KILLED BY BUTTERFLY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERWIN "EWINK" JONASO
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/killed
COUNTRY: Indonesia STYLE: Rock / Metal / Thrash

HOW WERE YOU FIRST “INTRODUCED” TO HEAVY MUSIC, AND HOW DID THE BAND START?

RID: remembered my self as a soft kid back then, I listen to MJ, Duran Duran a lot. And the first rock stuff that I ever heard was Queen. And when I’m at junior high I remember the first metal stuff I listen to was Metallica, you know I asked my older brother to teach me ‘Seek and Destroy’ guitar intro and he was like…’no way man you can’t start learning guitar with that kinda stuff…learn the basic stuff first you idiot!’ And after Napalm Death “Scum” hit me…I listen to heavier stuff…

The band started as a side project actually, it was our guitarist (Vic) and our first vocalist (Hary) project. Vic was in a ska band back then, and me and Rom have our own band too, a punk band. After we play a lot together…and we kinda get more serious on this…and here we are…

ROM: I grew up with the Beatles, the Carpenters, Kiss, etc. Then fell in love to the “Master of Puppets”, but "...and Justice for All" still the bomb! Classic album!

YOUR SOUND DRIFTS BETWEEN VARIOUS GENRES OF HEAVY MUSIC; WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST “DRIVING FORCE” BEHIND YOUR SOUND?

RID: Oldskull Metal, crossover, Punk and Hardcore stuff I think…I can’t tell a certain band, because I listened a lot of random stuff back then, Kreator, DRI, A.M.Q.A., The Misfits, Necrodeath, Napalm Death, Sepultura and stuff like that..It’s pretty random actually; I just can’t name one...

ROM: Hmm, kinda hard question to answer, hehe.. Well we like the old stuff like Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Misfits etc, we also like the new stuff like 18 Visions, and He is Legend, Thrice, so I think we just like to blend their sound into our music haha

HOW LONG HAS THE “SANITY / INSANITY ALBUM BEEN AVAILABLE AND ARE YOU PLANNING A NEW RELEASE ANY TIME SOON?

RID: It was released in 2009, and yes we plan to make another one.

ROM: It’s a year and a month, and yeah, we’ve got plans, but still not sure start to make and E.P or another L.P, it all depends to our creativity process…

READING THE TRACK LIST FOR “SANITY / INSANITY” SOME OF THE SONG TITLES SEEM TO COME FROM A VERY “DARK” PLACE, WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU COVER THE MOST WITH YOUR MUSIC?

RID: Real life subject actually, and it’s all about losing family member, losing a friend, about religion, and stuff. A lot of people judging us as an emo stuff (ha, whatever) but what can I say, this girl, Beth Gibbon (Portishead) influenced me a lot.

ROM: The subject would be Life in general, well we kinda like what you said “dark place” pretty cool! haha, for instance, we more prefer to write a song from Vader rather than Skywalker point of view :P

MOST OF YOUR SONGS ARE NOT VERY LONG, WHY HAS THE BAND TAKEN THIS APPROACH WITH ITS SONG WRITING?

RID: All I can say is, we keep it simple, we avoid repeating riff more than twice, but we don’t want our song became complicated like technical stuff, because no, we’re not that technical.

ROM: Hmm, basically we’ve got Punk Rock element in our music, as you can hear in every song of our music we’ve got the 3 chords punk, and we think it’s pretty cool, straight, melodic, yet harsh!

WHO WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE BIGGEST SONG WRITERS IN THE BAND?

RID: I can’t answer this one…for me, if you go as a band, you go together as one. As you can see on our credit, it’s written all songs by Killed by Butterfly. So there’s absolutely no ego shit on that kinda stuff.

ROM: Everyone in this band got chances to spit it out his theory. So if someone said “hey I’ve got these cool chords for new song” then the rest of us will finish each song, one by one, together…

I SEE YOU LIST FOUR BAND MEMBERS ON MYSPACE BUT ONLY THREE ON FACEBOOK, IS THE BAND PLANNING ANY LINE UP CHANGES?

RID: Vic leaves the band to study in Australia. No, I guess we’re good... We use additional musician to fill the job, so Rom can play guitar like he always wanted ahaha

ROM: Really? Each member got Facebook account; I think there’s a misunderstanding : P

A BAND WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE NOTHING WITHOUT ITS GEAR. WHAT INSTRUMENTS AND GEAR DO YOU CURRENTLY USE TO GET THE BEST RESULTS?

RID: Musical instrument it’s kinda expensive stuff back here. I previously use Gibson SG guitar, now I use LTD guitar, but I’m planning to buy another SG. I don’t have our own amps yet. So for every gig we ask the best amps we can get (usually Mesa Boogie or Marshall) it’s all in our riders…

ROM: Right now, I’m using Washburn les paul model (wp-80) with EMG pickups 81 (for bridge), Ernie ball strings and Marshall JCM 2000 Dsl 100 Head (plan to replace with Peavey 5150 or 6505 Head) and Ade the drummer using Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals and Zildjian Travis Barker Signature Sticks.

TALKING ABOUT GEAR. I SEE THE GAME GEARS OF WAR (XBOX360) MENTIONED ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE. WOULD YOU GUYS CONSIDER YOURSELVES TO BE “BIG” GAMERS AND IF SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE GAMES?

RID: It’s my and Rom favorite game actually, we use to go to our friend’s house to play it every weekend for 2 almost years, but we don’t do that anymore, now we play it online from home. I miss the togetherness actually, when you can shout and scream to each other…laughing, it’s better than hearing it from a headset. As for my favorites, hmm I’m a shooting freak… So Gears is my all time favorite, along with Call of Duty 4, Rainbow Six Vegas 2. I can’t wait for new Gears Dark Corner update…

ROM: Well my fave games would be, Gears of War, Call of Duty, Tony Hawk, Pro Evolution Soccer, Bully & Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar games represent!)

I MENTION YOUR FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE PROFILES A LOT IN THIS INTERVIEW BUT IT IS UNFORTUNATELY THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION I HAVE ABOUT THE BAND. DO YOU THINK IT IS A GOOD OR BAD THING THAT BANDS IN GENERAL HAVE BECOME SO DEPENDANT ON THE INTERNET TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES?

RID: I didn’t see the bad things in it, you see almost everyone use the internet now right? It’s a matter of using the best thing you can use for the moment... I mean, if we only can use carrier pigeon to post your letter like the Chinese people use it back in the day, I’m sure a lot of band also use it right now too ahahah

ROM: Well, we agreed, coz these days every unsigned band really need a good e-promotion, even just a small e-promotion thru Internet, and it’s okay if a band dependant to it.

THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO BETTER WAY TO PROMOTE A BAND THAN TO PLAY LIVE, ARE YOU PLANNING TO PLAY MANY SHOWS IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS?

RID: We’re planning to play this big event called Java Rockin’ Land 2009 , rumors say that there’s a lot of big band like Mew, reunion MR BIG, Third Eye Blind. It’s a random rock show actually, hope it turns up well.

ROM: Yeah, we haven’t got any chance to make our own tour in our country, sponsorship and money are the biggest problem, but we gonna dig it, hopefully someone or some company would support us haha

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MUSIC SCENE WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHAT EXCITES AND SCARES YOU THE MOST ABOUT WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN YOUR SCENE?

RID: The scene is good... But a lot of people tend to copy all the aspect of whatever they idolizing, and it ended up make them like hypocrite prick. A lot of people here don’t absorb what only good for them, but all of them instead if you know what I mean.

ROM: Yeah the scene are pretty awesome, but there are idiots who try to separate the scene by mocking some band or somebody, and we think that sucks, just respect others like you respect yourself and it’s gonna be mega awesome things for the scene.

ANY COMMENTS OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

RID: I want to thank Peter, from Peter Says Denim...you Neil, for this opportunity, to all my band mates, family, friends, whoever who read this interview this far…thanks

ROM: Family, friends, Myspace, Facebook and you of course thank you so much Neil for this witty interview! Cheers!

BETRAY THE EMISSARY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANK PEY
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/betraytheemissary
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Metal / Hardcore / Death Metal

YOU HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY SINCE YOUR FIRST ALBUM WAS RELEASED IN MARCH LAST YEAR; WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE BAND IS CAREFULLY BUILDING A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR ITSELF LEADING UP TO THE NEXT RELEASE?

GAV: Carefully, no…There isn’t much thought going in to the shows we choose to play. I’d prefer even less. When you start picking and choosing which shows to play and which not to, you begin to limit yourself to a specific group of people that consistently attend shows at, e.g. Wynberg Sports Club. This limits exposure. But of course, there aren’t that many “underground-friendly” venues in Cape Town and Stellenbosch so those kinds of limits might be imposed by this scarcity.

DAN: If consistently is in the region of two shows a month then I guess so. I think the more you in the eye of the public regardless of the shows/festivals you play the better the exposure and development of the band. As far as foundation is concerned I think we built most of the foundation on the release of the first album and have been getting new listeners and as we go along playing shows here and there – however I think the amount of listeners attending shows nowadays is a concern that bands and organisers/promoters should address as it ultimately leads to the success and “foundation” of a band.

CRAIG: I definitely think playing the biggest and best shows help a ton in terms of exposure and making the right connections. It also helps us improve as musicians and learn from what the other good bands in South Africa are doing. Playing arbitrary small shows is where the love for music and performing becomes apparent, as they are less about building foundations and more about just being on stage with your brothers.

BRUCE: I feel that we don’t put much thought into the shows we play. The predominating factor determining weather we play a show or not are the amount of people attending. It doesn’t matter what type of crowd it is. So I wouldn’t say that we are building a foundation “carefully” but rather trying to get maximum exposure wherever we can.

“IN MEMORY OF ME” RECEIVED GREAT REVIEWS, AND IN FEBRUARY A POST ON THE BAND’S BLOG MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON TWO NEW SONGS. HOW FAR ARE YOU GUYS WITH THE WRITING PROCESS?

DAN: I would say the writing process is still at the beginning stages although we do have lots of material already. I think we’re focussing our attentions more to writing just good songs as opposed to writing good parts. We are trying new ways of writing songs and experimenting quite a bit with arrangements etc, however this will result in quite a long process of writing, but will be well worth the wait at the end of it all.

GAV: We’re working extremely hard on trying to develop our sound in many ways. We’re not looking for a niche, or something utterly original per se. We’re just trying to take the good parts of “In Memory of Me” and synthesize them better with the new stuff. This, unfortunately is much harder than we would have liked, but in the end we’ll at least be proud of what we put out. So to answer your question, the writing process is still in the beginning phase.

CRAIG: Well as writing goes there’s lots of back and forth between the members, which is pretty time consuming for us. We’re not the kind of band that pumps out a track at practice, we actually never write at practice. We write our individual parts of the tracks then tab and distribute them, and then we discuss what’s good and what’s crap and start all over again. We’re all stubborn fucks too so the process is a mission, but in the end we’re all happy with each track. Our second new track is nearly complete though, and we have a few more in the pipeline.

ARE YOU AIMING TO COMPLETE AN ALBUM THAT IS HEAVIER OR MORE MELODIC OR A BALANCE OF BOTH?

CRAIG: On the whole we’re looking for an album that makes more sense in terms of sound and technique, where each track is tied into one another. But I’d say it’s going to be more melodic with parts that are heavier than a lonely priest’s balls.

GAV: A balance of both.

DAN: Definitely a balance of both, we are all big fans of melody as well as heavy riffage, I think a more crushing heavy with melodic driven sections will be more of a better description.

BRUCE: A balance of both…….

WHAT GEAR AND GUITAR TUNINGS ARE YOU CURRENTLY USING AND WHAT IS ON YOUR GEAR WISH LIST AT THE MOMENT?

DAN: Our guitar tuning is drop B, I play a SG through a Crate GT212 which is hooked up to the BOSS MT-2 , TU-2 , DD-3 , NS-2 pedals and shure wireless systems. My dream gear would have to be a ENGL powerball series amp and head with a maroon/wine red ESP eclipse.

BRUCE: I play with a Vampire Warwick Rockbass (5 string) and use a Peavey TNT115 200W for amplification. I also use a boss bass overdrive pedal which is a new addition. I tune my bass to standard 5 string tuning while the other dudes are rolling with drop B tuning on their axes. This works out very well for me cause our top string is tuned to B even though I’m in standard. Been dreaming of a white Christmas….and buying an Ampeg amp one day when I’m all grown up. :)

GAV: I’m still rocking the same gear as I always have…some of its beginning to fall apart, but I suppose that just adds character. I don’t know much about amps, but I’d like a Genz-Benz El Diablo, a matt-black ESP eclipse with the white trimming, a Boss TU-2 pedal, and the Boss MT-2.

HAVE YOU DECIDED YET WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO RECORD THE NEW SONGS, AND WHO WILL PRODUCE THEM FOR YOU?

GAV: I think we’re gonna try go-it-alone on the new album. We learnt a lot from Louis at Burning Tone Studios on the last album and we’re eager to try some things out for ourselves. I’m sure we’ll ask advice from Louis and a few of our other sound-dude buddies, but for the most part it’ll be completely independent.

CRAIG: We’ve slowly been working towards being able to record our own material that will still have a ridiculous sound, but we’ll always accept help. It just makes sense to be able to take your time with recording. Looking forward to getting a few preliminary recordings done and released!

DAN: As Gav has mentioned above we will try it alone this time, we are a very hands on band – and have always been there for all the changes and mixing and mastering processes etc.

HAVE YOU GUYS “TESTED” OUT ANY OF YOUR NEW SONGS IN A LIVE ENVIRONMENT YET?

BRUCE: Whipped out “Revealer” At the last trip to Joburg as well as at Wynberg sports club. From what we can it has been well received.

DAN: We just implemented a new song into our live set and we’re working on a 2nd one to follow shortly, as far as reactions are concerned we’ve had little feedback from the new song, but judging from the general consensus of the room the fans/audience are liking what they hear.

GAV: Yes, we’ve played the new song, “Revealer”, 3 times so far. A reaction is still pending…

CRAIG: Hells yeah! I love playing Revealer! People are still getting used to it, but it’s a great step in our new direction.

THE ONE THING THAT ALWAYS SEEMS TO ACCOMPANY YOUR MUSIC THESE DAYS IS A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE, AND WHILE YOU SEE MANY OTHER LOCAL BANDS TRYING TO CREATE A GOOD “LOOK” FOR THEMSELVES MANY FALL SHORT OF DOING SO. DO YOU THINK IT IS JUST A CASE OF BANDS NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD DESIGN?

BRUCE: I haven’t found that our reputation in Cape Town has helped us at all as far as people attending our shows in Joburg. I feel that promotion is the issue. Bad promotion=Small crowds.

DAN: I think the DIY ethic that bands have is what develops naturally as an upcoming band in the initial development stage. Being a designer myself I do strongly recommend bands to work hard on getting funds to allow designers, with more experience to tackle the visual imagery of what should portray the band in the eye of the public. I would almost agree with your statement, I think “good” or “bad” design is justified by the knowledge you have in design, where experience certainly separates the good from the bad.

GAV: I’m sure there are loads of guys with great design ideas, but who simply do not have the know-how and technical skills to turn those ideas into graphic or otherwise visual mediums. Nobody in the underground scene earns enough money to get a professional to put their ideas down, every time they come up with something good.

BETRAY THE EMISSARY IS WELL KNOWN IN THE CAPE TOWN SCENE FOR YOUR ENERGETIC LIVE SHOWS. HAVING JUST TRAVELLED TO JOHANNESBURG FOR TWO SHOWS A SHORT WHILE BACK, DO YOU FIND THAT HAVING A GOOD REPUTATION IN CAPE TOWN HELPS TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO ATTEND YOUR SHOWS WHEN YOU PERFORM OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOMETOWN?

GAV: If that is the case, it’s not apparent. I can’t testify to our rep in CT, and the out-of-town shows that we’ve played have generally been poorly attended.

DAN: Bands that are playing live constantly and travelling to different areas I think can agree with the fact that having a reputation in your hometown is completely independent of your reputation anywhere outside your hometown, I think every new area you tackle as a band is a challenge and the only way to build a reputation is keep at it and play as many new places as you can.

CRAIG: I think reputations are location specific in SA, because you’ll always be compared to local bands and there isn’t enough exposure for bands to become well known outside of where you play. Touring is a tough nut to crack, there are so many variables and things that can go wrong that you just need to try get onto the best shows you can and hope for the best.

DO YOU THINK THAT WE WILL EVER SEE TOURS THAT FEATURE ALLOT OF LOCAL BANDS THAT TRAVEL THROUGH MOST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY LIKE THEY HAVE IN THE STATES OVER HERE ANY TIME SOON?

BRUCE: That’s a huge negative. With the current attendance of these shows there is clearly not enough money or support for something like that. At least not in the underground metal scene anyway.

GAV: Not in the near future. It simply isn’t financially viable, let alone lucrative, to tour. We’ve never been contacted by Durban organizers so I don’t know about their scene. Durban & Joburg opinions of the CT scene are actually quite embarrassing. And our experience of the Joburg scene is tells us that you’d have to be extremely lucky, or clever to pick the exactly right show, on the exactly right night, in order to make enough money. There’re so many shows happening on the same day that it’s difficult to know where and when to play.

ARE THERE ANY KEY ISSUES THAT YOU THINK THE BAND NEEDS TO WORK ON TO FURTHER INCREASE ITS FAN BASE, OR IS IT JUST THAT A METAL BAND CAN ONLY REACH A “CERTAIN” LEVEL OF SUCCESS IN SOUTH AFRICA?

GAV: There are, no doubt, standards to which bands need to aspire in order to gain a following that’s made up of more than just their circle of friends. Some bands reach these standards, and some bands should probably rethink a few things. The live performance is crucial. People are PAYING to come and watch you, and in this day and age, with the kinds of people out there, a band should take a moment to reflect on the fact that this is a massive privilege. Our live performance is as much a need to let go and have fun on stage as it is making sure that people get their money’s worth. Music-wise, we try not to be too flashy, peeling for the sake of peeling, or try to be heavier and add more shock-value to our stuff than the next guy. Somewhere in between trying to write, the sickest riffs, over the sickest double-bass, with the sickest lyrics over that, your songs can just become sick…

YOUR BAND BIO CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING LINE, “…THE BAND WRITES, PLAYS AND PERFORMS THEIR MUSIC FOR THE SAKE OF MUSIC ITSELF…” DO THE LINES GET BLURRED SOMETIMES BETWEEN THE BAND’S VALUES AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE?

GAV: Unfortunately yes. Everybody in the band has his own agenda, and has his own ideas of what he wants to do with this or that aspect of the band. Sometimes outside pressures, or our ideas of what those pressures are can influence some decisions, and sometimes can make them for us. I suppose that’s just part of it all. At the end I hope that we will return to our initial sentiments and be happy with just having the times of our lives with it all…sadly, I fear, that’s the most underground bands can hope for in SA.

BRUCE: Yes, the lines do get blurred from time to time. Sometimes life can get in the way.

CRAIG: They’re pretty much linked in my opinion, however compromise is a big part of being in a band because there are 5 of us and we’re all passionate. It’s pretty hard to all be on the same page all the time, but we all perform because we love it and we would all love to break through to the international market. Even if it’s just to play a few shows overseas! Fuck yes!

EXCEPT FOR A NEW ALBUM, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE REST OF 2009?

DAN: Hopefully towards the end of the year, preparation for a music video. Other than that the album is the main priority.

GAV: Work on some of our live performance and make enough cash for a video.

BRUCE: Save as much cash as we can and make a music video.

ANY LAST COMMENTS OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

BTE: Friends, family, and fans. Bands we’ve had the honour of sharing the stage with. You all know who you are.

…and last but not least, thanks to you for the interview.

INFANTERIA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KYLE CREESE
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/infanteria
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Thrash / Progressive / Metal

YOU MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT YOUR MAIN SOUND IS THRASH METAL. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THE “THRASH” SOUND AND HOW WOULD YOU SAY THE BAND HAS TAKEN THAT SOUND AND MADE IT ITS OWN?

Infanteria: We love the raw energy that you get when listening or playing Thrash. The riffs are complex, fast, driving and it’s challenging but fun music to play. When we started the band, we all listened to the same stuff like Megadeth, Metallica and Pantera so we were predominantly playing pure Thrash in the beginning but when Jared joined the band we could add a more progressive sound to our thrash sound.

THE BAND IS BUSY RECORDING ITS FIRST EP AT THE MOMENT, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP THE RECORDING PROCESS SO FAR?

Infanteria: It’s been great but we’ve just found it hard to record regularly because of college and school commitments. But when we get to record, it’s been going really well. Louis at Burning Tone Studios is a great dude and we really enjoy working with him. He really pushes us, which we like, and he has a great idea of what we need and like. We would recommend working with him to anyone.

IN WHAT WAY WOULD YOU SAY YOUR MUSIC HAS PROGRESSED DURING THE WRITING PROCESS FOR THE EP?

Infanteria: I think we’ve got heavier and we know now what sounds work in our style. We used to try different things that didn’t really work and now we have a good idea of what makes the “Infanteria” sound.

I SEE YOUR NEW SONG “MAKING A KILLING” HAS RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK FOR ITS PRODUCTION AND “SOUND” ONLINE FROM LISTENERS, WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE SONG WHEN YOU HEARD THE “FINISHED PRODUCT” FOR THE FIRST TIME?

Infanteria: We were blown away but we knew even during the recording process that it was going to sound amazing. Louis has such a great ear for tones that he only really had to do touch ups in the mixing stage, but when we sat down on his couch and listened to the final mix, we all had smiles on our faces.

IN MAY YOU POSTED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK: “MAKING A KILLING IS BEING PLAYED IN CANADA...HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!” TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT?

Infanteria: Haha, yeah Kyle Puller from Dual Tone Records was over in Canada working at a radio station. He had taken copies of Hammer The Masses with him to show all the Canadians and apparently a DJ at a metal club played the CD and one of their favourites was “Making a Killing”. We were really stoked about that. You never know, a Canadian tour could be in the pipeline for the future, haha.

“MAKING A KILLING” HAS ALREADY FEATURED ON THE HAMMER THE MASSES VOL.2 COMPILATION, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA YET WHEN YOUR EP WILL BE RELEASED AND WHERE IT WILL BE AVAILABLE?

Infanteria: We’re hoping to have it available by the end of the year. We only have the vocals and a few keyboard parts left so hopefully it will be ready to mix and master by September and then we’ll see from there. We don’t want to rush it. We want it to be the best metal CD out in South Africa so we’re accepting nothing but 100%.

I REMEMBER SEEING ANOTHER POST MENTIONING THAT THE BAND WAS LOOKING FOR A NEW BASS PLAYER, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS; WHAT HAPPENED?

Infanteria: We have a new bass player, Mark from Moment of Clarity first offered to help us out and we were so blown away by his playing and style that we asked him to join permanently. We’re really happy we found someone who fits the band musically and personally. He likes the same music as us and has high standards musically so he’s perfect!

PERFORMING MUSIC THAT IS VERY INTENSE AND HEAVY DO YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH THE SOUND AT SHOWS SOMETIMES?

Infanteria: Yeah of course, but I think most acts do. Metal is a difficult genre to mix for the sound guys but usually it’s manageable. It helps if you’re a tight, practiced band in bad sound situations which we luckily are. Sound at gigs is getting better though which is awesome!

YOU HAVE PLAYED AT THE METAL 4 AFRICA EVENTS A FEW TIMES AND YOU FEATURED ON THEIR LIVE DVD AS WELL, DO YOU THINK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND HOST BIGGER LIVE EVENTS IN VENUES THAT ARE LARGER THAN CLUBS ON A REGULAR BASIS?

Infanteria: Definitely, it would also be great to see a little more diversity at shows too. A lot of the gigs today have very similar sounding bands playing which alienates many fans who don’t particularly like that particular genre of music.

If bigger shows were created with a diverse line-up then there would be more support for the shows. Metal4Africa do a fantastic job in the diversity side so we hope more promoters will follow suite.

THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY VENUES A METAL BAND CAN PERFORM AT IN CAPE TOWN, THAT BEING SAID ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING TO INCREASE THE BAND’S “PRESENCE” AT THESE VENUES IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE EP?

Infanteria: We certainly want to organize a small launch tour or something. We’re still planning that but we’re hoping that the EP will open us up to a bigger audience and more shows will come our way. Thrash isn’t the biggest genre at the moment in SA so maybe this EP will open people’s eyes to it.

THE BAND HAS BEEN PERFORMING LIVE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW; WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOU GUYS AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR THE BAND TO REACH “THE NEXT LEVEL” WITH YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES?

Infanteria: We would definitely say our biggest highlight was playing at the Metal4Africa DVD launch. The crowd was going insane and we played out of our skins, it was the best show we’ve played.

For the future, we just want to keep writing good music and hopefully our following will increase so we can play bigger shows and keep growing. It’s all about enjoying yourself at the end of the day.

I’VE MENTIONED YOUR EP A MILLION TIMES SO FAR, WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE BAND IN 2009?

Infanteria: We want to try and organize a Joburg tour for the beginning of next year possibly. We’ve never played there before so that would be great. We also want to play a Metal4Africa show again before the year ends; we love those shows in Stellies. The Stellenbosch crowd is full of thrashers so we always have a good time there.

ANY COMMENTS OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Infanteria: First and foremost, a big thanks to Louis for giving us so much support; Kyle Puller and Dual, The Broken Result, Moment of Clarity, Mikey Gill for an awesome logo (winner!) and all the thrashers out there!! Thanks dudes!

FALL OF MIRRA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHIKIN ALI
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/fallofmirra
COUNTRY: Singapore STYLE: Metal / Rock / Hardcore

WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DID YOU FIRST LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU DISCOVERED HEAVY MUSIC?

Before we started to truly discover heavy music, most of us listened to a diverse range of different music genres and were playing in bands of various genres.

