MIROVIAMAG.COM

TURBID NORTH

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:16:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KASI DAINE
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/turbidnorth
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Death Metal

Interview answered by Nick Forkel (Guitar / Vocals)

THE BAND FIRST MADE A NAME FOR ITSELF IN ALASKA BUT THEN MOVED TO DALLAS, TEXAS. IS THE BAND STILL BASED IN TEXAS AND LOOKING BACK, HAS THE MOVE BEEN WORTH IT?

Yes, we are still based in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s been totally worth it, DFW has such a huge music scene; all of the bands really help each other out here. We’re starting to tour more and more and Texas is always a great place to start.

YOUR BASS PLAYER IS ALSO FROM THE UK. DID IT TAKE A LOT OF CONVINCING TO GET HIM OVER TO THE STATES AND PLAY IN THE BAND FULL TIME?

He was actually already moving to Fort Worth, but that was gonna be 6 months after we arrived there. We just happened to email him thinking we would find a good enough bass player during that time but as it turns out we never really did. So 6 months later, he moves from England, got back in contact with us and got the job.

YOUR LATEST RELEASE TITLED “OROGENY” IS OUT FEATURING NEW VOCALIST BRIAN MCCOY. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A REALLY COOL ALBUM TO WRITE BECAUSE YOU GUYS USE A WIDE VARIETY OF INFLUENCES IN THE SONGS?

These songs were very fun to write. With Brian coming into the band we kinda felt like we had to do something different than our last effort. We really didn’t wanna get lumped in with all the other “death metal” bands out there so we decided to kinda take from every influence we had out there, still keeping it Turbid North at its core, but branching out a bit.

“OROGENY” IS A CONCEPT ALBUM BASED ON A STORY OF A HUNTER TRAPPED IN THE WILDERNESS AT THE HEIGHT OF WINTER IN ALASKA. WHO CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT BECAUSE IT MUST HAVE BEEN A GOOD BASE TO BUILD FROM THE “HORROR” IMAGE ONE GETS OF PEOPLE GETTING LOST IN THE WILDERNESS?

I read a short story about it and it really inspired me to write music to it, sort of like a soundtrack. I thought it would be really cool to base the song “The Hunter” on it and then have the rest of the album with sort of the same theme of survival or being in a dire situation and trying to come out alive.

APPARENTLY YOU GUYS DID EVERYTHING FOR THIS ALBUM. WAS IT A COOL IDEA IN THE BEGINNING THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A LOT MORE WORK THAN FIRST THOUGHT AND WHAT WAS EACH BAND MEMBER’S ROLE WHEN IT CAME TO COMPLETING THE ALBUM?

It definitely turned out to be more work than we thought, but it was a great learning experience for us and we had a lot of fun putting all the pieces together. I did all of the production and recording aspect of it while Alex did all of the artwork. Me and him were kinda of the creative force behind the themes and lyrical content, while everyone else took in the whole concept and applied it when it came time to record their parts.

IN WHAT WAYS WOULD YOU SAY EACH BAND MEMBER’S PERSONALITY SHOWS IN THE SONGS YOU WRITE?

I think as different as our personalities are; we all had the same vibe going when it comes to the songs. They all show, in some way, the experimental side of all of us. Not being afraid to try new things; some that may not be so “metal”.

HOW MANY OF THE SONGS FROM THE ALBUM WILL MAKE IT IN TO YOUR LIVE SET, AND DO YOU LIKE TO CHANGE YOUR SET LIST FOR EVERY SHOW OR DO YOU LIKE TO PERFORM THE SAME SONGS FOR A WHILE BEFORE CHANGING THINGS AROUND?

We only play the songs off Orogeny. We feel like this is sort of a new band and playing the old songs just doesn’t feel right. We like to make our live set feel like your sort of listening to the album, it has to flow well. We change it up every now and then, you have to change things up to keep it fresh, but lately we’ve been playing it in order the way it is on the album.

WHAT IS CURRENTLY YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PERFORM LIVE AND WHICH OF THE NEW ONES ARE YOU DYING TO TRY OUT?

Man it’s hard to pick a favourite because I love them all, but if I had to choose one then “The Hunter” gets me every time we play it. It’s got a lot going on in it and has a great slow trippy middle section that people love. My real favourite though is a song we haven’t played live, “Floating the Ionosphere”. We wrote it as a soundtrack to the aurora borealis, so it’s a very epic long song. It has a little bit of everything in that song and from what I’ve been hearing it’s everyone’s favourite. We’ll be playing it in our set soon; we just have to re-learn it all!

I SEE ON YOUR MYSPACE THAT THE BAND IS BOOKED TO PLAY A LOT OF SHOWS IN SEPTEMBER. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE NEXT BIG OBSTACLE THE BAND NEEDS TO OVERCOME TO REACH THAT NEXT “LEVEL” IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

Touring is the next obstacle. We’ve never been out for more than a few days and we go out for 2 weeks starting September 9th. I think if we can all handle that then nothing will hold us back. Our plans for the rest of this year and the next is to tour and tour.

IF THEY EVER MADE A BEER THAT COULD FIRE YOU UP LIKE IT DID CHRIS (BASS) IN THE THIRD STUDIO UPDATE VIDEO ON YOUR MYSPACE WOULD YOU BUY IT OR WOULD YOU MOST LIKELY KILL SOMEONE IF YOU HAD TOO MANY?

That was our secret weapon to this album actually; we all had many beer fire up sessions like that during recording. I think if anyone else got a hold of that special brew it would kill them. Only the turbids can handle that kind.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Look out for a music video for “Between the Glacier and the Sea” coming soon. A vinyl edition of the album and also more tours in the future. One big thing I wanna bring up for people who may have bought or plan on buying a digital copy of Orogeny is your missing out on some great artwork! Each song has its own art and lyrics printed in the booklet. It really sets up the mood when you listen and read along to it so if you can, get a real copy of it. Our album is available online through our Myspace and through Relapse Records web store, so go pick it up there and blast it loud!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

TOWNSHIP

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:05:06 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JILLIAN SANTELLA
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/thefamilytownship
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Classic Rock / Psychedelic / Progressive

Interview answered by Marc Pinansky

HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO JOIN THIS BAND COME ABOUT?

For me, it was the opportunity to start the band itself, when I heard that Greg had moved to Boston. It was early Autumn 2005. I had met him a couple of times throughout the years and even participated in a session together organized by a producer we had both worked with. When he arrived in Boston we were both still nursing our wounds from post band break-ups, but were also both ready to get back on that horse and tame it. I knew that we appreciated a lot of the same music, but when we hung out we realized that we were both in the same emotional state. The time was right and we immediately went to work assembling the rest of the team.

THE BAND HAS SELF-RELEASED TWO EP’S AND TWO FULL LENGTH ALBUMS IN JUST LESS THAN THREE YEARS. WOULD YOU CALL YOURSELVES SONG WRITING MACHINES?

We are machines in the sense that it is one of primary functions as individuals and as a unit, but I wouldn’t say that we are machine-like in that we spit out songs in a perfunctory manner. We write out of necessity to both satisfy our desire to express and to keep both the band and fans interested and evolving. It is something we are compelled to do, so we have no choice, but we are in the lucky position of all working so well together. It is a fascinating process. We love all of our songs, but we know that there are always bigger, better and deeper songs to be written, so we just keep writing and crafting. We are quite hard on ourselves about the quality, so that keeps us pushing forward. The other important step is to get it out there by whatever means necessary so people can hear it, you can tour on it and you can get to work on a new project. That, thankfully, seems to be intrinsic in the song writing process for us – see it through to fruition.

YOUR LATEST ALBUM TITLED “TOWNSHIP, VOL. 1” WAS RELEASED IN FEBRUARY. DOES THE “VOL. 1” IN THE TITLE INDICATE A NEW START OR BEGINNING FOR THE BAND?

It does, in a way. The Vol. 1 represents what we were able to accomplish by ourselves while showing a glimpse of the future. We signed with King Yum Management in the Fall of 2009 and it really represented a new phase for the band. King Yum wanted to make our lives easier on the road by offering one comprehensive musical package, the cream of the crop, for folks who were unsure where to start. It was getting difficult as we played more and more new cities to be able to suggest which CD to buy when there are 4 discs on the table and we play songs from all of them. King Yum put out a beautiful, remastered collection that makes the decision easy. The artwork and larger release of this disc also signifies the future of Township as our team has grown larger and stronger. We are all very proud of what the Vol. 1 represents, and it is indeed a volume of work that correctly suggests many more to follow.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS INFLUENCED AND INSPIRED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS MADE YOU THE MUSICIAN YOU ARE TODAY?

Passion over proficiency. Communicating to the listener. My love and interest in technical heroics ebbs and flows, but hearing someone whose voice shines through, literally or through their instrument or words or as collective group, stops me dead in my tracks and I can feel it in my heart. Music is a craft like any other and it takes years upon years to find your comfort level and voice. I think what is tricky is that it is never really clear to oneself when they are getting there; it is the audience who lets you know. My level of skill on various instruments has always been about reaching where I need to be to communicate what I am trying to say.

THE CLASSIC ROCK AND ROLL SOUND SEEMS TO FIT THE BAND LIKE A GLOVE. IS IT ALWAYS A CHALLENGE AS A MUSICIAN TO CREATE YOUR OWN STYLE OF ROCK AND ROLL BECAUSE THE GENRE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES?

It has been a challenge, but strictly a fun one. Every member of the band believes that the genre is a highly respectable art form. We are students of Classic Rock. If an influence shows, we are aware of it and think of it as a display of our studies. Classic Rock in its infancy was like a crab – its body was (and remains) electric guitars, drums, bass and voice, but the legs spread out into so many exciting permutations, from psych to latin to fusion, etc. What has been pumped down people’s throats (ears) for the past 10-15 years is only the easily digestible, known “hits.” Make no mistake, we love and respect these songs just as much, if not more, than anyone listening, but it has severely over-shadowed a rich history of experimentation and ultimately wonderful, passionate music. We draw influence and inspiration from all these forgotten masters and innovators, and when it is filtered through our own experiences, abilities and sensibilities, it becomes something familiar yet new. Interestingly, we do not choose to adhere to one particular “sound,” that is just what seems to come naturally to our group. This is not a genre that is any way dead or done evolving. As any true art form, it is a respected medium within which to work, but it requires an appropriate amount of study and copious amounts of passion, because after all, it is rock n’ roll and that comes from the gut – which is equidistant from the heart and the crotch.

THE COOL THING ABOUT THE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN NOW IS THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT. DO YOU AIM TO WRITE LYRICS WITH A CERTAIN THEME OR JUST WHATEVER IS ON YOUR MIND SOMETIMES?

Ultimately, the over-arching lyrical bend to the band is about being human and all the struggles, urges, bad, good, hopelessness, redemption, damage and sweetness that comes with it. There are certain themes I would love to address constantly – injustice, intolerance, environment, but the phrase that ignites the lyrical process must happen organically.

The music tends to come first for a lot of our songs, because we mostly write together. The melody will begin to appear based on the way the music is moving me and usually the pattern and phrasing of that melody will begin to form words on its own. From those initial lyrical bits, the story and/or theme will unfold. We are predominantly a rock n’ roll band, and thusly a lot of our songs are upbeat or stompy or just generally exciting, so we probably have equal amounts of lyrics about sex, good times, wild places and things like that, because that is where the music takes us. Other times, things will delve deeper and darker, but personally, as the lyricist, in those songs I try to either examine both sides of a story or make the theme itself a little more ambiguous. By taking this approach, I find I am less apt to alienate or divide our listeners, and they can draw their own meanings and conclusions. The songs that stick with you are the ones that you have created a personal attachment to because the lyrics remind you of a particular time or event. It doesn’t matter what the writer intended, it matters what the listener creates. I do feel that musicians have a platform in which to shed a larger light on issues, but as much as I want to make people think, I’d rather have them be entertained. I don’t want to be a distraction from all that is happening around us, but I do want people to know that it’s ok to let their hair down, feel the beat and have a good time with a bunch of strangers for awhile. We are ultimately entertainers, and that is a noble and necessary function to serve in life.

HAS THERE BEEN MANY LINE-UP CHANGES SINCE THE BAND STARTED, AND IS IT ALWAYS HARD TO CONNECT WITH SOMEONE NEW ON A CREATIVE LEVEL AGAIN AND GET THE BAND BACK ON TRACK?

The nucleus of the band has always been John, Greg and myself. Our rotating spot has been the additional guitar. We have been very fortunate, but also careful, to always have aligned ourselves with great musicians who fit well with the band at the time, but also have their own personality and sound to enhance and push the band. Due to the level of skill with each of these players (Jason Gillis, Carter Tanton, Matty Smart), we never lost any ground in being able to step right on stage and kick ass in the way that people expected from us. The pattern of absorbing that new sound into the fold always seemed to follow the same schedule - 3 months and we are already comfortable and inspired to be writing new material with the new unit, 6 months and the “new guy” feels is completely gone, and by 8 months we are stronger than before and ready to make new record. Although it’s always a bit daunting to lose a member, we viewed the change-ups as an exciting opportunity to have a new writing partner and to push ourselves into unknown territory. Now with Alex (Necochea) for the past year, it was immediately apparent that this band was THE band. Alex has been able to take all the parts of our previous players, and add another totally new sonic palette and prowess to the band. His power is unmistakable and his writing talents and vision have shown us that we finally have the fourth pillar.

THESE DAYS LESS AND LESS PEOPLE ARE BUYING CD’S. HAVE YOU GUYS ALSO CONSIDERED DIFFERENT WAYS OF RELEASING YOUR MUSIC?

We always revisit different ideas on this, but we always come back to the fact that we ultimately need to press CD’s to send to radio, press, etc., so the CD must still be there as the ultimate promo tool. We have always had our music available on-line in about 20 different locations and make sure that it coincides with the physical release. We occasionally do exclusive on-line things, but generally, we have followed a pretty basic release pattern. Now that things are growing we are able to finally discuss the growing popularity in vinyl, download cards, DVD’s and exciting options that weren’t previously within our budget.

ONE OF THE FUN THINGS ABOUT TOURING MUST BE THAT YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO GET WHEN IT COMES TO VENUES?

That is for sure. Or rather, you never know what a venue, when empty and in the day, is going to look and feel like when it is showtime. I get very excited by this transformation – it’s like the club is this personified, nocturnal being that comes to life just after dusk. It also really does cement the fact that you are in a new town, city, state or country when you see the different stickers on the walls, accents of the staff, things on the menu and beers on the walls. When I first walk into the new venue, I never lose the childlike wonder and small amount of satisfaction taken for the hard work to think, “Wow, look where music has taken me to today.”

HAVE THE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU’VE HAD WITH THIS BAND ON THE ROAD OVER THE YEARS, REVEALED SIDES OF YOURSELF THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD?

Why, who have you been talking to? I wish I could say I was joking. There are certainly mostly good sides revealed in being out there, particularly the ability and desire to meet new people and listen to what life is like in their town. When at home, I think we’re all a bit reclusive, spending most free nights practicing or writing. It starts to get you wondering if you’re a shy guy or socially awkward or damaged from being up on a stage for so many years, but when you’re forced to interact with total strangers for most of the day, it helps to show that you can still connect with folks and you are a normal person.

That being said, there are wild elements in being on the road that reveal other sides, as well. It’s not a normal life to have a very few responsibilities on tour other than playing the absolute best you can and being places on time. The playing is indeed extremely hard work. It can come easy to you in a natural sense, but if you’re not working hard, than don’t waste people’s time. That leaves a lot of area for killing time and decompressing after a very highly energetic and rewarding hour or two (or three). Leave it to say that we get in trouble sometimes. We are not malicious guys in any way, but sometimes it can get the better of you. It might come from a positive place of feeling good about the show and being in band with your best buds, but things can get out of hand. We try and keep this in check, but as we say in the band, sometimes The Wolf gets loose.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

We’re most excited to announce that we are heading back into the studio at the end of October to record our new album. It will be released in early March 2011. We’re dying to capture this new batch of songs. It’s the record we were born to make.

