 Cortez
Who’s who in the band?
Matt Leuw, 30 (vocals and guitar), Swiss Robinson, 32 (bass),
Liz Moore, 28 (violin and keyboards), David Indge, 28 (drums)
How did you get together?
We formed after I (Matt) moved back to Norwich from Brighton. I had
a batch of new songs and just had to find some people to play them
with. I’d known Swiss for years and he expressed a strong
interest in playing bass, which worked out just fine. David I recognised
from having seen him drum for another band. Liz was the girlfriend
of a friend who originally just played every now and again, but
we got on so well musically and personally that she joined full
time.
Tell us about some of Cortez’s most memorable gigs:
Each gig has been quite memorable in some way, the first-ever
one in a tiny room in the Old White Lion stands out, as we managed
to surprise both ourselves and the crowd by actually being quite
good! Our gigs have usually been characterised by my managing to
injure myself in some way – the last time we played at the
[Norwich] Arts Centre I managed to fall down the stairs by the
side of the stage. Also memorable was the onstage spanking incident
involving
singer/songwriter and sometime Cortez collaborator Rory McVicar
at the Waterfront!
What sort of studio work have you done?
We’ve recorded several times at Sickroom Studios, the fruits
of which have formed a couple of self-produced EPs, and two singles
and the recently-released album Conquistador on NROne Records.
Who are the bands/artists that inspire you?
Matt’s list – Pavement, The Pixies, David Bowie, Mercury
Rev, Yo La Tengo, My Bloody Valentine, The Flaming Lips, Johnny Cash,
My Bloody Valentine, Calexico, Super Furry Animals, Neil Young, Lift
To Experience, The Velvet Underground... I try to find inspiration
in a broad spectrum of music. Our influences and listening habits
are quite eclectic. I’ve always been inspired by bands and
artists who do something surprising and unusual, and who have an
obvious passion for music and its ability to touch people.
Tell us about your chosen songs
Letters Home is our most recent recording, and one which we were
in universal agreement was perhaps our best yet, so we decided
to submit a roughly mixed version of the song.
Conquistador is
our album title track and is written about the Spanish conqueror
of much of South America with whom we share our name.
What’s been the highlight of your musical career?
The highlight so far has probably been our album. Playing live is
always a joy, and we are just about to leave for our first gigs
abroad, in Utrecht and Amsterdam in Holland, which I’m sure
will also be a highlight.
www.cortezrock.co.uk |
