MR. TWIST
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 10th June 2010.
London based rock band Mr. Twist have a new album on the way out.
We caught up with drummer Buzz to find out more...
Can you give us a brief history of Mr. Twist – how you formed etc...?
Buzz: The band came together back in London in 2008 when Gaz Twist (vox, guitar) gathered Manx guitarist Ben Dunderdale (vox, guitar), rhythm-section Buzz Allan (vox, drums) and Phil Flaherty (bass), with the simple plan of writing some cracking songs and having fun. The initial line-up incorporated keyboards and electronica, which quickly changed shape and evolved into the harder guitar-based sound that has since defined the band.
Where did the band’s name come from?
Buzz: Quite simply, our front man's name is Gaz Twist! Before we even tried to choose a name Ben referred to rehearsals as 'Mr Twist rehearsals' and it just stuck. Obviously, as the front-man, Gaz was only too willing to lend his name to the band!
Did you know what sort of music the band was going to play right from the start, or has it developed considerably over time?
Buzz: We started the band with a few tunes that Gaz had written, so the basic idea was there. But as we grew as a band and got comfortable with each other's playing the sound developed into what we have now. It didn't take us very long. We all realised quickly that we worked well as a musical team and wrote our first combined effort after about a week.
How would you describe the sound of the band to someone who hadn’t heard you before?
Buzz: An exciting and dynamic record, full of catchy three-part vocal harmonies, driving rhythms, crunching guitars and bouncy riffs. There’s a variety of songs on there, which really capture the confident energy of the band’s live performances.
Who or what would you list as your main influences?
Buzz: In terms of bands we all have a love for Iron Maiden and most classic rock from the 70's but also Stevie Wonder, Jeff Buckley, RATM, Nirvana. We’re all into bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, through to the Police, Foo Fighters and Guns N Roses, via The Manics, Stereophonics, the mighty Queens of the Stone Age and Biffy Clyro!
But we take most of our writing inspiration from our own lives and experiences.
You have just finished work on your new album. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Buzz: We worked with Gavin Monahan (Ocean Colour Scene/The Twang/Editors) to produce the album and worked really hard to create a record that we all liked. I think we wanted to make something that we would like listening to, in terms of writing, arranging and production. As music lovers we were not willing to settle for anything less than great, and worked long hours in the lead-up to, and during the recording process to make sure we did not let ourselves down. For us, the record is about getting back to playing instruments well and enjoying what we play!
How long has it taken to write and record?
Buzz: All in all, the album represents about a year's worth of material. But actual studio time was 11 days. We spread it out over several months so we could go away and refine parts, listen to things that perhaps needed changing and come back to it with fresh ears. We really like working that way.
Do you enjoy the whole studio/creative experience? Was creating the album fun, hard work, or a combination thereof?
Buzz: We have loads of fun to begin with. We wrote a lot of the material on a trip we took to Anglesea. We were there for 5 days and wrote about 6 tracks there, having set up a 'band room' with all our instruments ready to play. We jammed, drank and created late into the night and had awesome fun! We of course then did some really hard work refining and shaping the tunes when we got back into the rehearsal studio, going over and over sections, trying new grooves, tempos and feels until we were blue in the face!
But it's all about the end product so we knew it'd be worth it.
Where do you find your writing influences? Where do you look for inspiration?
Buzz: We take most of our writing inspiration from our own lives and experiences. Gaz is the principle lyricist and writes about all sorts of things, but mostly about people, friendships and society – a prime example would be The World Is Watching, which is about the big brother police state mentality that seems to be the way things are heading here. The lyric “Stars of screen in monochrome, 300 times or more” kind of says that really. Also getting messed about by people in the industry was a catalyst for track 2, On and On, and is a bit of a diatribe against people who promise the earth and deliver a bit of a hollow shell!
Without trying to sound too cheesy, we take a lot of inspiration from each other. We all respect each others playing and writing capabilities and I personally get really inspired just jamming with the other guys in rehearsal rooms. Having listened to the album a lot over the past few weeks, we have noticed a running theme of drunkenness and bad behaviour throughout the record...
Is there a single story behind the songs, or are they all standalone tracks?
Buzz: There is a running theme but this is definitely not a concept album. Each track tells it's own story but is linked to the rest. We'll do a concept album when we hit our 40's.
How does the writing process in Mr. Twist work? How would a typical song be created?
Buzz: In all sorts of ways. It is rare that someone will come in with a complete song. Usually we start from a riff, either on bass or guitar and work drums in around it. While jamming a riff or section we really listen to one another's playing and try to create something complimentary around what's already there. Then once we have 2 or 3 of those sections we'll record the instruments so that Gaz can write a melody and lyrics. Once that is complete we work in the vocal harmonies back in the rehearsal room. It's a very organic process, which enables us all to be expressive.
Do you do anything special in the studio to get your sound, or are you quite a ‘traditional’ band?
Buzz: We believe in getting the sound right before we record so we have to do as few overdubs of 'fixes' in the studio as possible. We are quite traditional in that respect. The only special thing we do I suppose is to have our tracks rehearsed well and all our instruments sounding as good as they can.
Do you have any favourite moments on the new album?
Buzz: Break before I bend – Ben's guitar solo (the only one on the album!) - It's a face melter. On and On – The lyric “SHUT YOUR FACE!!!!!” - Full of passion and a bit of hatred. The World is Watching – The Middle 8 – The most energetic moment on the record.
Are you planning a big tour to promote the new album?
Buzz: Hopefully! We are currently putting together a mini tour to promote the first single 'I come round again'. We're hoping for a bit of radio play so listen out for us!!
What is one of your live shows like?
Buzz: A relentlessly rocking set that doesn't give you a second to blink. We come out swingin' and don't stop until we're spent (is that a line form an Austin Powers movie?). We want to give our audience as much as possible so we put together a slick, well rehearsed show with no time wasting or bullshit. Having said that we do still make it personal.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Buzz: Would we like a pint? Yes please!
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Buzz: Heading to practice for a few hours in a sweaty room in North London.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Buzz: Up the Irons!! Oh, and 3 three times the circumference of your head is your height.
Thanks again to Buzz for his time.
http://www.myspace.com/mrtwistband
