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Good Shoes

Walking in their Shoes

Lead singer Rhys Jones told us about how ITC helped them, releasing a song on Christmas Day and being mates with other bands.

How's life in Good Shoes?

"Great, better than the crappy jobs we used to work. We鈥檙e gradually infiltrating different countries abroad, which is culminating this year with us doing Berlin, Paris and Barcelona shows, all of which we've never played before, so travelling and playing is turning into something quite fun.

Rhys at In The City 2005 (pic: Karen McBride)

"We have the first album coming out in early March and we鈥檙e starting to sell out gigs around the country, not just London, which is how it used to be so life in Good Shoes is very good!"

You played here a year ago, as part of In The City. How much did the conference help you?

"A lot, but at the time we didn't think so. It鈥檚 not as if we went there and loads of labels wanted to sign us - the label we are on now, Brille, offered us a deal there. They were the only ones, but they had seen us a lot of times before. I guess people don't really think about it but it鈥檚 good for other stuff, not just labels - we decided on our booking agent and press agent there. So it's a good showcase to a lot of music industry people."

What's the biggest thing that's changed since you played at ITC?

"We鈥檙e not touring with all our gear in a Fiat Multipla with our mate Chris driving, although he's been promoted - or demoted, whichever way you look at it - to selling merch now. The major changes are that we鈥檙e signed, we don't have jobs anymore and we have recorded an album."

The new single's called The Photos On My Wall. When you were younger, who did you have plastered all over your walls?

"Umm, a painting I'd done, some photos of mates, maybe some tour posters - there was a Strokes one, but that was more recent. That song was written about a flat I had in Brighton so there were lots of photos of friends, illustrations and cuttings of nice pictures."

You're releasing it on Christmas Day. Is that a good idea?

Good Shoes (pic: Tom Beard)

"Ask our record label, it鈥檚 their idea, not mine! Boxing day鈥檚 the second busiest shopping day of the year, and there鈥檚 sod all else to do during that week, apart from buy our record with money you get from returning terrible presents from your great aunt."

Your top friend on MySpace is the extremely loud Be Your Own Pet. They're not the most obvious band to go alongside Good Shoes, where's the connection?

"I think they are; we both play short clever pop songs. We met them a while ago at a club night and they then offered us support for a UK tour they were doing and we all hit it off. They are all pretty good friends, I鈥檇 say, the only band, along with Rumble Strips, we鈥檙e very good friends with."

With BYOP in mind, what's better: rocking out like a freak or dancing around like a loony?

"Aren't they the same thing? Do whatever you want!"