Jack Paton is the singer of L. Well, maybe not exactly »the singer«. He’s »the voice« of L. Hmmm, maybe people associate »the voice« with other thing too. He’s »the noise«. Yeah, that sounds more accurate. L released their debut album »Marilyn Monroe – All of Us« on Radical Documents, which is fitting, because that’s what this album is: a radical document. Think Boredoms meets Beefheart meets The Locust meets Fred Lane. Now stop thinking. That’s better.
skug: »Marilyn Monroe – All of Us« is a great record. But you should start by explaining the strange title. Why the Marilyn Monroe reference?
Jack Paton: The name »Marilyn Monroe – All of Us« comes from a line in the first song on the album. It’s about feeling everything at once – being everything at once. I’m pretty sure there was a scene in a film I saw, where aliens learn about the world through connecting to computers and TVs and the history of the world flashes before them. Like creation of the first tool, Penicillin, sliced bread, JFK getting shot etc. It’s about someone feeling the world like that. It’s a bit like that – but the person is reading a menu and feeling like all of the items on it.
Is »Marilyn Monroe – All of Us« the only L-release? A debut?
We self-released a tape a couple of years back – but that was with a slightly different formation. This is the first album, yes.
Is L a »real« band? Or more of a project?
L is a real band and not a project. The album was our set – pretty much exactly how we played it. Everything apart from the last song is things we play live. We wanted to capture the set as it sounds when we play. So we recorded it live in one day.
How did the three of you get to know each other? And why did you decide to make music together?
We all met playing in different bands in Glasgow. We are all friends. Laurie and I played together in a band called A99 years back. I love the way both him and Jack play and what they make. So I asked them to play with me.
Why do you call what you do »non-music«? When does music become non-music?
I’m not good with genres – I think non-music was written by a promotor but I’m not sure what it means.
What I enjoy about »Marilyn Monroe – All of Us« are the contrasts: Within one track, it sometimes goes from near-silence to noise outbursts, which really works. Is contrast, this »shock-effect«, an important part of what you do?
I like contrast. I like silence and tension. Not necessarily just to shock – but it feels right to explode like that. That’s how life can be – not a single mode – so I like if music can mirror that.
Stanley Kubrick said you don’t make a film with a camera, but in the editing room. Could you say the same thing about music? Is the real tension, the »storytelling« part something you create while editing the music?
More than anything I think we are a live band – so it’s more created live. You get to know what feels right or works when you play live enough.
Another thing I like about »Marilyn Monroe – All of Us« is that you sing / talk with a heavy accent. Why? Because this is just the way you talk?
The accent is just my accent! It’s not strong for a Scottish accent! I do use different voices at different points in the record though.
