Time Out New York / Issue 611 : Jun 14–20, 2007

3 questions for…Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement Musically comic Kiwis
Time Out New York / Issue 611 : Jun 14–20, 2007

1. Your new HBO comedy series, Flight of the Conchords, airs on Sunday 17 and is about two New Zealand slackers living on the Lower East Side. What can viewers expect?

Bret McKenzie: Well, the show is actually about a band from New Zealand trying make it in New York at a very basic level. In the show, we’re not a very successful band, but it’s really more about the friendship of the two guys in the band than it is about the industry.

Jemaine Clement: The episodes are not interconnected. Actually, we have a fairly extensive back catalog of songs, and in order to use them we wrote story lines that would allow us to cross paths with the song material. A few have ties in them, but most of them stand alone. We aim for two songs per episode.

2. You definitely break into song a lot. Actually, your ditties are reminiscent of late-’70s music. Will your upcoming album sound the same?

Clement: I’d agree the music of the ’70s was a huge influence on us, but a bit of the ’80s, too. I guess in our minds we sound like Stevie Wonder. We’re also inspired by Marvin Gaye, Steely Dan, and Hall and Oates.

McKenzie: The album will be a collection of songs from the show and a couple of others. We’re recording in July, but we don’t know exactly what it’s going to be yet. It’s coming out on Sub Pop Records.

3. So would you call yourselves musicians or comedians or both?

McKenzie: Well, we might not be the best musicians or the best comedians, but if you add it all together we get away with it.

Clement: Back in New Zealand there wasn’t enough work to concentrate on one area. So we did theater, music concerts and TV. I guess we did all right in a lot of things. —DD

I can't say this enough.....They are such great guys!! Everything I read about them and every interview is always good no matter the size. They are never negative..I LOVE that.

christi wrote:I can't say this enough.....They are such great guys!!  Everything I read about them and every interview is always good no matter the size.  They are never negative..I LOVE that.

i totally agree! because one of those questions was a little back handed. damn media! lol...but  a good interview none the less because it's from them  <

i love how bret always corrects the interviewer.

Clement: Back in New Zealand there wasn’t enough work to concentrate on one area. So we did theater, music concerts and TV. I guess we did all right in a lot of things.

They are so versatile and they are brilliant at everything.