THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE QUESTIONNAIRE: Stephen Heard of Clap Clap Riot

New Zealand band Clap Clap Riot have had -- for two terrific albums now -- a mainline into edgy pop which works around those core values of energy, economy and indivduality.

Their debut album Counting Spins was one of the most impressive albums of 2012 and their new one Nobody/Everybody sounds like its heading for the same list at the end of this year.

So let's just cut to the chase, because they do, and see what singer Stephen Heard has to say when he answers our Famous Elsewhere Questionnaire. 

The first piece of music which really affected you was . . .

Green Jelly – Three Little Pigs

Your first (possibly embarrassing) role models in music were . . .

Michael Jackson, Michael J Fox (playing ‘Johnny B. Good’ in Back to the Future).

Lennon or Jagger, Ramones or Nirvana, Madonna or Gaga, Jacko or Jay-Z?

Lennon, Nirvana, Gaga, Jacko

If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .

Travel writer, Restaurateur

The three songs (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .

Parquet Courts - ‘Stoned and Starving’ , Courtney Barnett - ‘Avant Gardener’, Clap Clap Riot – ‘Keep Me Up All Night’

Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home?

I have one of Dimebag Darrell’s guitar picks that I grabbed at a show in Minnesota. He was shot two shows later on that tour. I also have a drum skin signed by Lars Ulrich of Metallica from when they came to the Big Day Out.

The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .

Star Man, the biography of Bon Jovi’s body guard Michael Francis is good. Or The Dirt for something a bit more disgusting.

If you could get on stage with anyone it would be . . . (And you would play?)

The Beatles or The Beach Boys. I would be on backing vocals, possibly tambourine.

The three films you'd insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are . . .

Point Break, Home Alone, The Royal Tennenbaums

The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include . . .)

The last CD I bought was a pre-order of my own album (Nobody/Everybody) - it made a great Christmas present for my brother. Most recent downloads include Courtney Barnett ‘how to carve a carrot into a rose’ and Kurt Vile ‘Wakin’ On A Pretty Day’.

One song, royalties for life, never have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which wouldn't embarrass you in that case would be . . .

Bohemian Rhapsody

The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .

Nobody/Everybody – Photo by Jeremy Toth

You are allowed just one tattoo, and it is of . . .

The signatures of my parents or a map leading to buried treasure.

David Bowie sang, “Five years, that's all we've got . . .” You would spend them where, doing . . .?

Seeing different parts of the world before coming back home and getting a one way ticket to outerspace.

And finally, in the nature of press conferences in Japan, “Can you tell me please why this is your best album ever?”

It’s honest, unpretentious, human.