BRANDON (VOCALS): He used to play bass in a Hardcore band, and then later in a brutal Deathcore band. Ironically, he plays in the school concert band as well, and enjoys stuff ranging from classical to Elctronica, and from Indie to brutal Deathcore

HADI (GUITAR / BACKUP VOCALS): He plays guitar in a Alternative Pop Rock band, Knightsfall, and listen to wide range of music such as Rock , Indie , Post-Hardcore and Pop Rock.

IMRAN (BASS): He used to play bass in a Funk band, and enjoyed grooving to good old Rock music.

JULIUS (KEYBOARDS): He grew up listening to classical pieces, and also laying the piano.

FARHAN (LEAD GUITAR): A true fan of Jazz and Glam, Hair Metal / Rock.

FADZLLY (DRUMS): He enjoys Hardcore Punk, straight edge stuff and the likes.

LISTENING TO THE TRAILER OF YOUR EP ON MYSPACE ONE CAN HEAR MANY MUSICAL INFLUENCES. WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE BAND HAS A CORE SOUND THAT MOST OF YOUR SONGS WILL ALWAYS BE BUILT ON?

Well, I wouldn’t say so for most of the members of the band have a diverse range of music influences and each of these musical influences contribute in different ways when we write our music.

Complete with brutally brutal guitar riffs, heart-thumping deadly basslines, vicious blast beats and savage vocals, our songs are largely recognizable by the aggressive undertones of our hardcore and metal influences, while melodically and rhythmically balanced by the many varying genres which have impacted each individual member of the band.

YOU RELEASED THE NEW EP A SHORT WHILE BACK TITLED “PRELUDE TO DESTRUCTION”, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE EP AND HOW MANY TRACKS ARE ON IT?

Our debut EP titled “Prelude to Destruction” has 3 tracks and they are:

Razor Blade Smile
Once Lost (Is Forever)
3:32

We really enjoyed producing and recording the EP. The pre-production took us about 2 months and the recording, mixing and mastering took us about 5-7 months. We really took our time to produce it and listen to every little detail of each sound to ensure that every part that we planned for was there at the final product.

WAS THIS EP YOUR FIRST RECORDING EXPERIENCE, AND ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE END RESULTS?

This is definitely not our first recording experience for us expect for our 16 year old vocalist, Brandon and Keyboardist Julius. Both of them did well on their first recording debut.

The EP was produced at Inversion studio and Sound Advice.

Beside them, Fadzlly did a lot of various recording before with Trash Metal band Raspatul and does spend more time in the recording studio compared to the rest of the band.

Hadi also recorded a 5 track EP with his Alternative Rock band Knightsfall while Farhan and Imran did record several tracks with their previous funk rock band.

Overall, the whole band is ecstatic and overwhelmed when they heard the final product. We were blown away instantly when we took our first listen to the mastered tracks. Hadi had to even call the producer and clarify if he passed us the right EP because it simply didn’t sound like us!!”

We would like to acknowledge the hard work of our sound engineer and producer Cedric Chew for producing our debut EP. Being in vocalist in Black Metal band (Meza Virz) himself, he helped us a lot and pushes our vocalist’s potential beyond his limits.

Over all we are happy his work and will definitely go back to the same studio for the release.

COULD THE EP TITLE “PRELUDE TO DESTRUCTION” MEAN THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO RELEASE EVEN GREATER AND HEAVIER SONGS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AND WHAT IS THE ONLINE POST “…PLANNING FOR THE NEXT 1.5 YEARS.....” ABOUT?

Yes!!! You get it right… We decided to name our debut EP “Prelude to Destruction” because we know and want the next release to be way more brutal and aggressive. Currently, we have 2 new songs up and they’re sounding great for the moment! These 2 tracks will definitely appear on our next release.

Hahahah … Some of you have seen this online post “…planning for the next 1.5 years.....” on our Myspace page and Facebook fan page. Alright, let me let the cat out of the bag. For the next 1.5 years, we will work on our next release and this time it will be an album and as at now, we are planning to have 8-10 tracks on the album. We also are planning for our regional tour – Malaysia, New Zealand and maybe Japan (it is still on-going process) and to promote the bands in any means possible. If given the chance and opportunity, we would love to play in South America.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST “BARRIER” THAT YOU CURRENTLY NEED TO OVERCOME AS AN INDEPENDENT BAND?

It would have to be all about the financial problems I would admit. Being an independent band, we lack sponsorship and endorsements, and this means we would have to fork out all the money that is spent on recording our EP, organising shows and producing our merchandise.

I CHECKED OUT THE LIVE VIDEO FOR YOUR SONG “CHUCK NORRIS”. I THINK IT IS ONE OF THE COOLEST SONG TITLES I’VE HEARD IN A WHILE; WHY OR HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO NAME A SONG A AFTER HIM?

Hahaha! There was this time when I came across this website http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/ and read almost every single one of the ridiculous and absurd facts, I almost died laughing and that was when I decided that hey, I have got to write a song about him! The song was mainly about how brutal and terrifying Chuck was and all the weird shit he could do. Like in the lyrics, “I’ll slam that revolving door and count to infinity not just once, but twice” and “I’d like your skull crushed, like I’d like my ice to be”

THE BAND ALSO SEEMS TO ENJOY IT’S TIME ON STAGE. DO YOU PREFER PLAYING IN SMALLER VENUES OR IS IT A CASE OF THE BIGGER THE VENUE THE BETTER?

Hmm, well we do prefer playing in much bigger venues for there is more room for us to jump around and go crazy while playing and also, way more room for a bigger moshpit! However, sometimes we do prefer playing in smaller venues as we feel much more engaged with the crowd while playing.

HOW MUCH DOES HAVING A KEYBOARD PLAYER HELP TO GIVE THAT EXTRA “ATMOSPHERE” TO YOUR SONGS IN A LIVE ENVIRONMENT?

It sure does provide that really awesome electronic, party atmosphere with the different keyboard synths effects and stuff. And the keyboard can create a really grand and lively, yet still aggressive tone and sound that complements well with the band’s heavy sound. It’s like mixing different colours up, mixing and matching, if you know what I mean hahahah!

WHAT GUITAR TUNINGS AND GEAR DOES THE BAND CURRENTLY USE?

The band now is using drop D tuning.

Here is what our band members gears:

HADIRMAN (GUITAR / BACKUP VOCALS):
Guitars
Schecter-006 Extreme with Seymour Duncan JB pickup
LTD EX-50 with EMG 80 and 85
Boss NS-2 noise suppressor
Maxon AD9 Delay pedal
Maxon OD808 Overdrive
MI Audio Cruch Box

FARHAN (LEAD GUITAR):
Guitars
Yamaha AES420
Yamaha AES520D6
Zoom GFX-8

JULIUS (KEYBOARD):
Yamaha PSR-S550B

IMRAN (BASS):
Yamaha BB614

DO YOU HATE PACKING AWAY AND CARRYING ALL THAT GEAR AROUND SOMETIMES AFTER A GRUELLING PERFORMANCE OR DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT HELP WITH THAT SORT OF THING?

