THE Q&A: SLEIGH BELLS

It sounds too cute to be true, but these are the facts: Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss met when he waited on her table at a restaurant in New York. She was dining out with her mother; he was a former member of Poison the Well, a Florida post-hardcore outfit. Conversation turned to music and lo, Miller had been chewing over a new musical project for months while Krauss, a fourth-grade teacher in the Bronx, had a secret past singing in Rubyblue, a girl pop group. The pair got to talking, and Krauss, it seemed to Miller, was just the ticket. And vice versa.

The two formed Sleigh Bells and recorded a demo of loud, fuzzed-out songs. Success unspooled quickly. Attention from Sasha Frere-Jones ("my favorite band in New York") and Pitchfork, plus a much-hyped performance at CMJ, cemented the band as one to watch.

With Miller handling beat production, song writing and guitars and Krauss on vocals, the two engage onstage like a duo that's been performing together for a decade (in fact it's been less than two years). Other things they have in common include shiny hair and a willingness to unleash great sonic blasts of music upon unprepared audiences. More Intelligent Life caught up with Miller to discuss their sound, the recording process and Sleigh Bells's forthcoming debut album.

More Intelligent Life: The New York Times classified your music as "electronic dance rock". How would you describe it?

Derek Miller: In the past I have described it as rhythmic music that sometimes adheres to the pop formula. Heavy with lots of low-end and melodic vocals. Sometimes. When Alexis is in a good mood. Yeah...groove oriented, heavy. Something like that.

MIL: Have you finished recording your debut album? What was that like?

DM: Our last day of tracking is Sunday. It was an incredible time! Easily the most fun I've ever had in a studio. Treefort [the studio] is isolated, no one bothers you.

MIL: Who did you work with on the album?

DM: I produced it, Shane Stoneback engineered, Ever Ronquillo assisted with the engineering. Besides four horn players and a few of Alexis's students who came in for a day, it was just the three or four of us working day and night. I would go in early and build the track, after which Alexis would show up and record vocals.

MIL: You mentioned that your dream would be for Jay-Z to do a verse on "Crown on the Ground". Any other fantasy collaborations you have in mind?

DM: I think my dream is to play guitar on top of a mountain with lightning bolts shooting out of my eyes and ears and jet black horses circling me in the middle of a hurricane, but Jay-Z on "Crown" would be rad as well. I'd love to do something with Cyndi Lauper, whose voice is one of my favourites. Can science bring Kurt back yet?

MIL: Not sure about that. Cyndi Lauper's been doing AMFAR appearances with Lady Gaga. What do you think of Gaga?

DM: I really like the chorus in "Paparazzi" and an album track called "Eh, Eh" which sounds a bit like Ace of Base, who have some classic singles. The aesthetic conversation doesn't interest me very much, but I credit her for making such an effort and working very hard.

MIL: Name the last three things you wrote a song about.

DM: Reverse revenge, the degeneration of youth culture and a young girl named Rachel Hurley who was very sadly murdered in 1991 in the town of Jupiter, FL, where I grew up.

MIL: What do you snack on during those long days of recording? What fuels Derek Miller?

DM: In order...

1. Haribo Fizzy Cola Bottles
2. Haribo Gold-Bears
3. Sour Punch Sour Straws
4. Generic Sour Straws
5. Sriracha
6. Tabasco
7. The "New" Dominos Pizza
8. Any spicy potato chip
9. Orange Tic Tacs
10. Diet Coke

Sleigh Bells will be on tour from March 17th

~ MOLLY YOUNG

Picture credit: Aaron Richter, Will Hubbard