MOTION THEORY
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 24th June 2010.
Motion Theory - James Kerr on bass, Dom Main on lead vocals, Jamie Wesley on guitar, and Will Soutter on drums - is an alternative/new prog band based in Northern England. Their debut album "Featherhead" was release last year. They also have an EP to their names.
James and Dom answer questions on behalf of the band.
Hi Guys. I understand you met at Durham University in 2008. How did you guys actually meet, and what’s the story behind the formation of the band?
James: Jamie and I actually met in 2007 where we both lived in the same halls of residence but unfortunately we were both involved in other bands at the time so it was only in 2008 that the project really got off the ground. It was perfect timing as Will, who had played in few bands with Jamie in the Manchester area, arrived at uni and was more than happy to start one with us. We found our singer Dom by putting up a few adverts around Durham. It took a little while to find him; he was the final person we ended up auditioning and luckily he was exactly the guy we were after.
Did you know what sort of music you were going to play right from the start, or has it developed considerably over time?
James: Our sound has definitely changed a lot since we started and we think it’s quite important to keep things new and fresh. Broadly speaking we wanted to create music which was progressive which gives you a wide license to incorporate pretty much anything you want into your music.
How would you describe the sound of Motion Theory to someone who hadn’t heard you before?
James: I would say a mix of melodic, alternative rock with progressive influences.
Who or what would you list as your main influences?
Dom: Quite a lot of stuff, we all like different things, but there's definitely some cross over with NIN and Incubus and RATM. We all love The Police as well. We're all pretty open minded.
Your debut album ‘Featherhead’ came out toward the end of 2009. How has it done in terms of airplay and reviews? I understand it won a few awards...?
James: We’re happy with the way the album has been received. On the whole the reviews we’ve had have been really positive. It won "Manchester Music Record of the Week” when it was released and three of the tracks were semi-finalists in the UK Songwriting Contest.
What is the story behind the album’s title?
Dom: We spent a while thinking about what to actually call it, but in the end ‘Featherhead’ won because it's the title of the last track on the album, the one we generally agree is the most developed in terms of songwriting and sound. I love the title because it's not a word you hear every day and it conjures up different images for everyone.
Do you enjoy the whole writing and recording experience?
James: Definitely, it’s always the area where you can be the most creative and take the most risks within the whole band process. We’re quite a geeky band when it comes to recording and production and we like to use a wide range of software, equipment and instruments to get things just right.
How long did the album take to create?
James: Start to finish it took around eight months. We recorded it in a beautiful grade one listed building next to Durham Cathedral over the course of about a month and didn’t emerge until it was done!
Is there a story behind the songs, or are they all standalone tracks?
Dom: There's no overarching story tying the whole album together, although of course each song has its own story. Some of them are obvious song-lyric material (see All I Need) but I am a much bigger fan of the more abstract ideas in Big Boys or Featherhead.
How does the writing process in Motion Theory work? How would a typical song be created?
James: Our writing process is very collaborative and democratic. We all write our own parts and have equal input into each song. A typical song would begin with an idea from one of us and we build a song around it piece by piece.
Do you have any favourite moments on the new album?
James: ’Featherhead’ is definitely our flagship track as it kind of came out nowhere but my favourite is probably ‘Big Boys’ for its subtlety and psychedelic lounge feel. It’s definitely the most experimental and understated track on the album.
Are you working on a new album yet, or is it all about promoting the existing one at present?
James: Yes, we’re currently putting together new material at the moment. We have about two songs finished, many others on the drawing board, which we hope to possibly record at the end of the year.
You have a few live dates listed on your MySpace page. Are you planning a bigger tour at some point?
James: Yes at some point in the future, although probably not for a while. We did an extensive nationwide tour with ‘Featherhead’ last summer which was amazing but it meant that we had little time to work on new material. We are playing a few shows this summer but the priority at the moment is to recharge and write.
What is one of your live shows like?
James: Loud, spacey and intense!
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Dom: When's your next gig? Answer - Moho Live, Manchester, 21 July.
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
James: I’m going to eat a Big Mac with a nice cold beer.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Dom: Go to http://www.motiontheoryband.com/ where you can listen to our music and if you like it, download it!
Thanks again to James and Dom for their time, and don't forget to check out the Motion Theory website!
http://www.motiontheoryband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/motiontheoryband
