Meet The Band [Funkipedia style]
History: Statues Of Us are an Irish / Welsh / Australian / Hungarian band based in London. Formed in April 2009, the group consists of Andy ‘Frizzy Stix’ Frazer (vocals & guitar), Johny ‘Crow’ McKiernan (rhythm guitar, vocals), Al Ray Langford (lead guitar, vocals), Jeeban Das (violin), Mike Morgan (bass) and David Korosztos (drums).
Johny Crow hits a new low
Throughout the group’s musical pursuits, they have maintained an eclectic sound built on melodic instrumentals, perfect harmonies and soulful hiphop beats. Their lyrics, often witty and always sharp have found appeal on a huge scale.
They found most success at first as a live band gigging everywhere from Canada to Cardiff but their real breakthrough came in September 2010 when a holiday to South America ‘broke’ the band. The story goes that after a drinking session in an Argentinean bar, the band grabbed guitars and stepped on stage. A rough recording of ‘Moving to LA’ that they played on the night was placed on youtube and quickly achieved 5 million views. The official track when released went quickly to number one in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil.
The unorthodox route to fame was complete when another Statues Of Us hit ‘Funk Shui’ (It’s the way we arrange it)’ became the theme song for a Bollywood Monster Hit ‘No One Killed Jessica’ – 2011.
Number One’s
Hypothetical top five hits came thick and fast in Japan, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam leaving Statues Of Us in the peculiar situation of huge success before they even returned to Europe. In January 2012, Statues Of Us setup base in London, recording songs for their upcoming album ‘The Best Of’. An Irish and UK tour kicks off where it all started in Whelans, Dublin on April 28th for a free gig to thank the fans.
The Early Years
John McKiernan and Andrew Frazer met in 2006 in Sydney, Australia where they began to write songs for fun. It wasn’t until meeting Al Ray Langford on a working holiday in Vancouver that the idea of pursuing music as a career came about. Living in tents in an orchard and picking apples for money, they spent their nights jamming through songs. After playing as an acoustic trio with much success, they returned to London to record an EP entitled ‘Sock Puppet’.
Jeeban Das – an old school mate of John McKiernan from St. Andrew’s College, Dublin joined the band playing a beautiful violin that added more heart to the songs.
Mike Morgan – welsh bass supreme has been in some of the most influential bands in the seventies and eighties joined the Statues, bringing with him a wealth of experience and thick bass lines.
The 6 piece lineup was complete with the adding of The Octopus, christened David Korosztos on drums. His James Bond villain impressions alone secured his drum stool.
Mike Morgan – welsh bass supreme has been in some of the most influential bands in the seventies and eighties joined the Statues, bringing with him a wealth of experience and thick bass lines.
Andy Frazer (Frizzy Stix)
Sex: male
Drink of choice: Goon Bag
Influences: Jurassic Five, Hilltop Hoods, Red Hot Chili Peppers
What he eats for breakfast: His band mates food
Nicknamed Frizzy Stix because he was once thin and had frizzy hair, This Adelaide Kangaroo lover briefly retired from the world of hip-hop considering the age of 23 “too old to be doing this shit”. After a sojourn into the world of acoustic acid guitar harmonies with The Woodland Creatures, he amalgamated his three loves (singing, rapping and googling ex-girlfriends) to become the centerpiece to the platinum ornament that is Statues of Us.
John McKiernan (Johny Crow)
Sex: male
Drink of choice: Guinness
Influences: The Frames, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young
What he eats for breakfast: Nothing because Frizzy Stix has eaten it all.
Juan Dougales - making cardigans cool again...
The man with a million nicknames (that he gave himself) Dubliner Johny Crow / Dougal McKiernan has spread joy and disease while living in Australia, Canada and Argentina. Johny only picked up a guitar properly at the age of 21 and soon found that writing songs was perhaps his only way into a woman’s heart (bed). With influences stretching from Neil Young to Leonard Cohen, his soft singing style acts as the perfect foil to Frizzy Stix’s hiphop styles and Langford’s infectious guitar.
Al Ray Langford
Sex: male
Drink Choice: Guinness
Influences: John Butler Trio, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Al Ray Langford
What he eats for breakfast: Never awake before 12. Doesn’t know what breakfast is.
Al - hung upside down. Al - hung like a depressed donkey!
Al is one of this generation’s leading guitarists. While others are happy to follow, Al puts the lead into lead guitar. After supporting bands like Nickleback and Bon Jovi – Al realized too that he would need to become more famous to pull off double denim and a mullet. His guitar writing style is based heavily on unorthodox rhythms and summer-sounding melodies that demand attention and bring delight to every listener. He does not shave his back hair.
Jeeban Das
Sex: Male
Drink Choice: Protein Shake mixed with Absolute Vodka
Influences: That hot Asian girl who plays violin, Mozart
What he eats for breakfast: Absolutely everything.
Some say he fiddles like a god; others that he fiddles with rhinos. Either way - great guy!
Dr. Jeeban Paul Das, better known by his stage name Dr Das, was borne of Indo-Irish ancestry: a composite of culture: Eastern and Celtic heritage. No one is too sure what this means but when he plays violin, even the desert would cry.
Schooled in both classical and traditional music, this amalgam of styles is apparent, fitting appropriately with the eclectic style-fusion of Statues of Us. Unlike Dr. Dre, Jeeban really is a doctor and maintains his career as one of Ireland’s finest docs while touring with Statues Of Us and keeping them alive. He also cage fights but that’s a whole different story.
Mike Morgan (producer as long as he is able to stand and his back doesn’t spasm)
Sex: Male
Drink Choice: Cheapest white wine
Influences: 60″ Dolls, Novocaine and Science Bastards.
What he eats for breakfast: painkillers
No kids crossed the road that day Mike morgan picked up a bass
Mike Morgan is the perfect paradox. While he is the ideal professional and one of the finest bassists to call a stage home, the man is a wonderful few screws short. Often playing on stage in character with full costume, he has played in front of 50,000 people dressed as Queen Elizabeth and played in front of 3 people dressed as Bono. He used the same costume in both cases. A legend though his time, he has played with some of the finest punk and rock bands Wales has ever produced and brings a wealth of experience and craziness to Statues Of Us when producing their songs. Despite a back that is made up mostly of paper clips and blue tack – he has produced some great songs for the band.
David Korosztos
Sex: Male
Drink Choice: Becks (not non-alcoholic)
Influences: Heavy Metal, Reggae, Ska, Eurovision.
What he eats for breakfast: Drumsticks
Statues of Us are completed by Hungarian Drum Hero Dave ‘The Octopus’ Korosztos. Some say he got his nickname because he drums so fast that it looks like he has 8 arms. Others say it’s because he was born an octopus – either way David’s unique drum style is both tight and flowing.
Born in a small Hungarian town called Szekszard in southern Hungary; is love for music started at an early age when he picked up the drumsticks for the first time at the age of 14. The path to London and inter-genre music came from many directions. His first band Warpath played extreme heavy metal music, touring extensively around Hungary.
‘The Octopus’ moved to London in 2003 where he discovered his passion for Reggae, Dub and Latin music (naturally under the shining sun and beaches of London!). After performing in the Royal Albert Hall, playing festivals such as The Big Chill and sharing the stage with the likes of Neville Staple (The Specials) and Pama International, David joined Statues Of Us in May 2012 and quickly fitted in with the ethos and music of the band.