After months of preparation, Huddersfield based filmmaker - Greg Spencer is set to release his debut film Jenna. I spoke to him about his influences, experiences and obstacles he had during the time of production.
How did you get into filmmaking? I got into it when I did a BTEC media course during my GCSE years at high school. I fell in love with the idea of creating something from nothing. To have an idea in your head and transforming that into something on screen is a really amazing concept. Doing that BTEC for two years allowed me to make a number of short films and collaborate with people. However, more importantly it allowed me to get my hands on camera equipment and editing software. Having access to these things was a blessing, as it allowed me to be able to create whatever I wanted. In hindsight, I actually wish I made more because I felt like I was one of the only people on that course that didn't ever want to stop making anything. Who and what are your influences? My main influence is David Lynch. I remember being about sixteen years old and going to the library in Halifax. They had a massive DVD selection and it was there I discovered something called Twin Peaks. I must have watched the entire two seasons in a week. I thought it was absolutely magical and groundbreaking for something that came out in the early nineties. To me, it was something much more than television and in terms of a career aspirations, this opened up a whole new outlook. At university, I wrote my dissertation on Lynch because of my love for his other works such as Blue Velvet, Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. Other directors who influence me are Michael Haneke - who directed films such as Funny Games and Hidden. These films were tense and visceral. I wanted to make films like this myself, ones that make the audience feel uncomfortable. Another director who influences me is Pedro Almodovar. His film Todo Sobre Mi Madre had a massive effect on me growing up. I also think Christopher Nolan is yet to make a bad film. For those who don't know, can you explain the synopsis of your upcoming film Jenna? I won't say too much as it's a short and I want it's audience to go into it with hardly any expectations as to what it is. Basically, it is about a woman who hears what she believes is domestic violence in the flat below and decides to intervene.
I got the idea from being in someone's flat. The walls were so thin you could hear every word of the couple arguing. I thought the idea of becoming embroiled in something unexpected was interesting, exciting and chilling.
Image by Bob Jordan.
Was the experience directing your first film what you expected? It really was. It was so much fun but also pretty stressful and something that really requires all your attention. Luckily it was only a two day shoot, so this made it easier. Plus, I had a great group of people to work with - especially the cast, my assistant director Jon Addison and DOP Bob Jordan. I felt like the days flowed really well and it was a great creative working environment to be in. What obstacles did you have? A lot of people who worked with me on this project were part of a filmmakers collective called Leeds Indie Filmmakers. Getting to know some of these people in such a short space of time might have been an obstacle but if anything, it made it easier. The main obstacle was getting across the visions I had in my mind. It's one thing having an idea in your head and writing the screen play, but it's another thing entirely getting your idea across to a number of people in a coherent way.
Image by Bob Jordan.
Do you have any plans for future projects, if so what? I am currently writing a new screenplay called The Search. It's really different to Jenna in every aspect, so once I've finished writing I'll be looking to make it. When can we expect a release date?
The last bits are being edited and it will be released very soon. Where will it be available to watch? It will be available on Youtube and Vimeo.
After being absent for three years, rock band We Are the Ocean have returned with new album ‘ARK’, due for release on May 11th. Forming in 2007, they started out as a post-hardcore band but have changed their sound progressively over the years. Their songs became significantly less heavy as joint vocalist and screamer Dan Brown left the band in 2012 leaving Liam Cromby with the responsibility of sole vocalist.
With four albums under their belts and a backing from the likes of Radio One and devoted fans, the band are back and ready to unleash their new tracks during their upcoming tour.
Following the bands recent support tour with friends Lower Than Atlantis, Figure 8 had the chance to speak to lead singer and guitarist, Liam Cromby about ‘ARK’, tour life and what he had been up to during the bands absence from the live scene.
The band is playing a few intimate shows at record stores before embarking on a UK tour. How many of the new tracks will you be playing for fans that come and buy your new CD?
Liam Cromby: I think we’re going to be playing quite a lot of the new stuff. We have been practicing loads since we came out of the studio last year. I think we will be doing about five or six new ones.
Is that just in the record shops or tour as well?
LC: I think it will be across the board.
What can fans expect from you during your tour and festival season, are you doing anything different during your live shows?
LC: We have been away for a while and because we have got a new album out, our live shows tend to differ a bit anyway. Not intentionally, it’s just more of a natural thing. Fans can expect something better and bigger.
What are you most looking forward to about this upcoming UK tour?
LC: I am most looking forward to just going back onto the road again. We have recently come back from tour with Lower Than Atlantis which was really fun. I am really excited for the album to come out on May 11th, that’s only a couple of weeks time. I think because we haven’t played a headline tour for a long time either it will be fun to play a load of new songs with a mixture of old ones as well.
Is there much difference between supporting your friends on tour and doing your own headline tour? Are there any restrictions or do you still get to do what you want to do?
LC: We still get to do what we want to do, there’s no one that tells us what we can’t do. However, on support tours we don’t have as much time to play so it just feels a bit more rushed. There are also some people at the gigs who don’t know our band so you want to make a good impression as well while still doing whatever you want to do. I guess the difference is that it is a bit more relaxed on a support tour because you haven’t got the pressures of being the headline act. They’re both as fun as each other though.
There has been a three year gap and finally your new album ‘ARK’ is due for release on May 11th. Is there a particular theme overall? Can you give much away as to what fans can expect to hear?
LC: I think the theme of the album is the way it was recorded. It is different to how we have done it before. We recorded it pretty much all live in one take for each track. Basically, the drums, bass and a lot of the guitars were all recorded at the same time in the same room. I guess that flows throughout the album. You can hear it quite prominently. We did that because a lot of music these days sounds really clean and pristine. There’s nothing wrong with that, we have no quarm against it but we just wanted to sound a bit different to what everyone else is doing.
It sounds better when it isn’t over produced anyway doesn’t it.
