HAVING played on the scene in Brighton and Hove as well as farther afield for some time, Dan Shears And The Velveteen Orkestra have developed a reputation for pained songs that veer between the fragile and frantic.

CHRIS MIDDLETON speaks to their frontman Dan Shears:

Hi Dan, how’s it going?

Good, thanks. I’ve recently started playing football again and this is the first week where I’ve come home from playing and don’t ache to the point where I can barely move… so that’s good.

I really enjoyed watching your video for the song Dressed Up In Sables. How did the concept for the video come about?

We wanted the video to look a bit like an episode of Crackanory. Those shots where I’m in the leather armchair speaking the lyrics to camera are a reference to that. The sound of the new album is carnival-esque and quite aggressive so we wanted to show that in the video. I don’t think it’s really trying to hammer home a particular point but rather a visual representation of our sound.

The new album seems to have had a huge response on PledgeMusic, reaching 178% of the goal. Why did you decide to release via Pledge?

It seemed the only way at the time. The industry has changed in such a way that it’s more difficult for poorer people to get a break these days. Labels and publishers get involved with bands a lot later in their progression than they used to, so a lot more pressure has fallen to the artist to make a record, release it, promote it and get a buzz going without any kind of industry backing. Without the funds, it is a lot more difficult.

What would you like people to get out of the new album?

I hope they will think we write good songs and we present them in an interesting way. I would also hope that they think we have things to say and that we’re not simply trying to capture the zeitgeist, make one album and then disappear.

Are there any songs on the album that stand out in particular for you?

Pound Of Flesh is a song on the album I am very attached to because, when I wrote it, it felt like therapy to get it out of my head and on to the page. It was a healthy way of getting out the ugly thoughts that had been clouding my head for a long time.

You like to make it clear you are not a singer/songwriter and that The Velveteen Orkestra aren’t a backing band. Why?

I think there are some who describe themselves as “singer/songwriters” that I just didn’t want to be associated with. I also feel that calling myself a singer/songwriter does a disservice to my bandmates, who are crucial to our sound. I am actually considering dropping my name from the front of the name when we put out the album.

You’ve said you grew up around a lot of music that cited Pink Floyd, Squeeze and Radiohead as early influences. How did growing up in this environment shape you musically?

I had a family that loved good music so I was exposed to a lot of stuff a lot earlier than my peers. My older brothers were all playing in bands when I was little so it was something that I always aspired to. Listening to bands like Radiohead, Doves and Pink Floyd gave me an appreciation of the importance of texture and mood in creating music long before I ever started writing myself.

You studied music at the University of Sussex. What was it that made you want to pursue music as a career?

I played my first gig at a school concert when I was 12 and I can remember coming in to school the next day and feeling like I had found my place. Soon my position in the school was, “That guy who sings,” or, “That bloke in a band.”

Did studying music change your approach to songwriting?

I think I already had a pretty strong idea as to how I wanted to write music. Most of my studying in that area was done outside of the classroom and more in listening to records and reading novels.

What’s in the pipeline for you? Are you planning to tour the new album?

We are planning a second single and some live shows. A tour in the new year would be great, we will see.