Other than that, I’d like to reiterate that we are a band doing everything on our own without the support of the label system. We are proud of this, and survive solely on music sales and touring, so it’s nice for the fans to know that they are directly responsible for keeping us moving and growing. This is a unique time for bands to have so much power in their own hands. We embraced this new development in the music industry, because it was perfect for a band like us, since rock n’ roll seems to be “outsider art” again. The hard work you have to put in to hustle and build a grassroots following is ultimately going to make you a better band and really just brings things back to what it is supposed to be about – believing in your art enough to do whatever it takes to play it in front of and for as many as people as possible. You can release it on your own, you can tour on your own and eventually, you can survive on your own. This forces you to check out as many bands as possible to help make friendships and connections, and now with EVERYTHING on-line it’s so easy and inspiring. You don’t have to quit your day job, because as long as you are near a computer, you can run your band from work right up until the point when you can quit.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

HOLDING SAND

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:12:58 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLDING SAND
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/holdingsandmusic
COUNTRY: France l STYLE: Alternative / Hardcore / Rock

Interview answered by Clément Horvath (Vocals)

DID A LOT OF “BRAINSTORMING” GO INTO DECIDING WHAT TO CALL THE BAND AND HOW DID YOU EVENTUALLY END UP CHOOSING “HOLDING SAND”?

Not a lot actually. I had this name stuck in my head for a while. I actually wanted to use it for three other projects, but we ended up choosing other names. But this time, all the guys loved it, so here we are! I think it sounds pretty cool, and there’s a lot of meaning behind it.

HOW DID ALL OF YOU MEET AND DID THE BAND START BY PLAYING LIVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OR DID YOU FINISH AN EP FIRST AND THEN WENT OUT AND PROMOTED IT BY PLAYING SHOWS?

I was singing in a rock/metal band called Edison, when Franck (Guitar) and Coralie (Bass) were looking for a singer. They contacted me, thinking I would introduce them to other singers I know. As a matter of fact, my band was falling apart, so I joined them and we started writing songs pretty quickly. We recorded as soon as we could, because as far as I’m concerned, this is the best way to define your personality, find your own sound. It’s a base for the concerts to come. Then we started playing gigs, and made our way little by little.

WERE THERE SOME LESSONS YOU LEARNED DURING THE RECORDING PROCESS FOR YOUR FIRST EP “EBB & FLOW” THAT MADE THE RECORDING OF YOUR NEW EP “ON SLEEPLESS NIGHTS” A LOT EASIER?

I don’t think we changed the way we record, because we were quite happy with the way we sounded on the first EP. However, we changed the way we write songs, as we found out that some songs like “The Burden” may sound cool on a CD, but are pretty weak when played live, on the verses especially. There were some mistakes we used to do during the writing process that we managed to avoid. We focused on our live performances, which made our new songs more energetic and efficient.

HOW DOES THE BAND APPROACH THE SONG WRITING PROCESS AND WHO WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE MAIN WRITERS IN THE BAND?

Franck writes most of the riffs, he comes up with his best ideas and we all add our stuff to it. In the meantime, I’m writing a lot of lyrics. Then I pick up the ones that fit the song the best, and the vocal lines come naturally. We are now used to work together, so the writing process goes pretty fast.

THE COVER ART FOR “ON SLEEPLESS NIGHTS” LOOKS REALLY COOL. WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT AND IDEA YOU WERE GOING FOR WITH THIS COVER?

Thank you! The singer of the Italian band Dufresne made it for us. It fits the whole idea behind our lyrics. The EP talks about weakness, dealing with a situation that looks impossible to overcome. There are always predators out there waiting for you to do the wrong move. On the back of the CD, there are two poor people, and they seem lonely and helpless… That’s how I felt when I wrote the lyrics.

DID YOU RECORD “ON SLEEPLESS NIGHTS” AT THE SAME STUDIO AS “EBB & FLOW” OR DID YOU WANT TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND?

No, it’s the same guy. We recorded both EP’s with David Potvin, in Angers, somewhere in the French countryside. He’s such a cool guy.

I NOTICED YOU ONLY HAD ONE GUITAR PLAYER IN THE VIDEO FOR “SUPERMAN”. WHEN DID YOU ADD A SECOND GUITAR PLAYER AND HOW WOULD YOU SAY THIS HAS IMPROVED THE BAND’S SOUND?

Yeah we always wanted to add another guitar to the mix. Matthieu joined us a few weeks before recording “On Sleepless Nights”. He learned the songs amazingly quickly and goes along pretty well with Franck. They complete each other; Matt is more into solos, whereas Franck likes heavy rhythmics. The writing process is thus far more interesting, and we sound heavier. That’s all we wanted!

CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU PERFORMED ON STAGE AND DO YOU STILL GET “BUTTERFLIES” BEFORE EVERY SHOW?

I started playing in bands when I was 12, and I did my first show in front of nearly 500 people. I almost passed out. It’s been ten years now, so I’m getting used to it. I think it’s the same for Franck and Coralie. Pierre and Matthieu are a bit more nervous, but it will disappear eventually. It’s a shame though, because I love the feeling you have when you walk off the stage, and you feel like you’re gonna fly or something. I recently started doing stand-up comedy to get that feeling back, as it’s the most stressful thing you could ever do. But we’re still very excited when on stage, and feeling comfortable actually allows you to go ape shit and enjoy the show even more.

THE BAND RECENTLY COMPLETED A NATIONAL TOUR OF TWENTY FIVE DATES. IS THIS THE LONGEST TOUR YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR AND WHAT ARE YOUR BEST MEMORIES FROM THE TOUR?

We toured over the whole year, so it’s not like we’ve been playing every night. But we did awesome shows, and we’re looking forward to October, when we start touring again. We met incredible bands we made friends with, and it’s really exciting to play away from home. We love our city, but it’s too safe and we see the same faces every time. We would like to hit the rest of Europe, it’s actually a plan we’re working on. So the best moments are yet to come!

ARE THERE MORE TOURS PLANNED SOON OR ARE YOU TAKING A BREAK AFTER THIS LAST ONE?

We are currently writing some new material, and we’ll shoot a new music video for the song “On Sleepless Nights” in October. Then we’ll hit Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, our hometown Tours, and other places all over France. We would like to play in Germany (for the beer), Denmark (for the girls), Belgium (because we would be out of beer by then) and Netherlands sometime next year. We don’t care where we go, we’ll basically take everything we can, we just want to play as loud as we can, anywhere!

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Yeah check out our Myspace and watch our music videos! We hope you’ll like them, even if there’s no vuvuzela in there. Thank you for the interview!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

THE PRETTY BLUE GUNS

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:44:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK REITZ l bitoCREATIVE.com
WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/prettyblueguns
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Garage Rock

Interview answered by singer and guitarist Andre Leo.

DID YOU FIRST FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SOUND OR IMAGE OF ROCK AND HOW DID THAT MOTIVATE YOU TO BECOME A MUSICIAN AND JOIN A BAND?

The music came first. But the image appealed a lot to me, especially at that age. I was 13 when I first heard the Stones and it changed everything. Suddenly there’s this whole world to exist in, that you never knew of before. And the way these cats dressed, the amazing album art, it all made me realise that this is what I gotta do.

HAS A STRONG FEELING OF “BROTHERHOOD” DEVELOPED BETWEEN YOU GUYS OVER THE YEARS, AND DOES THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW EACH OTHER’S STYLE OF PLAYING SO WELL MAKE THE MUSIC YOU WRITE A LOT BETTER IN THE END?

Definitely. We’ve never had any serious fall-outs and wouldn’t really wanna play with anyone else so often. I’ve seen strong friendships shatter over band-politics. It ain’t pretty. But we love playing together and have come to know each other’s style well. But we still push each other and ourselves to not get too comfortable. The new album we’re working on is the most collaborative thing we’ve done so far.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE BAND MUSICALLY; THERE MUST ALREADY BE SOME NEW SONG IDEAS FLOATING AROUND?

New album. That’s the main focus. We’re rehearsing often, throwing ideas around and trying to get as many basic ones done as possible before we start with pre-production and all the rest.

WOULD YOU SAY YOUR SOUND HAS MATURED A LOT AND IS IT IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS PUSH YOURSELF TO BECOME A BETTER SONGWRITER AND NOT FALL INTO A CERTAIN HABIT OF DOING THINGS?

It’s definitely important to not get too confident or sure of your way of doing things. Moving forward is the most important thing. I’m proud of the youth and spontaneity of some of our first recordings because they are a reflection of those times in our lives. But you grow quite a lot between the ages of 17-20, so topics change, music matures, hangovers get worse…

DOES PLAYING THE SAME SONGS ON A REGULAR BASIS LIVE INCREASE THE DRIVE TO GET TOGETHER AND CREATE SOME NEW SONGS AFTER A WHILE?

Yeah, it definitely does. This time we’re only going to play 1 or 2 songs off the new album live before we launch it. That’s always hard because you’re so excited to play these new songs for everyone!

WHAT PART OF PLAYING A CERTAIN SONG LIVE IN FRONT OF A GOOD AUDIENCE STILL GIVES YOU THE BIGGEST RUSH?

It varies quite a bit. Sometimes the audience reacts best to the faster, more garage-punk type stuff and some love the heavier, mid-tempo blues stuff. But if the audience is responsive and loud, it’s great no matter what. People digging your music is all you can ask for, really.

WHAT MADE “PILLS” THE FINAL CHOICE FOR A VIDEO AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD A GOOD TIME MAKING IT AS WELL WHICH S ALWAYS A BONUS?

It was between that and another one, but the concept that Adriaan, Luca and myself came up with for Pills just seemed like it would work well and look great. We also asked a few other muso friends, and they all said Pills should be the one. Glad we chose that one. We’re all real proud of it. And yeah, it was fun making it. A bit too much fun actually. But it was also really hard work, especially on Luca and Adriaan’s side, because we shot over one day/night and had to get a lot done.

PILLS AND SELF MEDICATION IS A SUBJECT THAT HAS BEEN COVERED BY MANY ARTISTS IN SONGS BEFORE. WHAT MAKES THE STORY OR MEANING BEHIND “PILLS” UNIQUE FOR YOU?

I wrote it when I was feeling real bad, emotionally and physically, and got these little pills prescribed to me. At first they were great, I felt better. But after a while you just kinda feel nothing. You can’t even taste food, if you know what I mean? ‘These pills are making me numb…’ So I got off the things and I came out alright. Just gotta get thru the shit…

IF MUSIC DID NOT PLAY SUCH A HUGE ROLE IN YOUR LIFE WHAT OTHER PASSION OF YOURS WOULD PROBABLY TAKE ITS PLACE?

I’d probably own a small business. I’d like to do that one day anyway. A great live venue would be a first choice. I’d maybe do photography as well.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Keep up to date with Facebook for tour dates, album news etc.

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/prettyblueguns
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/PrettyBlueGuns

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

HEIGHTS

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:41:49 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLD TIGHT PR
WEBSITE: www.heightsband.com
COUNTRY: United Kingdom l STYLE: Experimental / Progressive / Rock

WHO FIRST SUGGESTED THAT YOU SHOULD GET TOGETHER FOR A JAM, AND HOW DID THINGS PROGRESS FROM JAMMING FOR THE FUN OF IT TO A FULL ON RECORDING PROJECT AND LIVE BAND?

AL: I had known Jay for a while and really respected his playing abilities, I also used to be in a couple of bands with John and we clicked really well, so it all fell into place nicely. In our early compositions, we wrote with vocals in mind, but just couldn’t find the right person for the job and realised the songs were pretty vast in terms of structure and ideas. So shortly after we realised being instrumental seemed like the best option and we really enjoy the freedom and challenge that instrumental music offers.

JOHN: The early gigs we did culminated a big show at the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell where we released our first album ‘Salvation and Trepidation’. It’s fitting that 2 years on we are playing the same venue on September 30th to promote this record. It’s going to be a blast!

JAY: … and I’m forced to play 2 sets! My other band TesseracT are also playing that show.

WITH ALL THE RECORDING SOFTWARE AVAILABLE TODAY, WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE BAND’S SOUND “ORGANIC” BY JUST USING A GUITAR, BASS AND DRUMS?

JAY: We’re very lucky in that we have access to Creative Control studios (Al’s Studio) so we have total control of all aspects of our recordings. For example, we can spend time getting a precise drum sound whereas a lot of bands now, whether they realise it or not, are not achieving a real recording of their drummer. It is standard practice for studios to use sampling software, which replaces drum strokes so what you’re hearing 99% of the time now is actually not a real drummer – it’s a computer!

AL: We also feel it’s important that we can pull things off live and as you mentioned, we are simply drums, bass and guitar, so we wanted to try and get the best possible representation of our band without relying on excessive layering and studio magic.

JOHN: I think a lot of bands are afraid to sound like they are, they feel under pressure to keep going and going in the studio to overdub to excess and become something they aren’t. An album should be the refinement of what a band can achieve live and not somewhere a world away.

IS PLAYING IN HEIGHTS A WELCOME ESCAPE FROM YOUR OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH?

JOHN: It’s a welcome escape from work!

JAY: Haha, that makes our other projects sound terrible. We all love playing in Heights and I think all try to involve ourselves in other musical ventures. For me Heights really allows me to play quite openly and it’s the project in which I get the most practice behind my kit. My other project (TesseracT) has a very different approach to rehearsal but both ways work well.

Al: For me it’s my first really self-indulgent project. I am the main songwriter within the band, although Jay and Jonno both have a great ear for what works. I know I can throw something fairly outlandish into the mix and we’ll run with it, rather than being held back by what is musically “correct” or not.

WAS YOUR LATEST ALBUM “FROM SEA TO SKY” RECORDED AT AL HESLOP’S STUDIO AND HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP THE RECORDING PROCESS?

JAY: Yes, we recorded From Sea to Sky at Creative Control studios. We had recorded a couple of album demos before we went in to record this so we were comfortable with our parts. As a result, the recording was done fairly quickly – I think I’m right in saying about a week…

Al: Yeah that’s right; drums were recorded in a day, bass over a couple of evenings and guitar over a couple of days, then mixing over a few weeks. The first mixes came together fairly quickly then it was just a case of deciding how hard we should push certain elements of the mix. I also mastered the album, which meant we all experimented by playing the album on as many different systems as we could find to make sure it wasn’t too bassy or lacked clarity.

JOHN: It was really satisfying to hear the album coming together. Al has invested in a lot of really amazing gear since we did the first album and you can really hear the difference in the quality of this recording. Our playing has stepped up a notch too.

THE ONE THING ABOUT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IS THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A VOCALIST INVOLVED, THE MUSIC DOES HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD VIBE AND ATMOSPHERE TO KEEP THE LISTENERS ATTENTION. IS THAT WHAT KIND OF MAKES IT A FUN CHALLENGE FOR YOU AS A SONGWRITER?

Al: I must admit I usually don’t really write music with a “listener” in mind, apart from myself. If a certain chord sequence or melody grabs me I’ll try and incorporate it into a piece. I think atmosphere is definitely crucial though, I strongly believe the best type of music has some sort of atmosphere attached to it, like a good film.

JAY: …Inception!

WERE THERE THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO DO DIFFERENTLY OR BUILD UPON WITH THIS ALBUM COMPARED TO YOUR DEBUT “SALVATION AND TREPIDATION”?

Al: Yes I think the progression has mainly been in our abilities. Some songs on “Salvation and Trepidation” were written with a vocalist in mind, so suffered slightly from sounding too empty in places. From Sea To Sky was written and arranged as completely instrumental, so I think it’s a more cohesive record.

JAY: I don’t think we consciously tried to do anything different though. We just focussed on playing and writing the best music we could imagine.

AT THE MOMENT “FROM SEA TO SKY” IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT GIGS AND WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE ONLINE TO. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KEEP THE BAND INDEPENDENT OR ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING TO ORGANISE SOME OTHER FORM OF DISTRIBUTION THROUGH A LABEL AT SOME STAGE AS WELL?

JAY: You can buy From Sea to Sky on iTunes now – it was released on 9th August. Physical copies are currently only available at our shows though. We have a slightly different agenda to most other bands in that huge commercial success isn’t our aim, so we haven’t spent any time really thinking about releasing the album in shops. We’re recording the music we love and at the moment, are quite happy releasing it to the world through outlets such as iTunes and Arkade.