LC: I prefer it that way yes. I like there to be a bit of human in there. There has to be some flaws. We like a lot of old music as well like Led Zeppelin and James Taylor, it was all done live back then. Song wise, there’s quite a lot of variety with styles on there. You can hear old We Are the Ocean sounds and this new stuff we are coming out with. It is quite experimental the way we have gone into writing. Over the course of two years writing we came out wanting to just record the best songs for the album. I think because we recorded in a new way, we just started playing in a new way. I don’t know…it feels like something fresh for us.
You are a band known for exploring different musical avenues across each album. What were the main goals you wanted to achieve when you set out to record ‘ARK’?
LC: We went in there not knowing what was going to happen. We also wanted to push ourselves, do something that no one else is doing and surprise ourselves. I think that is more or less what has happened.
You recorded the album in summer 2014, due for initial release in March. What is the reason you postponed the release until May?
LC: We just signed to a new record deal just before Christmas. We were with Hassle Records and we still but we are with BMG now as well. They asked if we would mind pushing it back a bit just so that they could have a little bit more time to work on it. We figured if we had waited two years we could wait another two months.
You recently released new single ‘Holy Fire’, which was played first by Huw Stephens on Radio One. Can you tell us anything about the songs background and do you feel it is reprehensive of the album overall?
LC: I think it does sum up nicely what the album is about musically because it has a bit of everything in there. I was watching and reading ‘Into The Wild’ as I like those stories of adventure and stuff so the song kind of came from that really.
Are there any particular songs that were difficult to write lyrically?
LC: There was nothing more difficult than the others. It was quite fun writing the lyrics for ‘ARK’ and ‘Holy Fire’ and a lot of the songs on the album because we went through a different avenue where usually it would be quite self-confessional. It was all kind of a bit more abstract which is a lot of fun really. It is fun to be that creative with your music.
How did it go working with Peter Miles again? (Producer of Go Now and Live and Maybe Today,
Maybe Tomorrow.)
LC: It was really good. He has been with us for the last couple of albums so it made sense to go back with him. He was a big part of the album and recording process of ‘ARK.’
Quite a few British bands have broken up recently due to money issues and feeling they have gone as far as they can go as a band. Is that something that worries you in terms of We Are the Ocean’s future?
LC: Well there are a lot of bands and I think a lot of people have this image of them as always having money. That is really not the case. I mean, we are a band that have never really or in fact made any money out of anything but we do it because we love it. Luckily enough each album has pushed us forward into a new place so we have been able to survive it. It is a bit of a killer though, you see bands that can’t carry on anymore, and it is a bit sad.
You can see how many other bands have been influenced from other bands that have broken up now…
LC: I think that is the beauty of it. Those bands have left a legacy and they have inspired other bands to carry on. It is like they have passed on the torch.
How did it go recording a cover of Foo Fighters ‘Pretender’ for Rocksound’s 200th issue? Is it difficult to put your own twist on someone else’s song?
LC: It was quite fun to do that kind of stuff because it was more of an easier process, the song is already written. You just have to do it in your own style. If people enjoy it they do but if they don’t then fair enough. You can’t please everyone. It is just a bit of fun.
What can we expect from you in the future, are there any plans after touring?
LC: I think we will be doing some more touring at the end of the year and right now that is all I know about the future. I don’t know too much, I just know about the now. We have been away for a while so we don’t need any more breaks.
I bet it is a shock after having that much time away from touring.
LC: It is really strange actually. It is a weird feeling… a good feeling but it is strange going back into
it and getting used to playing shows again. It is like learning the trade again.
Is there anything else you want to talk about?
LC: I think I am alright, I can’t think of anything so I might just go and have some breakfast and a cup of tea in a minute.
Thanks for your time
LC: Thank you for the chat, it’s been a pleasure.
We Are the Oceans latest album ‘Ark’ is out now on Hassle/BMG.
The band are playing the following gigs this month.
14th December 2014
Blackburn King George's Hall
Support: Verses, Lonely the Brave.
Formed in 2005 in Norfolk, Deaf Havana have had a whirlwind few years that have seen them release three studio albums, open for none other than Bruce Springsteen and play sold out headline tours. The band have had their downsides such as the cancellation of this year’s European tour. Nevertheless this has not held them back from doing what they do best - thriving in the UK rock scene.
Towards the last leg of the 2014 UK tour, I found myself in Blackburn’s King Georges Hall for the evening. There, I spoke to Matthew Veck-Gilodi (backing vocals and guitar) and Chris Pennells (guitar) about their biggest gigs, songwriting and Deaf Havana’s future.
How is it going touring with Lonely the Brave and Verses so far?
Matthew: Really good. They’re a great bunch of people as well as great bands so it is always a good laugh to have them around. We are all really enjoying it actually.
Chris: It’s very fun.
Matthew: It is, everyone gets on and there are no big egos about.
I saw that you had the set list competition just before you set out on your current tour. Was it hard to put the control of the set list into someone else’s hands, even though they’re your fans?
Chris: Yeah, I guess. When we first put it out we were obviously quite worried that we would get some suggestions that wouldn’t fit in or flow well and that we could do logistically.
Matthew: And craft a show out of it as well. That’s the thing, I mean; we don’t just specifically play the songs that we want to play. Normally you get a feel for it and you learn how some songs go together really well and that can create something that would be an hour and twenty minutes long.
Chris: But luckily enough we did find a few that worked quite well.
Matthew: Yes, we had some really good suggestions actually. I mean, some people had produced some amazing ones, looks wise as well. People had made them against great art work and stuff like that.
Chris: Oliver Beresford’s set list was the best, we felt. So we picked that.
Did you have any weird requests or people not taking it seriously?
Chris: We had a lot of strange cover suggestions.
Why did you decide to do the competition and has the set list been receiving good feedback so far on tour?
