2. The Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers

I first heard about Modern Lovers when they had an interview with Jonathan Richman in Andy Warhol’s magazine Interview. It would have been around about 1974. Before I had even heard the band, I was just so taken by what he was saying, it sounded like this is a band I want to hear. So when the first album came out, I saw a little advertisement in, I think it was Creem magazine, and ordered it through the mail. It was one of my favourite albums for years.

You could see a connection to the ‘naïve pop’ of Jonathan Richman and some of what Half Japanese do.

I’ve never thought of it as being naïve, because I certainly know what I’m doing… it’s just me, it’s just natural. Sometimes with Half Japanese, people will also say ‘experimental’ and I’m thinking, ‘experimental? I’m just doing what comes natural to me.’ If anything, it’s the opposite of experimental. It’s just there.