Perhaps album 3 will see a physical release in the shops…

THE GREAT THING ABOUT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IS THAT IT CAN ALSO CREATE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER ARTISTS ON SONGS AS WELL. IS THAT SOMETHING THE BAND HAS CONSIDERED?

JAY: Definitely yes! We’re just about to start work on our biggest musical challenge to date (an EP) and will almost certainly need to enlist the help of a few musical minds. More on this soon…

WHEN DID THE BAND MAKE ITS LIVE DEBUT AND WAS IT EASY TO TAKE THIS PROJECT INTO A LIVE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE IT STARTED BY JAMMING TOGETHER?

JAY: Our first show was late in 2007 I believe. Heights has always been about writing, recording and performing so we’ve not had any difficulty taking it live.

JOHN: The first gig was terrifying though! It’s always a bit nerve wracking when you debut songs, especially when they’re in a genre that’s maybe a bit left of centre. We aren’t your average rock band. However at pretty much all the gigs we’ve done the audience has been really receptive. I think even if people don’t normally listen to instrumental music they seem to appreciate something in what we do.

UNFORTUNATELY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IS NOT AS POPULAR AS IT SHOULD BE. ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE FAN FOLLOWING THAT YOU HAVE BUILT UP SO FAR?

JAY: We have some really loyal fans and because the music is, dare I say, different (?), we tend to come away from each show with a handful of new ones. I think we all know instrumental music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and we do still get the occasional ‘so, are you getting a singer then?’. But with the release of the 2nd album, people are taking us for what we are and cementing our wish to be known and classed as an instrumental band.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Thanks for checking this out and if you haven’t already, please visit www.heightsband.com for latest news, gig listings etc. Oh and please check out our album ‘From Sea to Sky’ on iTunes.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

THEATRE

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:44:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT SCHNETLER
WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/Theatre.band
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Experimental / Chaotic Hardcore

YOUR DEBUT ALBUM IS ON ITS WAY SOON. HAVE YOU GUYS DECIDED ON AN ALBUM TITLE YET AND HOW MANY SONGS WILL BE ON THE ALBUM?

The album will be titled “Atlantic” and will have eight tracks. We chose this title as it fits the oceanic theme in our music, representing creation and the progression of mankind. The album forms a part of a greater concept, as we will be working on a new album in the new year entitled “Pacific”.

WHERE DID YOU RECORD THE ALBUM AND WHO PRODUCED, AND HOW CLOSE DID THE END PRODUCT COME TO THE IDEAS YOU HAD IN THE BEGINNING?

We recorded the album with our good friend Deon Van Zyl at his home studio in Somerset West, who mixed the tracks, which were later mastered by Dean Bailey from Plumstead.

HAS WRITING THESE NEW SONGS CHANGED THE WAY THE BAND APPROACHES SONG WRITING?

Not at all. We have a methodology in the way we do things, and it has worked thus far. We strive to progress in our music, but not change our overall sound or style. The writing process is fairly simple: the songs are written predominantly by Duke, and are then sent around for open editing and criticism. Each instrument is thoroughly revised by its respective musician, and the final changes are made before the songs are brought to band practice, where they find their completion.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR NEW SONG RELEASED ONLINE TITLED “FIRST FLAWS IN THE MASTER PLAN”, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU TURNED YOUR AMPS UP TO ELEVEN FOR THIS ONE?

This is one of our old favourites, and will be the first song listeners will hear on the new album. We thought it ideal to post this track up as a teaser as it demonstrates both the chaotic and melodic elements in our music.

DID ANY OF THE SONGS PUSH YOU TO NEW LEVELS ON YOUR INSTRUMENTS OR DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR LIMITS ARE AS A PLAYER AND WHAT SONG IDEAS WILL MOST LIKELY WORK OR NOT?

We believe that passion and creativity should have no limits; there is only room to expand our versatility as artists. We have learnt a lot over the last two years, and we feel that we have grown as musicians.

WERE THERE A FEW OPPORTUNITIES TO TEST OUT SOME OF THE SONGS IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE’S REACTIONS WERE BEFORE RECORDING THEM?

Because of past experience as musicians we have learnt not to be too eager when it comes to recording. The songs we have recorded are those that we have practiced, performed and edited over the course of our history, and we are therefore 100% happy with the outcome of this album.

THE MORE A BAND PLAYS LIVE THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE TO BUILD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER BANDS AS WELL; DO YOU FIND THAT OPPORTUNITIES CAN COME YOUR WAY WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT?

Sometimes opportunities just pop out of nowhere, and we end up landing an awesome tour show. We have recently been invited up to Welkom to play at King Fest 2010, and will be opening for Becoming The Archetype at the end of September. We are always appreciative of these opportunities and try to remain humble about those we are presented with. We do not want to be seen as a band who assumes they will be spotted on every big tour show.

WILL THE BAND PLAY AS MUCH AROUND CAPE TOWN AS POSSIBLE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR OR ARE THERE PLANS TO DO A BIT OF TRAVELLING TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AS WELL?

A bit of both, actually. We have a big love for the Cape Town scene, and will hopefully be hosting a few shows here with Truth & Its Burden in December. Though we are also planning a Durban and Jozi tour around the new year.

DO YOU LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE FROM THE CROWD CLIMB ON STAGE WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING OR IS THAT JUST PART OF WHAT MAKES A GREAT SHOW IN YOUR OPINION?

Our shows are very energetic and we encourage crowd participation. We love it when people are able to move to our music, and are actually able to express those emotions, whichever way they choose to. When a crowd member decides to jump on stage and join in the carnage, it only fuels us more as performers.

THE BEST ADVICE ANYBODY EVER GAVE YOU ABOUT MUSIC OR LIFE IN GENERAL?

Collectively, as musicians, we have learnt that in our time as a band, we should strive towards making the music we enjoy, and not the music we may think is going to get us fame or money. Our music is who we are and we’ll continue to play hardcore shows even if we’re the last hardcore band on earth.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

We just want to thank everyone who has shown us support over the last two years, and that we can only promise more chaotic shows, crazy new songs and an awesome album launch ahead. Keep in touch with us, join our pages on Facebook, Myspace and Purevolume, and stay tuned for updates on the album, merch and shows!

Much love.
Theatre.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

AN OBSCURE SIGNAL

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:01:12 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN WATSON
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/anobscuresignal
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Metal / Progressive

Interview answered by Alex Mola (Vocals) and Walter J Huaman (Guitar)

YOU GUYS ARE GEARING UP FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR DEBUT EP “CREATIONS”. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHEN IT WILL BE COMING OUT AND WHERE WILL PEOPLE BE ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON IT?

WALTER J HUAMAN: We actually just set official dates for both digital and physical releases! On August 24th you’ll be able to download it from iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster and Shockhound! And on September 24th we will be having our EP release show were you can buy the physical copy of “Creations” at and any of our shows after that!

THE BAND HAS BEEN MAKING MUSIC SINCE 2007. ARE ALL THE SONGS ON THE EP NEW SONGS OR ARE THERE ONE OR TWO THAT HAVE BEEN “HOVERING” AROUND AND WAITING TO BE RECORDED SINCE THE BAND STARTED?

WJH: Pretty much all the songs on the EP are new songs that were written after me and Chris (bass) joined the band, the only two guys from the original lineup are Carlos (drums) and Bryan (guitar). Back then AOS stared as a Grindcore band in 2007. We have been talking about rewriting some of the old songs, not sure if it’ll happen. We’ll just have to wait and see!

ALEX MOLA: There have been many old songs and old demos that we sometimes play around with at practice just for fun, but the 5 songs on the EP were written specifically for the EP with our finalized line up.

A BIG CONFIDENCE BOOSTER FOR THE BAND MUST HAVE BEEN WHEN YOU GOT MISHA MANSOOR INVOLVED TO HELP YOU COMPLETE “CREATIONS”. HOW DID THAT OPPORTUNITY COME AROUND BECAUSE YOU ARE PROBABLY REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE EP TURNED OUT?

WJH: We’re all pretty excited at how the recordings came out. Misha really has a grasp on this whole recording thing! Other than just recording, he gave us a ton of advice on improving our live sound/performance, as well as shedding some light about what goes on in this industry. The way we came in contact was actually kind of funny, I had been digging Periphery since 2007 so I decided to buy an Ibanez RG2228 around the time I joined AOS in Spring of 2009 so that I could perhaps write riffs like Misha and Periphery but after nodding around on it for a couple months I decided that it wasn’t for me. So I put it up on craigslist. I woke up the next morning and my inbox read “You have a new message from Misha Mansoor” at first I didn’t believe it was him haha, I find it kind of ironic that he was the guy directly responsible in influencing me to buy it and in the end he ends up with it (the RG I sold him ended up being used in the Icarus video). Anyway, he came over, we jammed a bit, and I showed him some Demos we recorded at my house. It was at that point that he offered to record us!

AM: I actually didn’t join the band until the instrumentals were recorded, but I had heard that they began working with Misha. I was very happy for the guys for getting to work with him, as I had been good friends with them prior to joining the band. We are VERY happy with the final product, and can’t wait to share it with everyone.

BY THE TIME THE SONGS WERE RECORDED YOU MUST HAVE ALREADY KNOWN THEM SO WELL THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY PLAY THEM BLINDFOLDED; BUT WERE THERE SOME PARTS DURING THE RECORDING PROCESS WHERE YOU COULD IMPROVISE A BIT?

WJH: For the most YES we did have the songs structured and the riffs set to go. But Misha being the creative genius that he is, helped in the production aspect as well! He did take some riffs, rewrote them, added a bend here and there, and showed us certain chords that would go well with the progression that we picked, it was very inspiring watching him work.

AM: Everyone was very open-minded going into recording. We all love Misha’s work so we were very keen on listening to any ideas or advice he had for the band.

APPARENTLY “CREATIONS” IS A CONCEPT EP WITH THE MUSIC AND LYRICS REVOLVING AROUND A SCI-FI STORY LINE; CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE?

WJH: That is true! It is a concept! It’s about a catastrophic event in the far future dealing with invading robot/androids and the album lyrics are from the viewpoint of the main character! The concept started back when I joined the band and the original singer had the idea of wanting to write a concept album, so one day we met and both basically wrote out the major plot points and events that take place. After we parted with him I ended up finalizing the characters and background stories. Even though the album is a concept, I wanted the lyrics to remain somewhat ambiguous to listeners out there. When Alex joined I gave him a brief summary of what happened in each chapter/song but wanted him to use his own personal experiences in order to properly portray the emotions that this man is experiencing during this epic struggle.

AM: There is a story line behind “Creations” however I wrote my own lyrics that are very personal to me, but they still fit the story metaphorically. There aren’t any specifics as to characters and such, but the songs are more about the events and struggles that not only we go through in life, but also of the characters. Lyrics, to me, have always been about the reader/listener. If someone were to read my lyrics and relate to them, whether it’d the meaning I had for them or not, they still relate and it still means something to them.

ARE THERE PLANS FOR A MUSIC VIDEO AND IF YOU HAD AN UNLIMITED BUDGET; WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR DREAM MUSIC VIDEO?

AM: We actually just finished making a music video for the first song on the CD, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”. We’re all totally stoked on how it’s turning out.

WJH: A friend of ours Vance Jones, shot and directed the video. Keep an eye out for it soon! But if we had an unlimited budget, I’d probably put all of it towards CGI! LOTS AND LOTS OF CGI! Perhaps make everybody in the band half human/giraffes in the process as well! Wouldn’t that be something!

AM: As far as a Dream Music Video without any budget, I would definitely want to play in a huge cave or something, and throw some crazy effects to make it INSANE!

WHEN IT COMES TO GEAR ARE YOU GUYS ALSO INTO USING SEVEN AND EIGHT STRING GUITARS OR ARE SIX STRINGS MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR YOU?

WJH: We actually recorded one of the tracks (Time Left) with my old RG2228 tuning the 8th string down to G! We’ve always toyed with the idea of using seven’s and I even had an eight for a brief period, but honestly, for what we do, six stringers are perfect!

AFTER THE EP IS OUT I GUESS YOU WILL BE TOURING AND GETTING YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE IN AS MANY WAYS AS POSSIBLE; AND HAVING A NEW EP IN HAND SHOULD OPEN NEW DOORS FOR THE BAND AS WELL?

WJH: I Hope! We don’t have any solid tours planned at the moment but we are looking into hopefully going back out for a couple weekend warrior tours here and there. Once winter break hits though we hope to take on a 2 or 3-week tour.

AM: We are most certainly going to do whatever it takes to promote the heck out of the EP. We’re all really happy with the way it turned out. We have the best group of friends who give us the best support, giving us a very positive outlook on the band in general. With all the help from old and new friends, we are more motivated than ever to get to where we want to go as band.

ARE ALL OF YOU STILL DOING THE DAY JOB THING TO SUPPORT YOURSELVES AND THE BAND; AND IF SO IN WHAT WAYS DOES IT HAVE IT’S ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES WHEN IT COMES TO BAND RELATED THINGS LIKE TOURING?

WJH: Man let me tell you! Yes all the members in the band have steady day jobs and a couple of us are actually still in school, so it does get hard sometimes when it comes to touring. We try our best to do as many weekend warrior type tours but anytime there are breaks whether it be winter/spring/summer we take advantage of those breaks and try to book tours for those timeframes. The jobs we have, for the most part, understand that we are in a band so they are lenient when we request off dates.

THE WORST NIGHTS SLEEP YOU EVER HAD ON TOUR?

WJH: I assume each member has a different story but for me it was this last tour we went on into the Midwest with Behold The Flood. We were in the middle of Kansas and we had to drive two hours right after a show to the promoter’s house since we were going to sleep there. I didn’t get any sleep the night before and at the show the whole band including most of BTF got drunk except for me… AOS, our merch guy and three guys from BTF piled into our van while the other two BTF guys drove in their van ahead of us. Let’s just that it’s NEVER fun being the sober driver especially having eight dudes all singing at the top of their lungs loudly to the entire Periphery album. Needless to say we got to the promoter’s house and I passed out in the van since we took turns sleeping out there. Woke up the next morning to the worst head and body ache ever. The rest of the guys slept fine and had no hangovers - haha.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

WJH: Keep an eye out on our Myspace for the music video to “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead”!! ALSO on August 24th, PLEASE download our EP “Creations” from either iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster or Shockhound! And then SPREAD IT LIKE WILDFIRE!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

NEW HOLLAND

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:22:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAAN LOUW
WEBSITE: www.newhollandband.co.za
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Party Rock ‘n Roll

YOUR SECOND ALBUM “EXPLODED VIEWS” REALLY HAD AN IMPACT ON THE SCENE AND ON RADIO AS WELL. ARE THERE PLANS FOR A THIRD RELEASE AND WHAT DIRECTIONS WOULD YOU STILL LIKE TO GO MUSICALLY?

ODI: We plan to launch a third album next year and we have started preproduction. We want to take our time and settle into a sound or maybe even genre. We have been making music as we go by, writing in styles we felt like at that time, not worrying about genres. Our aim will be to create some constant element in our music.

GERDUS: We are finishing up a track that we plan to release within the next couple of weeks. This is a song that I am very excited about, it has a kwassa kwassa kwaito feel which is not characteristic of our style, but I can’t believe how truly it rings New Holland. We have started doing pre-production for the new album a while ago, we hope to release in March or April of next year. This time we are taking a lot more time with the album. Teejay and I are both sound engineers, and we do all the tracking at either my project studio or his studio, Coffee Stained Vinyl. The new album will be very catchy, and lots of fun. That is all that I can say for sure, the rest is still to be seen.

DO YOU FIND THAT THE DIFFERENT INFLUENCES THAT MAKE UP YOUR SOUND MAKES THE BAND MORE VERSATILE AND HAS CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO PERFORM WITH BANDS THAT YOU NEVER IMAGINED PERFORMING WITH?

ODI: I think it definitely made us more versatile. I find myself listening to music that I would have labelled as “uncool” in the past. I think I have realised that style and taste don’t matter when determining if a song is good or not. I still know what I like and what I dislike but I learn from all styles of music and it does influence me, sometimes unconsciously. I can’t remember performing with bands that I never imagined playing with, though. I’ve got quite the imagination.

GERDUS: I totally agree with this statement. We have a multitude of influences, from indie rock to classical, from house to kwaito, all our influences come together to create the entity that we are. We have some elements to our sound that translates through all cultures, which is something that we are thankful for. Our music has taken us to Afrikaans festivals such as KKNK, and on the other side of the spectrum to places such as Ballito for the Mr. Price Pro surfing competition. The places that we get to play vary, as do the people we play to, but the one consistency is the fact that people love dancing with us to our music. That is a very special thing.

YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC AS “PARTY ROCK ‘N ROLL”, BUT I GUESS A LOT OF WORK STILL GOES INTO WRITING A GOOD PARTY ROCK ‘N ROLL TUNE, OR DO YOU FIND THAT ONCE YOU ALL START WORKING TOGETHER THAT SONGS GET DONE REALLY EASILY?

ODI: Our first album was labelled “Party Rock ‘n Roll” by the media and we liked it. We are a bunch of fun – loving guys with little issues to be sad about. I guess this shows in the type of music we make. When it comes to the writing of the songs, it differs. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it’s frustrating and sometimes it is no work at all. Someone will pitch up with a guitar riff and we will build on it. We have found that sitting together to write lyrics can take some time.

GERDUS: Like with anything creative there are days that the creativity flows and days that you feel that you will never write a song again. Some songs come easier than others too, some ideas lend itself to straightforward translation whereas some songs ask for thinking outside the box, every case is unique. We have been writing songs together for so long that we really know each other creatively, so the process has become quite flowing. We know when to leave an idea for another day, or when to really try and push through with something.

HAVING A VOCALIST IN THE BAND THAT HAS A RECORDING STUDIO AS WELL MUST SAVE YOU GUYS A LOT OF MONEY WHEN IT COMES TO STUDIO TIME AND ALSO ALLOW YOU TO WORK ON NEW SONGS AS LONGS AS YOU WANT?

ODI: Yes it does. It is a huge advantage we have. It is exactly what we are doing at the moment; recording ideas for songs and putting together a structure that we will listen to in a month or two again. It really helps to get perspective like that.

GERDUS: Yes that is true. I also have a recording setup at my place, so we have two places that we can record and do pre-production for tracks. It allows one to invest lots of time in each track, and allows one to get very creative with the mixing. Also, with each song that Teejay and I produce and mix we hone our craft and become more accomplished engineers.

THE RECORDING STUDIO HAS GIVEN YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH OTHER BANDS AS WELL. THERE ARE PROBABLY ALWAYS THINGS THAT YOU CAN LEARN BY WORKING WITH OTHER MUSICIANS?

ODI: True. Teejay should answer this one, as he and Gerdus are currently recording and producing a band called Holiday Murray (which is fucken cool). Bands constantly influence each other and the industry.

GERDUS: That is very true. Currently Teejay and I are working on producing and recording this great folk rock band called Holiday Murray. The ideas these guys come up with, the way they write songs, the way they sing together, their whole essence is truly inspiring. It is a great privilege to work with such a group of individuals. The things we learn from them will ultimately reflect in the way we write music later on.

WILL YOU GUYS AT SOME POINT DO ANY SIDE PROJECTS OR IS THERE STILL A LOT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THIS BAND BEFORE WORKING ON SOMETHING ELSE?

ODI: No, side projects are definitely an option. I will not attempt it soon though because one band is enough at the moment. I am still studying, you see. Gerdus and Teejay will be doing an Afrikaans side project soon.

GERDUS: We will definitely be involved with some side projects in the near future. Teejay and I have started a production company together called G&T Productions; we are currently working on producing Holiday Murray and also a rap album for Neels Van Jaarsveld under the pseudonym The Enormous Dwarf. A sister company to G&T Productions is Vol Room Produksies, which is the Afrikaans wing, under this Teejay and I will soon be bringing out an Afrikaans acoustic album. New Holland is still very much going, we are bringing out a new single soon, making music videos and also writing and recording for the new album. The reality is that if you truly want to make a living as a musician you have to diversify to survive.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE SOCCER WORLD CUP AND WERE YOU GUYS ABLE TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS FROM IT AS WELL, OR WAS RENTING YOUR HOUSE TO FOREIGN TOURISTS NOT AN OPTION?

ODI: Ja, not an option, hey. I really enjoyed the vibe and made the most of a couple of Cape Town games. It sucks that it is over, but I do look forward to not having to book a table everywhere I want to go. We played two shows at fan parks. One was in the Velodrome after the Bafana – France game and the other was at the Waterfront before the England – Algeria game. They weren’t that great shows, hey. People don’t go to fan parks to watch bands, they go to watch soccer and drink draughts.

GERDUS: We managed to get booked for two world cup events. The one paid well, the other one not so much. The soccer world cup was generally a really great experience for me, I really enjoyed the vibe, and I think much was done to cater for some world cup exposure for musicians, everything except marketing. While there were great rigs with huge stages no marketing was done to let people know which bands played where. The result was us playing to an empty velodrome in Bellville, the same happened to the Dirty Skirts and Flash Republic.

DOES IT ALWAYS SEEM LIKE IF YOU ARE PLAYING OUTSIDE OF CAPE TOWN EVERYBODY WANTS YOU TO PLAY A CAPE TOWN SHOW AND THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

GERDUS: There is a great demand for us to play outside the Western Cape, something that we have not done as much of late. Luckily we are doing a nation wide tour in September between the 8th and the 19th. I’ve never heard anybody really wanting us to play a Cape Town show, the people here are much too nonchalant to actually ask.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM TOURING THE COUNTRY SO FAR THAT HAS MADE THE EXPERIENCE A LOT MORE FUN THE SECOND TIME AROUND?

ODI: Don’t eat Kauai when you are hung over and waiting for your flight home. Document as much as possible. One day you will be old and, at the pace we are going, properly not remember much. What happens in Durban doesn’t stay in Durban. No one is safe with networks like Facebook. Travel light and have the proper gear to protect your gear. Eat Vegetables. Stay in Back Packers. We have a beautiful country.

GERDUS: Friends are everywhere. It isn’t really as much something learned, as it is a privilege to have made as many friends as we have around the country. You immediately click into some other group’s dynamic and find yourself everybody’s friend by association. The best example of this for me was playing Splashy Fen this year, which was technically our first Durban show. As you should know this is where the City Bowl Mizers hail from, we have made good friends with them two years before on the MK Avontoer, and have hosted them once or twice in Cape Town. From the moment we arrived we partied with them, they hooked us up with tequilas and friends all round. In Durban, when you are friends with the Mizers, you are friends with everybody.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WON SOMETHING?

ODI: My second year at Varsity. Like an award. Does that count? Or must it be a prise. Because then, never. Stupid Lotto.

GERDUS: I think the only thing I won in my life was a Spiderman watch sent to me in the post by K-TV…needless to say this was a long time ago.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

ODI: We have recorded a kwaito-inspired song that we will launch as a single in August. Later in August. Adrian Louw, Luca Vin and I will make a psychedelic music video for this, which will be on MK and the web. Our designer, Hanno Van Zyl will also design collectable cards for the Oppikoppi jol. Uuuuuuuum, I think that’s it.

GERDUS: We have a new single coming out soon which will be freely downloadable. We are touring to a town near you in September. We are going to tour the coast at the end of the year. We are busy working on a new album. We love you.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

aKING

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:33:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAAN LOUW
WEBSITE: www.aking.co.za
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Melodic Rock

Interview answered by Laudo Liebenberg (Vocals/Guitar)

FOR THOSE THAT DON’T KNOW; WHY DOES HUNTER NOT APPEAR IN THE CURRENT LINE-UP OF THE BAND AND IS THERE A CHANCE HE WILL RETURN TO AKING AGAIN SOMEDAY?

Hunter, being a man of many talents, became a very busy man in a very short time and it was mutually beneficial for us to part at this stage. I don’t think he will return, but maybe we’ll work together on something else someday. All I know for now is that there’s new energy in the project and that excites me.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING YOU’VE LEARNED FROM HUNTER AS A MUSICIAN AND A PERSON OVER THE YEARS THAT YOU’VE KNOWN HIM?

I’ve learnt a lot from Hunter over the years, more than I can ever explain. We’ve known each other for a long time and with writing songs it was always comforting for me to know he’s there with me. Legend

ANDREW DAVENPORT FROM THE BAND THIEVE IS HUNTER’S REPLACEMENT. WHAT MADE HIM THE IDEAL “CANDIDATE”, AND WAS IT A CASE OF PLEASE LEARN 12 SONGS, WE HAVE A SHOW IN THREE DAYS TIME; OR DID HE HAVE A BIT OF TIME TO GET SETTLED INTO HIS NEW ROLE IN THE BAND?

Automatically we knew that Andrew would be the perfect man for the job. We’re very good friends, he’s a great vocalist and has a natural knack for music. Luckily Andrew knew the songs quite well already, so he learnt the parts quickly and went on the road with us in a mobile nightclub to lose his footing and find his feet.

SOMETHING COOL TO LOOK OUT FOR FROM YOU GUYS IS THE NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SONG “AGAINST ALL ODDS” THAT RECEIVED A LOT OF AIRPLAY ON RADIO A WHILE BACK. WAS IT JUST A CASE OF WAITING FOR THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A VIDEO THAT FIT WELL WITH THE SONG?

Yes, and a lot has changed in the last couple of months so it was important to portray a new angle of the band that’s not that serious. With the song being a feel-good song, we searched long and hard until we found the right pitch for the video.

THE BAND IS ALSO RUNNING A COMPETITION ALONG WITH THE RELEASE OF THE VIDEO. DO YOU FIND THAT EVEN THOUGH AKING HAS BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST BANDS IN THE COUNTRY, IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE FANS OTHER THAN PLAYING A SHOW IN THEIR AREA?

It is always important to communicate with fans and get them involved in whatever you’re doing.

SNAKE APPEARS AS A GOTH IN THE VIDEO. I KNOW THERE PROBABLY IS NO MEANING BEHIND HIM DRESSING IN THE VIDEO THAT WAY BUT DO YOU THINK EACH ONE OF YOU HAS LIKE A “DARK SIDE” THAT YOU DON’T ALWAYS SHOW ON THE OUTSIDE?

I think everyone has a dark side and they know it.

MAKING THE VIDEO MUST HAVE BEEN A LOT OF FUN WHICH ADDED MANY NEW AKING MEMORIES TO THOSE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. YOU WOULD PROBABLY DIE IF YOU HAD TO WORK BEHIND A DESK EIGHT HOURS A DAY AFTER EXPERIENCING EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE?

I wouldn’t have seen the country in the light that I have and meet so many crazy people, but at the moment we have an aKING HQ where we clock in to write, almost as if we’re working at Checkers. The best Checkers ever.

CAN YOU PLAY ANY OTHER INSTRUMENTS THAN THE ONES YOU PLAY IN THE BAND AND IF NOT WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LEARN IF YOU HAD THE TIME?

I can play a bit of drums as well, but would love to learn how to play piano decently.

CAN YOU SAY FROM EXPERIENCE THAT THE MORE SUCCESSFUL YOU BECOME AS A MUSICIAN THE MORE PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW IF AND WHEN YOU ARE WORKING ON AND RECORDING SOMETHING NEW EVEN THOUGH YOUR LAST ALBUM WASN’T RELEASED TO LONG AGO?

Always, but that’s great. I don’t think you should ever stop writing, you should constantly be working on something or planning the next project.

THE BEST AND WORST STAGE DIVE YOU’VE EVER SEEN?

I think that was me, I was about 20. Dove off the stage straight into the floor. My teeth will never be the same again.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Look out for the video for ‘AGAINST ALL ODDS’ screening on the 28th of July on MK-Kraakvars and there will be another video released in August.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

FOTO NA DANS

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:59:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACQUES KOUDSTAAL
WEBSITE: www.fotonadans.co.za
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Classic Progressive Rock

EVERYBODY PROBABLY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE RECORDING AND RELEASE OF YOUR NEXT ALBUM?

We’ve just finished recording our 2nd full-length album. It’s called “Die Vloed” which is also a track on the album and will be available in stores nationwide in August.

WILL THERE BE A FEW MUSICAL SURPRISES ON THIS NEW ALBUM COMPARED TO WHAT YOU GUYS DID ON YOUR LAST RELEASE “PANTOMIME OP HERWINBARE KLANKE”?

“Musical surprises” is quite a relative term. The album takes you on a joyride with unexpected clever twists and turns which will thrill one listener and terrify the other. This is the closest we’ve come to writing a well-rounded album. There’s something for the ballad enthusiasts, electronica for those who like to hit the dance floor and rock and roll which forms the majority of the album.

IS IT HARD TO KEEP YOUR INNER PERFECTIONIST AT BAY SOMETIMES WHEN IT COMES TO DECIDING IF A SONG IS DONE OR NOT?

It depends on the song. Some songs are best left in their pure form and need no frills or fuss and then again some songs you can struggle for days on end and end up right where you started. It’s even harder these days with the unlimited amount of virtual instruments available. With a click of a button you can have the backing of a symphony orchestra.

HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS FOR THE NEW ALBUM WITH PREVIOUS EFFORTS AND HOW WOULD YOU SAY EACH OF YOU HAVE GROWN AS SONGWRITERS OVER THE YEARS?

We recorded all of our previous material in Boksburg, which isn’t much of a pleasant experience seeing as for one its Boksburg and secondly being away from home. This time round we recorded in our hometown and with the freedom to record when we felt like it. We realised that, when it comes to composing, too many cooks can spoil the broth, especially when there are 5 members with careers or studies. We left the writing and producing of the new material almost entirely to Neil. The poor man hardly left the studio for six months.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD A GREAT SONG IDEA BUT FORGOT IT?

Every other day! One day it’s a lyric, one day it’s a melody. For some reason it always happens when you least expect it and obviously there’s no pen or stray guitar lying around.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE WRITING MUSIC WITH THE SAME VIBE THAT HAS WORKED IN THE PAST WITH TRYING SOMETHING NEW WITH THE BAND’S SOUND?

There are certain personal characteristics that, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t escape them. It’s just who you are, for example the colour of your eyes. It’s the same with writing songs. Certain progressions are just the way you hear music. Writing new material is influenced by what you’re currently enjoying to listening to. That’s the formula, combining what you currently enjoy with the way you hear the music progress.

A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE BAND EXPLORING NEW MUSICAL AVENUES WAS THE COLLABORATION YOU DID WITH FLASH REPUBLIC CALLED DANS REPUBLIC. HOW DID THAT COLLABORATION COME ABOUT AND WILL THERE BE MORE DANS REPUBLIC SONGS IN THE FUTURE?

Dans Republic was born in a venue in Jo’burg thanks to an equal appreciation for Jagermeister. The project was a great success and thanks to it we allocated a lot of English fans, who’d never listened to Afrikaans music beforehand. We’ve made jokes about collaborating for an album. Both bands are launching new albums and hopefully we can collaborate again in the near future.

ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING FORWARD TO HITTING THE ROAD AGAIN ONCE YOUR NEW ALBUM IS OUT AND BRANCHING OUT TO AS MANY PLACES AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE COUNTRY?

Absolutely! This new album has been in the developing stages for almost a year now, so we’ve been dying to get the new material out there.

IN YOUR OPINION HAS THE BAND REACHED THE LEVEL LIVE THAT YOU ORIGINALLY WANTED TO WHEN STARTING OUT AND IF SO WHAT ARE YOUR NEW GOALS WHEN IT COMES TO LIVE PERFORMANCES?

Starting out we didn’t have expectations about our live performances. We started because we felt an urge to jam. It was only after our first album that we realised how big of a challenge it was to play our material live and maintain an energetic presence on stage. We are quite happy with what we’ve achieved so far, but that doesn’t say anything about how the new material will sound live. Our goal is to put on a production that is tangible in quality. That is performing professionally with high levels of energy and ensuring high quality of production (lights and sound).

SOME MUSICIANS LOVE THE ATTENTION THAT COMES WITH PLAYING IN A BAND BUT OTHERS LOVE IT IN THE BEGINNING BUT HATE IT LATER ON; WHERE WOULD YOU SAY YOU FALL IN; AND WHEN YOU THINK BACK WAS IT WEIRD AND FUNNY IN A WAY TO SEE YOURSELF ON TV THE FIRST TIME?

