The Aliens
Album: Luna
Release Date: 2008
UK
The Aliens are a Scottish band consisting of former Beta Band members Gordon Anderson (aka Lone Pigeon, lead vocals, guitar), John Maclean (keyboards, backing vocals) and Robin Jones (drums, backing vocals). They have two albums, two EP’s and a number of singles. Their debut album, Astronomy for Dogs charted at #46 in the UK Album Chart in 2007.
Lyrics: Magic Man
I just wanna take you to the center
Gotta get outta here
Gotta take you where you wanna go
Take you where you wanna know
Follow the son, you can follow the sun
Magic Man
What’s in that space?
Wherever you can go…
Magic Man
Bake me a cake and I’ll do a headstand
Anywhere you wanna go
You can go and let me know
In a bonafide world she would leave the school
Only to find her way out
She was all that he saw
She believed it all
Then she would turn it around Ahah
I just wanna take you to the center
Gotta get outta here
Gotta take you where you wanna go
Take you where you wanna know
Follow the son, you can follow the sun
Anywhere you wanna go
You can come and let me know
One two…
Magic Man, Magic Man
Tracklist: Luna
01. “Bobby’s Song”
02. “Amen”
03. “Theremin”
04. “Everyone”
05. “Magic Man”
06. “Billy Jack”
07. “Luna”
08. “Dove Returning”
09. “Sunlamp Show”
10. “Smoggy Bog”
11. “Daffodils”
12. “Boats”
13. “Blue Mantle”
We shot each of the three sections of the video in a single take. We only had one shot because we were destroying the set- trashing and burning it.
John on making of the Magic Man video
You are a film director, screenwriter, painter, and probably more, but this time we’ll be hosting you as a musician. Born in 1980, The Beta Band was a top band throughout my early 20s. Looking back on your time with The Beta Band, how do you think you managed to get so unique and so prestigious?
I think the key was to not follow fashion- everything was so fashionable in 1997: Face magazine, Britpop, trendy was ‘in’- so we just went the other way. We tried to deliberately be uncool and succeeded!
We were also ourselves and didn’t try to be anything else. We didn’t try to be rock stars. American, or urban. So many of our influences were from the villages we grew up in Scotland.
The Beta Band opened for Radiohead during their European Tour in 2000. Are you still getting love from Radiohead fans?
We are still getting love! It was a huge tour for them and for us too. Radiohead watched us every night and made us feel kind of equal, not just a support act.
The Beta Band and The Aliens each had distinct musical identities. What were the main differences between the two bands?
The Beta Band was more professional- we had a big setup. The Aliens was pure chaos, which was both amazing and difficult.
“Magic Man” by the Aliens was essentially one of the cult songs of the 2000s indie music scene. The song and the video, which was directed by you, are absolute perfection. I realize it’s been a while since the release, but will you please tell us about the inspiration behind this classic?
You’d have to ask Gordon about the lyrics and meaning. In terms of the video, I just did what I did with Beta Band videos- listened to the song again and again until the visuals appeared- and made sure I didn’t stray too far from the theme of the song without getting too literal with the lyrics.
I was thinking about the Pharcyde’s “Drop” video and how it was so urban. I thought it would be great to do a pastoral, psychedelic, countryside version of that backwards idea.
As the director, please tell us about the making of the video. We’re super excited about any details you remember!
We shot each of the three sections of the video in a single take. We only had one shot because we were destroying the set- trashing and burning it.
Can we comfortably call it a happy song? We don’t really hear happy songs like this anymore. What are some happy songs you like, and what do you listen to these days?
This happiness came from Gordon, who is a pure soul. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is almost cartoonish in his emotions- when he’s happy, he is ecstatic; when he’s sad, he’s forlorn. I find most music happy to an extent, even sad country songs because you can always feel the expression pouring out of the artist. When it’s genuine, there is happiness in that outpouring.
I listen to everything from early blues, ska, and gospel to hip-hop, house, funk, soul, country, and rock. The only music I don’t really like is music where I can hear fakeness, the same with film and art- a fakeness to try to be commercial, to exploit, to make money.
If you went back to making music, what would it sound like today? Would it be more electronic than before, or what would you talk about different themes? Would it be darker?
Hmmm- I think it would be more visual, more similar to film scores, or even like a film with the picture turned off.
Your directorial debut, Slow West, was a feast for the eyes and ears. Can you tell us anything about your second feature film, Tornado?
It’s a samurai film set in the UK in 1790, about a samurai and his daughter who run a puppet show. The whole film unfolds in a single day.
