The View From the Shoe: To The Moon

Apologies for the late hour of today's interview with the very best of creative twitter, but I was laughing too hard to post it before now.

To the Moon - (comprising MJ and Dennis) are the most infectious and eccentric band on twitter. They describe themselves as Experimental Rock/Electro/Pop Band preparing for the worst by evacuating Earth with whoever wishes to come. Their music, like their approach to life, is unique. And their wonderful relationship with their fans is everything I love about Indie culture.

Oh, and they're exceptionally good.

Follow them on twitter and listen to them here.


Thank you so much for your time. So, Louboutin or Converse?
mJ: I tend to berate myself cos, despite being a hip young laser-gunslinger I’ve never having owned a pair of Converse! I’m afraid Louboutin is slightly too Haute Couture for me – do love Lagerfeld at Chanel but I cant say I have done as much research into fashion as I have done into supermassive black holes and their application in sound-proofing a laboratory (read studio) room.
Den - i have no idea what you're talking about. Does not compute!

Why is there no one in the world who does it quite like you?
mJ: We’re exponents of newness, originality & vitality, and we have a unique blend of our two worlds- when two worlds collide...
Den: And we clean our synths with Cillit Bang

What do you really, really love about it?
Den: much Faraday's Cage comes into play!

A bit more time in the day, or a bit more money in the bank?
mJ: Well it’s a toss-up between more time for experimentation, vs. project funding - we always need funding though, as we’re constantly being discounted from scientific government grants for being too noisy. More time for tweeting and recording and wandering around wondering around soaking up future inspiration…
Den: but time is money… Amend your paradox at once!

Imagine you “make it”. You wake up, and imagine the day ahead. Tell us about breakfast.
Den: breakfast of fruit, followed by a short run and then maybe an egg on toast. then in the studio. OR wake up in your own sick and 4 ciggies later you make a coffee and sit in the studio.
mJ: We will spend at least 8 hours per diem in the laboratories at TTM HQ, tinkering with the rocket ship and having the occasional recording session… The idea of expeditions to other countries etc is very thrilling; as Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap said… Den: “Touring the world and elsewhere”
mJ: Affirmative.

What’s your Jimmy Choo? And what’s just cobblers?
mJ: Aside from my moon boots, which have got me out of many a sticky situation in the past, I have a pair of white, fabric Irregular Choice shoes, so bright I can see them from space on my shoe rack at TTM HQ. beautiful winkle-pickers, they are. To give you a scientific opposite, I have more loathing for Crocs than I do for most other things in the universe.


Tell us about the last time a fan made you feel 100 feet tall.
Den: I think probably the midget who came up to us after a gig. Mickey. he was ace, but kept getting into fights with this lanky bloke called Kramer.
mJ: Dennis, I know you find it hard to separate the blurry lines betwixt tee-vee and reality, but that’s an episode of Seinfeld.… He’s fragile, our Dennis is.
But anyway, thanks to Twitter, I’m lucky to get a lot of postivity from Comrades. As 1st in Command of Mission “Shameless Self Promotion” or SSP (tee hee), the compliments come in thick and fast! When someone asks where they can buy your music, or why we’re not signed yet, that does things to your ego. Like if your ego was a supernova, that’d be a good likeness.
Our music is totally free at the moment, anyway – its not about making the big money out of that sort of thing, and artists don’t at the moment.

Independent and poor, or under contract and rich?
Den: depends on the contract. as no labels are giving advances unless you sign a longer contract most musicians have no choice. you need equipment (we certainly do) and some form of financial security before you can take the plunge into music full time. some money is required so that you can stop doing your office job and pay the rent. i think most musicians aren’t bothered about money, but they have to think about it otherwise society will eat them alive.


Do you remember that bit on Play Away where Brian Cant stood behind people and did the actions whilst they spoke? If you could choose anyone to stand behind you and do the actions to your sales pitch, who would it be and why?
Den: there was someone called Cant on TV? poor bloke! brian-facking-cant… i would have Berlusconi behind me. he's mentally ill and it would liven things up.
mJ: To The Moon Corps. Has no sales pitch, only briefs and mission statements. But I’d nominate Voltaire to stand behind me and do the actions to the Emergency Exit instructions in-flight on the Star Ship TTM. Would be imperative to have someone with such gravitas and a lust for all things electrical!

Frocks or socks?
Den: i'm a big fan of socks. Totally sold with the idea.
mJ: Girls wear frocks, and feet wear socks. But socks keep you warm in the lab, and I’ve got a pair with stars on (obviously) so we have two positives plus two negatives, so the two serve to cancel each other out. Therefore, according to the laws of physics, neither frocks nor socks technically exist! Weird! Glad we found that out thanks to you guys! We shall write up our findings and report back. *Salutes*