:: GIGWISE :: FEATURE ::   Rocket Science are a quartet of Australian punks who've built up a reputation for explosive live performances, being downright cool and every so slightly crazy. Currently supporting the Vines on their sell-out UK tour, they've also managed to squeeze in a few solo shows. Here they share their wisdom before the Night and Day gig, Manchester on 11/05/03. Gigwise: What sort of day have you all had? Roman Tucker (Vocals, Yamaha, Theremin, Dance): Well, we drove up from Bristol today so feeling a bit knackered. We had the day off yesterday so it was a case of Bristol, Saturday night and no sleep Gigwise: For those people who don't know much about you (er..I'd include myself there) can you tell me a bit about how you got together? RT: We started in '98 and were all in bands before that in Melbourne, Australia. We were all enjoying the live scene over there, with a common interest in '60's garage punk'. We're avid record collectors and really enjoy being record buffs..and we love fuzz pedals, and loud rock n roll, and cheap wine! Gigwise: Lots in common then, but how would you describe Rocket Science's sound? RT: The whole band has such detailed and individual influences. We're not purists though and will combine anything that interests us. Apart from that, there is an obvious punk/ garage influence. Gigwise: You're playing quite a few dates in the UK at the moment, but you've been once before... Paul Maybury (Guitar): Yeah, we supported Supergrass last year which was great..also a good way to see the place. We've got a licensing deal over here so we had to come back..which of course we wanted to! We'll be releasing the albums we released in Australia over here. RT: It's been nice to see a bit of the countryside through the van window..it's all very green. We try to see as much as possible but have so little time. PM: On a day off we'll go and look at the architecture in the different towns and stuff. Every town has it's own totem, Bristol has a unicorn and Newcastle, a griffin or something. RT: Can I have a griffin? PM: Yes, I think so. RT: Anyway, I wanted to get a cat for the van but they wouldn't let me. But yes, we like to get out. There's so much more history here than in Australia. Er, does that answer the question? Gigwise: In every possible way. So, how's it been touring with the Vines? RT: The fans have been really keen. Playing to a thousand people who don't know your music..hopefully we have won over a few. There were some people pushing to the front, checking us out..but at the same time waiting for Craig. Lots of waiting for Craig! It's been quite weird though, playing for half an hour in the daylight. In Australia we usually go on about 12. We've been enjoying these smaller shows though, getting ourselves in the moment, vibed up and all sweaty! Dave Gray (Bass): Don't need a stage to get sweaty! Gigwise: I recently saw a talk which Our Lady Peace gave in Manchester, giving advise to young bands etc. Do people give enough back once they've made it? PM: Depends on the personality. Some people think it's their God-given right to be a star and the world is there to serve them. Some people believe something else. RT: Yeah, we have no time for that sort of thing, like "I'm in this position so I don't want to talk to you." That's bullshit. We just enjoy playing music to an audience and everyone's enjoying themselves. That's what it's all about. Gigwise: Serious music question now. What sort of impact do you think internet downloads will have on the music business? PM: Well, people have been able to take music off the radio for years. If you are a fan and enthusiastic about music, you want to own the piece of work that artist has produced.. Not a burned CD. Anyway, the music industry is always up in arms about something. RT: It will be the major labels that suffer; the artists are the last to get paid anyway. If they can by-pass the major labels and people buy into music at roots level, that can only be a good thing for music. Gigwise: On the back of The White Stripes 'Elephant' they make quite a song and dance about the fact that no computers were used in the recording of the CD. What's up with that? DG: CD's are digital..oh, and guitars use electricity! RT: Well, we won't be downloading their stuff off the net! No, I think Jack White's a lad.. really like their recordings. At the same time though, we're not afraid to delve into the world of technology. PM: The great thing about digital recording is that it's really cheap. Young bands or people with not much money can make a great sounding record. If that means more music gets out to people, it must be a good thing. It's up to the artist though.. RT: Yeah, but maybe it's more about how you use the technology, than being techno phobic. I just love my record collection, man..never delve beyond 1968! I don't understand people who imitate their record collection though, and not account for what's gone before that just because it's their favourite period. For us it's a creative process, making it interesting for ourselves and the people listening to it. Gigwise: So what's next for Rocket Science? RT: We're putting out EP out over here, 'Run Like A Gun.' After finishing these dates, we'll be back in about 6-7 weeks to do some more stuff and release the album here. Hopefully it'll come out in Europe and that will give us the chance to go overseas and play. Gigwise: Finally, what are the important things in life? PM: Sex, drugs and rock n roll.. RT: ..And a good Balti. Well, it's hard to give a sincere answer without sounding glib, but I love music! Words and pictures by Lucy Winrow :: lucy@gigwise.com © gigwise.com 2003

