Tomatrax – Interview with Pieter Van Dessel from Marble Sounds
Following their crucially acclaimed debut Nice Is Good, Belgium’s Marble Sounds have returned with another collection of amazing indie sounds in the form of their second full length, Dear me, Look up! Tomatrax spoke to Pieter Van Dessel, the lead singer of the band, about the bands’ latest music.
Where did the name “Dear me, Look up” come from?
It’s a title from a blog post by Tanya Sa, someone I knew when I lived in Montreal. She had this blog where she posted one post a day for a whole year. It was hard to find a good title for this album. I was desperate for a good one until a few days before mastering, but when I read this title on her blog I loved it immediately.
Given the critical acclaim you got for your debut album, did you feel any pressure putting this album together?
Not really. On the contrary actually! The reactions on the first album gave us confidence to make a good second album. The lack of time pressure also helped. I thought it’d be good to have 3 years between albums to make the best album possible.
Was it hard to pick what went on the album?
I always use everything I have. We had 11 songs recorded, and kept one as a bonus track for the vinyl. I don’t work like many musicians, who have like 60 tracks and select 10 or 12 for an album. I do the selection in the early stage of the songwriting. When I start writing and I don’t feel straight away that the material could end up on the album, I trash it immediately and continue with another idea. So if the song survived it’s very likely that it will on the album. I don’t write that many songs.
The album has an Autumn-like feel to it, was this the feel you were aiming for?
I didn’t think about it. This is the music that comes out of me without thinking about it. It’s in the DNA of marble sounds I guess. Although I think it’d be nice to go for a particular atmosphere on one of the next albums.
What inspired you to cover Sophia’s Ship In The Sand?
First of all, I love Sophia. I know them since their first album “fixed water”. Secondly, Ship In The Sand is one of my favorite Sophia tracks but there’s only a live version out there. I don’t think Robin Proper-Sheppard ever recorded a studio version. So I decided to make a studio version myself.
Are there any cover versions planned for your next release?
I never plan to include cover versions on a Marble Sounds CD. They’re happy accidents. Come Here was recorded for my wife for Valentine’s Day but ended on a tribute album for Kath Bloom, and later on Nice Is Good. Ship In The Sand was recorded for my own pleasure. It wasn’t the plan that this would end up on the album, but the version turned out nicely so we included it in the track-listing.
You preciously said you’d like to be on a Bruce Springsteen tribute album, are there any plans to cover Bruce Springsteen?
Thanks for reminding me! Yes, Bruce Springsteen has some amazing tracks. But as I said, I don’t really “plan” cover versions… If the opportunity comes, I won’t say ‘no’…
What was the inspiration behind the video clip for No One Ever Gave Us The Right?
NORAH+BIRG was the team behind the video. They were inspired by the song and that’s all I know actually. We give freedom to the video makers. They know their job.
A number of people fans have created videos for your songs, what’s it like to see video clips made by fans?
It’s fantastic! It’s an honor if people get creative with your songs. Some people uploaded their own version of a Marble Sounds track. Sometimes people ask me if they can use a song of ours for their personal films. I’m totally fine with that, as long as it’s not for commercial use.
What’s it like to have one of your songs used on a car ad?
I didn’t see that one on TV since it only played in Italy and Australia. But having your music in ads is a good way to compensate declining record sales. And you reach a new audience. And it’s even better if the ad itself is nice.
You’ve been playing a number of acoustic sessions lately, is it hard to transfer the full band sound to an unplugged one?
Sometimes I’m afraid that it won’t work but there’s always a way to make it work. It just takes some fiddling around to find the right acoustic arrangement in some songs. I like doing these sessions. The biggest issue is to remember my lyrics when there’s a camera in front of me that captures every little mistake. It stresses me out, which makes me forget even more lyrics.
Now that the album is out what do you plan on doing next?
Our priority is to play live now. Hopefully we can cross the border more often. We had our first show in Italy and a tour in Germany and it’s been amazing. France is on the list. Basically we’re eager to go on the road.
Check out Marble Sounds website or blog to find out more!