I think all musicians appreciate and welcome attention. You’re putting yourself “out there” playing in a band and opening yourself to the attention and criticism. Otherwise you would’ve continued jamming in your garage/basement. I have to add that things do get weird on occasions. Mostly kids forget that you’re actually a person and tend to do out of the ordinary things.

I get the same sensation seeing myself on TV as I had as a kid recording my friend and myself on a tape deck pretending to host a radio show. At first you can’t believe your voice is so screechy and irritating, but after a while you get used to it and become more comfortable with it. To be honest, it’s still pretty weird.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

We’re kicking off our nationwide tour in September. Starting in Bloemfontein on the first of September and working our way through the northern part of the country and finishing off with a coastal stretch back home to Cape-Town. Go check out our website www.fotonadans.co.za, our Facebook (www.facebook.com/fotonadans / www.myspace.com/fotonadans) profile or our Myspace page for details on our upcoming tour. While you’re there make sure to check out our 5 part in studio documentary! The documentary will also air on MK starting July 26.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

HAIL THE SUN

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:16:00 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILD OAK RECORDS
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/hailthesun
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Alternative / Progressive / Rock

Interview answered by Donovan Melero (Drums/Vocals) and Shane Gann (Guitar/Vocals)

YOUR SONGS HAVE REALLY STRANGE AND COOL STRUCTURES. HOW DO YOU GUYS USUALLY APPROACH THE SONG WRITING PROCESS?

DONOVAN: Thank you. We try not to write songs, but instead birth them, naturally, with no pain meds.

SHANE: We invite a toddler into our practice space, and play a game where we all make funny faces, then whoever the child looks at has to play something for as long as the child continues gazing upon them When the gaze moves to someone else, that person gets to play something. The process repeats until the toddler becomes more interested in the taste of the carpet than our faces, at which point we deem the song “complete.” Then we take a recording of that, and separate, and write our respective parts for the song.

DONOVAN: I personally love musical surprises, where you don’t expect what actually happens. There are soft parts into fast parts, melodic parts into different melodic parts, key changes, time signature changes, all that jazz. It shows in our more recent songs on the album “Sleep Now and Forever Wet Your Dreams”, “Crying is Only Manly if Splinters Come Out”, and “Ready or Not, There I Go”. Even in the older song “Railmaster” there are traces of these things. And we like to do anything that makes songs different from one another, and memorable in their own way; for example the arguing and accelerando in “Railmaster”, the hand claps and whoooos in “Ready or Not”, the trumpet and ofttimes in “Orion”, etc. As far as structure goes, we just write what we would want to hear next, and most of the time the songs end up rounding themselves. Shane and Aric are both perfect matches, and always surprise me with what they can come up with. We are never in a rut for too long before we write a part we are happy with. We like our songs like we like our women- soft, petite, but deadly.

THE BAND’S DEBUT ALBUM TITLED “POW! RIGHT IN THE KISSER!” WAS RELEASED IN MAY. DID YOU GUYS FIRST GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RECORDING AS MANY DEMOS AS POSSIBLE TO FIND YOUR SOUND BEFORE YOU WENT ON TO RECORD THE ALBUM?

DONOVAN: Aric and I recorded demos of some of the songs that are on the album in sporadic blocks of time in the summer of 2009. We had already formed a fraction of the type of sound you hear on the album during that time, and even from late 2007 on. But it wasn’t until Shane graced the band that we really hit the kitten on the head, in the best way possible. Our style got even more evolved with that man.

SHANE: Yes, and we polled a sample pool of people indigenous to the Pacific Ocean to decide which sound was most popular throughout the masses.

DONOVAN: The three of us started mating our styles and riffs together, recording a few other demo songs, and it was nothing short of slimy. As if that wasn’t enough, our bromance of sound was completed in January 2010 when John took over the bass after our original bassist left. We asked him to fill in for our first tour of CA last minute, and he learned all the songs on his own. Our first show with the final line-up was the first show of our tour.

After that, we carefully calculated a way to manipulate John into joining the band in an occasion where he thought he was just going to get a free sundae at McDonalds. We went into the studio in March 2010 and had our record release show May 21, 2010. It was during this time that we discovered the sum of our talent + the smell of the control room - the sleep we didn’t get multiplied by Polly Pocket sales divided by fairy pixie dust = our sound. It was truly an amazing (cliche) experience. We actually recorded the whole album live in the studio at first in an 8 hour sweatshop session.

Then a few weeks later, we completely scratched those sessions and tracked the instruments from scratch because we thought we could do better. It was painstaking, and most of the sessions were between the hours of 10pm-8am, but needed to be done. We learned how to be zombies during that time.

THE ALBUM CAN ALSO BE DOWNLOADED FOR FREE AT HTTP://HAILTHESUN.BANDCAMP.COM. BY GIVING YOUR ALBUM AWAY FOR FREE, IN WHAT OTHER WAYS HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT THE BAND FINANCIALLY?

SHANE: We don’t. We’re poor. We’re thinking of selling vampire blood.

DONOVAN: The whole bandcamp thing is actually a very recent development. On our tour we sold hard copies of the album. It was only $5 and included artwork, booklet, and CD cases. This was successful. But in the current music world, offering free DL of your music is a sure way to get people who like you to listen to it, and it’s not a big hassle. We are not all about the money, but we do like it. In fact we love it, and we are all about the money. Except we are not. SO…to tour, and make merchandise, and pay our amazing engineer and close friend Fernando Macias-Jimenez, we did it the old fashioned way: saved up according to a budget.

A lot goes on behind the scenes with us, that doesn’t just include cuddling and Candyland late night board games. We actually take careful note of every dollar we spend and make. We created a very accurate budget for making our album and going on the summer 2010 tour. We then divided that number by 4 like we learned in fahrst grade, and each member contributed that over several months. The cool thing is that everyone in the band is super cool about contributing, and understands the importance of pleasing Mr. Cashman, so there’s no dispute. When we sell albums, sell merch, and get paid by the venue we end up making some of the money we spent back, and that sits there for the process to start all over again. Oh, and we’re hookers.

WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS STILL LIKE TO ATTEMPT MUSICALLY WITH THIS BAND BECAUSE THE COOL THING ABOUT MUSIC IS THAT YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW ALMOST EVERY DAY?

SHANE: *Sappy alert* We’d really just love to continue to make music together, and share what we’re proud of with the world. It’s amazing to find a group of people who mesh so well, and come up with such exciting music; too ask for anything more would just be greedy.

NOT MANY BANDS VOCALISTS PLAY THE DRUMS WHILE PERFORMING THE VOCALS AS WELL. WAS IT SOMETHING THAT WORKED RIGHT FROM THE START OR DID IT TAKE A WHILE TO GET USE TO?

SHANE: I don’t know. I play guitar.

DONOVAN: A little bit of both. I have always loved singing, especially to the mockingbirds outside my window on a crisp Sunday morning. Once Aric and I started jamming and writing our own songs, separate of our old high school band, I would just sing the vocal parts I heard in my head. Doctor said it would help distract me from the voices I heard at night.

It was about this time also that Aric and I moved up to Chico to go to school (where we later met our toy things John and Shane), so we didn’t really know any other musicians in the area. It just stuck that way even when we started getting serious and playing shows. There was a brief period in the summer of 2009, before Shane and John were in the band, where we had a drummer play with us and I just played guitar while we were home in Ventura, CA. And it was fun. But once we were back in Chico, I hopped back to my throne, and things have been that way since. The only challenge is having enough stamina and energy to perform 100% the whole show. It’s easy to run out of breath. We also had to work on our live show.

Because there is no official ‘frontman’, Shane, John and Aric have to be frontmen, and be entertaining. I will come out to the front during certain parts of our songs with no drums and sing. I think this combination makes for a very spontaneous live show, which we will discuss later.

YOUR FAVOURITE LYRIC FROM ONE OF YOUR SONGS?

SHANE: If I could block out these sounds for just fifteen minutes, maybe then I’d get some feeling back between my ears.

DONOVAN: My favorite lyric on the album is the very last line that closes the record. “I’m the way I’d hate to be.” I believe this line was thought up as a band effort. That or “Lets F*** anyway.” It’s a theme for life.

THE COOLEST PLACE YOU’VE TRAVELLED TO SO FAR?

DONOVAN: The coolest place I’ve travelled so far is Wingstop in Orange County. Oh! And the mystic swamp pools of old man Ozz. Dark, Dark days.

SHANE: John’s parents’ house.

ARE YOU ALWAYS A BIT NERVOUS BEFORE A SHOW BUT FIND YOURSELF HAVING A COMPLETE BLAST ON STAGE AS SOON AS YOU PLAY THOSE FIRST FEW NOTES?

SHANE: No…yes…

DONOVAN: Right before a show I am so nervous that I turn into an etch-a-sketch. I quickly evolve into Voltorb, pokemon #100, but not before I lose control of my speech, and talk with an accent similar to that of a hybrid leprechaun-elf, both of which are part of the same Phylum and Species. By that time, I forget why I was nervous to begin with, and I have a blast.

WHICH BAND MEMBER HAS THE BEST STAGE MOVES?

DONOVAN: John. Hands down, no doubt.

SHANE: John Stirrat, Lord of the Dance.

DONOVAN: Actually, Mr. Miagi.

HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS EVER CRIED (OR WANTED TO CRY) DURING A MOVIE?

SHANE: No. Crying Is Only Manly If Splinters Come Out.

DONOVAN: My tears are made of acid. Yes, I have.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

SHANE: Our sex tape will be out this fall quarter; look for it in the checkout at your local supermarket!

DONOVAN: There are tons of awesome bands out there today, locally, who are just amazing. Check out The Rhythm Kills, The Speed of Sound in Seawater, Mute Witness, Airborne Age and Harris Grade. They don’t play games.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

THIS DYING WORLD

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:43:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY J.K FROM YWAM MINISTRIES
WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/ThisDyingWorld
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Christian Metal / Hardcore

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MAKING MUSIC AND HOW DID IT ALL BUILD UP TO WHAT WE SEE AS “THIS DYING WORLD” TODAY?

Well as a band we’ve been making music since January 2009, we started in small practices room at a place called Pneumatix, it is an arts and ministry training school, Wimpie finished his theological and music studies with them. From there the band went through quite a long period of getting sorted out with members before hitting the stage and ever since we got on the scene we’ve just started growing and playing shows on a regular basis.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU GUYS TO LABEL YOUR BAND AS A “CHRISTIAN METAL/HARDCORE” BAND INSTEAD OF JUST A METAL/HARDCORE BAND IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

We don’t care much for labels, people can call us whatever they like, but we feel that it is important for people to know where we stand: we are five guys who have committed ourselves to serving God and living for Him in every way possible, including music. We will never force our beliefs on anyone, but we are always open to discussions or questions relating to our faith.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR FAITH INFLUENCE THE MUSIC THE BAND WRITES?

It definitely influences the music in a more positive way in terms of lyrics but otherwise our faith can only make us want to push our music further to progress in our instruments we play and to not go our talents go to “waste” and get better at what we do, whether it is musically or lyrically.

DO YOU GUYS HAVE LIKE THESE ONE OR TWO SUPER SONGWRITERS IN THE BAND THAT COMES UP WITH MOST OF THE SONG IDEAS OR IS THE WRITING PROCESS ALWAYS A GROUP EFFORT?

Christian writes most of the lyrics himself. Otherwise we do sometimes get together for the writing of the music and work on it but there is often a group effort in general. Don or Ryan would come up with a tab, they will then send it to Paul to add a drum track to it, Wimpie then adds the bass line and the tab makes its way to Christian to incorporate the lyrics. When all of us are satisfied with the complete tab, we will start learning our individual parts and begin working on it together when we get together for practice, which normally happens on Saturdays.

ARE YOU GUYS ALWAYS WORKING ON SOMETHING NEW AND HOW MANY SONGS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE IN YOUR SET LIST AND WHICH ONES STAND OUT AS YOUR FAVOURITES?

Currently we play 5 songs in our set with some random improvisation lately, we are generally always writing new things, our favourites is most definitely: Revival, The Final Chapter and Judgement with a chance.

WILL THE BAND RELEASE AN EP OR AN ALBUM ANY TIME SOON AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE HAVE A LISTEN TO YOUR SONGS?

We will not be officially releasing any albums/EPs soon, since we are very limited in resources at the moment and still got a lot of writing to do for it. We do have one song which can be listened to and downloaded on our Facebook page, we are also preparing a Myspace.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE ON ROTATION IN YOUR CD PLAYERS / IPOD’S / MOBILE PHONES OR ANY OTHER MUSIC PLAYING DEVICE AT THE MOMENT?

All inclusive that we all tend to listen would be bands like: A plea for purging, Veil of Maya, Born of Osiris, August Burns Red, The Chariot, The Crimson Armada, As I Lay Dying and Earth From Above.

WHICH LIVE SHOW WOULD YOU PUT AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST OF BEST SO FAR AND WHY?

We played a gig at Muzone in Brackenfell awhile ago, was quite a nice crowd, we had a pretty decent wall of death going during our set with some random moshing, that was truly a show we will never forget.

HAVE YOU GUYS EVER REGRETTED PLAYING AT A CERTAIN SHOW OR IS EVERY SHOW A BAND PLAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A HIGHER LEVEL IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER IN YOUR OPINION?

We do not regret any shows, even though we have had some terrible gigs in the past. We see every gig as an opportunity to grow as band and to have some sort of impact on people’s lives, even if it is just one person.

ALL ONE EVER HEARS IS THAT THE LOCAL SOUTH AFRICAN SCENE IS SO SMALL AND THIS AND THAT, BUT DO YOU FIND THAT GREAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE AROUND IF YOU WORK HARD ENOUGH?

The scene isn’t that big, especially with the hardcore/metal genre but it is most definitely true that if you work hard and have a good relationship with the people that supports you and like what they see at the shows you can go to great heights achieving your goals. Great opportunities can arise regardless of the size of the scene, you just need to keep at it and never give up. “South Africa is ALIVE with POSSIBLITIES” just keep looking for opportunities to grow and you will find it.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

BE sure to come to our next gig if you have not yet seen us. September we are playing a festival in Robertson, so bring your tents and do the road trip. But most insane news thus far is Becoming The Archetype is coming to South Africa, we’re stoked to be sharing the stage with them and we most definitely recommend you come see them whilst they’re here in South Africa!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:59:00 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF MYSPACE.COM
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/thejoshscogin
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Acoustic / Folk Rock

BECAUSE YOU ARE KNOWN AS THE LEAD SINGER OF A HEAVY BAND (THE CHARIOT) A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME SOUNDED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO WHAT I EXPECTED. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS PROJECT HAS “SURPRISED” MANY PEOPLE AND SHOWN FANS A DIFFERENT SIDE OF YOUR PERSONALITY?

I feel like it probably has came as a shock to some people, but this is just as much “me” as The Chariot is. “I am a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll.”

MANY OF THE SONGS ARE WRITTEN FOR YOUR WIFE, APRIL (ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA). WOULD YOU SAY THAT A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE LYRICS THAT YOU NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO WITH THE CHARIOT?

Well, yeah, in a way……. With The Chariot I usually start off with like pages of lyrics and the challenge is always to fit the same passion that comes from all of those pages and place them in like a 2 min punk rock song, with odd skips and changes and syncopation’s. With A Rose, the challenge is more how can I get the same passion expressed with ONLY my lyrics and maybe an acoustic guitar. I don’t have the luxury of screaming and feedback and heavy guitars and driving beats and such. So lyrically it can actually be MORE challenging.

DO YOU FIND THAT YOU SOMETIMES HAVE AN IDEA FOR A SONG AND THEN YEARS JUST GO BY AND THEN SOME DAY THAT IDEA JUST FINDS ITS PLACE IN ONE OF THE SONGS YOU ARE WORKING ON?

All the time. In fact I am currently writing for our new The Chariot record and it looks like we are going to use an idea that I wrote back in our first record. Only time will tell if it will actually see the light of day but as of now it feels like it will. I am sure the same is with A Rose, but I have only done 1 record so far.

