Helen Love are more than just a great indie band they are an entire philosophy. From the pop-art aesthetic of their album sleeves to the Sheena meets Joey bubblegum lyrics they have created a perfect punk-pop universe. It's a world of love, glitter, hot days and music and it's a place where the girls drive around in formula one racing cars. To listen to a Helen Love song is to recapture that first teenage crush or hear again for the first time your favourite Ramones record. Helen, the band's lead-singer and writer, pops her bubblegum and explains why there is a corner of Swansea Bay that is forever summer.

By ANTHONY BROCKWAY

Can you tell us how the band first got together?

Helen Love: Myself, Sheena and Roxy were at college doing art and design and that sort of thing, riot grrl was going on, we all liked The Ramones, thought we'd write some songs. As it was, a tape found its way to a record label...

Your record/CD sleeves are little pop art masterpieces in their own right - do you design them yourselves?

Helen Love: Thank you. I design them all and until merry christmas I was the one with the nail scissors and the pritt stick. Now I just tell Jamie what to cut and where to glue it. They generally take HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS and that is why they are delegated!

The world you create on record is a kind of teen-eden where boy meets girl on a perfect summer's day - why have you set out to create this kind of pop ideal?

Helen Love: Because that's where I try and spend every day. We don't do politics, we might slag off other bands, but we don't do message songs. The world is depressing enough without us going on about it too. We like to smile, we like being in love, by the sea.

Although there's a naivety to your lyrics, they're also quite knowing, ironic, and often very funny. Is this comic dimension important in the Helen Love philosophy?

Helen Love: Yes, otherwise we'd be a completely different band. I doubt we'd exist in our little bubblegum bubble if we were either straight PUNK ROCK or POP - we'd have to either play punk gigs or PAs and radio roadshows... a little bit left we'd be the female Blink182, a little to the right we'd be a female Busted. But in the middle floating on candyfloss is Helen Love baby.

Helen Love: He’s seven foot tall, arms down to the floor, In his ripped-up jeans he’s making me scream, Oh Joey, Joey Ramoney. He’s got long black hair, he jumps in the air, When he counts up to four it’s like a nuclear war, Oh Joey, Joey Ramoney. Do you remember when you heard him sing on the radio, Joey Ramoney. Don’t he look good? Perfect pop songs, perfect punk songs, perfect lead singer.

You became friends with Joey Ramone after he invited you over to play in New York and he later sang with you on the wonderful Punk Boy. His tragic death therefore must have been particularly sad for you.

Helen Love: Of course it's sad, but we love Joey, coolest boy in New York.

I'm always interested in the nuts and bolts of how people write songs - how do Helen Love go about it?

Helen Love: We'll write a bit of music and sing over the top. Then we'll tidy up the music and write some new vocals. Then we'll write a new piece of music and sing the new vocals over the top. And then when it's about to be released we won't like it anymore, and record a different song with the same name so we dont have to change the artwork.

What are the good and bad points of being in a pop band in Swansea?

Helen Love: The good point is there are no bad points. No one knows who I am, and it's my home town you know. It's great, Swansea Bay.

Do you enjoy the experience of performing live?

Helen Love: I get stage fright, and it's not enjoyable. We'd prefer being at home, making great songs rather than being in a club playing bad versions of them!

Would you cash in your cult-status for one massive smash hit record?

Helen Love: Right now, probably, ask me again tomorrow - who knows?

Did you catch Marky Ramone on his last tour?

Helen Love: Joey's the only one for us really...

Can you give us your top 10 favourite summer records?

Helen Love: I'll try, it's so hard, so many good songs maybe a top 5:
Here Comes the Summer by The Undertones
Rockaway Beach by The Ramones
California Sun by The Ramones
Remember Walking in the Sand - The Shangri-Las
Golden Summer by me - just kidding - erm, Summertime USA by The Pixies Three

Finally, can you tell us a bit about this forthcoming album of Helen Love cover-versions to be released by Super! Girl's Own Records - how did that all come about then?

Helen Love: A few bands, most notably Ash have over the years covered our songs which is cool, and quite a nice thing to happen really. And as more and more get released, people say: "oh you should put a tribute LP out" and we thought that would be great, but we can't really do that. So out of nowhere these kids get in touch, saying they want to start a label and can we help them and we talk a bit and they decide they want to release it. But it is not a tribute album, that's far too pretentious - its a covers album! We quite like the idea of it, it'll be a different take on some of our songs, and maybe show a different side to some of them, like The Queers version of Girl About Town is hyper punk rock a-go-go whilst Teen Anthems have made a euro-disco track out of our song Rollercoasting. We're helping them get a blend of more established bands and handpicking some up-and-coming bands to be on the record. I think it'll do well, maybe not gold disc stuff, but everyone who gets a copy will like it!

It sounds like a great idea! Thanks Helen.

©Anthony Brockway 2006

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