Backstage, with White Stripes in the background, the OvaryAction/babesinBoyland crew gather around the table in the Electrelane tent. Eyes shiny with pleasure and excitement, we all sit with Ros (bass, replacing Rachel Dalley) and Verity Susman (vocals, keyboard, guitar,
saxophone) + Carmen from Ochiqueochenta**** for a French/English interview about the history of Electrelane prior to, and post The Power Out, Steve Albini, records labels, Let's Rock, the Truck Fest, friendship, music, toilets.......

Val: It was the first concert Electrelane had with Ros today, how did it go?
Ros: I was about to die, I didn't know what to do. It was really good....
Verity: It didn't feel like it was the first. It was even better than we thought it would be. We thought it was gonna be difficult, but it wasn't.

Stephy: How did you guys meet?
Verity: From Ladyfest
Ros: No it was before that, for the Truck Festival

Val: What is a Truck fest?
Ros: It's a festival that some friends of mine have in Oxford (that's where I'm from). Electrelane came to play there. That was the time I saw them, and I loved it. My girlfriend and I went to talk to them about Ladyfest Glasgow. They said they knew since they were going to play there as well. We went to see them perform live at Ladyfest. But you were there, right?
Val: yes, yes, a very good festival...

Stephy: How old are you?
Verity: 25

Stephy: Is it an average, you mean?
Verity: Emma, and I are 25. Mia, the guitar player is 21. She is the youngest

Stephy: She was really young for the first album then, how old was she? 18-19?
Ros: She was taking her A-levels that year
Verity: First we had another guitar player until right before the first
album, that's when Mia joined. She was 17.

Val: Are you going to release other records on your label (Let's Rock), or is it finished?
Verity: In the future, yes. It is not finished. We will release other bandon Let's Rock if/when we have money. Right now, it's better for us to be onooPure. We are broke right now.

Val: Why did you start by creating your own label? You could have used some other indie labels, like irrk**, for example....
Verity: Because we got fonds from 3MV. We could not have started it if we hadn't had any help from that company. Our label is still very important tous, though, to have some control.
Ros: and irrk doesn't have enough money to take care of an Electrelane record because we have to press it, and all that. Now, we'd had quite a few release and we do not have much money.

Stephy: It is also easier to get distributed if you are on Too Pure than if it's on a very small label....
Ros: Yes, because distribution is very difficult for independent labels. In England, for example, we used distributors through Truck Record. It's a label some friends of ours have.

Stephy: The Rock of Travolta?
Ros (laughs) yes. Truck used to be a part of Virgin, and that's why they have a lot of connections
Verity: it's always difficult, because, we want to be independent, but we also want that as many people as possible hear our music, and that's always a problem for bands like ours
Val: While keeping control, yes.
Verity: yes, but it is important that people can hear the music, and if youare too independent, too small, it's a lot of people who do not get to hear
the music.

Val. What about MrLady, how did you get in touch with them?
Verity: We played with LeTigre and then MrLady talked to us.

Val: Was it important to you to be signed on a lesbian label?
Verity: First It was important, to be released in the States and then also because we share the same politics.

Val: More than KillRockStars, for example?
Verity: I think so, yes

Val: What bands have you been thinking of releasing on your label?
Verity: There's a band that lives in Scotland, called Labsus Linguae and another one called Valerie***. Valerie was on the Viva La Diva compilation
Val: ToKyo, Tokyo, Tokyo Girl... yeah, you bet we know this track, it's great!
Ros: We really like Valerie
Verity: we want them to be on Let's Rock
Ros: It would just be perfect.

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