With a string of smooth and impressive offerings landing over the last few years, fast-rising London-based outfit Late TV are back at it once again on their newest release 'Night Tennis'.
Self-described as a mix of "Ken Nordine’s legendary ‘Word Jazz’, Cypress Hill’s soundtrack to late 90s shoot-em-up ‘Kingpin’ and the noir low-rock of Morphine", 'Night Tennis' makes for a wonderfully warm return from them. Filled with subtle grooves and passionate energy, these guys certainly know how to set the mood.
So with the new single available now, we joined the group's Luke Novak to find out more about his background and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you learned to play?
I turned up to the ‘brass club’ at school, I had this vision of going home with a trumpet like some kind of 8 year old English Louis Armstrong, instead the teacher said “you’ve got big lips so you can have the tuba” .. so all I got was an insecurity complex about my face and an instrument that was too big for me to carry home to practice. Needless to say my high flying brass career didn't materialise. Thankfully I eventually found the electric guitar.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Before I was even old enough to buy anything myself, I inherited my older family members' record collections when they’d all upgraded to CD players. So I had some classics handed down! It was like a sudden windfall of records. A lot of it went over my head as a small kid, but I was geeky enough to look after them and I still have them all now. I had some poppy stuff like Beetles and Paul Simon, and some far-out stuff like Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats. I remember thinking the record covers were ace.
Did you ever form a band when you were younger and if so, what did they sound like?
I started a school band, it was called ‘Pablo’ because we loved Radiohead. The drummer Richie ‘Beu’ Bowman is still with me in Late TV. Later on I joined a punk band called ‘Hijack Crash’ on guitar. I then moved to London and started singing in an alternative folk band called ‘The Outdoor Types’. After that I got into Jazzier groove based stuff and formed Late TV with Ry Szanyi on bass and Martin Coxall on Synths and keys. I like to keep trying different things, because elements of everything you do stay with you. I once heard Tom Waits say ``There's many rooms in the house of madness, make sure you enter all of them before you leave”.
What is a song you wish you had written yourself?
There’s loads! I’ve always had a problem with earworms. I have a few that have stuck with me my whole life.. just relentlessly popping into my head. One example is ‘A Girl Like You’ by Edwin Collins. I’ve finally attempted to cure myself by recording a cover of that song with Late TV which we are planning on releasing as a single.
What has been the most thrilling moment about creating your own music?
Vindication is good, for example; when you get a spin on the radio, or to be asked to do an interview with a cool music blog. However the moment that has always stayed with me is the first time I played my guitar with another person. I just remember the sheer sense of elation. The first time I played with a drummer too, I remember the sound enveloping me in a moment of instantaneous collective frizzon. That's why live music is so good too.
And what about the most frustrating part?
Hmm, well unless you’re truly in the big time, you have to take care of business like an administrator and that is work no matter how you look at it.
Which artist would you most love to share a stage with?
I’d love to hear one of the all-time great voices sing a song that I’ve written. Like Tina Turner or someone legendary like that. On a completely different note, I'm a big fan Canadian electronic producer/musician Jex Opolis, I love his melodies and refreshing open sound.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
I intend to make eye contact with myself in the rearview mirror of a stylish automobile with some kind of epic horizon all around.
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Late TV's new single 'Night Tennis' is available to stream now. Check out the new video for it below.
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