Carry on Campesinos

One of the most acclaimed new bands of 2008 are Cardiff-based indie-pop collective Los Campesinos. They're signed to Wichita in the UK, while their North American releases are handled by Arts & Crafts, the Canadian label which is home to Broken Social Scene, Stars, Feist, et al. Indeed, Los Campesinos’ excellent debut album, Hold On Now, Youngster, was produced by Broken Social Scene’s Dave Newfeld, and the band have also supported BSS on a couple of occasions.

Gareth Campesinos (in an impressive display of unity, all members of the band have decided to adopt the same surname), is a man with a passionate love for underground music, particularly the feminist Riot Grrrl movement of the early ’90s.
“I’m heavily into bands from that scene,” he says, seated in a quiet corner of The Village on the day of the band’s recent Dublin show. “I love groups like Bikini Kill, Sleater Kinney and lots of other artists with feminist politics. My favourite act in the world are Xiu Xiu, and other favourite bands of mine would be Kenickie and Huggy Bear.”
Although firmly a part of the Riot Grrrl scene, Huggy Bear had a notable role in the Britpop story, with the relationship between the band’s guitarist, Jo Johnson, and Graham Coxon causing significant friction in the Blur ranks. Circa 1995, Johnson’s right-on feminist politics were somewhat at odds with the outlook of Coxon’s bandmate Alex James, who at that point was intent on living the hedonistic rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle to the full.
“Have you read John Harris’s Britpop book?” asks Gareth. “That’s the reference point for me as well. I do like Blur, but Alex James is not a character I particularly like from what I’ve read about him. He just seems to be this playboy who’s always talking about girls and champagne.”
How did Gareth develop his interest in groups like Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear?
“I think it was being something of an outsider at school,” he muses. “A lot of people my age were into guitar music, and I didn’t want to be like them. I looked for things that I knew they wouldn’t be bothered to look for. Me and my best mate had the same taste in music, and we were like a two-man mission against the world.”
Do Los Campesinos aspire to commercial success?
“That’s sort of a sticking point within the band,” admits Gareth. “We have no desire to be this massive group. In fact, last night we played an NME show at the Astoria in London, and it was just the most corporate thing we’ve ever been part of. It’s like the worst thing we’ve done so far, because we were surrounded by adverts for Shockwaves hair-gel, and posters for bands like The Enemy.
“We were supporting Le Savy Sav and Future Of The Left, who are two great bands, and yet the music being played in between performances was still stuff like Hard-Fi, KT Tunstall and Coldplay, which nobody wanted to hear. That’s not something that I especially want to be a part of.
“Like, the prospect of an arena gig or a stadium show – although we’re nowhere near that level – is something that I would despise, really. It just seems so soulless, seeing this vast group of dots before you where you can’t look anyone in the eye.”
There are definitely groups who can make large-scale concerts work, though.
“Yeah, there totally are, but it’s the difference between identifying as a music fan and a musician. I have no desire to be famous or get involved in that circus. That’s all part and parcel of becoming huge, and I don’t want it.”

Hold On Now, Youngster is out now on Wichita