Tomatrax interviews Citizen Kay
Nov 6, 2014
Tomatrax caught up with Canberra’s hip hop artist Citizen Kay, ahead of his Demokracy tour, to talk about the influences behind his music, how he got into rap and what you can expect from his latest album. Apparently Canberra is where all the music action is at! With a fast growing reputation Citizen Kay is definitely one to watch.
TRAX: What inspired you to be a rap artist?
CK: The inspiration for rap in particular I guess was mainly due to 2 people – my older cousin, Miracle, who had gotten signed to Sony at around the age of 17 or 18 was the first… I suppose seeing a family member achieving so much, so young made me want to do the same! The second was the day I came across Kanye West! That dude was and still is such a boss when it comes to music..he was the first hip hop dude I consciously made the decision and effort to really get into! For a year or 2 about 70% of music I listened to was Kanye!
TRAX: According to your bio, you taught yourself how do rap and make beats, how did you manage to do that?
CK: Teaching myself to rap is a bit of a weird thing to say now that I think about it. I mean, no one really goes out to a Rap School and gets a certificate in rapping haha… but I guess like every, or at least most other rappers I learned by listening to them do it, and then from that I began to form my own style, which I guess was really just a mixture of other peoples styles – mainly Kanye and Lupe Fiasco when I started!
To this day I think those early influences can still be really heard in my music. As for making beats, I still consider myself a bit of a rookie at it, but like a lot of things I try and learn, it’s just about experimenting, finding what I like and what I dont, and I suppose just working on it…which I’m still trying to really get the hang of. Making beats is really something I wish I could focus on solely for a year or so.
TRAX: Where did the alias Citizen Kay come from?
CK: It started from when I first began rapping – I used to go by ‘Kay’ (which wasn’t really the most creative of names) but when I started taking hip hop a bit more seriously the ‘Citizen’ was suggested mainly to individualise me a bit. So at first it didn’t have a lot of significance but in saying that I also didn’t really know what my aim or ‘style’ was. Now, though I think its worked out – the ‘Citizen’, I believe fits in well with the vision I have for the CK project. I want it to reflect a citizen of our world – someone, just like anyone else expresses their thoughts, feelings, opinions and emotions. Except that I do so through music. A ‘Citizen’ who isn’t afraid to speak their mind, no matter the circumstance…I guess basically it has come to have that sort of meaning to me.
TRAX: You have the mini album DEMOKRACY, how will this compare to your previous work?
CK: DEMOKRACY really isn’t different to my previous works in my opinion- it’s more of an extension of it, rather. From the beginning, before I even really knew the style/s of music I wanted to make, one thing I always said I wanted to be known for was versatility, a word people will hear me use a lot. My first EP was a small taste of what I could do; that I wasn’t a one trick pony. I wanted DEMOKRACY to further showcase that, rather than be one sound throughout.
TRAX: You’ve said that the inspiration behind your latest single, Freedoom, was different to your other tracks. How was the inspiration behind this track different?
CK: Freedom is one of a very small handful of songs I’ve written which is meant to be from the perspective of someone else. I challenged myself to put myself in the potential mind-state of another – a person living the rough streets filled with brothers killing brothers – a sad but very real thing. The concept and approach of the whole song was so different to anything else I’d tried to do which is one big reason why I like this track so much. It’s a song that will go over the top of most peoples heads but at the same time I know it will really connect with some on a deeper level – which is all I wanted from it. It wasn’t a song I’d ever imagine would be dropped as a single, that’s for sure.
TRAX: What was the inspiration behind the video for Freedoom?
CK: The video was all the work of my main man, Nic Vevers (who’s put together all my other videos). You’d have to pick at his brain for the real answer I think, but for me I wanted something simple/subtle but in a weird powerful way – something that would let the song be the forefront. I really wanted visuals that were enough to somewhat keep you locked in but not so much to distract in any way from what I talk about in the song.
TRAX: You’ve entered songs on Triple J’s unearthed page. Has that had any impact on your music’s exposure?
CK: Yeah, I think I have only one song on unearthed, Ansah Brothers, which is a song with my younger brother, Genesis Owusu. This made a huge impact on my exposure – it was the first song triple j and people in general heard from me as Citizen Kay and people just loved it! It was never a proper release because we didn’t expect anything of it but I think that song really got people, especially at triple j, to take notice. It was something different to everything else happening at that particular time there. After that though I haven’t uploaded anything else onto unearthed; I’ve been blessed enough to be able to have my music on the national Triple J station!
TRAX: What is the Canberra music scene like these days?
CK: Canberra is sooo wild! And so damn underestimated. There are MCs here that would destroy most of the hip hop you hear in AUS! I think we are really on a come-up – trying to prove ourselves because no one ever thinks Canberra can produce talent – which aint right in the slightest! So basically it’s in the works but I can guarantee you that in a few years Canberra musicians and rappers alike will become very known and respected in the national (and likely international) scene!
TRAX: You had a lot of critical acclaim for your debut EP. Does that make you feel any pressure in making your follow up music?
CK: Not at all actually – like I mentioned before, this mini-LP is basically just an extension of that EP, so if people liked that first release I’m sure they will at least appreciate this one . Since the EP I’ve grown a lot as a person and as an artist and DEMOKRACY really shows that growth in comparison to the YES EP!
TRAX: Do you ever listen to your own music?
CK: Sometimes! I meant A LOT when it’s being made – critical listening rather than for enjoyment though..a lot of the time I’m pretty over hearing the tracks before they’re even released..for example the last two singles; Manage and Freedoom were tracks that were written at least 3 years ago and they’ve just had some updates done to them!
TRAX: What other music do you listen to?
CK: To be honest these days I haven’t really been able to get into music like I once did – which is a shame. But bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against The Machine are old favorites that I always find myself coming back to! I listen to a lot of music but just not religiously like I once did. I’ve been really into Kendrick, J.Cole though!
TRAX: What do you plan on doing once DEMOKRACY is released?
CK: Once this is released it will be all about shows! Getting the shows done but then straight after, and even a little bit during, I’ll be working on the next release, whatever that may be – just working on more potential songs and ideas and hopefully a few features!!
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Tomatrax interviews Radio Birdman
Oct 30, 2014
Sydney’s Radio Birdman, one of our pioneering punk rock bands, are about to go on a national tour! Tomatrax caught up with Deniz Tek from the band to talk about why they got back together, their musical influences and what you can expect from their upcoming shows. The legends have returned.
TRAX: What inspired Radio Birdman to get back together again?
RB: Money. They offered us a suitcase full of cash.
TRAX: You will be touring around Australia in November, what can fans expect from your show?
RB: They can expect an hour and fifteen minutes of loose tightness. It will be loud, fast and sweaty. We’ll play the hits, also some lesser known stuff. Each album will be featured. Watch out for amazing drumming from Nik Rieth. And there will be a new guy on guitar, Dave Kettley, replacing Chris Masuak. It wont be the same as before. Hopefully better.
TRAX: What is it like to reunite after the band has spent years apart?
RB: Like Gunnar Hansen said when he picked up the chainsaw: “Feels good!”
TRAX: You played in a number of bands following Radio Birdman, how did these compare with being in Radio Birdman?
RB: Not that different. On stage and in the studio I do pretty much the same thing regardless of context. But in Radio Birdman I don’t have to haul my own amps in and out of the truck.
TRAX: You’ve also put out a number of solo releases, how does working solo compare to being in a band?
RB: It’s easier. I dont have to negotiate anything or work to anyone elses schedule. I make the calls, and take full responsibility, however it turns out.
TRAX: You’ve been working as an ER doctor, how does his compare to being a musician?
RB: Onstage, or in the recording studio, it’s rare to get one’s clothing soaked in blood, vomit or worse, so music is better. But laundry can be a huge issue on the road too. Seriously, music is an expensive holiday compared to medicine.
TRAX: Have any of your experiences as an ER doctor influenced your lyrics?
RB: No. I keep the two areas in separate boxes.
TRAX: Many bands have listed you as an influence, what’s it like to hear newer bands that were influenced by your work?
RB: Usually disappointing. I would like it if they took that influence and went on to create something different. Occasionally there is a bright spark.
TRAX: What were your main musical influences?
RB: Old country blues, Muddy, Howlin Wolf, Surf, Motown, Memphis soul, British Invasion (Stones, Beatles, Kinks, Who), 60’s garage music, Velvets, The Doors, other west coast stuff, MC5/Stooges, Brazilian jazz, most Blue Note artists, some off the wall stuff like Beefheart, early BOC. We loved some of our contemporaries too, the Flaming Groovies, NY Dolls, Ramones, Dead Boys, Vibrators, Pistols, etc, etc. The list could go on for ages and pages.
TRAX: You’re about to release a box set including some previously unreleased bonus material, can you shed some light on what the bonus material will include?
RB: There is a great concert recording from 1977, which was recorded on 16 track tape via a mobile recording truck. Also many studio outtakes, alternate versions of well known songs, and some weird songs that never saw the light of day.
Mostly I think deep fans or collectors will be keen. There are reasons why this stuff was rejected in the first place. A lot of it, I don’t even recall doing. I found them to be interesting. Only archived stuff up to early 1978 is included, not later recordings.
TRAX: Is a new Radio Birdman studio album planned?
RB: No.
TRAX: Do you ever listen to your own music?
RB: Usually only when relearning how the songs go, to figure out how to play them on tour. Typically when I hear the music again after a long while I am surprised at how good it sounds, and how it has stood the test of time.
TRAX: What (other) music do you listen to?
RB: Old stuff. I trawl through vinyl bins in thrift shops, find weird and cool old stuff to check out. I still listen to all the stuff listed in “influences”. I check out JJJ Unearthed regularly. There’s not a lot of modern pop music that I would listen to twice, but I like Lady Gaga. That girl can write a good song, and she doesn’t need pitch leveling.
TRAX: What do you plan on doing after this tour?
RB: I’ll probably watch TV and drink expensive wine. At least for a couple of days.
Radio Birdman’s national tour dates are below:
Friday, 31st October – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW – Tickets: Bigtix
Saturday, 1st November – Manning Bar, Sydney – Tickets: Oztix
Sunday, 2nd November – Corner Hotel, Melbourne – Tickets: Ticketscout
Monday, 3rd November – Corner Hotel, Melbourne – Tickets: Ticketscout
Friday, 7th November – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane -Tickets: The Hi-Fi
Saturday, 8th November – The Gov, Adelaide -Tickets: Oztix
Sunday, 9th November – Rosemount Hotel, Perth – Tickets: Heatseeker | Oztix
FIND OUT MORE ON
▲ FACEBOOK ▲ iTUNES ▲ DENIZ TEK
Tomatrax interviews New Navy
Oct 23, 2014
Tomatrax caught up with the dreamy and chirpy indie pop folks of New Navy, to talk about the inspirations behind their sound and their plans after supporting Andy Bull on tour – headline tour dates below!
TRAX: You’re about to start your first headline tour this year, what can fans expect from your show?
NN: This time around fans can expect to hear a whole bunch of new tunes of our upcoming album, and of course the ‘oldies’ thrown in for good time feels.
TRAX: You’re about to release your debut album, how will it compare to your previous releases?
NN: The album is a little more eclectic than what our fans are used to from us, which I think is a good thing. We really wanted to broaden our horizons with the album and prove that we’re not just a ‘one trick pony’. There is still the classic New Navy summer vibes in there, we’ve just toned it back in a few of the tracks and added a few different elements.
TRAX: How does putting an album together compare to doing an EP or single?
NN: Evidently, it takes a lot longer. There’s so much more to think about; dynamics, flow, themes, over-all production, art, release plans for individual songs. But there’s also the freedom in knowing that not all songs are written to be singles, so there’s no need to ‘trim the fat’ for radio.
TRAX: Do you know what the album will be titled?
NN: We have a few ideas kicking around. Our first EP was named after where it was written (Uluwatu), so it would be cool to stick with that theme.
