BY ROYCE AKERS
PHOTOS BY BRIONY WRIGHTFrom left to right: Vito, KK and GabeThe Rapture were in town recently for Parkilfe festival and wary of subjecting them to yet another of what must be hundreds of tiresome interviews, we asked our life-drawing model friend KK, who’d never interviewed anyone before, to do the questioning while they drew her likeness. In the end, neither of the guys needed us to tell them to keep their day jobs, but it’s fair to say that while Vito was much more forthcoming as a conversationalist, Gabe was probably the better drawer.
Vice: So you guys are playing a few more shows in Australia?
Vito: Yeah, we’re playing in Melbourne today, Sydney tomorrow, and then Adelaide. And then back on the plane?
V: Right, back on the plane to record an album. We just did this because we thought it’d be fun and that the shows would be bigger.
Gabe: We needed the cash.
V: We needed the cash basically. And is the album finished?
V: No, we’ve written all the songs, we just have to record it. Who will you do that with?
V: Um ourselves, probably. Hey, yours is pretty cool (referring to sketch).
G: Yeah it’s too big. I didn’t leave enough room for like, legs. Shall we change poses?
G: Yeah ok. So is it just the band touring or have you brought friends?
G: Nah, it’s just the band. But we’re all such good friends. Do you find the festival circuit better or worse than your own shows?
V: It’s just different. Our own shows are really fun because it’s all our own fans and so a whole lot more intense. These festivals have been great. The audiences in Australia are really up for it so it’s kind of similar. So do you guys… draw very often?
V: Ha, I used to try and draw when I was a kid, but I was like a real perfectionist so it would always end up with me tearing it up and getting really upset and running out of the house. It wasn’t that much fun either. I guess Gabe did a bit. How long’s it been since you last had a crack at life drawing?
G: Probably like, 16 years. I’ve gotten… you know… I don’t know what I’m doing. No idea what I’m doing. Is writing music easier?
G: No… It’s hard. That was low. So what direction will the next album be heading?
V: What do you think Gabe?
G: It’s going to be full of classics. I don’t know the answer. It’s going to be earthy. How’s that? So you have some new influences and stuff?
V: Maybe, I don’t know. We always revisit things and get subtly into things, I don’t think there are drastic influences. Our relationships with each other have changed and I think our relationship with music has changed.
G: That allows for different things to happen I guess. Do you work collaboratively? Or does someone come to the band with a song?
V: Eraser. An eraser?
V: Oh sorry, I need an eraser. I gotta say, I think I’m improving as an artist, look at the difference between this one and this one. Ha, that’s a stick figure!
V: I think this is going to be my finest work.
G: Maybe you should go to art school.
V: That’s what Bryan Ferry wanted to do, he wanted to be an artist. So were you guys in bands together before The Rapture?
V: Yeah, well me and Luke grew up together and we hung out, like, everyday. We started playing music relatively late, I mean we started at about 18 or 19 because we were just going to punk shows before that. I guess we decided that we could do it too. I was in this band called Avalanche Master and the whole idea was to create a natural disaster at every show. So, we had five guys in the band but three of us played instruments and the other two just kind of got industrial fans and fireworks and whatever they could and tried to create a disaster. Every song was called something like “Fireball” and was about the end of the world. We would borrow as many friends’ amps and the biggest drums we could. It was really fun but every show we did we got kicked out of the venue. Not surprising.
V: Eventually I had to leave and go to college, but they kept doing it for a while and eventually they got enough money together to get a huge industrial smoke machine. They used to play in venues about half the size of this room and basically they couldn’t see anything. I think the drummer broke his hand because he couldn’t see the drums and just smashed it. Yeah, it was a wicked band. Like probably the coolest band I’ve ever been in. So how did you join The Rapture?
V: Well I moved to San Francisco to go to school and started The Calculators with my friend which was kind of a Joy Division, Gary Numan rip off band, but it was really good and real fun. So then Luke joined that. But he was in a band that was kind of a John Spencer rip off. And then we both quit our other bands and started The Rapture and moved out to New York. Ah, you’re a bit stuck on the hand.
G: Yeah. The other hand’s awesome. What do you reckon? Last pose?
