Geoff Barrow Selects Scarlet Rascal & The Train Wreck

Scarlet Rascal and The Train Wreck are a Bristol based four piece who’ve garnered a hungry local fanbase due to their intense live performances. They merge post-punk with dirty blues and frontman Luke Brook’s voice justifies comparisons to Ian Curtis and Iggy Pop. They’ve struck a chord with Geoff Barrow of Portishead, Beak> and Quakers, who mixed the band’s debut single, ‘The Haunting’. "They haven't played outside of Bristol yet but they’re recording their first album. I see a fair amount of bands touring with  Portishead and Beak> and not many impress me. But this lot have channelled something special for such a young band. It’s like the first time I heard The Strokes, although they’re more Lou Reed meets The Horrors," Barrow says of the band.

We always wanted to progress, we never wanted to just be a garage rock band because it feels like garage rock, correctly or incorrectly, is often kind of perceived as a 'throw away' genre

Dazed Digtal: You guys exude confidence on stage, were you always comfortable performing?
Scarlet Rascal: Not especially but we're no strangers to that suggestion and it’s certainly flattering. Off the stage we're all pretty shy, awkward and introverted, hopefully in a charming way.

DD: Any disastrous gigs yet?
Scarlet Rascal: It feels like our shows are always tittering on the edge of disaster, but we hold it together most of the time and hopefully it makes things more exciting.

DD: You initially had a more garage rock orientated sound, what motivated your progression?
Scarlet Rascal: The band was definitely very raw in its beginnings. We always wanted to progress, we never wanted to just be a garage rock band because it feels like garage rock, correctly or incorrectly, is often kind of perceived as a 'throw away' genre.

DD: Which guitarists have influenced your styles of playing?
Scarlet Rascal: We'd like to think that we take influence from the following: Luke; Mike Bloomfield & Hendrix. Richard; Kevin Shields, Tom Verlaine & Keeeeef.

DD: What have you got planned for the rest of 2012?
Scarlet Rascal: We’re feeling good about the results of our recent recording sessions and maybe some new songs will be ready soon. We’re looking forward to playing outside of Bristol and we hope it’ll vindicate our approach of holding back and taking things slow.

Scarlett Rascal and The Train Wreck are playing at the Motorcylce Showrooms, Bristol on 11th August and are supporting Beak> at The Lexington, London on 21^st November

Text by David Reed
Photo by Stephanie Third