In the second part of our two-part exclusive with the new look Rogue Traders, OUTinPerth’s Scott-Patrick Mitchell chats to James Ash and new lead singer Mindi Jackson about the direction the band is taking and the future of pop music in a shiny new decade.
‘We don’t have a name for (the new album) yet; we really need to fix that very quickly,’ Ash confided over a coffee, his co-conspirator and band mate Mindi Jackson nodding in agreement.
‘But it’s half recorded, it’s completely written and it’ll be out in March,’ Ash laughed. ‘Basically, we’re not flirting with stadium rock anymore; this is an album that’s about the dance floor. It’s dance pop music.’
It’s a sound evident in their lead single, Love Is A War. If you hit their MySpace you’ll also hear a teaser of what to expect, along with a cryptic blog post which explores some of the potential songs on the album, songs which explore sex, celebrity, the promise of childhood and an infatuation with Blondie.
‘We’re really inspired by where pop music’s going in terms of edginess and the fact that people are taking risks with pop music,’ added Jackson. ‘We think the best pop music is pop music that goes places you wouldn’t expect and kind of matches ideas from different genres and that sort of thing.
‘Which Rogue Traders has always done anyway, but I think that we’ve kind of done that a little bit more, pushed a little bit harder – we really wanted to do that; we wanted it to be progressive.’
‘Also, we know that we can’t just keep doing the same old thing,’ Ash added. ‘Music has moved on and we have to make sure that we’re at the front of what’s going on. It’s funny, because pop music is really where a lot of the excitement in music is, right now, and that’s where we recognise that we have to be, as well.
‘So we’re trying not to get comfortable with it all; we’re trying to not do exactly what we did before. Also, one of the great things about music is I’m amazed – as you’ll hear on the record – what you can get away with.’
The album has been a while in the making, especially when you consider the fact that Ash has been blogging about it on MySpace since last March, with confirmation officially made in September. And then, by the time November hit, Mindi Jackson had been announced as the new lead singer.
A month later – on Christmas Day exactly – the first single was released, and with it a whole new look Rogue Traders.
‘When I look at how Rogues has evolved, from a couple of DJs to the band that we are right now, it is strange,’ Ash admitted of the heady evolution the band has taken since its inception. ‘I have to say, we’ve all got a hand on the Ouija board- it’s going by itself and we’re just kind of hanging on.
‘But I think you will definitely see a different change in look and that’s obviously largely driven by Mindi and her personality and her taste in fashion, which is quirky and quite out there.
‘That’s also forced me to get out of my comfort zone a little bit, which is really healthy for me, too. Because image is important, but also, I think, it’s not just about wearing the latest clothes; you need to express your own style and Mindi has a really strong sense of that.’
‘I think it’s really important as well, with fashion, to take risks,’ Jackson added. ‘I mean, Lady Gaga is a great example of that. We’ve been really, really focused on the artwork and the fashion and everything like that: we’re really interested in that side of things as well so we want to really come through in a nice strong image that’s consistent. I mean, we can’t do trackies; we’re quite strict that we want to represent something a bit edgy, as well.’
Of course, at the time of talking to both Ash and Jackson, it was mid-December, mere weeks before New Years Eve and the start of a whole new decade. And with a new decade comes a shift in the cultural conscience, even if only subtly. We move our attention, our inspiration, shift it slightly forward from the two decades prior.
The Naughties were all about the ’80s. But The ‘Eens as they will be known – an acknowledgment of both The Tweens (2010 – 2012) and The Teens (2013 – 2019) – will hark back to the ’90s, a decade split between grunge, utilitarian fashion, asymmetry and an amazing end tail return to elegance.
This reinterpretation will be sprinkled with the decade’s own defining moments, naturally, but the start of it allows for an exciting fresh clean slate, perfect for a new look band to relaunch itself in. So what do The Rogue Traders envisage for The ‘Eens?
‘Well you know, it’s really interesting because I can remember at the turn of the millennium trying to imagine what we would be listening to in 10 years time – I never imagined that I’d be in with this band,’ Ash explained.
‘I’ve always been of the opinion that every generation wanted a song to fall in love to and a song to evolve with or rebel with and that will continue – the rest is just fashion. Fashion will come and go. All that’s happening is it’s just being regurgitated for every generation to experience for the first time.
‘Although it’s still different, because as it gets regurgitated something new comes along and adds to it, you know?’ added Jackson. ‘Obviously electronic music is growing as well. It connects people going places that you wouldn’t have thought they were going to go.
‘I hadn’t thought about it til you said it, but it does feel like – I know a date is just a date – but it does feel like a new frontier,’ Ash concluded.
Undoubtedly, The Rogue Traders will be leading the charge into this new frontier. With gusto and a rebel yell!
Love Is A War is out now through Sony Music and is available on iTunes.
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