TRAX: What made you pick Heaven as the first single from the album?
NN: That was an interesting decision from us. We knew that Heaven wasn’t a radio song, being 5 minutes long. I’m pretty sure it also has the slowest tempo on the album, not to mention the sonic differences it has to our previous releases. But it was a song that we were all really loving so we wanted to almost leak it out there to our fans, break the ice with something different sounding.
TRAX: What is the music scene like in Ulladulla?
NN: Umm… close to non existent, haha. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of talented people from down that way, electronic producer Yahtzel is from Ulladulla, I think he still lives there. There just aren’t many venues/opportunities in the town. Bigger bands come through occasionally, not as often as they used to.
TRAX: What was it like touring with Andy Bull?
NN: Good fun. Both him and his band are really great, genuine people. We had never done a support tour, so it was nice to support a band that is friendly and accommodating. The shows were all great, most were close to if not sold out, so hopefully we poached a few of The Bull’s fans.
TRAX: What inspired you to write a song about Zimbabwe?
NN: Strangely enough, the idea for the song came about from an old T-Shirt that I wore to rehearsal one day. A tourist shirt from Zimbabwe, which was my dad’s originally. We had the guitars for the song already, but no lyrics or melody. Then after seeing the shirt we thought “that’s a cool name for a song” and everything else fell in afterwards.
TRAX: Where did the name New Navy come from?
NN: This sounds pretty dumb, having these two questions in a row, but ‘New Navy’ was the colour of our singer’s T-Shirt. We’re pretty deep with our themes and influences, haha. Way back when we were first starting out we had a bunch of songs written, and were offered some gigs, so we needed a name. ‘New Navy’ had a nice ring to it, and what was originally a temporary name just kind of stuck.
TRAX: Do you ever listen to your own music?
NN: Not once until it’s finished. It’s a weird part of the process, by the time the songs are ready for everyone else to listen to the band have already heard them thousands of times. Me personally, once I sign off on a master I never want to hear it again, unless it’s on the radio ;)
TRAX: What music do you listen to?
NN: That’s a pretty broad question. We all listen to varied stuff. Sometimes I find it hard to listen to music in the same vein as ours, I end up comparing it musically rather than enjoying it, so I end up listening to hip-hop, Jazz or Nat King Cole, something far from NN.
TRAX: What do you plan on doing once the tour is over?
NN: Hopefully sleep. And then I guess it will be time to put the album out and do another lap.
New Navy’s headline tour dates below:
Thursday 13 November- Northcote Social Club, Northcote, VIC
Friday 21 November – Newtown Social Club, Newtown, NSW
Saturday 29 November – Amplifier Bar, Perth, WA
Sunday 30 November – Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough, WA
FIND OUT MORE ON
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Tomatrax interviews Twin Haus
Jul 28, 2014
Twin Haus have released their debut EP Waxen Myriad – seven tracks of decently ambient, delay driven rock music. Tomatrax caught up with the Brisbanites to discuss the life and times of Twin Haus.
TRAX: How did the band form?
HAUS: Things tended to fluctuate quite a bit during our first jams, there wasn’t much that had been solidified in the way of sound, members or name until Iti began making music with us in late July of 2012. We’d all been reasonably friendly on a school/football basis until then so making music together gelled really well; we found ourselves forming a reasonably established sound early on, well, at least a sound that portrayed our process at the time fairly accurately.
TRAX: What’s it like to have your debut EP out?
HAUS: Pretty rad. It’s nice being able to hold a piece of your own musical work in your hands. Having other people hold it in their hands tends to be even nicer.
TRAX: Was it hard to pick what went onto the EP?
HAUS: No, not particularly. We’d been playing quite a few of the songs live for the better part of a year before beginning the process of recording the EP which I think allowed us to refine the tracks to what they are now. It was important for us to showcase the majority of our early jams, that way people would be able to follow the story right from the beginning.
TRAX: The EP works as a continuous piece, was this an important thing to achieve?
HAUS: Absolutely. For us, whether it’s amidst a single track or the chaos of an entire set, the contour of our music has always been very important in our minds. Although it’s never been a conscious focus during jams, our writing style, or process, has managed to lend itself to the concept reasonably well. Successfully portrayed continuity I believe goes a long way in taking an audience on some sort of, perhaps, journey. We like things that flow.
TRAX: What inspired you to write a song about Mark Twain?
HAUS: Mark Twain was the first song we wrote together, hence the somewhat confused sound. The concept stemmed from having my father often quote ‘Mark Twain’ (or so he thought) during his discipline lectures and life lessons of wisdom to me. I found this rather ironic considering his most used quote actually originated from George Bernard Shaw.
TRAX: You’ve just gone on tour with the Dune Rats, how did that go?
HAUS: Our Brisbane show with Dune Rats was a really good show to play. Being able to share the bill with a band who hold such a strong image and presence at the moment was a great privilege and they’re heaps of fun and incredibly supportive. They’d probably be the only band that could have an entire under age crowd chanting “cunt” instead of “encore” and yet remain completely compelling and professional. It’s pretty awesome.
TRAX: You’ve entered songs on Triple J’s Unearthed page, has this had any impact on your music’s exposure?
HAUS: Yeah, I mean, unearthed is a great way for musicians to have their tracks heard by industry giants like Triple J, which, whether you like it or not is pretty essential to successful exposure. Whether or not the charts are a representation of how many school friends you’ve managed to convince to vote for you at the time, is beyond me.
TRAX: Do you ever listen to your own music?
HAUS: Reflection is certainly important. I personally prefer to press skip if any of our tracks pop up during an iTunes shuffle.
TRAX: What music do you listen to?
HAUS: As a collective our music choices differ quite substantially. I’ve recently been listening to a lot of ambient electronic and deep house – artists like DARKSIDE or Bonobo. Nick tends to rep a lot of old jams, whereas Zach is usually the one showing us new music. It’s refreshing to make music with people that have such varied influences.
TRAX: Now that the EP is out what do you plan on doing next?
HAUS: We’ve got a few things in the works, whether it’s a music video or another single, I’m not sure. It could be both, but then again I’m not sure.
Waxen Myriad is out now, listen via their Soundcloud and pick up a copy from their Bandcamp.
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Tomatrax interviews Date Night At The Museum
Jul 25, 2014
Tomatrax returns to Happy for the first time in ages with an interview with indie pop-up-and-comers Date Night At The Museum. You can catch them launch their single Flashing Lights tonight at The Espy or tomorrow night at Spectrum.
TRAX: How did the band form?
DATE NIGHT: Johny and I went to high school together and played in different bands before he told me that we needed a singer with a killer voice and a little sass to top it off. Sure enough Jess replied to Johnny’s advert and the songs started writing themselves immediately. It didn’t take much convincing to get me involved once I heard the first demo which, was actually a rough version of Flashing Lights. Matt, just followed us until we let him join…
TRAX: Where did the name Date Night at the Museum come from?
DATE NIGHT: A friend of ours went on a date at the Australian Museum when they were putting on gigs and opening it as a bar*. I loved the concept but I remember us joking about it being a great name for a band… 5 mins later we were all sold
TRAX: What was the inspiration behind the cartoon lighthouse video clip for Flashing Lights?
DATE NIGHT: the song’s title meant we were always going to be getting involved in the Flashing concept. However YouTube aren’t into that much nudity so we went with Nick and Tristan from Seek and Hide Production’s awesome Lighthouse animations concept instead. So far not too many complaints about that.
TRAX: How did you get involved with Nick Baker and Tristan Klein?
DATE NIGHT: Jess, our singer, did some work with them on their New York Tropfest winning Video. Those guys were super exciting to work with and incredibly talented! From concept to final product they were full of great ideas and know how. I was blown away to see a beautiful sketch on a piece of Japanese newspaper somehow metamorphose into a 3 min video clip for our song.
TRAX: What made you pick Flashing Lights as your debut single?
