Band of the Month

This month the coveted Band Assist Band of the Month award goes to indie upstarts; Spray on Jeans. We caught up with the guys for a quick interview!

How did you guy’s form?

Four of us went to the same school, we were a 3 piece at first but then we found joe, our singer and steve, rhythm guitar.

“Weekend Lover” is an awesome track and demonstrates a very unique style – how did that track come about?

Our drummer actually wrote weekend lover and after a few days together we patched it all up.

Tell us about your last gig?

The last gig we played was at cosa nostra, Sunderland, we played with a few other bands, including Where's Strutter from Manchester and 12 Dirty Bullets from London.

What is your general writing process?

At the moment since finding our own sound and what we wanted to be heard as, we all contribute to writing the songs. Usually we practice twice or three times a week working on our own stuff, hopefully an EP will be out soon with around 5-6 tracks on it.

What do you find most difficult about being an unsigned act in 2011?

We would say the most difficult thing about being unsigned in 2011 is being unsigned, everyone knows how difficult it is too get a deal but you haven't got to give up.

What are your top tips for other unsigned bands?

Other unsigned bands like us, all you can do is keep doing gigs, working hard, and when you do get an opportunity take it.

What is your fantasy band line up?

Fantasy band line up would have to be, chad smith (drummer) from the RHCP, Jimi Hendix, matt bellamy (muse) and Alex turner (arctic monkeys), although im not sure it would quite work.

Tell us an amusing band story

An amusing band story, all i can think of is the time after a hard days practice we decided to go out in the car, with the acoustic guitars, we would sit somewhere and play our tunes. Didn't know that somewhere would be a chinese take away. We walked in casually, ordered our food, sat down and started to play. It was very amusing as no one new what we were doing. We sat opposite a middle aged man and he just sat there as if nothing was happening.

What are your views on Band Assist?

Band assist is a great way for unsigned musicians to get help whilst trying to gain a bit recognition.

What’s next for you?

Next for Spray on Jeans we will be working hard towards the Skinny Twins festival where we are supporting the Futureheads and the Stranglers, and trying to get our EP out in the coming months.

Band of The Month - The FIx

Well it's that time aain and this months winners are hard rocking quartet The Fix. We caught up with the guys to see whats new with them, plus see how they are promoting thier music.

How did you guy’s form?

I moved to London 3yrs ago from the midlands with the sole purpose of forming a band. Lots of advertising and meeting people in pubs and practices. It took me two years before I met Mike (Bass Player) and then another six months to meet Fando (Lead Guitar). Phil (Drums) I found on a musician advertising site.

We get on really well and that was as important as being able to play and create.

“Bob” is an awesome track and demonstrates a very unique style – how did that track come about?

Thanks man! I write most of my songs on acoustic guitar and have a vision in my head when I do. I remember it taking me quite a while to write, I always start with music and came up with the verse riff first. The chorus came very naturally but it was the breakdown that took time to perfect.

The lyrics were an idea i’d had for a while and something that isn’t your standard theme. I called it Bob after the character that i’m singing about, I’m really proud of it and it’s probably my favourite track to play live.

What is your general writing process?

All of the songs on the current EP were written by me on my acoustic guitar at home that I already had written for a band. Now we’ve started writing at practices together. Someone will bring an idea to the table and we’ll generally allow each other to find a part to play. We’re not afraid to suggest other ideas or constructively criticise either and I find it healthy to do so.

During the writing I’ll usually have an idea of what I’d like to sing about forming and just have to feel it out and think about it. I take time over my lyrics as I think they’re incredibly important. What do you find most difficult about being an unsigned act in 2011?

Getting noticed. I know nowadays there are more ways than ever before to get your stuff out there to be heard and people can watch you on youtube or myspace but with that comes the problem of the other million billion other acts out there trying to do exactly the same. Hopefully our quality can stand out haha.

What are your top tips for other unsigned bands?

I played a gig with a previous band once and the band we were supporting were due to sound check first. They were a local band and we were travelling from stafford to manchester. We got there on time but were doing our check after the headliners as is standard. They strolled in 45mins late, were rude to the sound engineer and had no interest in acknowledging us when we said hi.

Basically the opposite of that! Be professional, be polite, be respectful. We haven’t done anything yet, we’re an unsigned act trying to get noticed and one of the things I believe people appreciate is professionalism, politeness and respect. What goes around comes around.

Also, don’t just record something, stick it on myspace and wait for the call to come. Don’t kid yourself, you’re going to have to work your arse off! What is your fantasy band line up?

That is just so unfair!

Ok lets give it a go

Vocals - A choice between Eddie Vedder, Guy Garvey and Tom Waits Guitars - John Frusciante, Josh Homme, Johnny Greenwood and Dean Deleo Bass Guitar - Robert Deleo, John Paul Jones or Paul Mccartney Keys - Ed Harcourt or Ben Folds Drums - Dave Grohl, John Bonham or Stewart Copeland

Tell us an amusing band story

This is a story from my old band.

When we did one of our tours we would hire a van, two in the front and all the equipment and the other 3 in the back, in the dark with an old sofa and a matress.

Our lead guitarist had a bladder the size of a flea and constantly needed to use the facilities. On one of our longer drives back from a gig, that call of nature came again but no service station in site for at least 20 miles. Unable to hold out he found an empty plastic milk bottle and proceeded to do the deed.

Unfortunately for him he hadn’t realised there was no lid or cap and so for the next 20 miles was holding an open bottle of piss in the dark in the back of a van.

During those 20 miles there were many swerves and close calls as piss sloshed back and forth from the open bottle when all of a sudden the services were upon us. A sigh of relief as we pulled in, then, we hit a speed bump into the services car park, the bottle flew from his grasp and drenched the back of the van in stinking hot urine. The amps, the sofa, the matress and 60% of the band completely soaked!

Those last 100 miles were very quiet indeed!

What are your views on Band Assist?

Fantastic, Some good sound sensible advice from people who have seen it done it and got the t-shirt. Real friendly and nothing but good things to say about you guys!

What’s next for you?

We’re recording our second EP in June, before then we have photo shoots, gigs at the bowery (8th april), the troubadour (11th may) and are starting to put together our website. Lots of hard work, fun and cups of tea ahead!

Band of The Month: The Mathletics Team

Well, new year new band of the month.

Let's hear it for The Mathletics Team!

BA: Atomic Warrior" is an awesome track can you let us in on the story behind it?

TMT: The song is based on the classic 2000AD, ABC warriors. The formation of that unit on mars and it's trials through their career as giant robot mercenaries. We thought it was a cool concept and it evolved from there.

BA:You have such a pretty unique sound - was that a conscious decision? how did you come up with it?

TMT: The Bands sound evolved through the use of the phrase "wouldn't it be cool if we had a....." and we just added from there till the sound felt full and complete.

BA:What is your writing process?

TMT: The General writes the basic structure of the songs and then brings them into the band and we all work on them together to add little touches of our own individual styles and sounds. Lyrically speaking The General finds a subject be it in comics, films, cartoons or pulp fiction that interests him and trys to find the story within a story. Those are the tales we attempt to tell.

BA:What do you find most difficult about being an unsigned act?

TMT: As a nine piece I'd say the most difficult thing is finding venues with enough room and equipment to fit us all in to play.

BA: What is your top tip for other acts?

TMT: We say preparation is the key to a good live performance. Practice seriously and often both as an individual and a band.

BA: What is your fantasy band line up (Vocals, guitar, Bass and Drums)

TMT: We're very lucky to already have our fantasy line up

BA: Tell us an amusing Band Story!

TMT:Back in December we played at a a couple of friends of ours' joint birthday party. They asked us to play some covers in our set just for kicks and we agreed already having thought up some cool stuff to do. We ended up playing that old Village People classic "macho man" as our joke song of the evening and as we began the tune one of the party goers leapt in front of the stage and began stripping off in a wild dance in time to the music. By the end of the song the guy was standing there in a sparkly thong flexing at anyone that came close.
We played macho man twice that night.

BA:Proudest moment so far in The Mathletics Team?

TMT: Apart from being band assists band of the month it would probably be playing the old fruitmarket in Glasgow last may as it was a pretty big venue and we had only been a band for about four months by then.

BA: What are your views on Band Assist?

TMT: Band assist has been a great resource for us as it's got lots of good advice and the news letters always give us something to think about.

BA:Whats next for you?

TMT: In February we go into the studio to record our second EP which will include remasters of the current EP and three new songs that we currently only play live. We're appearing on the opening episode of trinity force records' TFTV show online on January 28th which will be streamed live as well as launching our own website which guaranteed to be full of flash animation madness. We're recording some promo videos for an as yet undecided single and getting some super cool merch.

I Give You Firax

Well it was a great month with some awesome new music. We had a massive variety from pop to hip hop, from country to thrash. It really does reassure us that there are still sdome awesome bands and artists out there and we want to help them get the recognition they want. I don't want to hear Cheryl Cole, The Saturdays or this year's X Factor winner on the radio. I want to hear The Calling Card, Speedbird and The Limelight (check out our reviews section at http://www.bandassist.co.uk/)

So this months competition was hard but our "Metal" reviewer let us all hear Firax and boy are we glad they did. These guys are the next metal band to make it. Hell, Band Assist even created a genre for them; "Groovecore"

Check them out at www.myspace.com/firaxband

Here is their interview:

BA: Well Done for winning Band Assists Act of the month! How would you descibe the Firax Sound?

Firax: The FIRAX sound is like a freight train without brakes powering along the railway lines of what you thought was metal until it breaks away and suddenly begins its own path down which there are no stop signs, there are no crossings just inhibited thrash rock metal that moves with the rhythm of everything you know that is right, you just didn’t know it until now.
It makes you feel dirty and greasy and think you know what’s coming. But you don’t.

BA: "Effigy of Hate" is an awesome track can you let us in on the story behind it? and how/who wrote it.

Firax: Effigy is very much Glyn’s song, but I like to think we all had some input. This was the first of our ‘groovy’ songs, the first one that had that ‘different’ sound to it.
The formation of the lyrics didn’t take any pushing or sleepless nights, they simply wrote themselves, and it was a story that Rhyd had needed to say for a long time.
When I (Rhyd) was younger, after a really bad year I was out with a couple of friends having, to the contrary, a good night. We were split up. I met some other friends and then I left the place I was in. I don’t remember the next 2 days. I was jumped outside, this I know from stories and what was in the paper. I don’t know how or why it started but all I know is that my head was stamped on. My face was kicked. My inside was bruised badly. I lost my teeth. I gained permanent scarring on my right eye. I suffered memory loss for a year.
It’s all in there if you listen.


BA: You have such a new sound - was that a conscious decision? how did you come up with it?

Firax: When we got together we just decided to try and take a big influence from the classic metal bands,Pantera, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, you know, it’s just pure chance that our individual styles happened to come together this way.
When a group of musicians get together, who are on the same playing field, who love the same thing, who have the same goal then great music is what will happen.
Of course, when we realised what we sounded like, we decided it was a good thing and are trying to keep it going!

BA: What is your writing process?

Firax: So far it’s been pretty different for every song! Sometimes one of us will come up with an entire song, and everyone else will add their stuff around it; sometimes we’ll say “let’s write a song about this, and this bitof it should sound like that”. Basically, if something sounds cool – whether it’s an idea or a riff – we’ll give it a go.


BA: What do you find most difficult about being an unsigned band?

Firax: We all had different answers to this but they are all valid so i guess we have about 3 things.
1) Unfortunately it appears that, due to various things like the recession, the days of going out to see any old band that happens to be on in your local are gone.
2) People/promoters completely ignoring us. Also, being unable to play a gig unless you bringa certain number of people
3) MONEY.It’s all funded by ourselves. Most gigs aren’t paid. We just do them because we love it.


BA: What is your top tip for other acts?

Firax: If you don’t enjoy it, you’re doing it wrong.
On a side note, try and have a lot of money,this band thing is really quite expensive!

BA: What is your fantasy band line up (Vocals, guitar, Bass and Drums)

Firax:This is definately something we could never all agree on! I guess thatis a good thing though, we all have different influences.

Here is a mix of what we decided :-
Vocals - Bruce Dickinson (Maiden)
Guitar - Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
Bass - Flea (Chilli Peppers)
Drums - Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)



BA: Tell us an amusing Band Story!

Firax: Ah, what to pick? I would try to think of one not relating to Machin, but I’m not sure that’s possible! I think I’ll go for the one where we had a gig in a pub in Crumlin, and he managed to end up on Crumlin road, Pontypool! The other side of the mountain!


BA: Proudest moment so far in Firax?

Firax: Getting in to the top twelve of Hard Rock Hells young blood competition October 22nd without a doubt.
Obviously being artist of the month is pretty awesome!


BA:What are your views on Band Assist?

Firax: A cracking website that has definitely influenced us, providing us with food for thought. Our review on Band Assist is an inspiration and the other reviews on there have given us a great insight into what we are up against, and how unique we are.
With Band Assist, you get the sense that the reviews are actually being written by someone who has a genuine interest in new music.

BA:Whats Next for you guys?

Firax: World domination! If the public don't mind, that is.

Thanks for the great review, interview and for generally being a site full of "real" people trying their best for people like us!