio hair gel, tight pants, and synthetic collagen? Let's just say that that look communicates far more eloquently than anything I could ever say.

JAKE, IS THERE ANYTHING INHERENTLY SELF-INDULGENT ABOUT A ABOUT A BAND INTERVIEWING ITSELF?
Not at all. Our promotional strategy / campaign does not allow for outsiders' observations, questions or criticisms. We should never "engage" with our audience, they have germs and opinions that will dilute our essence.

(FROM IAN) OH, AND QUESTIONS FOR DAVID: A) WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A BAND PRACTICE THAT IS UNDER THREE HOURS IN LENGTH?
The three-hour band practice shall cease to be when I become a competent musician.

B) WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU EXPERIENCED WHAT HAS BEEN TERMED 'ROAD RAGE'?
Yeah, I guess driving a van (or anything motorized) in the city isn't for me. I don't recommend it.

By The Airfields