Well, it’s pretty much of a so called “standard-operation-procedure” kind of thing so we’re really cool with it. It gets really exhausting sometimes but we can make fun out of almost everything!

HOW MUCH DO YOU PLAN TO PERFORM FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR AND WHAT GIGS ARE YOU CURRENTLY LOOKING FORWARD TO?

We'll probably be playing another 2 more shows and then we'll be going into our hiatus mode, while our vocalists takes some time off to study for his upcoming major exams. And then, we'll probably be thrashing the stage in no time again, with new materials!

On top of that, we're really looking forward in sharing the stage with more bands and making more friends. And we would really like to tour alongside other great bands as well!

ANY COMMENTS OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

To all projectrfsezine readers, if you would like to get your hands on Fall of Mirra EP – “Prelude to Destruction” you can email us with your name and full address to fallofmirra@gmail.com with the subject “Fall of Mirra EP”.

Before we go, Fall of Mirra would like to thank Neil van Zyl for allowing us to have this interview and to our friends and friends soon to be made, thank you so much for your sincere support. Fall of Mirra will be back real soon so stay tune and please help us to spread the destruction through the world.

Love and Regards,
Fall of Mirra
www.myspace.com/fallofmirra

IRVINE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA VISSER
WEBSITE: http://www.irvineband.com
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock / Indie

HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN MAKING MUSIC AND HOW DID THE BAND START?

Bob and I (Chris) have been playing music since an early age. Our mother is a music teacher so we were fortunate to be exposed to music and various instruments from early on in our lives. I actually started off focussing my energy on mastering the penny whistle (because I always dreamed of playing in Mango Groove) but around the age of eleven I soon realized I wouldn’t handle the pressures of being a pro penny whistler so I tried the drums instead.

Since then Bob and I have jammed on and off but only really decided to get a serious band together in 2006 when we began jamming some of his songs after his return from a few years working/studying in the UK. After a year spent mostly writing and recording our debut EP ‘This is Tomorrow’, we moved to London where we continued the band with a new line-up.

YOU GUYS SPENT ALLOT OF TIME IN ENGLAND HOW WOULD YOU SAY BEING BASED IN ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD HAS INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC?

Being over in London definitely had a great impact on our band. Although we built up a bit of a fan-base over there and did some recording, what we gained most from our time there was just the experience of seeing so many great bands and diverse forms of music.

The experience definitely redirected our sound towards a more experimental approach as it really stretched our view in terms of what can be done in the rock genre.

YOUR SONGS HAVE VERY COOL VOCALS; DO MOST OF YOUR SONGS GET BUILT AROUND LYRICS OR INSTRUMENTALS AND WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU ENJOY COVERING THE MOST WITH YOUR MUSIC?

Most of our songs are actually built around melody and instrumental elements, rather than lyrics, however there are few songs that do have a strong lyrical base. Coming from deep classical and jazz backgrounds, we actually find it easier to think in terms of melody, so we tend to start working from a tune or a short guitar riff or even a bass line. Often our songs won’t even have completed lyrics until all of the instrumental elements have already been written.

I (Bob) write a lot of poetry and lyrics separately, so it’s usually a case of fitting certain lines I’ve taken from those writings and taking inspiration from that for the rest of the lyrics. Subject wise, we take a lot from our experiences of life. Issues such as hope, faith, longing and the pursuit of dreams are recurring themes for us at this point in time, so these come through in our songs. In a year’s time we could be writing about something completely different, but we try to stay true to our experiences in the moment.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOUR SONGS IS THAT IT IS NOT JUST STRAIGHT FORWARD DRUMS, BASE AND GUITAR, BUT YOU ARRANGE THE SONGS SO THAT THEY HAVE THIS TYPE OF “DREAM LIKE SOUND” WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER. IS THERE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF “MOOD” THAT YOU LIKE TO CREATE WITH YOUR MUSIC?

We definitely try to create certain moods within our music. We will often try to incorporate a few different moods into the same song. For example, we will make an effort to change the second verse of a song, so even though it has the same tune and chords; it takes on a different character to that of the first verse.

For us music is a very fluid and emotional thing, so it can’t be static. It changes all the time, and the same song will often change character slightly when it’s played in different places. Subtlety is an important element that we use. We use a lot of layering of parts to create different textures, but we never add extra parts like piano or kazoo that we could never recreate live.

YOU HAVE RELEASED TWO EP’S SO FAR TITLED "THIS IS TOMORROW" AND "RAISING WEATHERED SAILS". I GUESS THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU GUYS WOULD BE TO OMPLETE AN ALBUM OR IS IT NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS?

Recording an album is never an easy task, especially if you’re financing it yourself. We’ve never wanted to rush into doing an album, but after years of writing and developing our sound we’ve come to a point where we feel we really need to do a full record.

We start tracking our album on the 24th of August at Dockyard Studios in Cape Town with recording guru Matt Allison. We’re really excited about the album and are currently busy finishing up writing it. Hopefully it will be out early next year.

THE PRODUCTION OF YOUR SONGS IS VERY GOOD WHERE HAVE YOU RECORDED MOST OF YOUR MATERIAL?

We recorded our first EP, “This is Tomorrow” in South Africa at Sound & Studio, a small studio owned by Les van der Veen, who is a great engineer. He was kind enough to give us free run of the place for a few days, so Chris and I (Bob) recorded and produced the record ourselves. We also played all of the instruments ourselves. When we did the second EP, “Raising Weathered Sails”, we recorded with Ross Gill at Headlight Studios in the UK. That was a great experience because it gave us the opportunity to focus more on the music rather than the technical side of the recording process.

Des Lawrence had been playing with us for a while so he played bass on the record. We felt that the second EP captured the idea of a ‘real band playing in a room’ a lot more than the first one did. This idea is very important to us. We draw a lot of inspiration from old jazz records and the recordings from the 60’s and 70’s which really captured the vibe of the band playing together. These days there are so many multi-layered and over-produced records around that we feel it’s important for us to take the rock genre back to it’s roots, whilst at the same time staying current.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET THEIR “HANDS” ON YOUR MUSIC?

At the moment we sell our “Raising Weathered Sails” EP at our shows for a minimal price. Otherwise it’s available from www.purevolume.com/irvine You can also stream it from our website at www.irvineband.com We also have one of our tracks coming out on an American compilation CD called “Riot on Sunset Vol.17” which will be out on the 31st of July in the States. It’s got a bunch of other cool bands on it from all over America and Europe and you can order it either from Amazon.com or our website / Myspace.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE SHOWS YOU HAVE PLAYED SO FAR SINCE YOU RETUNED FROM ENGLAND?