ARE THERE CERTAIN LYRICS THAT YOU STILL CONSIDER AS THE BEST YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN AND IF SO, WHY ARE THEY SO CLOSE TO YOUR HEART TO THIS DAY?

It would be hard to pick a favourite, but I really like when lyrics have a double meaning and they can start off as one thing and yet mean something totally different to other people. This happens a lot with art but one particular situation is with a song we have called Yanni Depp. That whole song is totally rooted in my child hood and speaks to me on such a variety of personal levels, and yet people talk to me all the time about what the song means to them and how it has spoke to their situation they may be currently in……….that is the beautiful thing about art.

THE FIRST LONG AWAITED A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME ALBUM TITLED “ONE FOR MY MASTER, ONE FOR MY DAME” WAS RELEASED IN MAY. HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT RECORDING THE ALBUM AND WERE THERE CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT YOU WANTED TO INVOLVE IN THE PROCESS FROM THE START?

Well, I was very much just “winging it.” I knew I wanted Matt Goldman to do the record (He has done all of The Chariot records and probably will continue to do so) other then him though, the other people that are involved (lou from Gasoline Heart, and a couple of others here and there) most of the time were just spur of the moment. I would just hear that they were in town and since I could not hang out because I was in the studio at the time, they would come by and throw something on the record.

SINCE YOU WORKED ON THE ALBUM FOR FOUR YEARS IN BETWEEN YOUR COMMITMENTS FOR THE CHARIOT WAS THERE A LOT OF MATERIAL TO CHOOSE FROM WHEN IT FINALLY WAS TIME TO RECORD THEM OR DID YOU JUST FINISH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SONGS AND THEN HEADED INTO THE STUDIO?

Yeah, well I recorded maybe 3 or 4 other songs that did not end up on the record. A few of those were more up beat songs and I like them a lot, but I tend to gravitate more towards sad songs. I am a sucker for a sad song. So the songs I picked totally seemed to flow and have a place. I am not sure at this point if the others will see the light of day or not, only time will tell.

THIS PROJECT IS INDEPENDENT AND YOU HAVE NO FINANCIAL OR PROMOTIONAL HELP FROM ANY LABELS. WHAT HAS SUPPORT FOR A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME BEEN LIKE SO FAR AND ARE YOU HOPING TO GET A LABEL INVOLVED AT A LATER STAGE?

As of now I don’t really want a label. They can totally be a blessing but they are totally a curse as well in some regards. Since The Chariot is always so busy and so active it helps not having any pressure to tour with A Rose when I don’t have the time and also not having anyone to tell me how they think I should go about doing what I am doing. I like it just being personal and free.

IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO PERFORM THESE SONGS LIVE WILL YOU DO IT SOLO OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET A FEW OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED AS WELL AND PUT A COOL LIVE BAND TOGETHER?

Well, I am doing a small run in July and it will just be me and a drummer. I use a lot of tricks though. I have a couple of loop pedals other things that make it feel pretty big.

SOME IMPROMPTU SHOWS ARE PROBABLY A BIGGER REALITY THAN A FULL ON TOUR. HOW IS JOSH SCOGIN’S DIARY LOOKING THESE DAYS?

I am all over the place these days. I mean even right now, I am writing for The Chariot/booking a tour for A Rose and producing a few bands on the side. It is healthy for me to keep active though. I get bored way too quick. Plus it keeps my artistic juices flowing, if that ever stops I would probably die.

YOU SEEM TO BE ONE OF THOSE MUSICIANS THAT ARE ALWAYS ON THE ROAD OR WORKING ON SOMETHING MUSICALLY. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE A BRAKE FROM MUSIC SOMETIMES AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR DRIVE TO CREATE COMES FROM?

Well, as I said before, if I am ever not creating (or attempting to create) I don’t know what I would do with myself. I would probably implode or something, art is very much my drug. I think it is much healthier then other drugs but I am very much so addicted to say the least at this point. I am okay with that.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Well, A Rose is touring this July and The Chariot will be recording in August……….so look out for those and thanks for any and all support. Cheers.

Josh
The Chariot / A Rose

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

NEVER GOT CAUGHT

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:06:00 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEVERGOTCAUGHT.COM
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/theywantmore
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Rock

Questions answered by Billy (Drums)

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN AWAY WITH SOMETHING BIG OR SMALL AND MADE PEOPLE BELIEVE IT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE AND WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST “TROUBLEMAKER” IN THE BAND?

Well, I’m no master thief or anything but I have had a lot of luck steering clear of Buford T Justice. I think our Bassist is the biggest trouble maker in the band, he’s always doing crimes, he likes to get sushi and not pay.

WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL IDEA FOR THE SOUND THAT YOU WANTED THIS BAND TO HAVE AND HOW CLOSE WOULD YOU SAY THE BAND HAS COME TO THAT SOUND?

We originally wanted the band to sound aggressive without coming off as angry. We also wanted to have some slower, dark sounding songs; I think Creepshow has that type of feel. Lately we’ve just been trying to write of the kind of music we want to hear without worrying too much about what type of audience it will appeal to.

THE BAND USES “VINTAGE” GEAR AND HAS A BIT OF AN OLD SCHOOL VIBE TO IT. WHO WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOU AS A MUSICIAN TO THIS DAY?

Other than the obvious legendary ones, the drummers I’ve seen the most have had an influence on me. There was a band from Boston, called Stompbox, who my old band Tree used to do a lot of shows with. Their drummer, Zeph Courtney, was real good. I’ve also played a lot of shows with Clutch, so J.P. Gastor has had an effect on my style I’m sure. My brother Bryan, who sings and plays guitar in Never Got Caught, can also lay down some real original sounding beats. There’s a lot I could list but I think the ones I’ve played a lot of shows with that creep into my style almost unconsciously.

As far as song writing goes, I try and get ideas from movie scenes.

YOUR LATEST ALBUM IS TITLED “CREEPSHOW”. WHY DID YOU GUYS CHOOSE THAT TITLE AND DO YOU GET CREEPED OUT BY THINGS EASILY OR AT THIS POINT IN YOUR LIVES YOU MUST HAVE PROBABLY SEEN EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED TO SEE?

We chose the title Creepshow because it loosely tied in the lyrical content of most of the songs, dark, down and out, shady.

WILL MOST OF THIS YEAR BE DEDICATED TO TOURING OR ARE YOU GUYS ALREADY WORKING ON YOUR NEXT RELEASE?

We are working on new material now but we are always trying to get in front of a new audience. We’re hoping to get another tour or two going before the fall, if not we’ll keep writing. We’re hoping to have something new to release in the late fall.

HAVE YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEMPT DIFFERENTLY ON YOUR NEXT ALBUM COMPARED TO YOUR PREVIOUS ALBUMS?

We are trying not to push our new songs towards any specific sound, we try to let each song find its own identity and then decide if it works for the band or not. A lot my brother comes in with great song ideas that just don’t seem to fit with our other material. We try to be conscious not to change them to make them fit, if they don’t, they don’t.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT THE SONG WRITING PROCESS AND IN WHAT MINDSET DO YOU USUALLY HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN TO WRITE YOUR BEST?

For me, the best part of writing songs is when it comes easily. I think if the ideas flow together easily it makes the song more exciting to write. You get a certain rush when you know you got something good happening and its coming without much of a struggle. We try to keep an open mind to each other’s opinions when we write; we try every idea at least once.

IS THERE ONE SONG THAT HAS KIND OF BECOME A BAND FAVOURITE AND WILL ALMOST NEVER DISAPPEAR FROM YOUR SET LIST?

There are a few songs that make it into our set list consistently, Charlotte 2 comes to mind, we try to switch it up though.

NOW THAT THE BAND HAS BEEN GOING FOR A FEW YEARS WOULD YOU SAY FANS FROM THE PREVIOUS BANDS THAT YOU HAVE PERFORMED IN HAVE EMBRACED NEVER GOT CAUGHT WITH OPEN ARMS OR IS IT TRUE THAT WHEN YOU BEGIN A NEW BAND YOU BASICALLY START AT THE BEGINNING AGAIN?

I would say it’s more like starting over. There are a lot of familiar faces at the shows but the scene has changed a lot, torches have been passed.

I GUESS YOU GUYS ARE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT ONE WILL NEVER SEE BEHIND DESK. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE AS A MUSICIAN?

I think it’s being able to affect people; the idea is to make something that will become a kind of soundtrack to someone’s party or their drive home from work or any small increment of their life. Also just getting to meet cool people in faraway places, there’s a lot of good out there.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Look out for new Never Got Caught in the fall; check out Creepshow, if you dig it you know what’s up.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

SCALE THE SUMMIT

Thu, 27 May 2010 09:24:00 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCALETHESUMMIT.COM
WEBSITE: www.scalethesummit.com
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Progressive / Experimental / Metal

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU BECAME AWARE OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AS A GENRE AND WHAT MADE YOU THINK “THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO AS WELL”?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: I grew up listening to instrumental music. My dad played multiple instruments growing up and passed that along to me. Ever since I could remember it was Jos Satriani playing on the stereo. It probably took until about 19 years old before I decided that instrumental music was what I wanted to play full time. I had played in a normal technical metal band for a year or so when me and Travis (other STS guitarist) decided to move out to Cali to further work on our guitar skills at Musicians Institute.

Only a couple months there and we had already started writing music, looking for other guys to complete our band… not knowing that we were going to play instrumental music. After we finished our first song, we set back and thought about what we had wrote and decided that it felt full enough as is, so we didn’t add vocals. From then on out, we all liked the idea of playing instrumental music, and here we are today, a full time instrumental band. Its great!

WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE BAND AND SAW YOU USING SEVEN AND EIGHT STRING GUITARS I WAS EXPECTING SUPER HEAVY DOWN-TUNED MAYHEM BUT WHAT I HEARD WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. DO YOU GET THAT REACTION FROM PEOPLE A LOT?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: Haha, yes, we get that all of the time. People use to write us asking how we used 8 strings, when they didn’t hear any low tuned chuggy parts. I would just explain to them that we went the opposite direction and tuned one low and one high string, with standard tuning 6 string in the middle, instead of the 2 low. I found more use with that tuning, as you could make bigger chords, extended melodies, etc… It really helped to push my writing boundaries.

THE COOL THING ABOUT AN INSTRUMENT IS THAT YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW ALMOST EVERY DAY. WHAT PLAYING TECHNIQUE HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOUR PLAYING STYLE AFTER YOU LEARNED TO MASTER IT?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: I would say string skipping on guitar. I like the large interval jumps, and I think that sort of sound really stands out a lot in our music. Thats one thing that I love about music and playing an instrument is you can never learn everything! Keep life forever fresh.

ONE GUITARIST USES A SEVEN STRING WHILE THE OTHER ONE USES AN EIGHT STRING. IS IT HARD DURING THE WRITING PROCESS TO FIND AND STAY IN KEY WITH ONE ANOTHER SOMETIMES?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: Not at all, we are all trained in theory, so writing is very smooth with zero problems.

If you look at the tuning stacked it’s easy to see how it lines up.

BEADGBE - 7 String.
BEDAGBEG - 8 String.

We basically have the same tuning, except I have a extra high G string, which like every guitar player knows, there is already a G string on the guitar, so it’s really nothing new.

IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING THE SOUND YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU MUST HAVE USED A LOT OF DIFFERENT GUITAR AND DRUM BRANDS OVER THE YEARS. HAS THE ROAD TO FINDING YOUR IDEAL INSTRUMENT BEEN A LONG ONE?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: Not really, I think a person’s sound really comes from them. I could recreate our sound on any electric guitar and high gain amp with ease. I would say that our sound is really distinguished by our chord and melodic construction on guitar, and then the bass and drum parts that are written afterwards.

DO YOU LIKE TO EXPERIMENT A LOT WITH DIFFERENT AMPS AND PEDALS AND IS THERE STILL A PIECE OF GEAR THAT IS ON YOUR WISH LIST; AND HAS TOURING WITH A BAND LIKE DREAM THEATER GIVEN YOU BETTER IDEAS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR OWN LIVE SHOW EVEN MORE WHEN IT COMES TO GEAR?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: I’m not too in to trying tons of amps. I know a lot of guys in the guitar scene that are gear heads and they seem to be trying new stuff all of the time which seems to make them pretty stressed. For the past 5 years I had played an ENGL amp, and just recently switched over to Mesa Boogie Mark V and a Mesa Stiletto cab. I love the new Mesa head. Definitely hearing it every night out on the road with Dream Theater helped me to get a great idea of what you could accomplish with Mesa, so I thank John Petrucci for pounding my head with it every night, haha.

I would have to say the biggest thing we got from them was stage lightning for shows. Granted, this all comes down to budget, the bigger, the better the light show is. As the opening band on that tour our budget was nowhere near theirs, but we’ll get there. We are brainstorming ideas for our stage show every week when off of the road. Thinking about adding in some imagery to our stage show with some sort of video projection. I think that would really help set the vibe/mood for our music being able to see images or video with color, etc… Should be interesting.

THE MOST FUN YOU’VE EVER HAD ON THE ROAD, AND IF YOU COULD PERFORM WITH ANY BAND AGAIN WHO WOULD IT BE?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: Dream Theater tour was by far the most fun I have had on the road and the most relaxing at the same time. Everything is so well organized on larger scale tours like that. Plus Dream Theater are top notch professionals when it comes to every aspect of touring. We would drive up at our scheduled load in time, there would be venue employees there to unload our gear and move it inside, we would then proceed to catering, where everything was ready and waiting for us. That was probably the most spoiling of the entire thing, food already cooked, and good food that that. I hate eating fast food on the road, when on top of the less amounts of sleep you are getting, you are eating unhealthy, not fun for sure.

So besides that, the shows ran really smooth with little ease and zero problems. Their crew was very helpful and did their job well. Definitely would like to tour with Dream Theater again in the future. The Between The Buried and Me tour in Jan was awesome as well, mainly because we were in a bus on that tour, so we didn’t handle any of the driving. That was fantastic. Basically go to sleep at the end of the night and wake up outside the next venue. Spoiled I guess.

I SEE ON YOUR MYSPACE THAT THE BAND WILL BE PERFORMING NEW SONGS LIVE FROM JUNE ONWARDS. WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT AND IS THERE A NEW ALBUM ON THE WAY ANY TIME SOON?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: You got it. We’ll be playing brand new songs on all tours from here on out for the rest of the year. We are all really excited about the new stuff. From our most recent album to the one we are working on now, there has been some evolving like never before. Not that we have changed our “sound” by any means, but we are clearly progressing and playing more with each other, it’s awesome.

We’re trying out a couple of new approaches to song writing that I think people are definitely going to be shocked by and really get into. We’ll be performing around 2-3 new songs each show, all which sound surprisingly different when I handled the writing for all of them. They all have really great vibes, color, and feel to them. As for the next record’s release date. We are looking to enter the studio in the fall with a projected early 2011 release…. and then consistent touring worldwide.

YOUR SONG “THE GREAT PLAINS” HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE ROCK BAND GAME. IT IS AMAZING HOW TECHNOLOGY IS ALWAYS FINDING NEW AND EXCITING WAYS FOR MUSICIANS TO CONNECT WITH THEIR FANS. EXCEPT FOR SHOWS, HOW DO YOU GUYS LIKE TO INTERACT WITH FANS?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: Yes, the Rock Band thing is definitely awesome. It’s cool to think back when I started this band I had no idea where me and the guys would end up, especially not on a video game. Its great promotion and for the people that already know of us, get to jam out on our music in the easiest possible form, haha. Even though, on a side note, I’m terrible at Rock Band.

As for interacting with our fans, me and a few of the other guys (as our fans know), write back every piece of fan mail we get… even though majority of it will be from me. Via email, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube comments, letters, etc… We get back to every single one. It’s really cool spending all the time getting back to our fans and seeing how excited they are to get a response from us. I like people to know that we are real people as well and glad to see how many of them really appreciate it! We also come out during shows, after our set and mingle, talk with fans, sign stuff, etc…. That when you really see excitement in people, scares me a little at times, haha.

