TYPECAST

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAOLO SEEN!
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/typecast
COUNTRY: Philippines STYLE: Indie / Punk / Rock / Post Hardcore

DOES THE BAND NAME “TYPECAST” REFER TO BEING CAST IN THE ROLE OF PLAYING IN A BAND THAT PLAYS THE TYPE OF MUSIC YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY?

MELVIN: We didn’t mean it that way. The band name actually came from a Snapcase song – Typecast Modulator. We just slashed out the second word. Initially, we didn’t pay attention to what it really meant, it just so happens that Snapcase is one of our major influences back when we were still kids and starting out as a band.

So it doesn’t really refer to anything at all, although it might actually mean something else on the standard dictionary, but for us it’s just plainly taken from a Snapcase song.

YOU GUYS HAVE RELEASED AN EP TWO ALBUMS AND A FEW MUSIC VIDEOS SO FAR AND YOU ARE CURRENTLY WRITING SONGS FOR A NEW ALBUM. WHAT DRIVES AND INSPIRES YOU GUYS TO CONSTANTLY CREATE NEW THINGS MUSICALLY?

MELVIN: For us, having people appreciate our music is a great motivation. Meeting people in gigs who tell us how much we have inspired them to start a band of their own or write their own music or just simply helped them get through a heart break or a phase in their lives. These are the things that constantly inspire us to try out new things for our music.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR DIY ETHIC HELPED YOU TO REACH THE AMOUNT OF SUCCESS YOU HAVE WITH THE BAND, AND DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS BETTER TO CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THEM TO COME AROUND?

MELVIN: Until now, we still have that ethic of doing everything ourselves. I think it’s the only way you can succeed with whatever dreams you might have. Doing everything on your own makes you in control of all aspects and I believe every musician wants that. You really need to find ways on your own and be proud of that.

For us, aggressive promotion is the best way to get the word out there and if you believe in your capabilities then do something instead of just sitting around and waiting for good things to happen.

ONE CAN HEAR MANY DIFFERENT INFLUENCES IN THE TYPECAST “SOUND”. DOES HAVING SO MANY INFLUENCES HELP TO KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN FOR EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW STYLES?

MELVIN: We love trying different things and incorporating new ideas to our original sound. Having several influences makes us explore other subgenres have to offer and it also helps us improve our music in various ways but still keeping our integrity intact.

WHAT INFLUENCES HAVE BEEN SHOWING UP THE MOST DURING THE SONG WRITING PROCESS FOR THE NEW ALBUM SO FAR AND ANY INDICATION WHERE YOU ARE HEADING MUSICALLY?

MELVIN: We’ve been in to the ambient and post rock lately, like a lot of guitar melodies and the instrumental side of a song. We’re not yet half-way through this writing process so a lot of things is bound to happen that we still don’t know.

EVER CAME UP WITH A GREAT IDEA FOR A SONG AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY FORGOT IT AGAIN?

MELVIN: Always. We don’t really have enough equipment to support our rehearsals. We only have the regular amps, drum and guitars. We don’t have those recording gadgets at home to trace what we’ve recently done. We just have to rely on our memory for song ideas.

YOU GUYS HAVE ONE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL LOOKING MYSPACE PROFILES I’VE SEEN IN A WHILE, CAN A BAND’S IMAGE WIN IT JUST AS MANY FANS AS ITS MUSIC AND IN YOUR OPINION?

MELVIN: I always believe that visual presentation is the second most important thing a musician should have, next to talent. Naturally people you would attract a person’s attention by showing him/her something good to the eye.

As a professional web designer/graphic artist myself, I’ve put up a lot of work and effort in making our online presence as strong and informative as possible. Myspace and other online media are great ways to reach to thousands of people, to get them to notice you and eventually listen to you and hopefully become a fan.

YOU HAVE A PROFILE UP FOR THE BAND ON EVERY MAJOR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE. WHERE DO YOU THINK BANDS WOULD BE IF THE INTERNET WAS NOT INVENTED YET FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS?

MELVIN: I think internet is a huge promotional tool for bands, especially for indie bands like us. It has everything you need. Social networking sites (Myspace, Purevolume, Facebook) has been an essential for bands who work hard to spread the word out all over the globe.

If internet wasn’t invented, I don’t know... It’s gonna be tough to promote your music since contacts and ads will be limited to certain territories only. Or bands will need to print flyers and send them via snail mail, which we did a few years ago when we were still starting out. =D

TYPECAST REALLY SEEMS TO BLOSSOM IN THE LIVE “ARENA”. HOW LONG DID IT ORIGINALLY TAKE YOU TO BUILD UP A GOOD STAGE PRESENCE AND LIVE SHOW TO THE POINT WHERE YOU WERE REALLY HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE WITH IT?

MELVIN: It took the band a couple of years before we were able to play in big places like arenas and open ground concerts. We mainly started out in garages, small club and bars. Fortunately, after some time, we have emerged from where we first started.

It was an intense feeling when we first set foot on a huge stage in front of more than a thousand people. We got used to it somehow but the excitement and mixed feelings are still there until now. We just give out all the best in every performance.

WHAT ASPECT OF LIVE PERFORMANCES DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST, AND EVERY SHOW MUST BE UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY BUT WHICH ONES STAND OUT AS HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOU?

MELVIN: I think for us, it’s the Intro. Every show we just try to agree on what intro we should do. For us, it is the very crucial part because it sets the mood for us while we check if our instruments are well tuned or not. Most of the highlights will come at the latter parts of each song. We try to extend the instrumental parts when the crowd is very responsive to us or merely because we just want to rock it out a bit more.

There are no formal rehearsals for each set. We just go there and feel what other members are doing and we just kick it off from there. If in a bright mood, we do try experimenting different things, even on a live set.

WHICH OF YOUR SONGS ARE “CROWD FAVOURITES” AND HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN TIRED OF PLAYING ONE OF YOUR OWN SONGS AT ONE POINT?

MELVIN: The crowd favourites are Last Time, Will You Ever Learn and The Boston Drama. There are some shows that make you feel really tired of doing the same shit every night. It’s really normal for a band to feel sick of the same songs, especially, if you are playing on a daily basis. Most of the time we just play what’s on our list or what we WANT to do and not give in to the crowd’s requests. On a good day, or on a more intimate set, we do play what we are told to do.

EXCEPT FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR NEW ALBUM WHAT WILL TYPECAST BE DOING IN 2009?

MELVIN: This year, we plan on making some international tours. We might hit 3 cities in China this year. We’re still working it out though, hopefully everything will be smooth. There’s also this US tour coming, around which involves 10 or more cities approximately. I will post the dates on our Myspace once everything is settled.

We’re also working it out with some organizers in South East Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand. Nothing is confirmed yet but those are some of the plans we’ve had. Hopefully everything turns out fine before or after we release the new record. Also, we’re doing a lot of new design merchandise for T-shirts. It will be out before this year ends.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

MELVIN: I just want to personally give my biggest thanks to everyone who sends us messages online; whether it’s on Myspace, Facebook, etc. We really appreciate your time and effort to send messages to us, giving your thoughts and comments about our music. We’re really thankful for that. We are always doing our best to respond to you guys. To everyone who comes to our shows and buys our merchandise. To everyone who’s been spreading the word out with their friends and relatives, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for doing that and believing in us. It doesn’t end here. Please continue telling all your friends about us. We love you!

And last but not the least, thank you so much to http://www.projectrfsezine.blogspot.com/ for this interview. You guys are doing an awesome job on spreading the word out for bands and musicians all over the globe. Please go on with this beautiful thing you’re doing and we are really honoured to do this with you.