CHICAGO band The Sonnets will rock their way across the pond to perform at Accrington on May 27. We caught up with lead singer/guitarist Vee Sonnets.
For people who don't know your music how would you describe it? I consider it to be a mixture of 60s mod, 70s glam, powerpop, and punk, and bits of surf, rock, and blues. Too long of an answer I'm afraid, so I usually tell people that it is 'powerpop' the way that Pete Townshend described it in the Who's early days.
One reviewer said of you: "Think of the Beatles. Now kill George and add some modern day funk and better guitar work and you have the Sonnets." Would you agree with this? I would never ever kill George. Well, I can't really. He's dead now. He was my favourite Beatle though. I'd rather say take the Who,replace Keith Moon with Rat Scabies, kill off John Entwistle and replace him with Bruce Foxton, kill off Pete Townshend and replace him with...well, the younger Pete Townshend, and kill off Roger Daltrey and replace him with Siouxsie Sioux.
Your logo has the word Sonnets written on a Union Jack are you fans of the UK music scene? That logo was made for this being our first UK tour. We wanted to make it look different for this occasion. Usually our logo has a red arrow going through it.
Where did you get the name? Is there a poet in the band? I hardly consider us poets! The name was chosen because the word sonnet was derived from the Italian word sonneto which meant 'little song' which I thought was great because that described my short fast songs in a poetic kinda way. I also had a love for Elizabeth Barrett Browning as well as John Milton. I later discovered that there was a doo wop group from the US in the 1950s called the Sonnets with a hell of a tune called 'Oh Judy'.
Are you looking forward to coming to the Attic in Accrington? Oh God yes! In a way, it seems that Accrington has taken these shows to heart and it looks to be a very promising experience. I know for sure the band is looking forward to meeting lots of Accringtonians.
Tell us how the band formed. In 1992 I was sick of the Chicago music scene. I wanted to recapture the halcyon days of 60s and 70s pop with the intensity of punk rock but with the melodic sounds of mod, bubblegum, and glam thrown in short sweet songs that rivalled the grunge drone. I formed the Sonnets with members of a former band and we immediately made an impact, although it was more out of shock. People back then would rather have listened to Soundgarden than the sonnets doing 1:58 songs that sounded like the Kinks, Ziggy, and the Buzzcocks copulating in a blender.
What's been the highlight of your time together so far? Breaking into hotel pools, drinking all kinds of liquor, smoking, and relaxing in a liquor-coloured water Jacuzzi.
What's the worst trouble you've been in? Getting into a brawl with some hipster rock n' roller who broke the knobs off my amp, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up while tripping the lights and watching the audience break out into fights around us.
What have you most regretted doing while drunk? Throwing my guitar like a harpoon on stage.
What's the best piece of advice you've received? The guitar is too loud! Play quieter so you can hear the vocals. Ha ha!
The Sonnets play The Attic, Accrington on Saturday, May 27.
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