CSS are returning to our shores after a lengthy break from the Southern Hemisphere for Big Day Out 2011. UTR caught up with Luiza Sa to discuss getting back to basics in Brazil, the new album and why playing live is an intrinsic part of who they are as a band.
You’re coming to New Zealand for the BDO. Are you looking forward to it?
Yeah! The last time we came all the way to that side of the world we didn’t come to New Zealand so we are really excited to come back – we had a lot of fun the last time we made it over there.
Since Donkey, what have you been up to?
We’re writing the new record that will come out in 2011 so this whole year was a writing process. We really want to play some new songs and I think we’ll have about three songs ready for New Zealand. So that’s what we’ve been doing – preparing for the new album. We have recorded a lot already – it’s almost finished.
Tell me a little bit about the new album:
Well, the second album was more of an extension of the live shows or like rock based or whatever, and I think this album is more pop and experimental. It goes a little bit back to the first album but it’s also really different with a lot of layers. It’s a fun album with kind of a teenage attitude to it.
What were you influenced by, musically or otherwise while writing the album?
I think we get influences from everywhere – a lot of like movies like The Warrior or things like that, but also we really wanted to have like a summer tune kind of thing on it. I think actually this record is the closest to Brazilian music or tribal or exotic music in some way – but from a very pop point of view. It’s a massively pop album.
Cause you guys are all back in Brazil, right?
Yeah, I mean we don’t do Brazilian music but the new record has a party flavour to it that’s kind of derivative of that vibe.
It must be nice to escape to Brazil after the crazy media attention that has surrounded CSS since the first album was released, particularly in the US and Europe?
I think we are really open to be everywhere right now but going back to Brazil feels more real in a way which is weird to explain. It’s just a different reality – not first world – than from being anywhere else. And we can do things in a way that works for us because nobody bothers us and there’s no pressure or anything. Totally chilled.
Tell me about the touring you’ve done and how you approach live shows because they’re a massive part of what CSS is about:
We don’t have a plan we just really want to make sure we play the song well, and after all that happens then there’s all these things that happen - a big, strong point of the band. From the beginning we grew playing shows and I think this more than anything is the way we have explored things. It’s really important to us to give it all and give an amazing show, and even though we’re not super amazing musicians we try really hard to bring an amazing show and that’s never changed. In the beginning we didn’t have the structure to do amazingly but over time we’ve totally developed. And we really want to go back to raw small shows and just music we don’t need all that stuff around.
Are things coming more naturally now that you've been a band for a while?
I think in the beginning we were in the beginning and it came naturally and it's actually this album we’re taking our time with and stressing over. The second album we did it in such a small amount of time – rushed through it – and we did the songs and were like ‘let’s just record them’. It’s always been natural, it's just that what's natural has changed.
What will the next record be called?
I can’t tell you! But we’re really excited about it!
