They packed them in at the Boat Race on February the 28th for a highly successful return to the venue they'd last played six months previously. The crowd were kept in check by the very capable hands of new management who promptly quashed any attempted stage-dives. Such displays of euphoria provided something of a contrast with the gig one week later in the intimate surroundings of the Portland Arms; the setting for a more sedate audience but by no means sedate performance. The space between appreciative hands and the stage was indicative of the general consent that this group seem to be worth stepping back and taking a long, hard second look at. This sentiment was confirmed the following week with their first single, 'Ladies on the Way” being given extensive air-play on both Steve Lamacq’s and John Peel’s Radio One shows.
So who are the 'they' in question? Regular readers of the Clap will recognise Hofman as one of our family favourites and deserving of much plugging so we feel. One of the reasons being that apart from the catchiness of their songs and the fine crop of their various haircuts, a disturbing rumour seems to be surfacing that they might actually have something to say as well. Speaking this week after completing the recording of their first EP, Hofman's frontman, Steve Adams, made it clear that this is obviouslv not the case.
A T-shirt is approaching; one which would be tight on most but hangs baggy on this bloke. A T-shirt which can sometimes be seen crumpled in a crouch during moments when the the vocals appear to have an almost soulful side. More usually it finds itself hopping up and down frantically, semi-spasm-ing, hanging on to a wit,, frame with veins bulging, vocal cords contorting in some spine-tingling screams. I tell him, you’ll never get rid of those creases. Here is a man who wouldn't take it any more, a man who stood up against the scum, the cunts, the dogs, the filth. Here is... Steve Adams...
For those who haven't heard Hofman, how would you describe your music?
It’s indie rock: guitar-based, with drums and singing. There's a big emphasis on creating new sounds, the sounds of now.
Who are the band's major influences?
It's difficult to say. Theres no set thing, like there's no set way of writing a song, but there are certain bands - Radiohead, Pavement, early Pink Floyd, even happy hardcore to sublime house music. It's all going to influence you in some way.
Making music and getting paid for it is something you've always wanted to do. Now you're doing it, how does the dream compare with the reality?
We're not making any money apart from that which can be ploughed back into the band to pay for recordings or lunches We are doing what we want to do though, but it's not like it used to feel when I was sixteen but it's better than it would've been a year ago.
What are you trying to achieve through your music?
I Personally think that as a group we have something to add to present pop culture, to bring to the party, an attitude towards music which has been lacking in a lot of bands for a long time. We can add self-depreciating humour and we can add the usual rock star arrogance tempered with small town naivety.
Is there a distinction to be made between writing lyrics and other forms of self-expression?
Absolutely. I believe it to be a very; valid art form. I've been flogging my guts out for the last few years, having to come up with "I love you" lyrics and political lyrics and God knows what lyrics. And we've reached the stage now where I'm writing more about stuff that matters to me. Sometimes it's stuff that doesn't matter to other people but sometimes it does. As a general rule the main subjects are ones that touch us as a band and finally, hopefully touch the audience as well. If people like something they hear in the lyrics it's invariably the case that what they like is something to do with what I meant it to be in the first place. It's the John Lennon thing about giving people what they want and they'll find something in there.
Do you, like the musicians speaking in NME this week, feel betrayed by New Labour?
No. I think British society would be very naive to feel like it's being betrayed. We've been betrayed for years and years and people should be used to it by now. Of course they've gone back on their promises and the reason that they have done is because they've got no soul.
What do you think about the concept of Cool Britannia?
It's very, very tacky. That's all I can say. They should have more taste.
Does Cambridge have anything to contribute to the current revival of interest in British music?
Only in as much as it's near London and there's a bit of f**king horrible, flat countryside nearby to vent your spleen in. No. A guy I know has been getting a very good career making his own sort of hip hop I drum and bass music. He ended up moving to London 'cos there was no point in him staying here. It's working for us 'cos there's a couple of nice venues, but I emphasize a couple. Cambridge is a nice place to live and I want to bring my children up here, but it's no kind of birth place for Cool Britannia.
Not much creativity going on then?
Yeah there is, but it's all middle class arty-farty' creativity for the sake of creativity. There's no objective being reached in it.
How did it feel hearing your own music being played on the radio?
It felt mad for ten minutes and after that it felt like, well, we've had our single played on Radio One. But it's nice to get recognition at last from people other than our friends and some stupid kids.
Having begun the year so well, where do you hope to be at the end of it?
I'd like to be with my dad at Christmas personally. I don't know about the rest of the band. Musically speaking, we'd like to have written a lot more songs and we'd like the recognition we've had so far
carried forward. But that's not really the point any more. Now that we've had some recognition we can get on with doing what we enjoy doing.
How does time fly?
We used to have a song where the words were, 'There it is - time goes by so flicking fast,' which never seems to fully express it. Saying, 'I know how time flies' [a line from one of Hofman's songs] is like saying I've got a handle on one of these things in life.
Have you?
Not at all.
What question do you find most difficult to answer?
'Where did the name of your group come from.'
I thought it had something to do with the name of one of the pioneers of LSD.
It's got nothing to do with drugs. The interview's over.
And with that the T-shirt leaves.
Jon Webdale