NOW THAT THE BAND IS SIGNED AND HAS REACHED A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SUCCESS WHAT ASPECTS OF THAT DIY ATTITUDE THAT GOT YOU SINGED IN THE FIRST PLACE STILL REMAINS WITH THE BAND TODAY AND WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS STILL LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS BAND?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: Everything actually. I’m still very stubborn in not wanting to let anyone take over anything that has to do with this band. Basically how I look at everything, is whatever work you put in is what you will get out. So still to this day I do just has much promoting and hard work as I did before we were signed, except now I have help from the label for advertising and budget help, our agent for booking shows, etc… So in a way they take the load of from the really time consuming parts, which opens up more time for me to spend writing and interacting with fans. I actually still run our merch store full time when we are not on the road.

I think as far as accomplishments for the future, we would all like to tour a little more full time than we have been, and make it overseas. I would like to get a Steve Vai and Satriani tour under our belt as well as go to South America and Europe with Dream Theater. We were invited on the Prog Nation South America tour with them in March, but at the time we didn’t have the budget to make it happen sadly. Hopefully we’ll get another invite in the future. So, tour tour tour, and keep releasing many more albums!

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

CHRIS LETCHFORD: First, thanks for doing the interview! And a big thanks to all of our fans that have been supporting and listening to our music and for all you new readers, make sure to check us out online and on the road later this year. Everyone be on the lookout for our next full length release, should be releasing a new song online before the year is up!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

WHITE COLLAR KISS

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:45:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID SESSIONS
WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/whitecollarkiss
COUNTRY: South Africa l STYLE: Rock

THE BAND RECENTLY FINISHED RECORDING ITS DEBUT ALBUM TITLED FLUORESCENT. WAS IT AL SMOOTH SAILING GETTING THE ALBUM WRITTEN AND FINISHED?

Well, it was a long process, very much a learning experience. We had a lot of unforeseen challenges, but ultimately a very exciting and rewarding result! But in all the challenges, it was an opportunity to find ourselves musically as we furthered in the recording process. We were extremely lucky to be working with great engineers and producers, especially the head engineer, Louis Henn!

TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOU DECIDED ON THE ALBUM TITLE FLUORESCENT AND WERE THERE A FEW OTHER TITLES YOU CONSIDERED?

We really loved the imagery that Fluorescent presented, a clean, yet powerful edge, which is a lot like our music. We had a long meeting about the name of the album, but after all the suggestions, Fluorescent just stuck, and we are so excited to release it in July!

ARE MOST OF YOUR SONGS ABOUT LOVE AND LIFE IN GENERAL OR DO YOU HAVE A FEW FIXED SUBJECTS THAT YOU LIKE TO WRITE LYRICS ABOUT ALL THE TIME?

Our lyrics are mostly relationship based and inter-personal, they convey imagery that a lot of people can relate to, stuff that happens between people everyday.

DOES THE MUSIC YOU GUYS (AND GIRL) LISTEN TO ON A DAILY BASIS FALL UNDER THE SAME GENRE AS THE MUSIC YOU ARE MAKING IN WHITE COLLAR KISS AND WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG GOOD OR BAD, THAT YOU COULD NOT GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD?

Wow, good question, both yes and no, we individually appreciate music differently, our tastes range from jazz to metal, from rock to pop, it really depends on the song, generally we really appreciate great musicianship. Song stuck in our heads at the moment, One Republic – All the Right Moves

WILL THERE BE ONE OR TWO COVER SONGS ON THE ALBUM AS WELL AND IF NOT WHICH SONG WOULD YOU LIKE TO COVER THE MOST OF ALL IF YOU HAD TO?

No covers (laughs), not on this album. There are so many songs that we would love to cover, Nate has been pushing to take an old classic and spice it up with a White Collar Kiss twist! We might do a cover later, on future albums, but can’t give a specific title quite yet!

A MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SONG SIX FT. UNDER WAS ALSO FILMED RECENTLY. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CONCEPT FOR THE VIDEO AND WHAT MADE SIX FT. UNDER THE BEST CHOICE AS THE SONG FOR YOU TO LAUNCH THE ALBUM WITH?

The video was a great opportunity to showcase the members of the band, so the concept revolves around the members, the song is quite edgy, and so we had the shoot in environments that represented the song to its fullest! We shot in factories, warehouses and in the streets of Cape Town. In choosing the song, we wanted to pick a song that represented us off the bat, so we picked Six ft. Under, this has a lot of attitude, and a lot of energy!

BEING YOUR FIRST MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT; THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A FEW PARTS DURING FILMING WHERE THINGS WERE NOT LIKE YOU EXPECTED THEM TO BE?

Haha, yes! Long hours, and endurance to do the same movements over and over and over again! But we worked with an amazing Director (Kim Hinrichs) and his amazing team, who made the process of shooting a video somewhat enjoyable!

THE HARDEST PART FOR ANY BAND PROBABLY IS TO CREATE “AWARENESS” AND MAKE PEOPLE TAKE NOTICE OF YOUR BAND. WILL YOU BASICALLY HIT THE ROAD AFTER THE ALBUM IS RELEASED AND TOGETHER WITH THE MUSIC VIDEO AND ALL THOSE THINGS JUST HOPE FOR THE BEST AND ENJOY THE RIDE?

The music video and the single are being released to all the relevant radio stations and TV stations across the country, then we look to release the second single ‘More Than This’, then hopefully go out in July and promote the album as it comes out across the country. While we are promoting the album we are looking forward to performing around South Africa with some other amazing acts!

LISTENING TO YOUR MUSIC I GET THE IDEA THAT YOU ARE TARGETING YOURSELVES TO GET PLAY LISTED ON RADIO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE (WHO DOESN’T) BUT; IN THE END OF THE DAY A BAND HAS TO MAKE THEIR MUSIC AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC MARKET IS SO SMALL I GUESS?

Well, getting on radio is important, for any band, it just opens up huge opportunities. As far as the South African music market, right now, we believe things are alive and well, people love the music we (as a country) are making, international markets are looking at us now. Now is probably the best time to be in music, artists are experiencing growth, never before seen!

BESIDES MUSIC DO ANY OF YOU HAVE A HIDDEN TALENT THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT LIKE BEING REALLY GOOD AT FLY FISHING OR SOMETHING?

Uuum, Nathan has a killer Arnold Schwarzenegger impression! Bethany has a unique talent of not being able to whistle, whilst still believing she can whistle! Michael has an impressive chicken dance. Trevor can make a suit look good!

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

We are releasing Six ft. Under to stations across the country, we would love for fans to request it from their local stations! Keeping an eye out for the music video! And hopefully supporting the album when it comes out in July! Also, thank you to Neil for the great interview!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

ELITIST

Sun, 09 May 2010 12:44:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MENENGER
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/theelitistband
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Metal / Progressive

ALL THE BAND MEMBERS SEEM TO “JELL” REALLY WELL ON YOUR RECORDINGS. WAS IT HARD TO GET THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED AND MAKE ELITIST THE BAND IT IS TODAY?

This line-up has been an ongoing process. We used to be a band called Another Day in Vain and would play frequently at venues like the Whiskey A Go Go and the Cobalt Café on weekends. However our drummer Ryan left the band to tour with As Blood Runs Black and later left ABRB to become a full time member in Silent Civilian.

The band split up for a while and Julian and Phil went to The Fortune Teller. After a while TFT slowed down to a complete halt when they parted with their singer. Julian and Jake decided to bring back Another Day in Vain with a new name, sound, and style, Elitist.

The original line-up (with Daniel of Volumes replacing Ryan on Drums) was back for a few months but was then altered to cater to the more serious and time-consuming goals of Julian and Jake. The line-up you will hear on “Caves” is Julian and Sean (of The Fortune Teller) on guitar, Robert Platz (also Fortune Teller) on Drums, Mike Danase on Bass and Jacob Katz on vocals. This is the line-up we hope to take all the way to the top.

IN YOUR BAND BIO YOU MENTION THAT THE BAND AIMS TO USE A HIGH LEVEL OF MUSIC THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE TO WRITE SONGS. HOW MUCH MUSICAL TRAINING HAVE YOU GUYS HAD AND WHERE DOES THE THEORY END AND THE COMPOSING ON IMPULSE OR FEELING BEGIN?

Most of the members of the band have been taking private lessons or courses in music for many years. Julian studies classical and electric guitar with A.J. Minette of The Human Abstract, as well as Sean previously studying with A.J. Mike is just getting back from college in New York where he spent most of his time taking music courses. Julian, Sean and Robert were in The Fortune Teller, which the band goal was quite literally to take the structure of a Chopin Nocturne or Concerto and make it metal. That approach can be quite advanced for a lot of people and we wanted to broaden our target audience in Elitist. We did this by backing off of the shred and making our music more catchy, memorable and heavy, but at the same time leaving a slight technical aspect.

IF THE BAND HAS AN INTEREST IN MUSIC THEORY YOU MUST HAVE A BIG INTEREST IN GEAR AS WELL. MANY “TECHNICAL” METAL BANDS SEEM TO ALWAYS USE 7 OR EVEN 8 STRING GUITARS THESE DAYS; DO YOU DO THE SAME AND WHAT GEAR IS CURRENTLY IN YOUR ARSENAL?

As far as gear goes, we stay away from 7 and 8 string guitars. We feel that bands that use 7 and 8 string guitars and keep tuning down till the strings fall off are just limiting themselves musically. We want to limit ourselves the least amount possible, but hit hard at the same time. We play 6 string guitars tuned to Dropped B tuning and Mike plays a 5 string bass. We all play Ibanez (Ibanez Prestige S5470, Ibanez RGA, and Ibanez SR505 Bass). Robert Plays a DW Collectors series Kit. We use Mesa and Framus Amp heads.

WHO ARE THE “MAIN” SONGWRITERS IN THE BAND AND DO YOU HAVE THOSE ONE OR TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LIKE THESE IDEA MACHINES WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING NEW SONGS?

95% of the Caves EP was written as well as all guitars recorded by Julian. The reason for this is Sean joined the band at the very end of the EP recording / writing process. Sean was able to write one or two sections of the EP but the rest of the writing was Julian. In our later releases and full lengths, chances are there will be a much more collaborative writing process.

YOUR DEBUT EP TITLED “CAVES” WILL BE RELEASED ON JULY THE 20TH; HOW ARE THINGS CURRENTLY LOOKING IN THE RECORDING DEPARTMENT AND WHAT ASPECT OF THE BAND’S MATERIAL ARE YOU EXITED ABOUT THE MOST AT THE MOMENT?

The EP is sounding great we will be releasing an EP Sampler on May 21st to help us get the hype up and hopefully boost record sales. Everything is coming together perfectly, and all though not everyone was a part of the writing process we are all in the studio together working as a team to produce and give our creative input. This teamwork is what is going to make the EP stand apart from others.

WHAT AVENUES ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXPLORING TO MAKE THE BAND’S MUSIC AS AVAILABLE AS POSSIBLE; AND DO YOU THINK INDEPENDENT BANDS WOULD BE “LOST” WITHOUT THE INTERNET?

The EP will be available on all iTunes music stores (US , UK, Japan etc.) Amazon.com, Lala.com, Napster, Myspace Music, Zune and a few others. This will not be available as a hardcopy in stores like Best Buy just yet. For now it is an online release only. The internet is an incredible tool and resource for independent bands who are trying to gain recognition. We have really used the internet to our advantage in trying to gain notoriety without playing shows. But that’s not to say that bands that don’t use the internet are lost. By playing shows and meeting the right people, and of course having good music, any band can make it to the top. Look at Trivium or Killswitch Engage, when those guys started the internet wasn’t as largely accessible as it is now and they are some of the most successful in the genre.

WHERE DOES THE BAND RECORD MOST OF ITS MATERIAL, AND DO SOME OF THE BAND MEMBERS DO THE “HOME STUDIO” THING AS WELL, IN CASE A GOOD SONG IDEA COMES AROUND?

Actually all of our demos are Guitar Pro files. Everything is written on guitar pro prior to recording and we agree or disagree on sections upon studying the guitar pro tracks. The song ‘Odeon’ was written on a five-hour airplane flight. We all have means to record riffs on our own but we tend to wait to hit the studio to lay down real tracks. As far as recording goes we are fortunate enough to record with Diego of Volumes. He is a talented engineer and has an awesome studio in Woodland Hills, California. This is where we spent all of our time tracking and mixing the EP.

THE BAND WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE IN AUGUST AGAIN DUE TO YOUR DRUMMER’S FOOT SURGERY RECOVERY. THIS WILL SOUND LAME; BUT DO YOU HOPE THAT HIS DOUBLE BASS WILL BE FASTER AS A RESULT OF A SIDE EFFECT FROM THE SURGERY?

Yes, part of the premise of Robert’s foot surgery was to enable him to play better. His foot was constantly hurting him at practice and he decided that it would be smarter to get the surgery now instead of having shows come to a standstill for a number of months. This way we can release our music, shoot the music video and start playing shows and touring.

THE BAND IS PLANNING A MUSIC VIDEO AS WELL. ANY IDEA YET WHICH SONG FROM THE EP WILL BE MADE INTO A VIDEO OR ARE YOU GUYS STILL DEBATING AMONG YOURSELVES?

The music video will be shot for the song which the album is themed after “Caves”. This is one of the more intense tracks off of the EP. We wanted this to be a themed song and if you listen closely you can hear a certain triad or grouping of three notes being repeated from the very first riff to the last. We wanted the listener to imagine the experience of walking through an epic cave like in the Planet Earth series.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST MUSIC VIDEO YOU’VE EVER SEEN AND ARE YOU MORE FANS OF CONCEPT OR PERFORMANCE STYLE MUSIC VIDEOS?

Protest The Hero’s “Bloodmeat” music video is badass. As well as August Burns Red’s Composure music video. Music videos that have a great theme and lighting are always the best. Music videos that don’t have a new frame every fourth of a second so you don’t get a headache watching it. I’d say we lean toward concept rather than performance style music videos.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Look for our EP on all the online stores July 5th. The Caves sampler will be up on the Myspace May 21st. Shows mid to late August and the Caves music video in September. Get stoked and ask us any additional questions on our Myspace we try to respond as frequently as possible.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

CHIMP SPANNER

Thu, 06 May 2010 20:56:00 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLD TIGHT PR
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/chimpspanner
COUNTRY: United Kingdom l STYLE: Metal / Progressive / Experimental

WHEN STARTING ON THE GUITAR DID YOU FIRST LEARN YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS AND THEN MOVE ON TO CREATE YOUR OWN COMPOSITIONS OR DID YOU ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN THING ON THE INSTRUMENT FROM THE BEGINNING?

Yeah I seem to have bypassed the ‘standards’ and learnt just the stuff I needed to get my ideas down! I guess it’s good in the sense that there are certain things I do that are definitely Chimp-isms, but I do sometimes feel like there’s a gap in my knowledge that I’d do well to fill! Nothing worse than having an audience and being asked “so what songs do you know”, only to stare blankly and attempt to do it from memory (with mixed results!).

DID YOU LIKE MANY GUITAR PLAYERS START WITH A SIX STRING, THEN MOVED ON TO A SEVEN AND THEN AN EIGHT STRING AND DO YOU THINK THAT IN YEARS TO COME WE WILL SEE NINE OR EVEN ELEVEN STRINGED GUITARS?

I did start on a six, although that was really my only option because I was borrowing my dad’s! The first guitar I asked for was a baritone, so I think even then I knew I wanted the lower range too. I only stuck with that for about a year before settling very quickly into 7 strings. I’d still say I’m primarily a 7 player but that will probably change with the next CD. I know there are a few 10+ string instruments floating around out there. I don’t know if they’d ever achieve production status! But I think where there’s a demand for something, someone will make the instrument. If a player’s needs call for 20 strings, then yeah…game on!

GUITAR MAKER BERNIE RICO JR. NOW ENDORSES YOU. WILL YOU FINALLY BE ABLE TO CREATE YOUR DREAM GUITAR, AND WHAT EXTRA FEATURES COMPARED TO A STANDARD GUITAR WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ADDED ON THAT GUITAR?

Well the 8 will have a trem, where the Ibanez just looks like it does! It will also have a greater number of frets than usual - 28. Otherwise I’m not really after anything particularly crazy/different. One thing I would like in the future is a MIDI equipped guitar. But not just yet.

