The Screaming Tarts Interview

What's Screaming Tarts all about?

Screaming Tarts launched last year then re-launched with a new look and new address at the start of this year. It's a music based Ezine featuring interviews, reviews, photos, tour dates and a forum. We cover huge bands you see on the cover of NME every week as well brand new, up and coming bands nobody else even bothers with, and everything in between! We love hearing from new bands and encourage them to plug their gigs/releases/websites on our forum.

What inspired you to start it all?

Music is the most important thing in my life. Back in the summer of 2002 I got reeeeeeeally bored and rather than just waste it, I wanted to do something productive and that involved my passion for music. I put together a paper based fanzine called 'Truth and Beauty'. It only sold about 11 copies, but I wasn't going to give up. In 2003 I set up a website, 'Suicidal Trash', to help what I was doing reach a wider audience. The following year I changed the name to Screaming Tarts, which brings us to 2005 and the big re-launch.

Where did the idea for the album come from?

It's a site about music so putting together an album just seemed like the logical thing to do!

You're selling the album for a fiver, that's very cheap for 17 bands. I can't imagine you or the bands are making much money out of this and yet it must have taken you a lot of work and costs to put it all together? Why did you do it and what do you hope the end result will be?

It's not really about making money, it's about helping some of the bands we like reach a wider audience and get heard by people who wouldn't otherwise wouldn't have heard them. It's also about trying to promote the Screaming Tarts site and any profits that are made will go towards keeping the site running for another year.

A lot of magazines give away compilation albums (for a high cover price), what's the difference between those albums and the new Screaming Tarts album?

The Screaming Tarts album features bands most magazines totally ignore. We're doing this because of our love for music. They do it just to sell more copies and so make more money.

How did you choose what bands you wanted on there?

I wanted to feature bands who have supported the site and what we do, and bands I myself really like, such as Rachel Stamp, Scarlet Soho, Ariel-X, Antiproduct and Sack Trick. A few of the bands on there just happened to randomly send in their demos for review at the same time we we're putting together the album. We liked what we heard and asked them if they would like to be involved. They said yes!

Which are your favourites? Or do you like them all?

I personally like every track on the album! They wouldn't be on there if I didn't!! But yeeeesss, i do have favourites, and they're listed above!

Were there more bands you wanted on there?

A number of the bands I contacted either totally ignored my emails or didn't have tracks ready for us in time. A couple who agreed later pulled out.

If so can we expect to see a volume 2?

If this album does well there will definitely be a 2nd album. Corporation:Blend and Miss Black America are already intrested...

What are the future plans for Screaming Tarts?

More of the same. The site is updated with new reviews and the like every week. Hopefully there will be more albums too, and I would really like to start organising gigs featuring bands from the site.

Looking at the track listing, as well as Sack Trick itself, half the bands appear to include Sack Trick members...TAT, Plan A, Antiproduct, Rachel Stamp...are there any more hidden Sack Trick members on this album? And is it in some ways a "best of Sack Trick's other bands" album?

Yes... yes it is, but purely by accident! Members of Sack Trick seem to get everywhere!

Thanks for explaining that then, Mister Martyn. The website's at www.screamingtarts.com and you can buy the album there too!