E-Mail This Article to a Friend Friends of Franz The DJ-based pop of Cut Copy BY DAVID DAY
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Cut Copy are an idea whose time has come. Just ask Dan Whittford, the heart of the band who are opening for Franz Ferdinand on their current tour. "It takes a while for people to come around with what you’re trying to do," he says on the phone from Chicago. "That kind of indie-dance sound — we fit into that pretty nicely. And people talk about it like it’s timely, too, but it’s a couple of years old."

Cut Copy’s remarkable debut, Bright Like Neon Love (Modular), has been on the US market since May 2004, and the band have been bubbling under since 2002. The CD’s 11 club-oriented, hook-laden singles showcase a devotion to French house, long-lost romance, and the synthesized sounds of the new-wave ’80s.

In an ever-typical twist, Cut Copy haven’t always been a band; Whittford recorded much of the disc on his laptop. "I got signed originally from a demo I sent in, as a sound artist, as Cut Copy. Four months before the album was recorded, we started working together — recording live drums, bass, and guitar. It did sound a lot more organic and interesting. So the album is a combination of sounds." Live, the band favor rock with a psychedelic edge. It’s why, three years on, they’re an ideal opener for rockist Scots Franz Ferdinand (the tour hits the Orpheum this Saturday). "I remember reading an interview with [Franz] about what they were listening to and they said, ‘We’ve been listening to this cool British band called Cut Copy.’ The interviewer said, ‘They’re not British, they’re actually Australian,’ " Whittford says with a laugh.

This is Cut Copy’s first trip to the US, and they’ve been greeted warmly. "It’s almost like coming home," Whittford says. American music has always been Cut Copy’s source material. Their songs sound like something from an alternate American memory bank — a meta-nostalgic fantasy. "I guess a lot of the stuff that inspired the record were weird B-grade pop tunes, stuff that was popular for a while that people forgot about. Disco from the late-’70s, early-’80s pop." Cut Copy tracks like "Saturdays" and "Future" are fueled by the buzz started at hip labels like France’s Kitsuné. Signing to Modular, home to the last Australian phenom, Avalanches, raised Cut Copy’s profile at home. As more DJ gigs came Whittford’s way, the buzz increased. Remixes for !!!, Chromeo, and Zongamin further fanned the flames.

It’s getting so Whittford doesn’t have time to bring Cut Copy back into the studio. "It’s been a staggered release schedule: two years on in Australia, a year and a half ago in the UK, and now a little over a year in the states. Every time it gets more coverage and gets bigger. We want to get a lot of new material, so the continual touring is a little frustrating." Upcoming are remixes from dancefloor killers like Justice and the hotly tipped Digitalism. "I’m a big fan of Tiga’s and have been for a while. Whitey’s also doing a remix for us at the moment and Daft Punk — of course — their first record is a perfect dance music record."

Since the coming-on of bands like Franz Ferndinand, Cut Copy have been on tour after tour, with DJ stints for Whittford when he has the chance. He began as a DJ and that remains at the heart of the Cut Copy sound. "The first time I performed was DJing. So our aesthetic comes from DJing. You’re always looking for the next thing coming out and coming up. And all of us have been interested in new music and buying stuff. Making sure we’re all aware of new stuff that’s coming out."

Cut Copy + Franz Ferdinand + Sons and Daughters | Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Place, Boston | Oct 15 | 617.931.2000