HUNGRY FOR MORE
A CONVERSATION WITH THE NAMES
The late 1970s was an exciting time for music. Bands were emerging from the initial explosion of punk and a new style of music was formed, ‘post-punk’. This simply meant that bands were encouraged by the punk movement to pick up instruments and express themselves. Joy Division, Magazine, and Teardrop Explodes are just three names that come to mind. This movement was limited to the UK. In Belgium, a young artist, Michel Sordinia formed a band, The Names. They made their debut in 1977 and by 1979 they released their debut single, “Spectators Of Life”. Shortly after that release, they were eventually signed by the famed Factory Records, and released a single, “Night Shift”, produced by Martin Hannett. Although the band has a new album being released, Encore!, I thought it would be a good idea to look back before looking forward. I recently was able to ask founder Michel Sordinia about working with Hannett.
“Martin liked us a lot, both musically and as friends. So, he went on producing us even after his big legal dispute with Factory Records in 1982. Martin was as darkly funny as he was fantastically creative. His ways with sound and recording are unique, and he made everything look simple, even when it wasn’t. Always full of crazy ideas—like connecting several amps and cabinets full volume and shaking Marc [Deprez’s] guitar to produce “Light”—he welcomed us. And we had many! Like a toy instrument to be used on “Night Shift”, or watery sounds to be created for space between songs on Swimming.
The band has been recording and playing a lot since that single was released. But Hannett was such a musical force, one has to wonder if he had a lasting impact on the band, or did they borrow from his producing style? What did Sordinia learn from him? “Be always open to new and experimental ideas. Never reject a suggestion for being stupid, even if it later turns out to be. Or too difficult: our sound meister Thomas Neidhardt might always have a solution. And don’t be afraid at any time while mixing, to turn all channels to zero level and start again on a mix from scratch. Martin wasn’t nicknamed ‘Zero’ for nothing.
The Names have never really gone away, and in fact, have just released a new album, Encore! It is a great title for an album and has a very intriguing meaning for the band. “This title makes a cool double meaning, Encore in English as ‘additional performance’, a piece of music that is played after a concert in gratitude to the audience. And Encore in French with the meaning of ‘more’ (“we want more”) or ‘still’ (“we are still making records”). People sometimes ask us ‘Tu fais encore de la musique?’ (‘You’re still making music?’), or ‘Les Names jouent encore en publique?’ (‘The Names are still playing live concerts?’). A lot of ‘encore’ with a question mark, to which I wanted to reply with ‘Yes, encore!’ with a major exclamation mark.
ENCORE! ALBUM REVIEW
Encore! Is their first album since 2020’s Hidden Tracks, which was a compilation. But it is their first studio album of new material since 2017’s German Nights. “We actually released a limited-edition vinyl album in 2020, Hidden Tracks, a collection of never-released recordings from 2009 to 2020. It was published on our own label, La Vague Belge. We found ourselves without a record label at that time, due to a personal conflict that was both absolutely stupid and impossible to understand. It was a strong blow for the band, but The Names would never stop producing new noises, both on stage and in studios. So, we looked for a new home and Alfa Matrix, through its brand-new post-punk venture Spleen+, offered one. Working with them is great!”
With a new label, the band seemed ready to go back into the studio and record some new music.
“A few songs were born something like one year, one year and a half ago, and changed along the way, some were created almost on the spot, while recording the album and in a very spontaneous mode. All songs do reflect themes and emotions linked with both our intimate experiences and larger views of a changing world. A choice was made between many songs—too many for an album—or rather this choice made itself, like organically.”
One song on the album, “Far From The Factories”, seemed to be about working with Factory Records. I was able to ask Sordinia about that specific song. “Three factories. The real one, where workers toiled and fought for their rights when industry ruled. Then, Andy Warhol’s Factory, in New York in the 1960’s, with The Velvet Underground, our very first influence as a major musical force. And of course, finally, Manchester’s Factory Records, the label that trusted us and put us on the map.”
With Encore! being released, Sordinia does have hopes for the album. “I hope and believe listeners already knowing us will find, again, what we basically are about, but also approve of our evolution. And, the most important thing, feel these emotions that irrigate our work. New listeners will be touched and curious about our little world. The most crucial thing is not where the songs are coming from, but where they’re going. Ideally, they should become each listener’s song.”
Artist Links
Background Photo Credit: Fabian Braeckman
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE NAMES – ENCORE!
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT 242 – TWO IN ONE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LOVELORN DOLLS – DEADTIME STORIES
SPILL FEATURE: LOVE STORIES GONE WRONG – A CONVERSATION WITH LOVELORN DOLLS