DATE NIGHT: Flashing Lights was the first demo that John and Jess wrote together and asked me to add my flavour to. Other than it being a great song that shows off their song writing skills, I guess when we heard the demo playing back in the studio it was also when we first started feeling like a real band. We celebrate that every time we play it which is pretty rad.
TRAX: Will there be an album to follow the single?
DATE NIGHT: There will be an album one day (hopefully not too far off). We have a new single that will be released before the end of the year and we are hitting the studios again after this tour so who knows?
TRAX: You’re about to tour in support of your single, what can fans expect from your show?
DATE NIGHT: The single, yep that’ll be there (laughs). We’re pretty excited about the tour – 3 shows consecutive nights in 3 different cities is a good way to do it. We’re supporting Lunatics on Pogo Sticks in Melbourne who won Triple J Unearthed High last year at the Espy which will be pretty sweet. We have a great set that is full of catchy, toe tapping tunes. We might throw in our recently recorded MGMT cover and what ever else we can whip along the way.
TRAX: You’ve entered your song on Triple J’s Unearthed page, has that had any impact on your music’s exposure?
DATE NIGHT: There’s no question that Unearthed impacts your exposure. Its a huge network and a place that you can find all kinds of new music and feel safe to download and delve deep within. We were really happy to make the top 10 of the pop charts within the first week. It’s a music sharing community which is what bands need to get more exposure.
TRAX: When writing, what comes first – words or music?
DATE NIGHT: It goes either way. Most recently the latter but I have some great demos of Jess humming melodic gibberish over our jam which has then turned into something pretty special. Generally the two go hand in hand though.
TRAX: Do you ever listen to your own music?
DATE NIGHT: Yes, but usually in a very reflective manner. Trying to recapture a moment from a jam or working on ideas to enhance a recording. Sometimes just to enjoy as well.
TRAX: What other music do you listen to?
DATE NIGHT: We all have different tastes which is cool when you’re writing together. Generally we all have a love for the 90’s as we all generally developed our own music taste back then. But right now I’ve been loving a band from Argentina’s new album, they’re called Fetzet. I studied with their drummer in New York and have kept in contact. The album is completely in Spanish and I can’t understand a word, but the songs are catchy as all hell and I’m loving it. It just just proves that music breaks all kinds of barriers.
TRAX: What do you plan on doing after your tour?
DATE NIGHT: We’ll be back in the studio within a week of finishing up so not much time to rest our laurels, but that’s cool with us.
TOUR DATES
Thu 24th July : Ric’s Bar – Brisbane
Fri 25th July : Spectrum – Sydney
Sat 26th July : The Espy – Melbourne
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*That would be the now defunct Jurassic Lounge where our resident grump Alex used to work. Notably, his time there serving happy couples on dates all night is what tipped his levels of cynicism over the edge of no return.
Tomatrax joins Happy!
Jul 23, 2014
Happy are excited to announce that music blogger and serial muso interviewer and Triple J Unearthed super reviewer Tomatrax is joining the Happy ranks! How cool is that? See image below:
Tomatrax is joining our blog! We couldn’t find any large images to represent Tomatrax – so here’s a picture of a Happy tomato made of felt.
Having been around since about 2006 (don’t quote me on that), Tomatrax has been reviewing “CD’s and MP3’s“, interviewing some cool dudes (including my old 413 bus buddy Calum) and making some sweet top 100 lists. And they’re insightful lists too – last year, the #1 track was No One Gave Us The Right from Belgian post-rock band Marble Sounds. Here I was thinking that the best song of 2013 was that song by Yeezy.
Tomatrax has also contributed a shedload of interviews to Happy, exchanging words with They Might Be Giants, The Pretty Littles, Yuco and many more – all of which you can read right here.
As we look to Tomatrax’s absorption into the Happy family, and also necessarily into the future of online music journalism, it’s also important to also cast our gaze to the past. I give you Tomatrax’s first issue from August of 2006, kindly archived by the good people at the National Library of Australia. Take special note of the awesome illustration of tomatoes playing instruments on the back cover. You can find the rest of the archived zines right here.
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