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Quickfire Questions #17: Michael Palmer of We Were Promised Jetpacks

Autumn is shaping up to be a very busy time for Scots We Were Promised Jetpacks. Their hotly anticipated second album, ‘In the Pit of the Stomach’, will be released on the 3rd of October on Fat Cat, after which time the band will go on tour in both the UK and America. Before the madness hits, we managed to pin down guitarist Michael Palmer to answer our Quickfire Questions. There’s a song that makes him quite angry…read on to find out which one it is…

1. What song is your earliest musical memory?
Watching a tape my dad’s band playing on The Old Grey Whistle Test, and me accidentally taping over a little bit of it. Whoops.

2. What was your favourite song as a child?
My gran once shouted at my mum because I was running about singing ‘Teenage Kicks’ (the Undertones).

3. What song makes you laugh?
‘1942’ by George Dawes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfAco1Vs_p8[/youtube]

4. What song makes you cry?
‘Woe is Me’ by Mr. Krabs (of Spongebob Squarepants fame).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rasZzenuYxI[/youtube]

5. What song reminds you of the first time you fell in love? (It’s up to you if you want this to be sweet, naughty, etc.)
‘Business Time’ – Flight of the Conchords. Sorry.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU[/youtube]

6. What song makes you think of being upset / angry? (Example: maybe you heard it when you were angry with someone and it’s still with you, and/or something that calms you down when you’re upset, etc.)
‘If I Were a Boy’ by Beyonce. it makes me quite angry. It’s just so fucking horrible from start to finish. Who let her do that? Who?

7. Which song (any song written in the last century) do you wish you’d written yourself?
Ooooh toughy. You’d want it to be a pop number, for sure. but something classy. Hmmm. ‘Trick Me’ by Kelis, maybe?

8. Who is your favourite writer? (This can be a songwriter or ANY kind of writer.)
i’m going for film/tv writer here and saying Aaron Sorkin.

9. If you hadn’t become a musician, what job do you think you’d be doing right now?
Something pointless, for sure.

10. If God said you were allowed to bring only one album with you to Heaven, which would it be and why?
‘All Day’ by Girl Talk. Truly great album! He’s a genius, that dude (Gregg Michael Gillis).