Chris: I think it was more that we’ve always just picked sets for us essentially. It was nice to have a change. The whole point in us doing this tour was the fact we have always stuck to major cities. The whole point in the tour was, rather than expecting people to come to the music, taking the music to the people. At the same time, in keeping with that ethos it was about getting a fan to choose our set list for it as well.
You mention in your documentary English Hearts that you started off playing such small venues around the local areas and sleeping in your van. Now that you are playing on a larger scale have there been any moments where it has sunk in that you have really made it?
Matthew: There have been a couple of surreal ones. For me, one was when we supported Muse in Germany. That was a band that I loved as a kid. So, that was just a really odd one. Like ‘oh shit.’
The other was with Bruce Springsteen as well because the guy is like sixty odd and has been doing music for such a long time and so consistently at such a high level. To share the same stage as him, that was a moment when I was like ‘Christ yeah, this is going somewhere.’
Can you see yourselves doing that for the rest of your life? Do you want to be doing music until you’re about sixty odd?
Both: Yeah.
Matthew: If I look as half as good as he does at thirty, but as he does at sixty, I’ll be impressed.
Chris: I feel sixty.
Matthew: I think I am (laughs).
Chris: Logically, your innards probably are.
How do you feel about the British rock scene becoming more accessible and entering the mainstream scene? A few years ago I would never hear bands like Yma6, Deaf Havana or Bring Me the Horizon being played on Radio One, let alone appearing high up in the charts. Chris: I think it is great, especially with Radio 1 playing such a varied stuff.
Mathew: I mean radio stations do still play a lot of bollocks.
Chris: Yeah there’s been a lot of EDM lately. It’s not even music really.
Matthew: Disclosure are alright but that’s clever house music. The problem is with house music, you hear a bit that’s pretty good and then there’s just five minutes that is just noise for people on ketamine.
Chris: But yeah, obviously it is not only just our kind of music, there has been an uprising in music like indie as well on Radio One and other stations. I think it is good.
Matthew: It’s healthy to have diversity. You don’t get people turning on the radio and just hearing the same song over and over again. Are there any plans to reschedule the European tour that you cancelled or is it too early to tell?
Chris: It is still too early to tell.
Matthew: We haven’t made any solid plans yet.
Chris: Yeah, it needs to make sense when we go back.
Matthew: We will be back; it should be next year as well. It’s just such a shame that we couldn’t do it. We were all gutted about it because it sold really well in some of the venues. It’s always good to go around Europe. Everyone has been very understanding, so that’s one thing I’m really pleased about because it’s easy to become bitter and jaded and be like, ‘fuck this band.’
How do you feel about the future of touring for bands and do you have any advice for people wanting to start bands?
Chris: I’d say just play as many shows as you can. I think that’s where and certainly how we’ve got to where we are today and where the main bulk of the work is. It is put into touring and playing your music on the road. There’s obviously a lot of other stuff that happens doesn’t include that but the bulk of it lies in working your arse off on tour.
Is that due to album sales nowadays?
Both: Yes
Matthew: To earn money and be viable business it’s horrible to have to talk about music like that but yeah, you draw it in from touring and merchandise.
Chris: Bands did used to see more money out of records. They used to tour to support an album release but it’s almost like now that you’re releasing an album just for an excuse to be able to go and tour. So it has completely flipped on its head over the past few years.
Matthew: Yeah, I mean, look at 1975. They have rocketed right up and they have played 195 shows this year or something like that. It’s mad.
You are a band well known for your personal lyrics across your albums, be it about growing up, losing friends and alcohol fuelled touring. What song is most sentimental to you and why?
Matthew: Well mine will always be 'Mildred' because I wrote that one with James but all the lyrics are mine. It is about my best friend and when I thought I was never going to see him again, for various reasons. Luckily we are all still best mates now and hang out all the time. So, that song will always be very special to me.
Chris: One that always hits home for me is ‘Times Change’, which we actually play on this tour. It’s about Ryan leaving the band.
The band has changed its sound quite a bit since Ryan Mellor left post ‘Meet Me Halfway, At Least’. Was it hard to change the live sound when performing at gigs? Why did you decide to make the decision to not get another singer?
Chris: When it happened we could have easily gone one way and we did have a discussion with another guy about him joining the band.
Matthew: We had some professional photos done as well with him.
Chris: James had written a couple of songs that we just put out as demos. We decided it would probably be a better way to go forward. The song writing was a lot better that way. The lyric that James was coming out with…it was just a no brainer really. We do still play a couple of the old songs.
Matthew: I think it took a while to get to that point. Once I and Max got added to the band I think that helped a bit. We could just flesh out songs where there would have been little gaps. We just took a different approach to it all.
In 2013 you did an unplugged acoustic tour. In terms of live performances and atmosphere is there much difference between electric sets and acoustic sets? Do you have a preference?
Matthew: There’s a huge difference yeah. They’re so different I don’t know if I can choose. Actually I definitely prefer when we play full electric sets because there’s more energy.
Chris: It was REALLY good to change it up.
Matthew: I loved it because it was so quiet and everyone was so respectful. It was really nice to do something that different actually. Can we expect any new music from the band in the near future? Are there any new projects on the horizon?
Chris: James and Max have got their tour in January and then we are just writing.
Matthew: Yes, solidly working on writing. We probably won’t tour again until this time next year.
Chris: This is basically it for now for ‘Old Souls.’
Matthew: Fans probably have a long time to wait unfortunately. But, I mean once we have things in place we will get singles out as soon as we can.
Since the release of their debut album Far Q, British rock band Lower Than Altantis have been busy touring the world non-stop. Recent months has seen the band take some time out in order to record their new self-titled album, due for release in September this year.
Consisting of Mike Duce, Ben Sansom, Eddy Thrower and Dec Hart, the band have described their influences as ‘fucking Up, Binge Drinking, Poverty and wishing you were still 15 years old’.
I had an interview with LTA’s vocalist, Mike Duce, who was jetlagged from his flight from Japan. We discussed the new LTA album, their upcoming tour and what it is like to write songs for other artists.
Lower Than Atlantis just played Radio 1 Rocks yesterday with Mallory Knox and Marmozets, how did you find it?
Mike Duce: It went great, absolutely great. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first and we’ve only just come back from Japan. The day we got back we had a band rehearsal. The next day we played Sony Xperia and the day after, I was on a breakfast show with Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1. We then played Radio 1 Rocks, which was mental. I’m going to be in the studio from tomorrow onwards until we fly to America a week today to shoot a video but I think I’ll have tomorrow off because I’m knackered.
You’re doing a UK tour playing at intimate venues in July. What can fans expect from the live shows, are you doing anything different this time around?
MD: We are going to play some of the old stuff and some hits...stuff like that. We are going to be playing some of the B side stuff from previous albums but we are going to play some new stuff as well so we will be able to see people’s reactions. Then we will know what sort of songs work well playing live and what songs don’t. It will be a good laugh. We are touring with two bands called Decade and Yearbook who are really good as well.
You said the band were treating album number four as if it was going to be your last and that if things don’t go big then you will think about calling it a day. If the new album is not a hit overall are you still sticking by what you said?
MD: It’s not that we want it to be a big hit or anything like that. We don’t need validation from chart numbers and stuff like that. We’re not those kind of guys man, we don’t really give a fuck about that kind of thing. We are just going to see how we’re feeling. I mean, we didn’t expect things to kick off in such a big way that they have with our new single. We will address it later on. We’re not thinking about that at the minute that’s later on down the road.
It must have been good to be teaming up with Dan Lancaster again. (Producer of 2010’s Far Q)
MD: He’s one of my best friends of all time. That’s who I’m with in the studio tomorrow working on B-sides, the next few singles and the deluxe tracks on the album. It’s good to do it all again, we work well together. There are twelve songs on the album and then we are going to do a special edition deluxe version. Then we go to the studio and finally we get more time off which is a while away. We are doing some acoustic versions of the songs which will be interesting.
You wrote a song with new band 5 Seconds of Summer called ‘Heartache On The Big Screen.’ Was the song-writing process much different compared to when you write songs for Lower Than Atlantis?
MD: Not really no. The only thing that was different was that we were writing pop, I’ll call it pop… I don’t know what it is. With LTA it has to be credible but catchy and I set these criteria for myself. However, when it came to stuff like writing for other artists, I kind of just threw caution to the wind and just went for it. It went really well, that was the B side to their single and it went to number 1 in about 40 countries.
Do you find it strange writing lyrics for other artists knowing that it could be a Lower Than Atlantis song? Or does it not matter because they’re completely different genre?
MD: It doesn’t matter as much. It’s still about something that means something to me and it also means something to someone who would be listening to it as well.
How do you handle the pressure of writing songs for other artists knowing that it could, in your own words, “Make them or break them?”
MD: Writing music is the one thing that makes me happy and it’s the one thing I would like to think I am quite good at as well. I just sort of do my thing and that is obviously why the artists came to me. Then that’s it really, you just see what happens when it is released.
I read in a previous interview that you’re always away on tour for months at a time and that you only have very little time to record an album. Do you feel that the new LTA record will be the best one yet because you allowed yourselves a longer time period to write new material?
MD: It definitely is, without a doubt. Everyone’s got their own opinion but in musical terms it is definitely our best album and that’s why it’s self-titled because we thought that this is the sound of the band. We’re really happy with it.
What can fans expect from your self-titled record? How would you describe the overall sound across the 12 tracks and did you try and take on any different approaches when writing?
MD: We recorded it when we weren’t with any label at all. We didn’t have a manager at the time either. There weren’t really any constraints on it at all, we wrote it and then we were signed. We just felt free to do whatever the hell we wanted. This is the end result and we’re really happy with it. Overall I would describe the album as fucking brilliant. Then again I’m going to be biased because it’s our band.
Your approach to writing lyrics tends to be very conversational. What themes did you explore when writing the new record? Were any tracks particularly difficult to write?
MD: None of them were too hard to write. We just write about what is going on in the world. I really like the lyrics to the song Live Slow, Die Old Because I find it really fascinating that the one thing that is inevitable is that we are all going to die and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can be the richest, most powerful person in the world and you can be the smartest person in the world, but at the end of the day you’re still going to grow old and die.
You're playing Reading and Leeds Festival in August. What are your other plans after the July tour?
MD: We are going to have some more singles and videos coming out but the plan is changing constantly. It’s going to be interesting.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as a band?
MD: America definitely. The van we were in was like a small people carrier and we were driving around ourselves. Some of the drives were about 20 hours, we were stuck in there together and it put a strain on our friendship but we are all better mates because of it. It was definitely one of the best and worst experiences in all our lives I would say.
Is it hard being traveling musicians and being on the road constantly? Would you ever give it up and find a steady job?
MD: I don’t really know. The grass is always greener. You always want what you haven’t got. I don’t think I’m that type of person at all. I need to be busy and I need to be travelling around. That’s what makes me happy. I like to take each day as it comes. I just want to see what happens tomorrow.
I saw a tweet about LTA possibly doing a cover of Barenaked Ladies – ‘One Week.’ Are you going to do one?
MD: (Laughs) I don’t know. We’ve just had a really successful single. After playing at Radio 1 Rocks last night, I had the whole band and crew back at mine and Eddie’s house and we just had some music on, listening to songs we used to listen to when we were younger. We had a few beers and Eddie’s girlfriend cooked us up some chicken wings. We might do some covers; I don’t know, it would be cool if we did.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
MD: Our new album is out on September the 29th.