Playing in South Africa has been amazing! We have really enjoyed being home again, and the greatest part is that we’re playing with our good friends Gareth Allison (bass) and Doug Gass (guitar). We have all been friends for years and I (Bob) think that this really contributes to the energy of our performances. We just have such a great time whenever we play live.

THIS IS ONE I’VE ASKED A “MILLION” TIMES BUT WHAT CAN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN YOU GUYS EXPECT FROM AN IRVINE LIVE SHOW AND WOULD YOU STILL LIKE TO “IMPROVE” YOUR LIVE SHOWS IN ANY WAY?

There are always elements that we need to improve on. Having lived in London for so long we’ve had an opportunity to see some amazing live bands and gain a lot of inspiration from them. The live show is very important for any band. We try to give people a different experience every time they see us play, so we use a lot of improvised sections between songs.

We also like to tie songs together and work them all into one complete show. What people can expect from an Irvine gig whether there is an audience of 20 or 200 people, is an energetic, uncompromising and uniquely engaging rock show.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GUYS GO OUT TO WATCH OTHER BANDS AND HAS A BAND EVER HAD A BIG IMPACT ON YOU IN THE WAY YOU APPROACH YOUR OWN LIVE SHOW?

We’re all huge fans of music in general, whether it’s rock, jazz, classical etc. so we’re always watching as much live music as possible. We’ve been fortunate enough to have seen so many incredible bands over the last few years, all of which have impacted our music in some way. If I (Chris) had to narrow it down, I would say the live show which has had the most impact on the way we now approach the live scenario is a gig we saw at a small venue in London about two years ago by an amazing American band called Mutemath.

It was one of those few gigs where you walk away feeling equally inspired and depressed that a band can be so good. The intensity, musicality, and insane improvisation delivered in that small venue by a standard four-piece rock band created a vibe that set the place alight, even though nobody at the time really knew who they were. That gig definitely raised the bar for us in terms of what a live show is all about.

DO YOU HAVE A SONG THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER GET TIRED OF PLAYING FOR ANY PARTICULAR REASON?

Summer of ’69 :) Not really, our songs seem to change constantly so different ones work better than others at different times, and each member of the band likes different songs for different reasons. At the moment, I (Chris) would say “The Shallow End” is my current favourite because it kinda summarizes where we are at the moment, plus it’s just so darn fun to play live.

I SEE YOUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE HAS BEEN QUIET SINCE MAY; DO YOU HAVE ANY SHOWS PLANNED FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?

Since moving back to SA in March things have been pretty hectic and we unfortunately haven’t had much internet access, so it’s been quite tricky trying to keep all our online stuff up to date, but we’re working on that ;) Regarding shows, our bass player is going over to London for about a month so we don’t have anything lined up until September. We’re spending the next few months focussing mainly on our album, so live shows unfortunately have to take a bit of a backseat until we’re done tracking.

ANY COMMENTS OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Firstly, I would like to thank you guys for giving us this interview, and secondly I would like to say a big thank you to our friends, family and the regulars at our gigs over here who have helped make our move back to SA that much easier. Lastly, I would like to say check out www.irvineband.com to have a listen to our EP and join our Facebook and Myspace groups where you will find details about our shows, recordings etc. Otherwise, just have a good day :)

NEW ALTUM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOEDI VAN RENEN
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/newaltumband
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Hardcore / Screamo / Experimental

THE BAND’S MUSICAL CAREER HAS HAD A FEW TWISTS AND TURNS BUT YOU HAVE MANAGED TO PROGRESS “FORWARD” VERY WELL OVER THE YEARS, DO YOU THINK THAT ALL YOUR HARD WORK IS FINALLY PAYING OFF?

RASH: I definitely think that ANY hard work pays off eventually; I think New Altum still has a long way to go but I’m pretty stoked on our achievements so far. I think we’ve done as a band & progressed well musically too.

MATT: Well I’m the newest member of the band so I suppose I’m probably one of those twists & turns so I can’t really comment other than to say I really like the direction were heading in right now.

NIC S: We have had some member changes, and naturally people bring a different flavour to the group. I definitely feel we have moved forward with our sound and the new songs we are writing.

YOUR LAST MUSIC VIDEO WAS FOR THE SONG “GRACE FORGOT THE PAST” DO YOU THINK THAT MUSIC VIDEOS STILL HAVE THE SAME POWER TO PROMOTE A BAND AS IT DID BEFORE THE INTERNET CAME ALONG?

RASH: I think it has more power to promote now with the internet. A lot more people have access to the internet than to DSTV & local channels, especially for global coverage as well.

MATT: Not the same power but they definitely hold a very specific place in the marketing of a band. I think that the answer for bands is not to only pursue one direction of marketing but to have a broader perspective on things.

NIC S: Before the Internet you would be lucky if you caught a music video from one of your favourite bands on the tele, now you can simply look it up and stream it on YouTube or wotever. Music videos will always be a powerful way to promote a band, you get to hear the song, and see the guys playing it, get a feel for what the band do and how they look. I think as long as bands exist, music videos will be made.

YOU FEATURED ON THE MK CHANNEL’S TV SHOW MYMK CELEB A WHILE BACK BUT FOR THOSE LIKE ME WHO DON’T HAVE DSTV, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO FEATURE ON THE SHOW AND DO YOU THINK THE SABC SHOULD ALSO THINK ABOUT LAUNCHING A LOCAL MUSIC CHANNEL THAT IS ASSESSABLE TO EVERYONE?

RASH: SABC should definitely do a show like that! It would be awesome! ... The show was really random, but fun none the less. We’re probably the most “un-celeb” band around so we had a rad time just hanging out & talking crap! – “something we do very well”…plus I had an extra long lunch break that day! Great success!

MATT: It was SO much fun! Loved doing it, loved watching it on TV. The SABC doesn’t have a very good track record when it comes to shows like that. I don’t think their target market is filled with the kind of people that will really watch a show like that. It would be nice though coz I don’t have DSTV either.

NIC S: It was so much fun! I reckon we need more local music channels that cover a wide genre of local acts. MK did so much for our local music scene. The more the merrier.

YOU GUYS HAVE POSTED A FEW REALLY ENTERTAINING VIDEO BLOGS ONLINE RECENTLY. HOW DID THAT START AND WHICH PERSON IN THE BAND DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A GREAT TV PRESENTER / NEWSREADER?

