After navigating entry to the busy vip bar of Brixton Academy and finding space amongst plenty interviewers and interviewees, Planet Loud pin down one enthusiastic Kris Barman, Innerpartysystem’s laid-back guitarist / keyboardist for a quick catch up on how things are developing for this emerging foursome, ahead of a slot on this year’s somewhat stripped-down Give It A Name festival..

Planet Loud – You guys have been here in the UK quite a few times now I believe?
Innerpartysystem – Yeah man, I think this is actually maybe the sixth time?

Planet Loud – You’re about to take the stage at the Give It A Name festival, what are your thoughts on the fans you have over here and are they are ‘core’ part of Innerpartysystem?
Innerpartysystem – Sure. I mean the reason why we come over here is because the fans are so good to us. We like to keep things fresh for them too. People here really appreciate what we’re doing.

Planet Loud – You’re heading off to Ireland after this, right? Will you be sampling the delights of a homegrown pint of Guinness?
Innerpartysystem – Oh, well I actually love Guinness anyway, so that’s great!

Planet Loud – In terms of your music, it’s a mix of influence -you have industrial, dance, rock..how would you personally pin down the sound of Innerpartysystem or is it not something you really tend to think about?
Innerpartysystem – It’s kind of like a mix of different kinds of electronic music based around pop-rock songs. I mean it still has verse / chorus, verse / chorus and really it’s pop music, that’s the way I look at it. But we definitely take influences from everything, like hardcore music for example. You could call it ‘electro rock’!?

Planet Loud – When you started out did you have an image of how you ‘wanted’ to sound, or was it more of a natural thing where you got together and it just developed from there?
Innerpartysystem – I think we knew we wanted to make pop songs with different sounds. It kind of got more rockier once we started playing live. Because then we used real drums..

Planet Loud – Do you feel unique as a band, that there’s maybe not so much out there like you guys and does this individuality drive you forwards?
Innerpartysystem – Yeah, I would hope so. Whenever I see a band that’s unique and I still really like them, it definitely makes me think that they did their job.

Planet Loud – In terms of a live show I envisage you playing in sweaty clubs with mass bodies and all kinds of carnage. Does everything get torn down or are things a little more streamlined? Just what is a live show all about for you?
Kris – I guess it’s all about giving 100 percent. I love playing rock shows like this but I also love playing clubs. I think that’s one of the best things about being in this band, that we can go from playing a club TO a rock festival.

Planet Loud – You make fun, accessible music that’s ace to dance to. But I sense there’s a serious ethos behind the way you portray messages lyrically too, just what are the most important values of Innerpartysystem that have got you this far?
Innerpartysystem – We try to be generally nice people. A lot of the songs are from personal experiences and a lot of it’s about our town. We come from a really small town, and it’s all about doing what you want to do. Not getting sucked into a meaningless job, you know?

Planet Loud – Do you look back and are kind of in awe of how far you’ve come already as a band, saying you’re from a small town and have had to really work you way up..?
Kris, Oh definitely. I mean last night there were around two thousand kids there, and we were happy that at least half the kids knew the songs. Even the fact that last time we were here, we sold out Islington too, I mean that was just ‘wow’..

Planet Loud – There are some emotional and darker moments lyrically in your debut album, very self-honest. How do you guys go about writing lyrics?
Innerpartysystem – Pat (band’s vocalist) definitely spearheads everything because it has to be something that he’s comfortable singing. We all try to help him, we’ll write how we think about something, and then pass it on. ‘Don’t Stop’ we all wrote together.

Planet Loud – The video for ‘Heart Of Fire’ has recently been unveiled I think..?
Innerpartysystem – I’m not actually sure, it’s done but I think it didn’t pass the test involving too many edits..it (the video) is about touring whilst having a girlfriend at home really.

Planet Loud – The E.P of the same name (‘Heart Of Fire’) is being released over here in May, what can we expect?
Innerpartysystem – It’s basically ‘The Download E.P’. (Released in the U.S November 2007) I check the fan forum and people are getting really excited, but it IS the same E.P.

Planet Loud – How’s writing going for the next album?
Innerpartysystem – We’re starting to write right now, we have about 4 or 5 songs. I don’t think there’s going to be too much of a ‘change’. It’s going to be a little bit heavier. We’re hoping for (it to be finished) around the beginning of next year. We can make rough demos on a computer on the road, but when we get home and into the studio we can flesh everything out.

Planet Loud – That’s great, thanks for this!
Innerpartysystem – No problem man.

Interview by Jim Hall