Tomahawk's forthcoming album, 'Oddfellows' (Jan. 29, Ipecac), is now streaming in its entirety via Spin (link below). The album stream is accompanied by an interview with all four band members: Mike Patton, Duane Denison, John Stanier and Trevor Dunn. A few excerpts of the interview follow.
Your projects as of late have been a lot of soundtrack work, musique concrète, avant-jazz, and orchestral pop. What's most satisfying about the traditional rock band format?
Mike Patton, vocals:
There's still something attractive to me about it. I guess on a personal level it gives me a jones since I don't really write that kind of stuff anymore, not that I ever did. More traditional guitar, bass, drums; it's not something completely natural to me. It's in a way, exotic.
You guys all live in different parts of the globe. How does this band happen?
John Stanier, drums:
People ask "Where is Tomahawk from?" I don't know, the U.S., I guess?
Mike Patton:
There's two of us in New York so I guess we're a New York band. We've never really been a typical band that says, "Hey let's meet on Tuesday and practice for three hours." To be honest I've done that and I'm not really into that anymore.
Stanier:
It's always Duane sniffing around asking if we want to do another Tomahawk record. And everyone, of course, is like "Yes, absolutely." And then another nine months will pass and he asks again and then everyone says, "Yes, definitely." We've probably been talking about doing this record for the last two years.
Does he send CDs in the mail?
Stanier:
Maybe the last couple of times he's finally started to send MP3s. But even five months ago six months ago, he was sending actual CDs.
And the actual recording…
Stanier:
We meet up and rehearse for a little bit and bang it out. Then everybody goes about their merry way and we meet up again for tour. It's the absolute simplest, most professional ensemble I have ever been involved with, by far. Even for this record, I swear, we rehearsed for like a day and a half, if that.
Patton:
I flew in and then we were going to rehearse for a week and then record. The day after I flew in I got some really bad news about some family stuff and then I had to leave the next day. So I wasn't able to record in the same room with those guys, which is what we intended all along. It wasn't as intended, but I think it came out alright.
Duane Denison, guitar:
Things are a little slower here [in Nashville], you can take your time doing things, things cost less. Rehearsal spaces are cheaper. Studio time is less. Everything is less. And so when these guys come here, you feel like you can take your time and allow your ideas to gestate a little more. We can go get, oh, I don't know, catfish or barbeque or something like that. You have time to think about what does it really mean to you. You're kind of away from the media centers here, so you're not under the microscope all the time. You don't feel like you're on the clock and somebody's watching you all the time. There's a reason why this is becoming more and more popular here. There's a reason Jack White moved here and the Black Keys moved here, and other people are coming down here. Atlanta's kind of a hip-hop and R&B thing now. People are warming up to the South.
Listen to 'Oddfellows' HERE!
Tomahawk return to the road on Feb. 12, kicking off a west coast tour at The Showbox in Seattle. The band join the touring Soundwave Festival in Australia on Feb. 23.
Tour dates:
- February 12: Seattle, WA at The Showbox
- February 13: Portland, OR at Wonder Ballroom
- February 15: San Francisco, CA at Great American Music Hall
- February 16: San Francisco, CA at Great American Music Hall
- February 17: Santa Ana, CA at The Observatory
- February 19: Los Angeles, CA at The Mayan Theater
- February 23: Brisbane, Australia at RNA Showgrounds
- February 24: Sydney, Australia at Olympic Park
- February 26: Sydney, Australia at The Metro
- February 27: Melbourne, Australia at Billboard
- March 1: Melbourne, Australia at Flemington Racecourse
- March 2: Adelaide, Australia at Bonython Park
- March 4: Perth, Australia at Claremont Showground
- March 30: Sao Paulo, Brazil at Lollapalooza Brazil
- April 2: Buenos Aires, Argentina at Malvinas Argentinas Stadium (w/A Perfect Circle)
- April 4: Santiago, Chile at Teatro La Cupula del Parque O'Higgins
- April 6: Santiago, Chile at Lollapalooza Chile
Related links:
Tomahawk on Facebook
Ipecac on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment