It’s exciting times for Northampton-based band the Venus Fly Trap. Having formed in 1986, the group have been a mainstay on the alternative scene, ploughing their own furrow with a defiant do-it-yourself ethos and enjoying a lengthy career with little help from the mainstream media. 2026 will find the band celebrating their 40th anniversary with a new compilation CD, live shows and undoubtedly a few surprises. Therefore, we couldn’t resist sitting down with vocalist Alex Novak to get the latest info.

Can you tell us about the band’s origins. Where did you meet etc.

Well, we’ve all been in bands before Venus Fly Trap got together, I had been in electronic pioneers Attrition for a few years and came back to my hometown of Northampton in 1986 and decided to start a new band.

What are the musical influences of each band member and how do you forge them into a cohesive whole?

Well there have been a lot of members over the years but we have all been interested in producing alternative music, even though our individual tastes have been very eclectic.

Can you tell us about your local music scene. Is it supportive? Are there many places to play?

Northampton scene is and has been very vibrant. We have various venues catering for different size audiences. Alongside Venus Fly Trap I run a record shop, Spiral Archive, and I put on gigs and DJ.

What’s the best and worst thing about your local scene?

I guess we don’t get the same attention as places like Liverpool or Manchester do, but the scene is close knit with a lot of gigs going on in a small area of town.

Can you tell us about the band’s discography (demos, singles, albums).

We’ve released about nine albums, including compilations, records, CD’s, tapes on every format going. We’ve released lots of singles over the years…starting with ‘Morphine’ in 1986 and ‘Bebe’ recently.

How do you feel you’ve evolved musically throughout your career?

We started as a three-piece with a drum machine, then added a drummer. We had various configurations, but we’re now a two-piece using backing tracks, essentially we’ve become more electronic as we’ve gone along with guitar and vocals. Its a different way of writing as opposed to jamming songs with a band, tracks are constructed and refined.

Can you tell us about tours you’ve completed. Any war stories you’d like to share?

We have toured across Europe including France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, Czech, and Slovak republics. Playing in Finland at midnight and the sun was still shining was an odd experience…abandoning our scout bus in Belgium it broke down and signing it over to some anarchists probably a greenhouse now…the culture shock of going to Prague after The wall came down..it was like a time warp going back to the 1970’s…

Will we see you on the road anytime soon?

We’re organising concerts at the moment for the autumn…we have a special gig in Northampton in September when we will be celebrating 40 years.

What’s next for the band? How do you plan to reach the next level?

We’re putting out a recollection/rarities CD spanning 1986-2026 called Deja Vu to be released on Glass Modern records in July, tying in with the 40 year celebrations…

Finally, what’s the one question (and answer) interviewers never ask but you wish they would?

What’s the next gig you are going to see…it’ll be Wonk Unit with Yur Mum…then Interrobang…

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