DO YOU GET “ATTACHED” TO YOUR GUITARS OR GIVE THEM NAMES AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GUITAR BRAND OF CHOICE OVER THE YEARS?

Yeah I gotta say; I do tend to associate a particular guitar with certain songs. I haven’t gone quite as far as naming them! But they definitely all have their own character. My ‘Supererogation’ guitar is sadly no longer with me – that’s one move I definitely regret. It just had a feel all its own, compared to my other 7’s. Definitely miss it! I’ve been playing Ibanez for quite some time now. I’ve had a largely positive experience with them – only really had two guitars that weren’t all that, and they were definitely lower end models. I’ve been told to expect a whole new level of playability once the BRJ’s get here though.

YOUR DEBUT ALBUM “AT THE DREAM’S EDGE” HAS A REALLY COOL SOUND. DID YOU USE THE SAME GUITAR TONE FOR ALL THE SONGS OR IS EVERY SONG DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING THE CORRECT TONE IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

Thanks! I had one blank template saved for all the songs, so that any new ideas would sound like they came from the same album. I basically used about 4 tones for the whole album: rhythm, lead, bass and clean. They don’t change from song to song. Whether or not I’d do that in future, I don’t know. I mean it can help everything sound cohesive, for sure. But it could also get a bit draining on the listener.

WHAT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WAS THE SOUND OF THE BASS GUITAR ON THE ALBUM. IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A SECOND GUITAR AND HAS A REALLY “THICK AND HEAVY PUNCH” TO IT. MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON’T REALISE WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE A BASS GUITAR MAKES TO THE FINAL GUITAR SOUND OF A SONG?

Totally – the guitar tone on its own isn’t really that high gain, or powerful. A lot of the ‘aggression’ in the riffs is supplied by the bass. For the most part they just mirror each other, so it’s kind of an extension of the guitar tone. I would like to be able to have more…inventive bass parts in future though. So I’m working on breaking the link between the two somewhat.

DO YOU SEE CHIMP SPANNER AS BEING PART OF THE DJENT MOVEMENT THAT HAS GROWN TO BE VERY POPULARITY LATELY AND DO YOU THINK THE DJENT GENRE WILL LIKE NU METAL AND METALCORE BE PRAISED AT FIRST AND LATER BE “REJECTED” BY THE MUSIC MEDIA?

I think you can already see traces of a backlash against even the idea that djent is a style, on a lot of the forums and online communities. It has become popular very quickly, and I suppose like any genre there’s the chance that it might get over-saturated. But I think it’s natural for there to be a peak in interest.

What really counts is where people take it from here, after the initial surge dies down. Some people will continue to stick firmly to the djent thing, and plenty of people will want to hear it. Other people will try and take it in a new direction. I like to think I’ve attempted that myself, with more emphasis on melody, chords and atmospherics than chuggy/aggressive riffs throughout.

I GUESS THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS FOR THE SECOND CHIMP SPANNER ALBUM IS ALREADY WELL ON ITS WAY. EVEN THOUGH YOU DO ALL THE RECORDING BY YOURSELF DO YOU SOMETIMES ASK SOMEONE WITH A “FRESH EAR” FOR THEIR OPINION ON THE SONGS YOUR WORKING ON?

Oh yeah all the time. It’s kind of a done thing amongst home recordists! My ‘received files’ folder on MSN is crammed full of various mix tests from other people. And I’m sure a fair few of my unfinished snippets are floating around out there also. My parents are musicians as well, so if I ever need to get a fresh ear on the mix, or a section I’m unsure about, I just call them upstairs and see what kind of face it makes them pull!

DO YOU FIND LIKE EVERY OTHER RECORDING ARTIST THAT PEOPLE DO COPY YOUR MUSIC “ILLEGALLY” BUT THAT AN ILLEGAL CUSTOMER BECOMES A PAYING CUSTOMER LATER ON WHEN THEY ATTEND ONE OF YOUR FUTURE LIVE SHOWS OR BUY A BAND T-SHIRT?

I do personally know of a few people that were passed the album ‘illegally’ who then went on to buy the download/physical CD. I think most people are pretty generous and willing to support artists who make music that they like. Ultimately I’m glad people want to hear it enough to obtain it! But the vast majority of them understand that in order for me to make more of it, I have to keep the lights on. So it all balances out.

IS ENGLAND REALLY AS FOOTBALL (SOCCER) CRAZY AS ONE SEES ON TV AND DO YOU HAVE A FEW TEAMS THAT YOU SUPPORT?

The English are big on their football, yes! Although, I’m one of a small number of people who aren’t. If there’s a big match on, I just stay hidden away so I don’t make an idiot of myself and cheer on the wrong team ;]

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Remember guys, October 23rd in Cologne, I’ll be playing a Chimp Spanner set with the fellas from Monuments! Should be fun. Otherwise, just keep tuned in to the MySpace and Facebook pages for the latest on the new CD!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

QUEENS CLUB

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:48:00 +0300

PHOTO COURTESY OF QUEENS CLUB
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/queensclub
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Garage / Electro / Pop

YOUR LATEST ALBUM IS TITLED “YOUNG GIANT”. IS GIVING THE ALBUM THAT TITLE A WAY OF SHOWING SELF CONFIDENCE AND BEING HOPEFUL THAT THIS BAND IS A “GIANT” IN THE MAKING?

Jake Ryan: It’s more like the birth of this entity that matures and grows through struggles and over time to be this full blown idea. In the stage that it’s at its small and goes almost unnoticed but has the potential to be great. Young Giant is also the name of a song that we didn’t release on this record and we liked the idea of that name for our record so we used it.

DO YOU FIND THAT FANS OF THE PREVIOUS BANDS ALL THE MEMBERS HAVE PERFORMED IN ARE SUPPORTING AND SHOWING THIS BAND JUST AS MUCH LOVE OR DOES IT TAKE SOME WORK TO CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT “THIS IS WHAT I’M ABOUT NOW AS AN ARTIST”?

Jake Ryan: Yeah, we have definitely received love and respect from folks that have been listening to some of our previous projects. Obviously, you are gonna have people who love what you do, and people who just don’t want to get it. We aren’t really out to try and convince those people to like what we do; we just are out there trying to make our music available for people to hear so that they can make that judgment call on their own.

THE ALBUM CONTAINS AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF PRE-RELEASED MATERIAL AND NEW UNRELEASED RECORDINGS. WHY DID YOU GUYS DECIDE ON TAKING THAT APPROACH AND NOT JUST RELEASE AN ENTIRE NEW ALBUM?

Jake Ryan: When we were heading out on our first tour post being signed to Tooth & Nail Records, both parties felt like it would be a great idea to be able to some how get some music into people’s hands. We’ve had our record done for near 2 years so we just decided to use some songs off of what would be, “Young Giant” and also release some songs off of a previously self-released EP. In short, basically just to give people a taste of our music in a studio recorded format.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THE BAND’S NEW MATERIAL?

Jake Ryan: What I like most about the band in general is just the ability to stretch ourselves musically as songwriters. I write music non-stop regardless if it’s for the band or for personal reasons, but something about getting together with your friends to write a few tunes that you all enjoy is a pretty magical experience.

HAS THE WRITING PROCESS FOR THIS ALBUM GIVEN YOU EVEN MORE IDEAS OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEMPT MUSICALLY ON FUTURE RELEASES?

Jake Ryan: Well, like I said we recorded this record almost 2 years ago. These songs are literally like our very first songs for this band. But, I think everything we have done up till this point has helped give us vision about what our next release could/will be like. We basically never stop writing song and are so excited that people finally get to hear, “Young Giant” but we can barely wait to get in the studio to record our second record.

RECORDING AN ALBUM IS HARD WORK BUT PROMOTING IT CAN BE EVEN HARDER SOMETIMES. BESIDES LIVE SHOWS, WHAT OTHER AVENUES HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN EXPLORING LATELY WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTING THE BAND AND SAYING, “HERE WE ARE HAVE A LISTEN TO OUR MUSIC”?

Jake Ryan: Well if you aren’t up on social networking sites then your band probably won’t make it past playing in your garage or basement. We definitely do our fair share of pushing our band through those free marking strategies ranging from having a telephone number that kids can all, all the way down to having blog sites and just the standard pages that everyone goes to listen to your music at. I think that videos are a big deal with getting people attached to your band. If they can take a step inside what you do for a couple minutes at a time I think its fun and it adds an element of personality to your band for your listeners.

YOU ALSO HAD A VIDEO MADE FOR THE SONG “LESS TALK”. WAS DECIDING WHICH SONG TO USE FOR A VIDEO AN EASY ONE OR DID EACH MEMBER HAVE THEIR FAVOURITE SONG THEY WANTED TO SEE BE MADE INTO A VIDEO?

Jake Ryan: I think we all had songs we thought would be a cool first single, but “Less Talk” is just one song that all of us agreed on very strongly. It’s a super fun song for us live and seems to be one that we have continually had a healthy response to from our friends and family and people who are probably tired of hearing about us back home. haha

WHICH BAND THAT YOU WATCHED LIVE MADE YOU THINK, “I WANT TO DO THAT ONE DAY”; AND WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU’VE LEARNED FROM WATCHING YOUR “IDOLS” OVER THE YEARS?

Jake Ryan: When I was in 5th grade I was at this theme park here in Kansas City and I saw this band Johnny Q Public playing. Their guitar player got up on his half stack during their set and jumped off of it and I remember thinking… “Oh man that is so cool! I wanna do that!” Well, here I am playing in a band, but little did I know I would just be hanging out behind drums all day long. Too bad no jumping off stuff for me… haha!I don’t really have any idols, but I think most of the musicians that I really looked up to are mostly dead…I’m not sure what that means really. haha.

IS TRAVELLING A LOT AND PLAYING MANY SHOWS IN A ROW AS COOL AS IT LOOKS; AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE “PERKS” WHEN IT COMES TO BEING A BAND ON THE ROAD?

Jake Ryan: If you like to travel, don’t mind being sick, can hang out with people 24/7, can live without your family and friends from back home being near… then this is the perfect job for you! haha I think just like any job there are “pros and cons”, but to me personally the “pros” outweigh the “cons” considerably or else I wouldn’t do it. I love to travel and that is one of my favourite things, but what I enjoy best is just getting the opportunity to always make new friends everywhere I go. Getting to share your music in a new place every night and in front of new people is a pretty exciting experience as well!

DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF MUSIC OR IS QUEENS CLUB BASICALLY IT?

Jake Ryan: We play sports. When we are home we are playing sports with all of our friends. If it’s warm, ever weekend we are playing a big baseball game. In the colder months, basketball indoors twice a week. We play other stuff too but its usually just filler in-between, baseball and basketball are the ones we take pretty seriously.

That’s what we do collectively but all of us have personal hobbies that we do outside of the band, but it’s pretty cool that we can all share in one hobby together that is completely separate from what we do in the band.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Jake Ryan: We are hitting the road to support, “Young Giant” so just look out for US!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

MICROTIA

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:41:00 +0300

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN LEE
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/microtia
COUNTRY: United States l STYLE: Rock / Shoegaze / Post Punk

YOUR BAND NAME SOUNDS COOL BUT WHEN ONE ACTUALLY GOES AND LOOKS UP ITS MEANING YOU FINDS OUT IT IS A CONDITION WHERE THE OUTER EAR IS VERY SMALL AND UNDERDEVELOPED. IS THAT WHAT KIND OF ATTRACTED YOU GUYS TO IT; THE CONTRAST?

We were watching a TV special about a kid with Microtia. At the end, he receives new ears, and he was very excited about them. At the time we were looking for a band name, and we liked the idea of being given new ears, so we decided to call the band Microtia.

YOUR LATEST ALBUM “SPACEMAKER” IS A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF SOUNDS AND MUSICAL ATMOSPHERES. A LOT OF WORK MUST GO INTO FINISHING JUST ONE SONG ON ITS OWN NOT TO MENTION AN ENTIRE ALBUM?

It took us over a year to finish writing this album. I think that is mostly due to the fact that we’ve had a lot of member changes, that always slows things down a bit. But we do invest a lot of work into writing songs. Eric, Dan, and Tim are vinyl collectors, and when we started arranging songs for the album, we went into it with the idea of having two sides. Both sides having somewhat different tones, but in the end all tying together. We’re tired of listening to song 1, song 2, song 3. Take us on a musical journey! Or even, I feel like listening to side 2 right now, rather than song 7 a couple times.

HAS THE BAND DEVELOPED A SET APPROACH TO WRITING SONGS OVER THE YEARS OR IS IT MORE LIKE PUTTING THE PIECES OF A PUZZLE TOGETHER WHEN EVERYONE PRESENTS THEIR SONG IDEAS DURING THE WRITING PROCESS?

Our writing process is a collaborative effort that starts with somebody bringing a simple song idea to the table, and we jam on that for a week or so, and 9 times out of 10 we throw the whole thing out, and after we do that 2 or 3 times, we re-visit our favourite parts and, like you said it, put the puzzle together. We don’t want the listener to ever get bored, so if we’re at all unhappy with a part, we throw it out.

YOUR VOCALIST HAS A VERY PASSIONATE AND ENERGY FILLED VOICE. WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU SING ABOUT THE MOST THAT HELP BRING OUT THAT EMOTION WHICH GIVES YOUR SONGS THAT EXTRA LEVEL OF INTENSITY?

His lyrics are generally abstract, and politically charged that metaphorically talk about being screwed over by the man and the media driving society into a state of fear.

THE PACKAGING FOR YOU LATEST ALBUM WAS MADE USING STACKS OF OLD CIGARETTE AND BEER BOXES FOR PACKAGING. THE BAND MUST HAVE A VERY STRONG D.I.Y. ETHIC?

Well, it’s a mix of DIY ethic, and the fact that we drink a lot of beer and smoke a lot of cigarettes collectively.

APPARENTLY YOU GUYS MAKE YOUR OWN INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT AS WELL; PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT AND HOW THEY ARE USED IN YOUR SONGS?

For a few years we had to load a bunch of gear into venues because we like to run our keys, guitars, and bass in stereo. We got tired of loading so much gear so we decided to combine stereo keyboards and guitars into 2 cabinets. We take up way less room on stage now, and everything sounds really good live. We get a lot of comments on how thick, and clear everything sounds. Tim made his drum shells in his spare time a few years ago, rather than buying a new drum set. We think all of this gives us a real unique live sound.

BESIDES THE INSTRUMENTS YOU MAKE YOURSELVES WHAT GEAR DOES THE BAND CURRENTLY USE?

We use an Orange AD30 and Sunn Beta Lead for guitars, Sunn 300t for bass, and Roland, Clavia, Rhodes, and Korg keyboards, and fender Guitars and Basses.

WITH ALL THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE THAT IS AVAILABLE TODAY DO YOU FIND THAT THE COOLEST SOUNDS AND EFFECTS STILL COME FROM THE INSTRUMENTS THEMSELVES AND DIFFERENT AMP AND PEDAL COMBINATIONS RATHER THAN FROM A COMPUTER?

We use a Korg MS2000 for most of the noses and effects you hear on the album. But we like to use pedals to get crazy guitar effects. It adds to our “spacy” sound.

BANDS WITH A UNIQUE SOUND OR VIBE LIKE YOURSELVES USUALLY BUILD UP A VERY DEDICATED AN “DEVOTED” FOLLOWING. DO YOU FIND THAT TO BE TRUE FROM THE FEEDBACK YOU HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT YOUR MUSIC AT SHOWS AND ONLINE?

We definitely have some “devoted” fans, but we’re still pretty young in the music world, so we have yet to really make a real impact on the music scene. But we hope our “unique” sound will grab people’s attention.

DO YOU TAKE THE APPROACH OF QUALITY NOT QUANTITY WHEN IT COMES TO LIVE SHOWS OR IS THE BAND WORKING ON TRAVELLING A LOT MORE IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS?

We normally like to tour about 4 times a year. We haven’t been touring as much recently because of the album. We’re doing a western United States tour in May. Dates will be posted soon on our Myspace.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

We will be hand making our record cases for our upcoming tour. So if you want to get a piece of Microtia from Microtia themselves, come out and hang out with us!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL