Questions & Answers with BATS

What are the plans for BATS over the coming months? Touring? Recording?

Apart from writing new material, we’re embarking on a seven date tour of the UK on Monday (19th) with a fantastic band called Run,WALK! After that we’re hoping to record and put out a vinyl featuring a new tune and some remixes. Oh we’re also playing the Le Cheile festival at the end of the month. There’s a stage dedicated to our label the Richter Collective so that should be fantastic.

You’ve previously referenced Creationism, Gamma Ray Bursts, burning witches, prehistoric marine reptiles, carbon, Napoleonic naval warfare, the American purity movement and temporal lobe epilepsy amongst other things in your lyrics, anything else to add to the list?

The new song (Creatures Collecting) is another biological one. It’s about Iron, scab formation and the behavior of micro-organisms. I’ve got the bones of another song that’s gonna be about the decline of bees. After that I want to write a song about Johannes Kepler.

All the bands on your label seem quite tightly knit, are you planning any collaborations with any of the other bands?

I definitely want to get Roy Duffy from Squarehead to do some vocals on the next album. He’s my favourite Irish vocalist, he’s got a blistering scream. It’d tear the face off a baby.

Do you prefer Colm’s (meg’s teaboy/designer) hair short or long and curly?

Short for sure. When he finally cut his locks his raw sexual magnetism was revealed to me.

Is there an end date for BATS or do you see yourselves going on indefinitely?

A few billion years… If we don’t destroy ourselves before then.

What you guys been listening to recently?

Extra Life. Haven’t been excited by a band this much in hundreds of years. I would highly recommend checking out their new album ‘Made Flesh’.

You’re anti-creationist (that may not be the right term, sorry), have you ever had negative feedback from fans, or is do music fans all firmly in the Richard Dawkins camp?

No anti-creationist is the perfect term. We haven’t had any negative feedback at all. I wouldn’t imagine we’d be on the radar of anyone dumb enough to believe the Earth is only 6000 years old. I’d actually love it if a creationist complained about it. Although I think the subtlety of our attack could go over their heads. Introducing “BATS spelled backwards is STAB” with “This one’s about stabbing the bible in the heart” is not so subtle, but how many creationists go to BATS gigs?

Your videos are great, is that all your input or a group thing?

It’s a group thing. Timmy and Conor are the animation wizes so they deserve most of the credit. But as a band we have a wide skill set. We produce practically all of our own artwork and video content.

Does having a full-time job impact on the band at all?

It just means everything runs at a restricted pace. This is a good thing in some ways, i.e Noel, our drummer has a 1 year old, and it means we don’t see eachother so much that we kill eachother, but it does mean things take longer. It’s worked for us thus far tho.

Have you any dream bands/musicians you’d like to collaborate or tour with?

Oh there’s tons! Doseone, Circle Takes The Square, The Chinese Stars, Gatekeeper, Rush, So Many Dynamos, The Speed of Sound in Seawater, Mike Patton, Zombi! And of course…… Andrew WK.

By: Kev Donnellon