Getting to Know… Venus Fly Trap | Interview 🎤

Alex Novak provides the insight on British alternative rock band Venus Fly Trap, the subjects of the 67^th interview on The Musical Hype.

“We have ended up with something fairly unique, pounding electronics overlaid with a pincer movement of dark vox and needle point guitar, all filled in with wax crayon colours.” Wow – sounds pretty compelling, if I do say so myself! Despite the misfortunes plaguing the world (COVID-19 is absolutely devastating), music is a totally unstoppable force. On The Musical Hype, we’ve had the pleasure of learning about so many unique bands and solo musicians via our Getting to Know… interview series. The latest interview hails from an established group,   British alternative rock band Venus Fly Trap, comprised of Alex Novak and Andy Denton.  It is Novak who fills us in on the inception, goals, and influences.  Without belaboring any further, here is Getting to Know… Venus Fly Trap: Interview #67. 

Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with Venus Fly Trap, what would you say makes your band distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Alex Novak: Well, for a start we have a long history (this band and others I have been involved with), so there is a good back catalog to delve into. The line-up has changed over the years bringing in new people with their own perspective or ideas, which influences how the band sounds. We have ended up with something fairly unique, pounding electronics overlaid with a pincer movement of dark vox and needle point guitar, all filled in with wax crayon colours.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Venus Fly Trap form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on?

Novak: I just finished being in Attrition, who were based in London at the time. I had done an album, Smiling at the Hypogonder Club, and toured Holland (my first sojourn abroad with a band). Decided to move back to my native Northampton (famous for Bauhaus/Alan Moore), hooked up with my brother John Novak ([punk/new wave band] ISAWS/ [proto goth band] Where’s Lisse?) and Tony Booker, an x-art school student (I also had studied at art school). This was my own project as opposed to being in someone else’s band, my idea was to get back to basics garage/rock n roll mixed with thumping drum machine beat, with dark vox and ‘gothy’ atmospherics. For any new band you want to get out and play ASAP, but we recorded demo tracks quickly as the plan was to get a record deal. These things happened very quickly for us; we had a release out within a year of forming.

Lots of awesome background there! Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Novak: At the moment I am busy plugging the best of CD/DL Venus Fly Trap / Alex Novak – Mercurial (Glass Records Modern) out in May. We recently also had a new studio album out, Icon CD/DL (Glass Records Modern),alongside re-issuing our first album, Mars. So, I’m kinda in that zone digitizing material to be either available on CD or download, next re-issues hopefully later this year(depending on what happens with this pandemic),it certainly has thrown everything up in the air – good luck everyone.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

Novak: Art/music is not made in a vacuum, we are all influenced by others, the trick is to take these elements and arrange them into something original, never wanted to sound exactly like another band, always striving to do something unique.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

Novak: Playing a gig in France, traveling from Paris, we put diesel in the car instead of petrol (lost in translation), so it ground to a halt about a hundred yards from the petrol station. The vehicle had to go to a garage to get drained, while we piled onto a train with our kit. Luckily, we had a drum machine. Arrived at the venue five minutes before we due to go on, the drum machine decided to have a meltdown, so had to be programmed in about two minutes flat. No soundcheck, straight on, ended up being a really good gig, the audience were none the wiser.

Wow! Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

Novak: Difficult to say, like different tracks for different reasons, sitting on the fence for this one.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Novak: Alongside being in the band, I have been running a record shop, SPIRAL ARCHIVE for quite a few years. Also, I studied graphic design at art school and photography at Coventry Uni. So, I design most of the visual material connected to the band/shop etc…plus I DJ doing different nights at various venues in conjunction with putting bands on when I can.

Closing this thing out, what is you/Venus Fly Trap currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.

Novak: Well the release Venus Fly Trap / Alex Novak – Mercurial (Glass Records Modern) is out in May, covering all the projects I have been involved with including ISAWS / RELIGIOUS OVERDOSE / TEMPEST / Attrition/Venus Fly Trap etc. – more info on our Facebook page.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.

Photo Credits: Venus Fly Trap, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, SONY DSC