Rocket Science Sept 2002

 

The Vines once supported Rocket Science, Dave Gray tells Melanie Sheridan 

 

Pull quote:"...they fell in love with us that night!"

Rocket Science created such an impression on brat sorry, Brit popsters Supergrass when they supported them on their national Australian tour a couple of months back that they've been invited to open for the 'Grass on their forthcoming 15 date UK tour. Supergrass front man Gaz, converted to the ways of Science in a matter of seconds, has been spreading the word. He could be heard telling anyone who would listen and there are quite a few, which can only help the Scientific cause that Rocket Science is the  "best bloody band I've heard in simply ages."

And he's not far wrong, either. Having released one of the year's finest local albums in Contact High, a body of work rife with Neanderthal passion and precision song-writing, Rocket Science are poised for the big time. And while Supergrass may not be the phenomenon they were five or six years ago, Gaz's laddish word of mouth can't hurt. Bassist Dave Gray pretty much understates things when he says "Oh it's been going really well."

This is good to hear, as things don't always go "really well" when there's love involved, and there seems to be a lot of love between Supergrass and Rocket Science. Dave tells how it all began: "Although we were touring with them and playing in the same venues and such we didn't get to hang out with them that much. But then they came to see us one show and they fell in love with us that night!"

Beat Magazine

 

	Rocket Science
Out of this world With new album Contact High scoring Rocket Science a much higher profile than their debut, the bands members are finding themselves on the receiving end of a growing schedule of live performances and promotional duties. Thriving on the lively pace thats followed the release of the disc, vocalist Roman Tucker has nothing but positive words when asked about how the band is handling their growing commitments. I feel that I live like a musician, Tucker remarks. Its all part of the job. Its very exciting to tour, you know, to go out and go forth in the van and have lots of places to play. Its not something special though, its just part of the deal if youre going to be a musician and have any kind of conviction as to what you play and do. Its a big part of your life, especially in this part of the world. I mean just like the tradition set by AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and The Angels, its great to follow in that tradition. Were one of those bands who love to play live, so going on the road is always exciting. The live arena is certainly where Rocket Science excel. Like so many Australian rock acts, they enjoy capturing the moment and, as much as possible, use the opportunities to advance on new sonic expeditions. We like to improvise on stage, Tucker continues. We like to think theres a lot of movement on stage and that always means that theres something to think about. Were four people playing together and we all are coming from different aspects, but we all end up in the same space influence-wise. Weve been playing for a while and were lucky in the fact that we can all play our instruments well and find moments to experiment and we take those on fully when were playing live. Its just a moment that happens for that show and hopefully we can grab it and move with it. It might be quite landscapey, there might be huge sounds going in all directions, but we like to think of the dynamics and using different rhythms, all that kind of stuff. Rocket Science are attempting to push the boundaries of their music in the studio as well. Wanting to avoid being pigeonholed, the band have used Contact High to actively bring together a multitude of influences, melding them together to create the Rocket Science sound. One thing we all want to avoid is just having the music of Rocket Science confined to one genre, Tucker explains. I dont want to see what we do being interpreted in one way just because some people have a preconception of what it is we do. Thats been hard to do as well because some people want you to always be playing the same thing and always have the same sound and were not a band that can do that well. We want to be dynamic and we want to write different songs and not be chained to expectations. The fact that our first record sounded the way it did made some people think that we were just a garage rocknroll band or whatever. Thats not all of what were about and we want everyone to know that what were capable of doing. Theres a real dynamic that weve developed in the music and I think that comes through on Contact High. Aware of the limited potential of the Australian music industry and wanting to avoid reaching this countrys glass ceiling, Tucker and his bandmates are keen to spread their music overseas. Theyre not afraid to go the DIY route to get there either. Id like to think well be able to get overseas before too long, Tucker says. Weve seen a lot of our friends go over to Europe and just put together tours over the Internet and theyve seemed to work out very well. So youd hope that we could organise a tour, considering the support we have around us. In a way, were very conscious of not playing just here in Australia. Some bands dont tend to think like that, but I feel youve got to be honest and realise that if youre just going to play here then its going to be very difficult to make a living. Australia is a small country and the music industry is small as well and that means you can only go so far before you hit a wall. So we dont want to see that happen thats why were open to playing overseas and getting our music out there. Rocket Science play Armidale Uni Wednesday Apr 24; The Zoo Friday Apr 26; Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Saturday Apr 27; and the Great Northern, Byron Bay, Sunday Apr 28. Contact High is out now on Modular/EMI. LAWRENCE ENGLISH

	Rocket Science
High fidelity From their matching outfits to their menacing live performances, Melbourne four-piece Rocket Science are fast becoming Australias quintessential rocknroll rabble. In stark contrast to their perceived image, the band opted to record their second album Contact High with Pound Systems Woody and The Rev, something guitarist Paul Maybury attributes to the pairs work on Screamfeeders album, Rocks On The Soul. Id heard the Screamfeeder album and was very impressed by the production on it it had a nice sparkle/sheen to it and a lot of Australian recordings dont, Maybury recalls. Roman had met them on a weekend away and knew they were good guys who were easy to get along with beer-drinking loudmouths, just like us. We met them and all got on and basically had the same ideas about music and what we thought a rock album should be. Rocket Science entered Melbournes Hothouse Audio studio in winter 2001 with a solid template for their sophomore effort. We demoed all the songs ourselves on our little digital studio so we had pretty tight arrangements we knew worked. We went in wanting to pursue them, but also wanting to add anything that inspired us along to way. They [Woody and The Rev] definitely managed to control everything we were trying to do they had the skills to reign it all in and make it work. As a band, were three years older now. We all play better and have a more refined understanding about what Rocket Science does or what we all want to achieve. We wanted to make a record that was high fidelity and contained more detail and thats what we got. Contact High has largely received positive reviews around the country, much to Mayburys relief. Its getting a really good response, so I can uncross my fingers a bit now after six months of biting my nails and worrying about what it was going to be like. Im quite a perfectionist and obsessive about things, so I tend to worry, but I was always very happy with the work wed put into it. I just wasnt sure if other people would understand it. Fans itching for a dose of Rocket Sciences sweat-soaked rock shows can rest assured that by the time the band tour Queensland in April theyll be on fire. Weve been playing One Robot live and that wasnt even written for the demos: it was written just before we went in to do the album. Most of the songs were pretty well road-tested [before recording] but I cant wait to get out and start playing them every night. Thatll be great.

