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Forget A-list celebs – hobnobbing with Wolfmother and Mastodon were the highlights of OkGo’s Grammy experience. That and winning the award for Best Short Form Music Video, of course.
“Our award was the first of the day so within 10 minutes of getting there we won a Grammy," reminisces bassist Tim Norwind backstage at the Ancienne Belgigue in Brussels. "We didn’t have to be nervous all day, we were just proud and excited and then we went to some parties. I got to hang out with Wolfmother who also won an award.”
Drummer Dan Konopka has overheard our conversation from the other side of the dressing-room and can barely contain himself.
“I met Mastodon. They were sitting across the aisle during the main ceremony and I got to talk to all of 'em!" he says, no less excited than if he'd been hanging with Dylan or Springsteen.
That infamous treadmill video was the brightest star in the YouTube firmament for many months.
“It was about eight days of rehearsal and on the ninth day – sounds like the story of Hanukkah (laughs) – on the ninth day we did all the filming for it," Tim resumes. "We attempted to do it about 20 times of which we actually completed the whole thing about three or four. If I remember correctly we picked the 14th take! It was a lot of work.”
He admits to feeling pressurised making the follow-up video, ‘Do What You Want’, but is pleased with the result. He isn’t the only one.
"I met Perry Farrell at the Grammys and he was very complimentary about it. He said, 'That’s very cool, that’s performance art'."
The latest visual treat shows a variety of dancers, the band and shape-throwers of hair-raising ability in patterned costume against a similarly patterned wall.
“We just got a bunch of friends and other people that could do really freaky things together. It was a really, really fun couple of days.”
The Grammys were of course opened by the reformed Police, a performance which Tim thoroughly enjoyed. On the subject of reunions he notes: “The only band that I care about getting back together now that The Pixies have reformed is The Smiths. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I love that quote of Morrissey’s: ‘I’d rather eat my own testicles than reform The Smiths, and I’m a vegetarian.'"
Then they’d have to call it the I’d Rather Eat My Own Testicles Tour a la The Eagles, I point out. Chuckling, he reveals a little known-fact about Moz: his breakfast cereal of choice.
“Morissey used to live where I live in LA now and shop at the same grocery store. I went to grab a box of cereal once and my hand was deflected by another hand. I looked over and it was Morrissey’s. We both eat Rice Puffins! There are only a few people that I would get that starstruck over. Probably if I bumped into Robert Smith at the grocery store, I’d have the same reaction, just like speechless.”
Meanwhile, OkGo are about to hit the gig circuit supporting Snow Patrol.
“I've never met them before but we've a lot of friends in common,” explains Tim who also has word of their third album. “We're all pretty keen on going back to Sweden and maybe working with Tor Johanssen (of Franz Ferdinand and The Cardigans fame). He’s great. He’s got the dryest sense of humour of anyone I’ve ever met so you’re never quite sure if he’s joking or being really mean!”