Sons and Brothers

The journalistic hook about the brothers Webb Christiaan, Jason and James is that they re the sons of legendary American songwriter Jimmy By The Time I Get To Phoenix / Wichita Lineman Webb. But their genealogy is incidental. Even if they were the Bloggs Brothers, they ve still made one of the most joyous power-pop records of the year.

A collection of close harmony treacle vocals, bubblegum guitar riffs and lyrics that get right down to the nitty gritty of love and relationships, Maroon is a remarkable record no matter what name happens to grace the cover.
I caught up with the super-siblings backstage in the Olympia where they recently played support to the Eels. The brothers hail from Chicago a city that has given us all manner of post-rock outfits (such as the extended Tortoise family) as well as the Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair. Few can match the melodic nous of Maroon, though, even if it is rooted in a bygone era of lush, intermittently psychedelic pop once pedalled by late-period Beatles and Pink Floyd. Hell, the Webbs have even got the mop tops to match.
I don t know if we listen to Pink Floyd as much as people think we do, purrs Chris. It was just something that developed because of Justin having this keyboard that he loved and the way the Rhodes vibrated! Then suddenly we were doing psychedelic rock. But, yeah, we did listen to a lot of pop records The Zombies, the Beach Boys, the Beatles. Vocally, the Beatles were a big influence.
The brothers also were exposed to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Harry Nilsson and Joni Mitchell when they were growing up, thanks to James Sr. What effect did having a famous dad pottering about the house with his famous mates have on the junior Webbs?
You grow up with the realization that these people aren t super-human, says Chris. They re just human beings. But you also come to understand that success in this business is fleeting and that money doesn t necessarily make you happy.
Justin reckons their family name has made little difference to their own musical career progressing as it has.
A 17-year-old kid, he says, will probably become aware of our father through us not the other way around. I can t see there being many teenagers today who listen to Glen Campbell!
Maroon is The Webb Brothers s second album; the first being the lo-fi Beyond The Biosphere, which was well-received critically but which was let down by its frugal production values. A 7 limited edition single, Excerpts From Beyond The Biosphere , was released on the London-based independent Easy! Tiger label, which in effect launched them this side of the Atlantic.
Their tour with the Eels over, they now embark on yet another slog around the UK, this time with The Bluetones, to plug their new single, Summer People , which is just about the most uplifting, optimistic and downright catchy song you ll hear all year. However, the Webb Brothers music is not all sweetness and light. All The Cocaine In The World , for instance, hints at altogether darker aspects of the human experience.
It s about the realization that sometimes people do drugs to take their mind off the things that are making them unhappy, says Chris. And that it doesn t always work. I meant it to be ambiguous, whether it was somebody who passed away or a girl who had got caught up in drugs and you weren t able to get her back. Or you re caught up in drugs and therefore not able to get her back. I ve had people hear that song and freak out because it s too close to home.
Maroon is out now on Warners.