RASH: Myself & Nic F really love watching other bands video blogs, especially about recording new records & things like that & one day we were like, “we should do some random blogs as well” – so we did!.. It’s quite a mission editing it, but I guess I get a laugh out of it once I’m done, then it’s worth it. Also I think Rob in Video blog 3 would make the best presenter!

MATT: Media and video have always played a big part in the band because we have 2 very artistic people in the band (Rash & Nic S.). I think Nic S. would probably be the best presenter.

NIC S: I reckon Matt would be a good presenter; he’s always clued up as to where the Rand is with the Dollar and the Pound!

IN THE VIDEO BLOGS YOU MENTION WORKING ON NEW MATERIAL. ARE YOU PLANNING TO RELEASE A NEW ALBUM OR EP; OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO SAY?

RASH: We are indeed! ... watch this space, it promises to be something in a new direction with a few little surprises! We’re really excited & have been writing songs like crazy! (I just noticed that I use exclamation marks A LOT! – it’s like I’m shouting all the time!) – sorry about that! haha

MATT: We are working on one at the moment. At this point it’s undecided as to whether or not it will be an EP or a full album but the new material is sounding SICK!

NIC S: We are planning to release something new yes. We are slap bang in the middle of recording and writing, so it is an exciting time. We are gunning for a full length so hold thumbs.

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE BAND’S NEW MATERIAL ARE YOU REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE MUSICALLY WITH YOUR NEXT RELEASE?

RASH: We’ve played 2 new songs in recent shows & the general response has always been that there is a lot more “substance” to the new material & we actually feel that way as well, there a lot more heart & emotion in it as well along with more thought provoking & honest lyrics as well.

MATT: I think the music will reach a bigger audience as I think it’s a bit more accessible.I think with the last album we just had a whole bunch of rad songs that we wanted to put down and get out there. With this new album were definitely looking at it as more of a flowing thing. Something that’ll take people on a journey.

NIC S: I’m most excited about the fact that this next release will be a collection of all new material, whereas the last was a compilation of old and new. This will really showcase where we are as a band right now, as the songs are being written every week that passes. I’m also excited about the direction our style has taken; it’s definitely different to the last album, but I’m enjoying the direction it’s moving in.

I SEE ON THE BAND’S MYSPACE THAT YOU HAD ONE SHOW ON THE 4TH OF JULY AND THAT YOU ARE ONLY PERFORMING AGAIN IN DECEMBER!?!?

RASH: We usually get asked to play like 2 weeks before a show is scheduled, so just keep checking the Myspace & I’m sure we’ll be playing soon! Probably in 2 weeks time! ;)

MATT: That needs to be updated :P

NIC S: We are always adding new shows to the list; I highly doubt our next show will be in December.

THE BAND HAS ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH AN EVENT NAMED “CONTRAST”. PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT?

RASH: Contrast is our church’s initiative that is basically a Young Adults church service on a Saturday. It’s really un-conventional & helps people; I believe to get over the bad stigma & mindset that’s been attached to Church & Christianity for so long. It’s an amazing concept & promotes non-judgementalism & celebrates the diversity of people.

Most of us go to that particular church, so if anyone is interested you should come check it out sometime.

MATT: Contrast is essentially our Saturday night young adults service at Tableview Assemblies of God. We’re all heavily involved in our church.It’s great though. It’s not like a normal church service at all. We mix things up every week.

NIC S: We played at the Launch of Contrast. We did an acoustic set, and then ended off with 3 naughtier louder songs.

WAS IT INTERESTING AND FUN TO PLAY SOME ACOUSTIC TUNES FOR A CHANGE?

RASH: I really enjoyed it & it was also really cool to have a more intimate connection with the audience as well. (That might have sounded dodgy)! – but yeah, would definitely do it again. I think Nic S was a bit shy though without his kick drum in front of him. People could see his feet!

MATT: It was rad! Also was good to hear where we needed work. Mistakes and clashing melodies are a LOT more obvious when you strip things down to just acoustics. I highly recommend that every band tries it. Also, this may not hold true to every song, but I generally find that if you can play a song with just an acoustic and it’s still got that something to it that catches your attention and makes you wanna hear more, then it’s probably a good song.

NIC S: Interesting yes.

YOU HAVE PERFORMED OUTSIDE OF CAPE TOWN A BUNCH OF TIMES. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL FOR LOCAL BANDS THESE DAYS?

RASH: It really depends… I prefer to fly if it’s like JHB or Durbs, but if it’s close enough to drive then road trips are always max fun! Especially with other bands.

MATT: Flying with the local budget airlines is cool. Just maybe let them know beforehand that you’ll be flying as a band.

For 2 reasons:
1) They can maybe organize some extra baggage allowance for your equipment.
2) When you have loud guys in the band (*cough* Nic F *cough*) then I think it’s only fair to warn all those that will be travelling with you :)

NIC S: It really depends where you are going and how you are going about it. If you are playing a few shows up a stretch, say the coast for example, then driving in a bus would be better. If one night is in JHB and the next Durban, then definitely fly.

I DON’T WANT TO JINX YOU GUYS BUT HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANYTHING STOLEN WHILE ON THE ROAD?

RASH: Rob has his heart stolen often! – it’s quite a problem.

MATT: My guitar went missing last time we flew but thankfully we found it again. Someone had forgotten to put it on the conveyor belt. But otherwise, no.

NIC S: I had a drum throne stolen... as well as my innocence when I saw robs naked behind.

DO ANY OF YOU HAVE LIKE A BLACK BELT IN KARATE OR SOME HOBBY OUTSIDE OF MAKING MUSIC AND PERFORMING WITH NEW ALTUM?

RASH: Well Nic S & myself are quite involved with media, he does illustration & animation & I do design & film n such. Rob has a black belt in talking crap about his imaginary tattoos, Matt has a black belt in Barter & trading & Nic F has a black belt in loudness! ... other hobbies include fishing, golf, bowling, OH AND POKER! Texas holdem all the way! ... on Facebook though! & occasionally with play play chips.

MATT: With my free time I like to sell diamond rings large diamond rings and then with my other free time I like to buy and sell cameras and guitar gear it’s a salesman thing :) haha

NIC S: I have a black belt in eating Pizza. Fastest in the land.

ANY COMMENTS OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

RASH: My wife for being gorgeous! ... Fans are always a huge one! ... our bro’s & sisters from Show & Tell, Crossingpoint, The arrows, Gravity Wins again, A B Turbo & Theatre. Neil our new finance guru & all round rad guy, YOU for this interview, you’re a legend….EErrrr? …

Also I’ll leave you with this profound saying: “FORROW YOUR DREAMS”!

MATT: Just wanna say hi to my beautiful girlfriend, Bianca.

NIC S: I’d like to thank you very much...thank you very much.