PLACE OF BIRTH: Camberwell, London

DATE OF BIRTH: 24.12.79

STYLE OF MUSIC (IN FIVE WORDS): DIY epic rock and roll

DESCRIBE YOURSELF (IN FIVE WORDS): Ginger rock and roll singer

 

What are The Rumble Strips about? Exceptionally strong melodies, smart, funny self-deprecating lyrics, pop hooks and songwriting of the highest quality. There’s a real sense of honesty with this band, both musically and lyrically, that resonates throughout their songs - that uncanny knack of making the most uplifting, anthemic of music out of the saddest, most desolate songs. ‘Oh Creole’ sets out the band’s stall from the off. Thundering drums, brass to stir the soul and singer Charlie Waller’s voice – a thing of rare beauty and power suggesting a genuine star in the making. Backed by the fairground waltz of ‘Running Away’ and the Bowie playing at Big Pink, white boy funk of ‘High Street Heaven’, you have one hell of a debut EP. QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY CHARLIE

Adam Ant, Euros Childs, Ray Davies and Lou Reed.

We’ve just got back from America where we recorded our first album with Tony Hoffer. We are going on our first headline tour tomorrow for a month around Britain. During this time our EP ‘Cardboard Coloured Dreams’ is coming out.

We are playing around Britain pretty much constantly until Xmas. Next year we will be working towards putting out the album with more touring and recording. At the moment that is as far ahead as I am looking. We will keep writing and try to beat the songs we have already got.

Nobody really springs to mind. There are a lot of people that I like, but what I would do with them, I’m not sure. I think it’s better to just do your own thing.

I really like the Cold War Kids and Good Shoes. I think they’re my favourite two bands at the moment. Both of their albums will be out soon and I’m looking forward to them both.

You’re having a dinner party. Who would you invite and why?

I can’t really imagine having a dinner party, but if I had a garden I would probably have a barbeque. In which case I would like to have Brian Blessed manning the coals so he could boom “sausages ready” in a loud, deep voice. I would also like the lady from ‘A Knight’s Tale’ to be there so I could get drunk and tell her I thought she was pretty and ask why haven’t I seen her in any other films.

Crack two ideas in a pan, one good, one bad, whisk together. Leave to set overnight. Serve with a generous helping of intent.

Driving, kissing someone I like, dancing to old rock and roll, pointless minor theft, going to the loo outside, Haribo tang mix, well made shoes.

A girl once pulled a hair out of my chin with tweezers and I felt incredibly angry.

The last CD I bought was a Billy Ward and the Dominos one. They are a sort of early rock and roll 50s vocal group. They do a great song called ‘Sixty Minute Man’, which is sung by the bass vocalist. It’s basically him bragging that he can satisfy a woman for an hour.

There are lots of songs that I could choose and it depends on how you’re feeling at the time. If I had to pick one it would probably be ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’ by The Pogues

I would like to be an explorer or mountaineer. But I would have liked to have done it in the old days when they wore tweed and hobnailed boots and took hampers and wine with them.

After we’ve drunk the rider, we try to sort out where we are going to stay. Sometimes it’s on people’s floors, sometimes in the van or sometimes we drive back to London. This next tour is the first one where we have Travelodges booked, so we are looking forward to not having to worry about that side of things and have showers - this will also help with the smell of the van.

I held my breath for the entire distance of the Blackwall tunnel in a taxi and the traffic was moving pretty slow.