James Tidswell - Violent Soho (04/09/2013)
As the release of their third LP ‘Hungry Ghost’ quickly approaches, James Tidswell of Violent Soho gave us the low-down on their upcoming album, touring with The Bronx, and the honesty of the crowd expected encore.
Hi James! So Violent Soho are still based in Mansfield, Queensland.
Well we don’t really own houses so we can be anywhere from time to time.
Depends whose girlfriend or mum isn’t sick of you guys yet?
Sort of, it’s pretty expensive to live there now which sucks and because it’s so far out of the city it’s pretty inconvenient and not very good public transport and it’s expensive, like a basic small house it’s close to $400.00 a week, it’s crazy!
How can a musician afford that?
They can’t its ridiculous.
What was it like as a young musician growing up in that area?
It was pretty good, being young it was pretty good, nothing to complain about. We skated every day, at school we had skating as an elective for sport on a Wednesday in high school so we went to all different skate parks each week, so I’d never complain. It was all pretty good you know but as a musician it wasn’t that good because it’s so far away, I mean it’s not that far away but it’s like 30 minutes and a cab ride is going to cost a fortune so playing in a band out there wasn’t particularly good, it took us all a long time.
Do you know Brisbane at all?
A little.
Have you ever been to a place called Ric’s?
Yes!
Thought so. Well it took us 3 years to get a show there.
And is that because of your location?
Yes. There’s a lot of inner city private school boys that play in bands and run venues and all that sort of stuff, well they did at the time I think now it’s all pretty easy going which is good, I think people are nicer now then what they were in the early 2000s, people were pretty pissed off then.
Violent Soho have been gigging for ages and I can remember seeing you years ago and being blown away by the chaotic live show, you did mention you have noticed the scene has chilled out a bit, how has the band changed over time?
Ummmmmm, well we’re probably not, I don’t know actually, that’s a tricky one. We’ve just changed, but not too much, actually I think we’re exactly the same, pretty much. Growing up and playing with everyone from Dick Nasty to DZ Deathrays to now playing Bear Hug from Sydney, who we played with a few weeks ago for us it’s pretty much as good as it gets so we don’t really notice too much difference. In terms of playing music we try to do things that we won’t get bored of quickly, so the first time that we tour or play it we will be shit at it and then if you come see us in 7 years we will be better at it, it’s more the mentally of a few of these songs, rather than let’s get fucked up and play as hard as we can, I guess that’s changed, well it hasn’t yet, that’s what why we try different stuff.
Is that a lesson learnt from experience? Are you bored with the old material?
Yeah I’d say bored, that’s a good way to put it. I like the songs, I’m a fan of Luke Boerdam, who writes all the songs, I’m a fan of his I like the other stuff but once you’ve been playing it for a long time and some tracks, maybe to scrape it we’ve been playing since 2005 so that’s a long time, it’s 8 years!
It’s primary school age!
Oh fully! Yeah it’s 8 years old!
It’s the calm before the storm that is the album ‘Hungry Ghost’ is released, it’s been a long time in the coming, three years to be exact, Queenslanders have a history of being relaxed, were you relaxed with the release of this record?
Yeah I guess so. It’s totally cool for you to say that because I wouldn’t want to live anywhere that would make you go fast, I mean we lived in Brooklyn and it sucked, id did my head in. I think it does have an impact on the album, I mean it may be 3 years in the coming but it wasn’t in the making, we wouldn’t have even gotten together to try new stuff in a very long time, I mean 3 of the songs were written in the last week before the album was recorded, it was just more like we weren’t trying to get out an album I think that’s the big difference. We don’t exist in the same world that other bands do where they’re trying to keep stuff coming out. Everyone that worked on the album including the dude that produced it and engineered it worked a full time job doing something else, so when you take that into account, it’s pretty hard to get all of those people together to make a record so it was pretty fucking slow, I mean the dude who recorded it and produced it is a tree lopper so he took holidays to make the album, I mean it’s pretty fucking slow but that’s why. We just don’t operate in that world, we’re not trying to keep up with anything.
The first taste of the new album is the single ‘In The Aisle’ that has reached success not only locally but internationally, does that scare you to think of the band on a international level?
Nah I don’t think so, we don’t look at it that way. We’ve done a bit of international stuff before, we didn’t worry about it then and we won’t worry about it now. I just think if you like playing music, you do and everything else that happens is an extra.
Speaking of the international landscape Violent Soho have toured quite a bit with Californian punk band The Bronx who are big Violent Soho fans, did you have a fan out experience with The Bronx?
We had heaps of them. That’s the band we’ve toured with most, I think we might be just under 40 shows with them so that’s a lot for one band, for us anyway. I remember in Colorado we went to a baseball game that was pretty cool, it was only cool because it was so relaxed, everyone is just sitting there staring at the field for four hours, we didn’t even know what was going on. Brad (The Bronx) seemed to be pretty into it and we just drank beers and stared at the field. I think everyone was pretty partied out. It’s funny that that’s my best memory from the tour was the most calm parts but they’re the best band to tour with, we’re really lucky that they’ve given us the chance to play with them, it’s cool.
Coming off headlining your own shows and then going back to the support slot, how do you adjust?
I don’t think we really do and one thing we learnt from The Bronx is that if you do a show to the point that the crowd believes it’s everything that you’ve got then you don’t have to do encores and these days stuff like that happens all the time, that’s one thing that you learn so our set became 40 minutes, we play everything as hard as we can and because our headline shows were approached like that I think the support shows came pretty easy because we just did the exact same thing, where as now it’ll be different because we’ve got other stuff where we should concentrate.
So James, where do you sit with encores?
Well we actually did a couple so I can’t say too much, but I don’t know. I’ve very rarely seen an honest one, very rarely because the band just assumes. I mean if the lights are down and they haven’t played their hit I mean, fuck me, you can’t starve everyone of the song they want to hear and then go “They want us back on”- well it might not be you in particular. I don’t know if I’m a fan or not a fan. I remember Blink 182 for years would walk out before the end and say “we will be back out and do two songs for you” and I remember thinking that was funny when I was 17, I guess I grew up pretty cynical when the biggest band of my generation is there saying “you know we’re going to come back out you fuckers”.
We are running out of time James, but in true Violent Soho fashion are going back on the road hitting every major city possible taking Sydney band Straight Arrows along for the ride. Could you tell us about this?
Straight Arrows are probably our best friends from Sydney I’d have to say. We first played together maybe six years ago, it was a long time ago at a house party in Brisbane and instantly we got along with them and we went out and partied with them that night and then from then on, every Sydney tour we stayed at their house and we’ve been doing shows in Sydney for ages. We did 50 shows in 2008 and barely any of them were anywhere except Sydney or Melbourne. I’m talking every second weekend we’d stay at their house, some of our most memorable photos are on their couch. We’ve always been meaning to do something with them and there’s nothing better than touring with a band that not only have good music but you get along with, the bands are pretty close to say the least.
It’s like a band of brother, you can have the Violent Soho/ Straight Arrows photo album to look back on in years to come.
For sure. Have you heard them?
Yes, I saw them at Big Sound last year.
They were awesome then! Did you know there’s a band called Quicksand and the lead singer was at that show, I saw him standing there next to me and I stopped him and said “Dude” and do you know a band called Title Fight?
Yes.
Well he produced the last record, he’s from Gorilla Biscuits and a whole bunch of bands, he’s standing three rows back at the Straight Arrows show watching them, it was crazy!
Well that's unfortunately all we have time for today James, thanks!
Cassie Walker
VIOLENT SOHO - HUNGRY GHOST
(new album out 6 September 2013 through I OH YOU)
Hi James! So Violent Soho are still based in Mansfield, Queensland.
Well we don’t really own houses so we can be anywhere from time to time.
Depends whose girlfriend or mum isn’t sick of you guys yet?
Sort of, it’s pretty expensive to live there now which sucks and because it’s so far out of the city it’s pretty inconvenient and not very good public transport and it’s expensive, like a basic small house it’s close to $400.00 a week, it’s crazy!
How can a musician afford that?
They can’t its ridiculous.
What was it like as a young musician growing up in that area?
It was pretty good, being young it was pretty good, nothing to complain about. We skated every day, at school we had skating as an elective for sport on a Wednesday in high school so we went to all different skate parks each week, so I’d never complain. It was all pretty good you know but as a musician it wasn’t that good because it’s so far away, I mean it’s not that far away but it’s like 30 minutes and a cab ride is going to cost a fortune so playing in a band out there wasn’t particularly good, it took us all a long time.
Do you know Brisbane at all?
A little.
Have you ever been to a place called Ric’s?
Yes!
Thought so. Well it took us 3 years to get a show there.
And is that because of your location?
Yes. There’s a lot of inner city private school boys that play in bands and run venues and all that sort of stuff, well they did at the time I think now it’s all pretty easy going which is good, I think people are nicer now then what they were in the early 2000s, people were pretty pissed off then.
Violent Soho have been gigging for ages and I can remember seeing you years ago and being blown away by the chaotic live show, you did mention you have noticed the scene has chilled out a bit, how has the band changed over time?
Ummmmmm, well we’re probably not, I don’t know actually, that’s a tricky one. We’ve just changed, but not too much, actually I think we’re exactly the same, pretty much. Growing up and playing with everyone from Dick Nasty to DZ Deathrays to now playing Bear Hug from Sydney, who we played with a few weeks ago for us it’s pretty much as good as it gets so we don’t really notice too much difference. In terms of playing music we try to do things that we won’t get bored of quickly, so the first time that we tour or play it we will be shit at it and then if you come see us in 7 years we will be better at it, it’s more the mentally of a few of these songs, rather than let’s get fucked up and play as hard as we can, I guess that’s changed, well it hasn’t yet, that’s what why we try different stuff.
Is that a lesson learnt from experience? Are you bored with the old material?
Yeah I’d say bored, that’s a good way to put it. I like the songs, I’m a fan of Luke Boerdam, who writes all the songs, I’m a fan of his I like the other stuff but once you’ve been playing it for a long time and some tracks, maybe to scrape it we’ve been playing since 2005 so that’s a long time, it’s 8 years!
It’s primary school age!
Oh fully! Yeah it’s 8 years old!
It’s the calm before the storm that is the album ‘Hungry Ghost’ is released, it’s been a long time in the coming, three years to be exact, Queenslanders have a history of being relaxed, were you relaxed with the release of this record?
Yeah I guess so. It’s totally cool for you to say that because I wouldn’t want to live anywhere that would make you go fast, I mean we lived in Brooklyn and it sucked, id did my head in. I think it does have an impact on the album, I mean it may be 3 years in the coming but it wasn’t in the making, we wouldn’t have even gotten together to try new stuff in a very long time, I mean 3 of the songs were written in the last week before the album was recorded, it was just more like we weren’t trying to get out an album I think that’s the big difference. We don’t exist in the same world that other bands do where they’re trying to keep stuff coming out. Everyone that worked on the album including the dude that produced it and engineered it worked a full time job doing something else, so when you take that into account, it’s pretty hard to get all of those people together to make a record so it was pretty fucking slow, I mean the dude who recorded it and produced it is a tree lopper so he took holidays to make the album, I mean it’s pretty fucking slow but that’s why. We just don’t operate in that world, we’re not trying to keep up with anything.
The first taste of the new album is the single ‘In The Aisle’ that has reached success not only locally but internationally, does that scare you to think of the band on a international level?
Nah I don’t think so, we don’t look at it that way. We’ve done a bit of international stuff before, we didn’t worry about it then and we won’t worry about it now. I just think if you like playing music, you do and everything else that happens is an extra.
Speaking of the international landscape Violent Soho have toured quite a bit with Californian punk band The Bronx who are big Violent Soho fans, did you have a fan out experience with The Bronx?
We had heaps of them. That’s the band we’ve toured with most, I think we might be just under 40 shows with them so that’s a lot for one band, for us anyway. I remember in Colorado we went to a baseball game that was pretty cool, it was only cool because it was so relaxed, everyone is just sitting there staring at the field for four hours, we didn’t even know what was going on. Brad (The Bronx) seemed to be pretty into it and we just drank beers and stared at the field. I think everyone was pretty partied out. It’s funny that that’s my best memory from the tour was the most calm parts but they’re the best band to tour with, we’re really lucky that they’ve given us the chance to play with them, it’s cool.
Coming off headlining your own shows and then going back to the support slot, how do you adjust?
I don’t think we really do and one thing we learnt from The Bronx is that if you do a show to the point that the crowd believes it’s everything that you’ve got then you don’t have to do encores and these days stuff like that happens all the time, that’s one thing that you learn so our set became 40 minutes, we play everything as hard as we can and because our headline shows were approached like that I think the support shows came pretty easy because we just did the exact same thing, where as now it’ll be different because we’ve got other stuff where we should concentrate.
So James, where do you sit with encores?
Well we actually did a couple so I can’t say too much, but I don’t know. I’ve very rarely seen an honest one, very rarely because the band just assumes. I mean if the lights are down and they haven’t played their hit I mean, fuck me, you can’t starve everyone of the song they want to hear and then go “They want us back on”- well it might not be you in particular. I don’t know if I’m a fan or not a fan. I remember Blink 182 for years would walk out before the end and say “we will be back out and do two songs for you” and I remember thinking that was funny when I was 17, I guess I grew up pretty cynical when the biggest band of my generation is there saying “you know we’re going to come back out you fuckers”.
We are running out of time James, but in true Violent Soho fashion are going back on the road hitting every major city possible taking Sydney band Straight Arrows along for the ride. Could you tell us about this?
Straight Arrows are probably our best friends from Sydney I’d have to say. We first played together maybe six years ago, it was a long time ago at a house party in Brisbane and instantly we got along with them and we went out and partied with them that night and then from then on, every Sydney tour we stayed at their house and we’ve been doing shows in Sydney for ages. We did 50 shows in 2008 and barely any of them were anywhere except Sydney or Melbourne. I’m talking every second weekend we’d stay at their house, some of our most memorable photos are on their couch. We’ve always been meaning to do something with them and there’s nothing better than touring with a band that not only have good music but you get along with, the bands are pretty close to say the least.
It’s like a band of brother, you can have the Violent Soho/ Straight Arrows photo album to look back on in years to come.
For sure. Have you heard them?
Yes, I saw them at Big Sound last year.
They were awesome then! Did you know there’s a band called Quicksand and the lead singer was at that show, I saw him standing there next to me and I stopped him and said “Dude” and do you know a band called Title Fight?
Yes.
Well he produced the last record, he’s from Gorilla Biscuits and a whole bunch of bands, he’s standing three rows back at the Straight Arrows show watching them, it was crazy!
Well that's unfortunately all we have time for today James, thanks!
Cassie Walker
VIOLENT SOHO - HUNGRY GHOST
(new album out 6 September 2013 through I OH YOU)