Interview with Roman Tucker April 2001

"We aren't going to give the rock album they all think well do because thats never been what Rocket Science has been about."
The man speaking is Roman Tucker, frontman vocalising wildman keyboardist, theremin abuser and main songwriter of Rocket Science... and hes addressing preconceptions about what his bands follow up to the exciting Welcome Aboard the 3c10 will be. Obviously, he has no time for repetition. Its about having what is available and being as creative as possible with it he asserts.
"We didn't even think we'd get the first record out because it was recorded as a demo. We didn't have a record deal yet, but it just turned out that the record label that did sign us, really loved that particular record and wanted to release it as it was. We've had two years of songwriting development and growth since then, so as you can imagine, weve evolved! We've been incorporating different styles, whether it be new wave 80s stuff to 70s punk, garage or the filmic, soundtrack music like Midnight Express or b-grade biker movies... just stuff we like. You name it. We're trying to combine it all together so it sits well in a new environment as opposed to being retro.
I just think the songs are a lot more rounded nowadays, he offers.
I'm doing a lot more singing and were trying to avoid becoming more slick. I'd actually prefer to be more sparse in the recording. Well have a lot more money (for recording) this time...so that might mean we fuck it completely! Hopefully we wont. Were going to enjoy the development I'd say, and try to use people and producers who can push us rather than have our growth impeded. We like a challenge."

Roman's also eager to clarify any lazy retro labelling the band has been laden with, stating that of course hes a huge fan of 60s -70s garage/psychedelic rocknroll but, Its not the only thing I get off on. Im not really into the idea that Rocket Science are a retrospective band or only a retrospective band. We aren't flying the flag for 60s garage music or anything that absurd. We're fans and love it when we turn people on to that music, but anyone who thinks that were only interested in retreading the past hasn't really got our vibe at all.
Yes we DO use primitive kind of instruments its all old analogue equipment but its what we choose to do with it from there. that said, the primitive was all over the first album because it was created as a very live, garage-y kind of thing. There was a reason though...we never intended that to be an actual album. Wed only been together for four months at that time and we recorded it with a very low budget purely as a demo! We had no money. no wonder it sounds the way it does I like it though!"

"You know what I dont get? Roman asks pointedly. Those bands that proclaim originality but are really ripping off MC5, New York Dolls, The Stooges or whoever else is in their record collections. They don't deviate from that or throw in any artistic or creative ideas. I'm REALLY not into that. What I get out of those bands is that they were truly creative within their time and they inspire me to be just as creative in my own era

It seems really stupid to me that bands could ever think they could just emulate their heroes exactly and think theyd be equally incredible. No! If the music has connected with you in an honest way, its asking you to be as creative, Not merely a copy" .
by Nazz db magazine Adelaide

May 2000
Interview with Kit Warhurst

"ITS NOT AS THOUGH WE RE ALL NEW fish in the pond: all of us have been playing for around 10 years in a lot of very different bands, so now we all know what we want to do, and were not sick of it, because we are all still hanging around," says Kit Warhurst drummer for Rocket Science.

The band, he confirms, has been his main concern for the past eighteen months, although Rocket Science shares members with such other Melbourne bands as Velvet Tongue, Hog, The Freeloaders and The Martians.
It all came from the germ of an idea by chief writer, vocalist and intrepid organist Roman Tucker, who lured them into the rehearsal studio just to see what would happen, and from that initial rehearsal the magic began.

"We all got together and it worked incredibly well says Warhurst. Dave (Gray, a bassist well known from his time in many Adelaide bands) actually rang up Paul (Maybury,guitarest) that night after rehearsal to ask if he thought that was as good as he thought it was. So we knew we were on to something, and I know that sounds clicked, but it really did sound good right from the moment we atarted to play."

I noted how the album does indeed sound like one big jam session, and that the title track Welcome Aboard the 3C10 was infact recorded in an offhanded manner on two track recorder that fateful night. if i really needed any convincing on how incredibly honest the Rocket Science sound is Warhurst offers the proof...

"Theres some proof of what that night was for us, its kind of why we put it on there really. Because we were really proud of it, we were first and foremost fans of what we came up with, we"ve really enjoyed it right from the word go".

The rest of the album was recorded over a four month period (in a studio), so it would have been all too easy for Rocket Science to overproduce and sanitise their sound.Considering the thematic and conceptual nature of their venture, the danger was in them coming across as somewhat contrived, but as the name belies, it aint rocket science. Instead Welcome Aboard the 3C10 is just about the freshest, most exciting and punkiest collection of offbeat tunes youre likely to find this soon into the millenium: even if they do appear to be a throwback to the fifties and sixties. The band is almost boasting of their love of the era of bad film and television culture..

"Definitely says Warhurst. We're all big fans of different genres of film and especially the soundtracks that come from them. You know, sci-fi horror, blaxploitation, biker flicks, early sixties porn, all that kind of thing. A lot of music we listen from our collections come from that and were heavily into instrumentals."

Now he"s warming to his theme.

"When we come up with songs well talk about the sound in the stylistic sense of some sort of film. he enthuses. We then have to go down the same track, like we may say this one is a spaghetti western, so we have to picture that."

With the title of this debut, and the CD artwork (theyre all dressed as pilots standing on a runway), presaging some aviation concepts within, Ill add to their credit that theyre supplying the right ticket here and believe me the turbulence along the way is half the fun. Using a huge Hammond sounding organ (provided by a late 70s model Yamaha fed through a Lesley cabinet) to provide the impetus to the albums frenetic pace, it does come as a bit of a surprise to learn that such controlled fury is in fact Roman Tuckers first attempt at writing and performing with keyboards.

"Yeah that"s right. He"s never actually played one in a band before, allows Warhurst. I think as a musician he had a limited background with the instrument as he only knew finger placements and chords...But...his playing thats more his background and what he thinks music should or shouldnt be and what works for him. Hes always played in bands that were heavily based in punk, so he approaches his keyboards as he would his guitar, definitely emotion over technique."

Steve Jones db magazine

July 2000
Interview with Paul Maybury.

Melbournes groovy as psychedelic garage rockers Rocket Science, have created something of a sensation during their short time together, amassing a formidable live reputation playing with the likes of You Am I, Andre Williams, Rocket From the Crypt, Mudhoney, The 5,6,7,8s and guitar wolf fuelled by frenzied theremin, genuine rockin and space walk organ. Theyve even managed to break into the increasingly less dangerous play listing of one time National bastions for free thinking radio Triple J. In a rare, adventurous show of taste (in rockn roll), Rocket Sciences single, Copycat is currently luxuriating in the glow of high rotation on the alternative station: alongside other surprisingly cool sounds by way of Boss Hogs Whiteout and Luxedos You Really Suck.

Their guitarest Paul Maybury (Megalong Valley and ex Hog of Sydney) was kind enough to explain the origins of not only the band, but their hot new record too.

"When we recorded this after only five gigsif not less!" He exclaims incredulously.
"We'd only been together for about four months by that stage and had 15 songs, so we went in to record just to see what it would sound like. We did it on a 16 track, but it was fairly frantic and only for our own satisfaction. Steve Pav (infamous concert promoter and head of Modular Records) came to see us play a show with The Make Up (a raw Washington DC rock'n'roll act) and asked us to send him some stuff, so we sent him that. He then got back to us saying he wanted to release the record as is! It was great to be able to have such a raw piece of work tickle the ears of jaded industry types and get it played on the radio! I always assumed there was a Tonic requirement to get on the radio and that certainly wasnt within our budget! You dont get much more garage rock I mean you should've seen the studio!"
He groans playfully before resuming.

"It WAS a garage. Just to get it realeased is a major achievement I think!
We're really excited to finally have it out to. Its been finished for over a year but has been bogged down in negotiations."

Together for only four months?!
Fifteen songs?!? Cripes on a bike fella. That's quick work I must say. That explains the exerpt from the bands first ever jam you tacked on the end. Nice touch.

"We HAD to do that. We were really happy with that and thought we'd offer a little taste of what it was like when we first rehearsed. I didnt know Kit (Warhurst, drummer and ex- Manic Suede) or Roman (Tucker, vocals, electronic organ and theremin and ex- Martians) at the time we all got together, but I knew Dave (Gray, bass, The Freeloaders, an Adelaide ex-pat whose history here includes Pigs Nipples, Mother Fuckers, Superfly etc) because were both in Megalong Valley of course.
Roman had come up with a few demos and he called us together to have a one off jam.Thats what it sounded like from the first rehearsal, so we figured we'd best be a band! We figured wed put a little taster of our very jam."

Did you have any idea what to expect before you walked through the door?

"Well from the demo tapes Roman gave me, it struck me as loungey 60s garage kinda riffs. Probably four or five of the songs that turn up on the record were on the demo. Because Roman has used an ancient drum machine and a wheezy old grandmas lounge room organ on them, they sounded more loungey. But when we got all together, our history of being in rockn roll bands for years , just took over and it came out as just rocknroll.
This is a real leap ahead of what we'd already been doing. It seemed to take on a life of its own. Theres a lot of different influences at work in there. Were all into b-grade sci-fi films and soundtracks to Italian horror films and things like that. That's why its thematic, and why the CD artwork almost looks like a soundtrack to a movie. Those influences took it away from being just trying to drive a riff home and through your skull. Its more spacious and groovy. Im glad those things bubbled to the surface coz we've all got different backrounds, but thers plenty of common ground when we play together.
It wasnt like we ever went lets be THIS kinda band. It went much further than that or anything we couldve predicted. Its the sum of our influences and affected by the way we play together. Thats just what we like. Im really influenced by rockabilly stuff Link Wray and those nasty guitar players. Romans heavily into American and English classic garage rock and so is Dave. Kit's into all that stuff too, but also things like Portishead and bit more spacious electronica.
Everyone is coming from a different angle but we all have common ground and that is 60s garage rock and thats what we all agree on as great music.
It was only semi-international but we were never going to deny all the other aspects we love about music just to fit into some genre"

You also seem to have brought that beat back.

"Its good to hear you noticed, coz thats how we think of it to."
By Nazz Rip It Up

May 2000
Interview with Roman Tucker

Jet Setting with Rocket Science

Mix one part DIY punk with a pinch of garage strut and a helluva lot of
charisma and what do you have?

Rocket Science Melbourne's most exciting new band and a name that have been on the lips of those in the know since their inception in July of 1998. And do they rock?

"I think the kids can get into it," states Rocket Science front man Roman Tucker without a hint of irony.The group - Tucker (who handles vox and Hammond organ), Dave Grey (bass), Kit Warhurst (drums) and Paul Maybury (guitar) - are a hybrid of all the members' various musical influences. From straight edged guitar rock, to raucous garage punk and inspired psychedelic wig-outs Rocket Science are raw and immediate, offering a fresh take on the vintage rock equation

"We're really into the whole punk energy," says Tucker. "Intensely powerful, high energy music. That's the drive for me. Hey, we're not Californian punk or even the kind of 'punk' the kids are listening to now but I'd like to think that we have the right kind of thrust for the music to be taken on. It's not complicated or overly bogged down in trying to be philosophical or adult - it has a real adolescent flair to it."

Just months after the group formed they headed into the studio to record some demo material. What was initially just a jam session, a practice for all the members to become more acquainted musically ended up resulting in Rocket Science's acclaimed debut record Welcome Aboard The 3C-10, one of the most exciting, confident and charismatic debut albums by an Australian outfit in eons.

"It's like 'HELLO', here we are!" jokes Tucker, "I think music should have some kind of passion, vibe and attitude. People's ears are absolutely crying out to hear something fresh and people really want to sink their teeth into something different. I think Rocket Science have a fresh vibe on the ear when they're hearing it for the first time."

"One thing that makes Rocket Science endearing it's their confidence. "We're feeling really good about what we are doing and we are very confident," admits Tucker, "because it seems like in Australia it takes ages to prove to an audience that you've paid your dues, so to speak, and that seems to be a very Melbourne thing. It's like 'Who are you anyway? Where have you come from?' and to get respect you have to have been doing it for years and years. We don't just feel confident about playing live or recording, we feel confident about the entire situation, and it's taken me eight years to become this confident. The four of us are totally in tune musically, and we all back each other up, we don't crowd each other and we all get along really well. These are all subtle things that take years of development and when it gets to the point when it all starts to click it's just magic."
Ben Shepherd
tribe.com.au

September 2000
Interview with Paul Maybury

We caught up with Rocket Science guitarest Paul Maybury as he was languishing in the warmth of Melbournes first sunnt day in six months. Last time we spoke, their first single Copycat, had just been released from the album Welcome Aboard The 3C10 and Paul was wondering how it would be received. Of course since then, Australias National alternative radio station Triple J, seized upon the song and have now moved to the opening track, Burn In Hell.

"It's been going pretty good hasnt it? Lovely I must say. We've got the Boss Hog tour soon to, and well be over in Adelaide this coming weekend for the first time since last New Years Eve!"

Thats a long time between drinks mate.

"Yeah, weve been pretty busy. I'm really looking foreward to coming back though. We just did a tour with Tumbleweed that took us up and down the East Coast and that was good. We just did a couple of sell out shows of our own in Sydney last weekend which made us all pretty happy."

Are we starting to reach a critical mass with nuts'n'guts and groove attitude sex music at last?

"I think everybody needs a good healthy or unhealthy dose of rock'n'roll as you know. Were happy to provide it if nobody else will. Well step up for it.
It seems that people have started to dance at our gigs which is just fantastic. I havent seen that for a long time."

Will you predominantly be playing material off the new album for the Adelaide shows?

"We do have a lot of new material. We try to have a new set every night nowadays. We change things around a lot, so well probably end up doing half and half. Well decide on the night. Its always a debacle when we get together to write the set list five minutes before we go on. Well definitely be playing the bulk of the record."

How does the new material sound?

"All the different areas we covered on that album, we're going further down those paths. Some of its really straight ahead, Kinks styled rock'n'roll, some are much more sparse and funky sounding. We're just taking it another step further. (organ playing vocalist) Roman's the most prolific songwriter in the band, but we all write. Actually, Kit (drums) hasnt written anything for the band yet, but hes a very strong songwriter as well. Our bass player Dave has written a couple that were working on at the moment and I manage to churn out maybe on e song every six months(laughs)!
We're all writers but Romans definitely the most prolific and hid ideas encapsulate what the bands all about. He brings those ideas in and we all talk about how were going to hammer them out, try different versions and come up with the finished product."

Now, your original garage demos the ones that promoter Steve Pav salivated over and turned into your debut album for his label Modular were never intended to be the finished product were they?

"Yeah we were never actually thinking about then for a record. We didnt really put a name to what they were. They could've just been demos for us, but other people liked the sound so we were happy to release them."

What kind of studio would you turn to for the follow up record?

"We're going to demo all the material and try to work out what it needs, with a traditional producer wholl get into helping with the arrangements and sort the writing out. Wed like to do that, but itll all depend on budgetary constraints and whos got the most enthusiasm for it."

In an ideal world who would your first choices be?

(Laughs) "Ive got a few! Id like to get Vanda & Young (producers of the original AC/DC albums) to do it. That'd be a great rock'n'roll recording! They obviously know all about guitar sounds and what makes a great song. Thats probably on top of my wishlist but on the other hand, Id think maybe someone like Lee Scratch Perry (infamous experimental Rasta heavy dub reggae producer) might be good - just to turn it on its ear and see what he could do with it. Thatd be great wouldnt it? A rock'n'roll band produced by the biggest nutter in the world (laughs)!
We cant afford either of those people, but thats the kind of mind we'd like to attract if only we could decide whether we wanted to make it a straight ahead pumping rocknroll record or an off the world experimental thing. Itll just depend on what the bulk of the material requires."
By Nazz Rip It Up Magazine