Me First And The Gimme Gimmes

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes have a strong interest in Australia as a band. While being no strangers to Australian soil, both with this band and their other projects, the band also released an EP of covers by tracks from Australian bands back in 2011. We caught up with the band's guitarist Joey Cape just before their recent tour.

Start of by stating your name, your role in Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and your favourite local food place in your city?

Randal (Joey) Cape, guitar. My main role is to make others look taller on stage. Restaurant: Mission Noodle House, San Francisco (Vietnamese).

You guys will be returning to Australia in October, what are you looking forward to the most about being back here?

Have found some great friends down there over the years, so seeing them will be fun.

Last time you were in the country was for No Sleep Til back in 2010. What was that experience like for the band?

It was fun. Good friends, good bands and good times. We prefer club shows though. Clubs are always more intimate and energetic.

Do you have a favourite city in Australia you’re excited to get to again?

I used to say Melbourne but I have developed love for all the cities we visit there now.

What can we expect from a Me First show this time around considering the venues won’t be as large as last time?

Epiphany, revelation and then tears of joy when its over, basically the greatest musical experience of your life. That's the usual.

In early 2011 you released the “Go Down Under” EP featuring covers from all Australian artists and groups. Would it be safe to say that you guys have a fair bit of love for us here?

Yes. That is true, although, The Gimmes have been known to say things to get what we want and we are sometimes unfaithful, so be careful.

What was your favourite track that you covered on that release?

"Have You Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton-John.

After that came the “Sing In Japanese” EP. Was recording that EP a bit of a challenge for you or did you find that it came fairly naturally?

Researching the J-Pop was a bit of a challenge. I think Japanese was a challenge for Spike. The songs are always easy to play on our instruments. That's one of the points. Haha.

What is next country that will be receiving the Me First treatment release wise?

I'm not sure. Maybe Germany or France.

Can we expect to see another full length being released by you guys in the future?

Yes, it's well under way. Top secret. Tracking guitar today.

Who are some bands that have impressed you lately that we should be checking out?

I've been listening to Masked Intruder and Teenage Bottle Rocket a lot. Great pop punk for the coffee driven mornings.  I'm also really into this guy from Quebec, Canada named Jo Bergeron. Sounds like The Shins meets Elliott Smith. Killer! There's also a band from San Francisco called "Toy Guitar". It's Jack from One Man Army's new band. They are great. And Spike's new Ukelele solo album is popular in my house. It hasn't been released yet but soon I think.

Do you have any goals that you would like to achieve with this band that you haven’t had the chance to do yet?

An 80's record.

What is your fondest memory that you have with this band?

Our first Europe tour in mid 90's. 4 cities. London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris. Super fast and fun trip.

What are the band’s plans for the rest of 2013 after the Australian tour wraps up?

Release the next record and tour, Europe in February next year is on the books.

Thanks for doing the interview, any last words or shout outs?

Yes. Let's Dance... badly!