Lower Than Atlantis are playing the following dates throughout July…
15 - ABERDEEN Tunnels
16 - GLASGOW King Tuts
17 - NEWCASTLE Cluny
18 - YORK Fibbers
20 - Manchester Deaf Institute
21 - HULL Fruit
22 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
23 - STOKE Sugarmill
24 - BIRMINGHAM Temple
25 - GLOUCESTER Guildhall
27 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
28 - BRISTOL Fleece
29 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
30 - NORWICH Epic Studios
31 - LONDON Dingwalls
Having sold out the majority of their shows, metalcore band Architects are currently undertaking their biggest UK tour to date. With the recent online stream ahead of new album ‘Lost Forever, Lost Together’ and a European tour approaching, the band are raring to put on the best performances fans have ever witnessed.
2013 was a hectic year for the band. After spending a month recording in Sweden and a recent signing to Epitaph Records, 2014 might just well be their year.
I spoke to the band’s guitarist, Tom Searle for half an hour, prior to the gig in Manchester. He seemed anxious about the night ahead but was eager to perform some of the band’s new songs for the first time. Topics consisted of his personal experience with skin cancer, the new Architects record and what it is like to be one of the few metal bands backed by BBC Radio 1.
Let’s have a chat about your current album 'Lost Forever, Lost Together.' What is your personal favourite song from the new record?
Tom Searle: We've actually made a record with more than two good songs on for once. So it’s difficult to choose. I'm really pleased with ‘Colony Collapse.’ We've tried a lot of different things over our six albums. A lot of the time when we branched off it had mixed results. It’s great to do something different and feel like it came together well. It’s been nice to see lots of other people since we streamed the album saying “Oh I love that song it’s awesome.”
What song was the hardest to write lyrically? Why?
TS: Well, I wrote C.A.N.C.E.R about myself. I wrote it when I had skin cancer and was waiting for a month to find out the results of the CT scan and things like that. It was more just hard in the sense that if I wrote it I had to make sure it was going to have the right message. I didn't want it to be woe is me but I didn't want it to be too personal either at the end of the day. Sam sings the songs so it wouldn't have made much sense. It’s been a huge, surreal thing in my life but it had to be taken on in the right way. I wasn't sure what the right way was until I ended up doing it. I ended up changing some bits. Some of it sounded so negative and hopeless. At the same time I didn't want to retrospectively change it too much because I wrote it during the month where I didn't know if the cancer had spread. I didn't want to take away any of that brutal and harsh time replicating how you feel. Once you have been told you’re okay, you can’t then go back to how it felt like when you don’t know. It’s a touchy subject so you have to be careful.
What sort of feedback have you had from fans and critics since you streamed the record? Is it what you expected?
TS: The response has been much better than I thought. You can always expect someone to come out and say “You’re shit,” or whatever. I was very nervous about album reviews. Once you spend so much time on a record, you lose sight as to whether it’s good or not. I think it hurts even more every time you release one. To me, it’s like failure if people only say it sounds alright. People just seem to love the record so much and this is what I've always wanted. I find it hard to process overall. I suppose doing this tour will be the decider.
How many new songs are you playing on this tour?
TS: We’re playing seven. The record isn't out properly until the 10th but I'm hoping that people have checked it out. We weren't going to play as many but when we put the stream out, people liked it so much so we said “Fuck it, let’s play them.”
Did you write or record any extra songs that didn't make the album? If so can fans expect to be able to hear them at all in the near future?
TS: We did two B sides that didn't make the cut for the album but I don’t know where they’re going. The best songs are on the album in my opinion.
For those who have yet to listen to the album stream, how would you describe the sound for the new record as a whole? How does it stand out from your previous records?
TS: I think it’s got an overall vibe to it. I got obsessed with making ambient sounds and having it run over big riffs. It’s definitely heavier and darker than at least our last two records. I hope it’s still accessible but still heavy in the way that it’s listenable, exciting and enjoyable. I like music that’s over the top and that was the main thing for me.
Why did you decide to stream ‘Lost Forever, Lost Together?’
TS: You've always got to be prepared if someone leaks the album. We ended up putting it online four days earlier than planned. We wanted to have everyone talking about it rather than people just finding a leak online. I think the people that want to support us would buy the record anyway. It was exciting to see it go online, it was really overwhelming.
I read that you spent a month living in the studios in Sweden so you could record the new record whenever you got inspiration. What problems occurred during the process and how did you handle being cooped up for that long?
TS: Being cooped up was difficult, I mean we did go insane really. It was probably quite unhealthy for our mental state. By the end everyone was pretty burnt out and ready to go home. There were lots of problems but there always is. However, they are only real problems if they can’t be fixed. For example, we would spend a whole day tracking guitars and then find out one of the cables had been broken. I had to go and re-track all the guitars the next day. Despite difficulties, we got to make the album the way we wanted it to be.
Not that this had a huge effect on the record but there were a few key things we would be stuck on for ages. One thing that comes to mind was the chorus of ‘Colony Collapse.’ I was desperate to put a melody on it for Sam, trying shit that wouldn't work. It came to one in the morning, we had a few drinks and I just started humming a tune. I went to the studio, played it, hummed along and straight away told Sam to get in there. I hummed him the tune and he went insane. Together, just in five minutes out of one little bit of inspiration we got it sorted. That’s one of my favourite parts.
When you were recording Hollow Crown I heard a fact that you use a different guitar tuning for each album, has that continued on the last three albums?
TS: No it hasn't. We had to stop eventually it was just inconvenient. We don’t have enough guitars with us on this tour to even have enough strings for each tuning. We just have to try and compromise.
You are one of the few heavy bands that are being backed by BBC Radio 1. Does this put pressure on you and your music at all? What impact do you think it will have on the genre for the future?
TS: For us it has no impact. When we got played on the radio a few years ago I didn't feel great about it. When Dan Carter and Zane Lowe played ‘Naysayer’ from our new album I thought, it was fucking insane. It’s great that they support it. You only have to look at Bring Me the Horizon, who have radio friendly songs on their new album and look at their success.
It’s possible that metal as a genre will become more accessible and cater to a wider audience because of radio. The thing is, you have to break past the barrier that a lot of people have with anything that includes screams.
What country was your favourite to visit when filming your documentary 100 days and how did you overcome the pressures and of being out of your comfort zone during the world tour?
TS: China was pretty difficult to be honest. Bali (in Indonesia) was easy to overcome because the next day we had a three day holiday. We just had to get through the show. If we showed up to Manchester and 20 people showed up I guess we would be over. In a funny way Bali might have been my favourite place to visit. The only person that knew any of the words was my mum who was there bizarrely.
When we landed back in Europe and looked at the ticket sales for our UK tour, the sales were the worst they’d been since 2009. We had always said if it gets bad then we have to call it a day. That was the hardest bit, thinking “Oh fuck no one likes us any more.” Here we are now doing the biggest UK tour we have ever had.
Are there any superstitions or routines you follow before each show?
TS: There are no superstitions but the only routine we have is the same as a lot of bands have…drinking. I know that’s a terrible thing to say but you get nerves. We have a rider which has a bunch of vegan food which most of the time doesn't end up being vegan.
We have a little tour TV that we have had for about five years. It travels everywhere with us so we can play FIFA in the dressing room too.
What are your plans for the rest of this year?
TS: Touring, that’s it really. We are going to America with Letlive in April and that will be great. We have lots of festivals in Europe and we’re doing Reading and Leeds.
Is there anything else you would like to add or talk about?
TS: Thanks to anyone listening to any of our records even if they hate the new one. It’s an amazing opportunity even if it is ridiculously overwhelming for us all. It’s amazing that we get to do it, so thanks.
The band's new album 'Lost Forever, Lost Together' has recently made it to number 16 in the UK album charts. Pick up your copy from their official website or via iTunes.
Find the interview piece on http://figure8magazine.co.uk/
Formed in 1991, Reel Big Fish are renowned for their sarcastic lyrics, wacky outfits and let’s not forget skanking. The band are currently in the UK on a joint headline tour with fellow ska punk band Less Than Jake with support from Zebrahead.
Fans were left shocked in October 2013 when long time trombone player Dan Regan left the band in order to spend more time with his wife and children. After 23 years in the ska music scene, frontman Aaron Barrett remains the only founding member.
I joined Barrett and trombonist Billy Kottage for twenty minutes prior to their gig at the Manchester Academy. There, we covered a range of topics including songwriting, tour life and crazy fans.
How do you go about writing music and who generally takes the lead when it comes to writing new material?
Aaron Barrett: I started the band, so I’ve always written the songs, at least 90% of them. Sometimes I’ll be stuck on a horn line or something, or some other part. I guess I bring in the skeleton of the song to the band and say, “Hey, this is the idea, do your thing.” I don’t just sit down and write songs, I just come up with ideas. They pop into my head, a little tune, some words here and there, and then I just wait to put it together as a whole song. I don’t sit down and noodle on guitar if anything. It’s all in my head; I’m always in my own head.
Despite line-up changes, RBF has been going as a band since 1991. In your experience how much has the industry changed over time?
Aaron Barrett: Oh my God, I compare the way things have changed in the last twenty years to how it must have been when cars were invented. People were riding around in horse and carriages, and then suddenly there were cars.
Billy Kottage: Then there was the internet.
Aaron Barrett: We had radio, recorded music, aeroplanes and spaceships too. I know that it was over a long period of time, all those things I just mentioned. The internet coming along was that important and life-changing for everyone I think. Being there before and after in the music industry and watching the internet just turn everything upside down, that’s crazy.
How did you manage to promote all your work before the internet?
Aaron Barrett: I can’t imagine. We used to have a physical mailing list that we would have at the shows and people would write down their home addresses. I would go to the copy store and make a bunch of little flyers, lick the stamps and write the addresses out because I didn’t have a printer. I would then drive to all the record stores and put flyers in there for the shows. Now it’s just like, Facebook post, we’re playing.
How are things with you Billy, you’ve only been playing with RBF since October haven’t you?
Billy Kottage: Yeah, October-ish.
Aaron Barrett: He has been playing with the band since last January because he’s been playing with one of the bands that have been touring with us.
Billy Kottage: I had been joining them on stage for a year. It has been good. I was with the band Big D for warped tour. When Dan had his baby, I did the first three or four shows just covering for him and doing things for him here and there.
You guys are well known for your cover songs. How do you go about translating a pop song into a ska punk song? How long does the process usually take?
Aaron Barrett: I don’t know, it just kind of makes sense in my head. It’s easy to make any song a ska punk song, for me anyway. That’s my one talent, my gift.
What’s your favourite cover song that you have done? Aaron Barrett: We’ve done some really weird ones. We’ve done a few cover songs. I think my favourite is the Oingo Boingo cover, ‘We Close Our Eyes.’ It has a mash up, a dub sounding piece of shit with all these weird noises and stuff in it. It’s awesome. Then we did a cover of a Poison song with this band called Tat. I think that might be my favourite cover song, but those are not really ska punk songs. Those ones are almost impossible to play live. I think ‘Take On Me’ is one of my favourite songs ever. I always like that one. The fact that it became one of our most popular songs and having an excuse to play it live almost every night… I love it.
So, this is your 4th sold out UK date so far. What are you bringing to the table this time around? Can fans expect many surprises? Aaron Barrett: Well, we don’t really make plans. We just kind of evolve I guess and do different things, maybe play a few different songs. We will play a few of the newer songs that we didn’t do last time.
Billy Kottage: and a couple of old songs that we always play.
Aaron Barrett: I think that’s why people like us because we’re half always the same and you can count on it and half you don’t know what we’re going to do, unexpected, which is nice. You can count on us to play Beer, Take On Me and Sell Out, you know, all the favourites. You can count on us to surprise you. What would a person who is attending a RBF concert for the first time expect to experience? I’m guessing a lot of dancing?
Aaron Barrett: Yes, definitely an outgoing audience, sweaty bodies, writhing, feet flying in the air.
Billy Kottage: Maybe a kick to the head.
Aaron Barrett: Yeah you’ve got to be careful, it gets dangerous. On stage expect a bunch of wacky guys doing wacky things. We’re playing music, jumping around and having a good time. It’s just a party. I think that’s why people like to see us again and again. You can watch the show. We are entertaining if you watch. It’s also fun to dance to. Even if you’re way back at the bar, it’s just good background music for dancing.
How do you feel about people that just watch gigs through their phones? Aaron Barrett: That’s another thing that’s changed because I remember before everyone had a phone in their pocket.
Billy Kottage: It’s not really bad if people are taking pictures, maybe even a short video but when they stand right in front of you, the moment is happening right there, it’s live, it’s real. You’re only going to remember that you looked at shitty little images and that’s all you’re ever going to see. That’s just the way it is now, especially with younger kids. That’s just how they see the world.
Have you got any plans whilst you’re in the UK, What have you been up to so far? Aaron Barrett: I think everybody has terrible jetlag.
Billy Kottage: I woke up at 4 O’clock today.
Aaron Barrett: I think everybody made a mistake. We landed, got on the tour bus and went straight to bed and got onto the worst schedule. We were up all night long.
Billy Kottage: We got on that ferry from Ireland too, where we stayed up till seven in the morning.
Aaron Barrett: Plus everybody has been fighting off a cold for the past month or two, so don’t get too close.
You’ve been on your own record label since 2006. Is there much difference to being signed independently as opposed to a major record label? Do you have to do a lot more for yourself?
Aaron Barrett: Well, when we were on a major label and things were working for us it was awesome because they had a whole group of people, an advertising department and the radio department. They were getting us played on the radio and putting ads in magazines, so that’s cool. We still have that but on a smaller scale for the record label we’re with now. It’s more of a distribution deal, it’s not like we’ve signed to them. Our deal right now is just, “Hey guys, whatever you record just bring it to us and we will put it out.” Before, we had to ask permission to see if it was a good idea and business choice to put on a new album.
Billy Kottage: There’s no pressure to record.
Aaron Barrett: They understand what kind of band we are and what we’re not.
So do you prefer being independent then?
Aaron Barrett: I do, when it was working for us way back in the 90s in the USA it was really cool to have a major label behind us, pushing and helping us get more exposure. When they didn’t care about us and it was more about working against us, it was holding us back from doing what we knew was right to do. In the early 2000s our label got bought out by another label, Jive Records. That kind of all happened again over here in the UK, which was nice. We had the support of a major label over here that were pushing us. It was good but also very nice to be independent. You get to do things the way you think they should be done. From experience up close we know what our band needs, what are fans are like and what they like.
According to Setlist FM you’re playing 20 songs on this tour. Which are your favourites to play live on the current set-list?
Aaron Barrett: We’re doing 20 songs? That’s crazy. They’re short songs though. I like to play all the songs that make people go crazy. A lot of bands don’t like to play their hits but I love to play them because I love to see the crowd explode and cheering, “YAAAY.” You hear a little guitar riff or a horn part and just start moving. That’s what I like, to see the crowd move and react. A song that’s really fun to play on guitar but makes the crowd stare at you in a fused way is not as fun live.
Billy Kottage: Aw man, that’s kind of hard. My favourite Reel Big Fish song to play live is probably ‘She Has a Girlfriend Now’, just because it’s a great song. Usually we will have a guest and if not, Matt will sing it. That’ll be fun. It’s got an awesome trombone solo. We’ve been playing some Forces of Evil songs and there’s a song called ‘Angry Anthem’, I love that song so much. I think it’s probably all the “mother fuckers” parts.
You’re a band renowned for getting a mass of fans to skank to your songs. Besides crazy dance moves, what’s the strangest thing you have witnessed in the crowd whilst playing a gig? Aaron Barrett: Last year there were some people actually having sex, way off to the side. It was at that college, one of the universities. Two crazy kids getting it on right in front of people, it was very strange. Yeah…that was weird, it’s not like we have the sexiest music or it was the safest place to do it.
Are there any current plans for a new album? Have you been writing much since ‘Candy Coated Fury’ (2012)? Aaron Barrett: Well, ‘Candy Coated Fury’ was my ultimate masterpiece so I don’t think I’ll ever write another song again. There are no plans right now; we’ve got too many songs already. Eventually we will probably make a new album. Matt just wrote a little piece of a song that sounds really good.
What is your favourite RBF album? Aaron Barrett: Definitely the live album, which is my ultimate masterpiece, it’s so awesome. We edited the shit out of it, took all the funniest jokes and put them all together. We overdubbed the crap out of it so it sounds so fake. It’s not even real. That was one awesome show the night we recorded it, bam that was it. ‘Candy Coated Fury’ came out really good and we are happy with the songs.
Billy Kottage: The same for me with the live album. It’s kind of hard to not like it, for me at least anyway.
Aaron Barrett: They’re all good in their own way.
I didn’t realise how much editing it takes for live albums.
Aaron Barrett: Well, I don’t know, I think we over did it more than we really needed to. We had a lot of new band members and we’d been playing a lot. We felt like a better band. It was just an excuse to re-record everything. I mean, it was recorded live but we’ve added extra and doubled the guitars, little things like that. The jokes are all live. Then we did a DVD in 2009 called Live In Concert…what a creative name. The DVD wasn’t overdubbed or anything, it was completely live. It really sounds just as good. We were going through a time for a crazy period in our lives.
‘‘We became different people and the people that we want to be’’ - Wakkhio Taahi, Tonight Alive
After recent release of their second studio album ‘The Other Side’, Aussie, Pop Punk band Tonight Aliveare due to play their 4th performance of 9 date UK tour. Since forming in 2008 whilst still at high school, the band have gone from strength to strength maturing together with a passion for what they do.
Fronted by 21 year old Jenna McDougall, Tonight Alive have not only been busy writing and recording new album but have toured relentlessly promoting their first studio album ‘What Are You So Scared Of.’ Unfortunately, in 2012 exhaustion hit, band members became ill and they cancelled the rest of their upcoming commitments. Perhaps this time around things will be easier.
I chatted with the two guitarists Jake Hardy and Wakkhio Taahi before the bands gig at Manchester Academy 3 on the 3rd October. It is only 3pm and a group of young fans are already outside the venue anticipating the night ahead.
Who do you feel your music speaks to the most? Who do you think your target audience is?
WT: I guess we never really think about who our target is, but I think on this album there are a lot of personal things that Jenna has written about and I feel that a lot of young girls are really grasping onto it because it’s something that they can relate to. Growing up and going through things, this was our way of giving back to our fans that had the stories.
Who/what are your influences when it comes to writing and recording?Do you look up to anyone?
WT: Yeah, definitely, it’s changed a little bit. This album was influenced not so much by other music but by personal experiences, especially touring with bands we really look up to. We wanted to resemble what they were doing in a sense and what worked for them. We had a lot of growing up to do in that time because we were still young. We’ve grown up literally with the band so we became different people and the people that want to be.
You’ve done a couple of international tours now. Who has actually been your favourite band to tour with?
WT: We have a couple. Young Guns, they’re a really good live band and the most decent bunch of lads. Pierce The Veil are a really professional band too. That’s what we want to do, their kind of stage show.
JH: Oh and Bring Me The Horizon,they were on Warped Tour with us and they just like sounded phenomenal, it was incredible. So I’d say those three bands at the moment.
You recently released new album ‘The Other Side’ did you come across many challenges when it came to writing/recording it. How is it different to other records you have released?What did you learn about yourselves in the process?
WT: Definitely, as much as you can come across I guess. We went through a manager change which was really hard for us. We were all really burnt out ‘coz we’d been touring so much. Jenna was sick with her eczema, it was just a rough time for us as well, we were still opening for people and yeah I guess it was just a really kind of challenging time in our lives and the bands career but we ‘made it out the other side.’I think the main difference though is that we matured a lot more. We had more to write about because Jenna was still in high school and we hadn’t really encountered much. When we did ‘The Other Side’ we had been around the world a couple of times so we had a lot more to write about.
Is there a big difference between the music scenes in Australia as opposed to shows you play in America and the UK?
JH: Yeah, when we were first starting we played at a lot of youth centres but many of those have closed down. You get a couple of international bands every year but then other than that, there’s not much else for them to play at if they’re a young band. It’s more just clubs and stuff. Whereas over here there’s so much music press like Kerrang magazine, Kerrang Radio and BBC Radio1 that are more than happy to play rock music whereas back home our radio doesn’t really play Australian rock music.
WT: We have one rock show called Short, Fast, Loud. We never get played on it.
I was actually going to ask how you felt about being the main feature of Kerrang magazine.It must gain you a lot more fans?
WT: Well yeah, I couldn’t believe that they did it really to be honest it’s amazing really. We were so honoured to kind of be a part of it like that; it’s a huge step to take.
As young musicians there was a time you couldn’t get served in bars despite playing gigs in some, what did you do for entertainment whilst on the road? Have you got any eventful stories to tell me?
JH: The drinking age in Australia is 18 so we were all alright but Jenna had to wait outside and be escorted on stage in some venues.
WT: She had to wait in the stairwell until she could play and then she had to go out straight away. And then when the majority us weren’t 21 in the states so we would just hang out in the van.
JH: The drinking laws are pretty relaxed over there so you could always get someone else to buy it for you.
You had to cancel some of your tour a while back because Jenna was ill. This time you’re on tour till mid-December are you doing much after that?
JH: I think we might be getting a month and a half break at home till after Christmas then starting back up.
WT: We recorded the album at the start of the year and then we have just been touring so we haven’t really been home this year at all.
Talking about tours, is there anything different you’re expecting on this tour than the previous UK one you did?
JH: We’re not expecting anything, but the kids have been incredible, I think we’ve doubled in crowd sizes than the last headline tour we did here and it’s incredible because every night we’d go out there’s so many more than we’d expect.
What impact do you think social networking is having on the music industry? Do you think it’s a good medium to talk to fans/promote singles/albums, or just a just a place for internet trolls?
WT: I think it’s a double edged sword really. It is really good way to keep in touch and everyone worldwide knows what’s going on. Even if you haven’t been to their country for a while you can still talk to them and for that side of it it’s good. There’s also the sense of entitlement I think. The internet is so reachable that fans tend to feel like they owe so much more. Then you get the people that can just say whatever they want with no repercussions because they’re on the internet.
JH: I think you just have to find a good balance, between the two.
We’re at that age where social media is a massive part of music and the media, I know you must have had this question so many times but the double edged sword must come into illegal downloading too?
JH: So many people will find out about new music obviously through downloading it and they’ll learn the words but usually will be asked to buy the CD however it does cripple the music industry as well.
WT: We still have our really dedicated fans that buy our stuff and support us, there’s not much we can do, we’ve just got to record our album.
JH: Kids always want to have something that they can bring in to sign. It’s nice to have memorabilia. So I think there will always be a market, it’s getting better. I love CD’s I love reading the booklets and stuff but I guess kids that are born in the 2000’s have never really had that as much. They’ve not grown up with that and those are the kind of fans that are coming through now and they want everything online. These days everything is so accessible.
Thank you for the time.
WT: Thanks for having us.
'The Other Side’ is now available to order on Tonight Alive’s official website:
