Interview :: Touts

"Phil [Taggart] was playing a gig in Derry and we managed to get ourselves on the bill. He must've liked us - a year or so later I was shitting in his toilet." Jason Feenan, Touts


Touts are the hottest young punks out of Derry, Northern Ireland at the moment and in the middle of a joint headline tour with Vistas. With their latest single 'Bomb Scare' just released this week, Little Indie's Jane Davies caught up with the band's Jason Feenan for a few quick words.

Touts are: Matthew Crossan - vocals/guitar, Jason Feenan - drums, Luke McLaughlin - bass.

So, to kick off, how did it all start for you?

Jason: About two years ago me and Matthew met through our old bass player Miceal. I remember seeing him for the first time in a practice room in a pigsty of a building, this wee boy with a mod cut emerging from a cloud of that smog shite that e-cigarettes pump out. We started playing together and it was good craic and it blended well. We knew Luke cause he's regarded as a B-list celebrity in Derry, behind Roma Downey and James McClean. Weeks after, Miceal had to leave the band, Luke was playing bass as we opened for the Courteeners in Dublin.

Your debut EP 'Sickening and Deplorable' sounds like a condemnation of an act of violence and your song ‘Bomb Scare' could be seen as reference to Northern Ireland’s past. Is this something you deliberately set out to do?

Jason: When we write we don't really sit and say "well, what's in the news this week?" But we're all very aware of what happens in the world, it's natural for us to write angry songs about how people fuck over people. But I'm saying that, for every song about shootings in Charlotte, there's a song about a double ended purple dildo the length of a baby's arm.

You are a quite politicised band, what inspires you to write songs? Is it in part disquiet with the current political landscape?

Jason: We don't really write to be political: I think we just are very political people. We are fucked off at the shape of the world's politics, from Nigel Farage to Nigel Dodds, we’re not lacking inspiration. But we don't consciously write to be political because that's cool.



Phil Taggart (Radio 1) got on to you quite early didn’t he? How did he come to hear of you: was it an initial approach by you, or he heard by another means?

Jason: Phil was playing a gig in Derry and we managed to get over ourselves on the bill. At that stage Miceal was still playing bass, and I was doing my GCSEs. He must've liked us - a year or so later I was shitting in his toilet.

Phil went on to sign you to his Hometown Records label. How did it feel to have that kind of support from someone like that so early on in your career as a band?

Jason: It felt class, it's a big enough achievement and we were buzzing about it, but at the same time it felt kind of surreal because of the absurdity of the whole situation.

What’s it like musically in Northern Ireland?  Is there a vibrant music scene in Derry or does it gravitate towards Belfast? Do you feel that eventually you will have to move to the mainland to advance your career further?

Jason: The North has some amazing music, and a lot of variety. In England I think there's a lot of "safe" music, whereas back home you can have your choice of anything. Personally, I think Derry has the best scene; in Belfast bands are a bit more tribal: metal bands don't watch indie bands, and indie bands don't watch metal bands, but in Derry everyone sees everyone. The Undertones never moved to England, but you know every word to 'Teenage Kicks'.

You are a very young band.  Two of you are 16 and 17 – unless you’ve had birthdays since, in which case please enlighten us?! Are you both still in full time compulsory education? What are your plans for after school?

Jason: We are a very young band. Me and Matthew are 18 and 17, but Luke's age evens everything out. I'm still doing me A-levels and Matthew’s at tech. Luke's been on indefinite hiatus from education. We're planning on being full time Touts.



You define yourselves as a punk band. Why do you think punk music is suddenly having a resurgence?

Jason: It’s because the Tories are in power again.

You have been likened to the Stiff Little Fingers and The Undertones, how do you feel about that? Do you get fed up of the comparisons?

Jason: Compare us to whoever you want, but the only people we sound like are ourselves.

How did you find it being on the same bill as Kasabian and Blossoms? Was it at all daunting?

Jason: It was class craic, both bands were really welcoming of us, and we've played with Blossoms a good few times now, and they're all sound as fuck. Wasn't daunting at all, it felt dead natural.

You started off as a cover band The Blue Jeans, how did that transform into Touts?

Jason: I think we just changed what we were listening to. We were always fast, I think when we changed the name to Touts it just became more serious; we started writing songs about things that mattered and less about artificial penises. It was just naturally what happened the more we played together, especially with Luke.

Do you feel it is important as a band to have a statement, to be seen to represent something?

Jason: If you're not saying anything, what's the point in talking? Music is just loud talking, whether you're trying to whine about how much you miss your girlfriend, or that you think bombings in Syria are war crimes, you have to have something to say.

Who - apart from yourselves - are the other bands you are rating at the moment?

Jason: We're fucking loving Blossoms, Cabbage, Idles, Otherkin, Slaves and Wolf Alice.

What is the one big dream wish for Touts as a band, and for each of you individually?

Jason: Luke dreams of riding a racehorse across the finish line of the Grand National, all Matthew wants out of life is to be able to grow sideburns. I want to meet Holly Willoughby.

Find out more on Touts on Facebook

Touts / Vistas co-headline tour dates:

OCTOBER
06 Leeds, Church Leeds
07 Manchester, Neighbouhood Festival
09 Leicester, The Cookie
10 Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
11 Stoke on Trent, The Sugarmill
12 Tynemouth, Surf Cafe
17 London, The Garage