Today's
guests will be releasing their highly anticipated S/T debut album in
April 2016 via Magnetic Eye Records. Last year they released their
acclaimed EP – Theia.
Elephant
Tree's debut album has a very different sound to Theia and it's
already starting to receive some serious praise within the
Doom/Stoner Metal community. It's already being touted as an Album Of
The Year contender. It's a favourite album of the whole team here at
Outlaws Of The Sun.
I
wanted to see why the band change direction for their new album.
Here's my interview with ELEPHANT TREE....
Hi
guys. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.
All
good, fresh back from Manchester and having a few weeks off before
heading back out when Pete returns from Thailand.
So
why did you choose the name Elephant Tree for your band. Any specific
meaning.
Ask
R D Ronald!
How
did the band get together. Did you all know each other before forming
the band.
Jack
and Sam met while working together in London. We met Pete while we
were out drinking at Crowbar in Soho and twisted his arm to come to a
jam. A few weeks later Riley took Sam's old position at Jacks work
and got invited along with his sitar. We started writing Theia from
then.
How
would you describe your music.
It's
hard to describe really. At its roots it's basically stoner rock but
because we all have such varied influences there's no one genre we
really stick to. It depends on who you ask, which is never a bad
thing because it means we get to play with a wide variety of awesome
bands. How would you describe it?!
Your
new S/T album is about to be released in April 2016. What can people
expect from the album.
It's
very different to Theia. We didn't want to restrict ourselves to a
certain sound and writing from a fresh sheet gave us more creative
freedom. Also due to Riley's work constraints we decided to drop the
sitar and he moved into more of a producer role. The album is heavy
and recording at Church Studios gave us a lot of equipment to
experiment with. Also recording on the same desk that was used by
Pink Floyd was pretty cool.
It
has a very different sound to your debut EP – Theia. As the
heavy sludge sounds and vocals are nowhere to be seen on this album.
Was that an easy decision to make to leave those sounds off the new
record. As your fans discovered you from Theia's heavier sounds.
We
never head into writing a track thinking we have to stick to a
specific sound. The next album could sound completely different
again, we just head into the practice room and play. Whatever we like
gets recorded.
I
think you made the right choice as your new album is absolutely
incredible. It's really starting to make an impression on the
Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal community. Has the responses for your new
album surprised you so far.
Always.
When we started Sam had only ever had a handful of drum lessons, Jack
hadn't played for years and Pete and Riley were very new friends. Two
years later we've recorded two records and played with bands we never
thought we'd share the stage with. It moved really fast and we just
seem to gel as a band but the response from fans still floors us when
we see posts about our music online and people show up to gigs!
Looking
back would you change anything about Theia.
Not
really. It reflects the stage we were at as a band. It was done over
one hazy weekend in Sam Thredder's (Slabdragger) Cro’s Nest Studio
and we had great fun recording it.
Was
recording the album a different experience to Theia. Did you do
anything differently when recording the new album.
We
recorded the new album at Paul Epworth's the Church Studios in Crouch
End. Going into a studio that's usually used by the likes of Adele
when you've recorded you're last record in a loft studio is a bit of
a system shock. We settled in really quickly though and working in
there was easy.
The
album is being released via Magnetic Eye Records again. How did you
hook up with them. Did you have any offers from other labels to
release your album.
We
got a message off Mike Vitali at Magnetic Eye Records shortly after
we released a demo of Attack. He told us about hearing it and seemed
to really dig it and offered us a contract. We'd had a few other
offers but no one that had actually taken time to Skype us. Working
over the different time zones can be a bit awkward at time but we
appreciate the work Mike puts into the label and it’s reassuring to
know he’s passionate about the music.
What
inspires you when writing and recording music.
Everyone
has their own inspiration when it comes to adding a piece to a track.
We try not to get too bogged down in sounding like anyone in
particular or composing in a certain way. The tracks are better for
it when they are written more organically.
Do
you have an advanced set-up when playing live or recording new
material in the studio.
Not
really. The studio takes tend to be slightly more complex, especially
with our latest recordings, because we have more gear to play around
with. Jack took full advantage of the vintage and custom effects
pedals at The Church, but it’s cool that his set-up evolves and
changes over time. No two shows are the same and we’re always up
for experimenting with effects and set-ups. The last thing you want
is for your sound to come across as boring.
How
hard is it being a band in today's world. What are the most difficult
aspects in being in a band.
It’s
tough. There’s so many other great bands out there that are all
making noise on the scene so it’s hard to make yourself stand out.
Also, making any money is tough. Recording an album is an expensive
task and the last thing you want is to sacrifice quality because you
can’t afford to work in a particular studio. That’s not to say
you can’t make an awesome record in a front room or a home studio
but there’s a certain vibe that comes from being able to walk into
a room and crank up your amps to 11.
We
all chip in with ideas. Usually one of us will come into the practice
room with a melody or a riff and then we’ll all play it through and
decide what we like and what needs changing. Eventually after a few
run-throughs we’ll have the beginnings of a track.
Will
you be touring this record heavily this year. If you are, can you
give any details out.
We
have a few dates in the pipelines but nothing confirmed yet. We’re
looking to go back to France at some point and maybe visit some more
UK venues we haven’t yet been to. Hopefully we’ll be able to
announce more details around the end of April once the album is out.
Before
you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.
Cheers!
Words by Steve Howe and Elephant Tree
Links:
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