G: Yeah. OK, the final piece has to be like a masterpiece.
V: Really? Yeah, this is some expensive paper! This is 80 cents a sheet!
V: Oh yeah?
G: This is where I start drawing unicorns. Do you guys ever get fan mail with drawings?
V: I don’t think we ever get any fan mail.
G: We don’t have anywhere for people to send it.
V: Yeah I don’t think people use that snail mail anymore. You ever get any pictures of nude girls?
V: No.
G: All the time!
V: Well, Gabe does I guess. Who would The Rapture form a supergroup with?
G: Probably somebody who was way more successful than us.
V: Yeah, I don’t think we ever actually had the desire to but there was this time we were on the phone with Timbaland talking about possibly doing music with him. We were kind of talking about him producing a record of ours, but what he wanted to do, because he was talking to Nelly Furtado at that point, he wanted to start a supergroup with us and Nelly Furtado. What happened to that?
G: I don’t know.
V: And then Justin Timberlake wanted to get involved. So maybe that would be the supergroup. And you said no, or…
V: Well I was more into forming the supergroup than him producing the record. Maybe it was up to us. I don’t really know. Maybe he was waiting for your call. And now he’s sitting at home crying.
G: Yeah, and then he wrote that song and everything was about that experience. Yeah I think the working title of that song was “Cry Me A Rapture”.
V: Ha. Actually there is a version of one of our songs that has Justin singing on the chorus, but when it came time to go on the air and whatever, it didn’t happen. So basically he comes down to the studio while we’re recording our album, eats up our precious studio time that we’re paying for, then he doesn’t approve his vocals. Was that in New York?
V: We were in the U.K. at the studio where Timbaland recorded that song and Justin Timberlake was upstairs producing Duran Duran or something. It was a pretty ridiculous situation with Timbaland and all of his entourage outside the studio door, and then Justin comes in and goes “God! This is cool! Can I get on this?” And then, you know, Simon LeBon wanders down there in those J.Lindberg jeans looking really funny. And really shy. So it could have started right there with Simon LeBon instead of Nelly Furtado.
G: Shit, we never thought of it like that. Want to win these beautiful signed artworks by Vito and Gabe? They could end up being some pretty tidy superannuation. Just send us a nude drawing of The Rapture to stuff@viceaustralia.com along with your name and address. If it’s the best one we get, the pictures are yours.
Vito: Yeah, we’re playing in Melbourne today, Sydney tomorrow, and then Adelaide. And then back on the plane?
V: Right, back on the plane to record an album. We just did this because we thought it’d be fun and that the shows would be bigger.
Gabe: We needed the cash.
V: We needed the cash basically. And is the album finished?
V: No, we’ve written all the songs, we just have to record it. Who will you do that with?
V: Um ourselves, probably. Hey, yours is pretty cool (referring to sketch).
G: Yeah it’s too big. I didn’t leave enough room for like, legs. Shall we change poses?
G: Yeah ok. So is it just the band touring or have you brought friends?
G: Nah, it’s just the band. But we’re all such good friends. Do you find the festival circuit better or worse than your own shows?
V: It’s just different. Our own shows are really fun because it’s all our own fans and so a whole lot more intense. These festivals have been great. The audiences in Australia are really up for it so it’s kind of similar. So do you guys… draw very often?
V: Ha, I used to try and draw when I was a kid, but I was like a real perfectionist so it would always end up with me tearing it up and getting really upset and running out of the house. It wasn’t that much fun either. I guess Gabe did a bit. How long’s it been since you last had a crack at life drawing?
G: Probably like, 16 years. I’ve gotten… you know… I don’t know what I’m doing. No idea what I’m doing. Is writing music easier?
G: No… It’s hard. That was low. So what direction will the next album be heading?
V: What do you think Gabe?
G: It’s going to be full of classics. I don’t know the answer. It’s going to be earthy. How’s that? So you have some new influences and stuff?
V: Maybe, I don’t know. We always revisit things and get subtly into things, I don’t think there are drastic influences. Our relationships with each other have changed and I think our relationship with music has changed.
G: That allows for different things to happen I guess. Do you work collaboratively? Or does someone come to the band with a song?
V: Eraser. An eraser?
V: Oh sorry, I need an eraser. I gotta say, I think I’m improving as an artist, look at the difference between this one and this one. Ha, that’s a stick figure!
V: I think this is going to be my finest work.
G: Maybe you should go to art school.
V: That’s what Bryan Ferry wanted to do, he wanted to be an artist. So were you guys in bands together before The Rapture?
V: Yeah, well me and Luke grew up together and we hung out, like, everyday. We started playing music relatively late, I mean we started at about 18 or 19 because we were just going to punk shows before that. I guess we decided that we could do it too. I was in this band called Avalanche Master and the whole idea was to create a natural disaster at every show. So, we had five guys in the band but three of us played instruments and the other two just kind of got industrial fans and fireworks and whatever they could and tried to create a disaster. Every song was called something like “Fireball” and was about the end of the world. We would borrow as many friends’ amps and the biggest drums we could. It was really fun but every show we did we got kicked out of the venue. Not surprising.
V: Eventually I had to leave and go to college, but they kept doing it for a while and eventually they got enough money together to get a huge industrial smoke machine. They used to play in venues about half the size of this room and basically they couldn’t see anything. I think the drummer broke his hand because he couldn’t see the drums and just smashed it. Yeah, it was a wicked band. Like probably the coolest band I’ve ever been in. So how did you join The Rapture?
V: Well I moved to San Francisco to go to school and started The Calculators with my friend which was kind of a Joy Division, Gary Numan rip off band, but it was really good and real fun. So then Luke joined that. But he was in a band that was kind of a John Spencer rip off. And then we both quit our other bands and started The Rapture and moved out to New York. Ah, you’re a bit stuck on the hand.
G: Yeah. The other hand’s awesome. What do you reckon? Last pose?
G: Yeah. OK, the final piece has to be like a masterpiece.
V: Really? Yeah, this is some expensive paper! This is 80 cents a sheet!
V: Oh yeah?
G: This is where I start drawing unicorns. Do you guys ever get fan mail with drawings?
V: I don’t think we ever get any fan mail.
G: We don’t have anywhere for people to send it.
V: Yeah I don’t think people use that snail mail anymore. You ever get any pictures of nude girls?
V: No.
G: All the time!
V: Well, Gabe does I guess. Who would The Rapture form a supergroup with?
G: Probably somebody who was way more successful than us.
V: Yeah, I don’t think we ever actually had the desire to but there was this time we were on the phone with Timbaland talking about possibly doing music with him. We were kind of talking about him producing a record of ours, but what he wanted to do, because he was talking to Nelly Furtado at that point, he wanted to start a supergroup with us and Nelly Furtado. What happened to that?
G: I don’t know.
V: And then Justin Timberlake wanted to get involved. So maybe that would be the supergroup. And you said no, or…
V: Well I was more into forming the supergroup than him producing the record. Maybe it was up to us. I don’t really know. Maybe he was waiting for your call. And now he’s sitting at home crying.
G: Yeah, and then he wrote that song and everything was about that experience. Yeah I think the working title of that song was “Cry Me A Rapture”.
V: Ha. Actually there is a version of one of our songs that has Justin singing on the chorus, but when it came time to go on the air and whatever, it didn’t happen. So basically he comes down to the studio while we’re recording our album, eats up our precious studio time that we’re paying for, then he doesn’t approve his vocals. Was that in New York?
V: We were in the U.K. at the studio where Timbaland recorded that song and Justin Timberlake was upstairs producing Duran Duran or something. It was a pretty ridiculous situation with Timbaland and all of his entourage outside the studio door, and then Justin comes in and goes “God! This is cool! Can I get on this?” And then, you know, Simon LeBon wanders down there in those J.Lindberg jeans looking really funny. And really shy. So it could have started right there with Simon LeBon instead of Nelly Furtado.
G: Shit, we never thought of it like that. Want to win these beautiful signed artworks by Vito and Gabe? They could end up being some pretty tidy superannuation. Just send us a nude drawing of The Rapture to stuff@viceaustralia.com along with your name and address. If it’s the best one we get, the pictures are yours.