Speaking
about Glasgow-based Aye-Aye (named a after creepy Madagascar lemur) I
have to admit that garage sound of this power trio isn’t something
that I really love in the band, but it seems to be their aim to build
“a wall of noise and fuzz” to clad into it alive and raw stoner /
doom space stuff and it’s their vision.
However
I respect them for certain individual approach to the band’s
lyrical concept and excellent song-writing. I love their debut album
“Men Are Ugly” (2014) and the new one “In Peace” slowly
develops Aye-Aye ideas in the same musical direction.
So
what do we have here?
Just
a try to take a deeper look in the night world of Aye-Aye alongside
band’s singing bass-player Iain Laing
Hi
Iain! How are you? What’s
going on in Aye-Aye nest?
Hi,
Alex. Hope all’s
well with you and we wish you all the best in the year to come.
Currently
Aye-aye are rehearsing our set for our first gig of 2018 which is a
“Metal To The Masses” heat in Glasgow on the 19th
January though we‘ve
no illusions that our music is suitable for Bloodstock. Theses are
good gigs for a bit of networking and live show experience. From
there we’re
hoping to be offered a support slot or two for bands coming to play
Glasgow or Edinburgh. We’re
up for playing pretty much where-ever we’re
wanted.
We’re
working on a few new tunes which are unrecorded as yet too. Mac and I
are playing guitar, bass, vocals with our mutual friend, Tony, a
drummer, rehearsing the songs penned by our friend “Gerry” who
died a year ago. I played bass with Tony and Gerry in a band named
Smokescreen for a year or so before Gerry died. Gerry was a wonderful
guitarist influenced by Floyd, Bob Marley, Stones, Killing Joke…..so
Mac’s had a LOT
of practicing to do but the dark horse that he is has been playing
some great licks at our last few rehearsals. We’ll
be getting these recorded over the next month or so, hopefully.
Del’s
drumming is getting groovier as time goes on helping us out with
getting some sexy riffs for Aye-aye. We still want to save us from
ourselves. LOL
There’s
three years long break between the band’s
debut “Men Are Ugly” and fresh full-length “In Peace”. How
did you spend this period?
By
pretty much doing what we’ve
done since the conception of Aye-aye over 5 years ago. By jamming new
riffs as often as real life allows which is usually around once a
week for 3 hours.
The
riffs become songs and we record them in wee batches at a time. When
we get an album’s
worth of decent songs we’ll
let the public hear them.
How often did you play live after
release of “Men Are Ugly”? Can you tell that the band had gained
some recognition in Scotland and UK?
I’d
say we’ve
gigged once every couple of months on average. Certainly we did more
frequent shows at the beginning just because of the whole “honeymoon”
energy of it all. We’re
certainly no less enthusiastic now but I think the guys will agree
with me when I say we’re
playing more for our own enjoyment now. When we play live we prefer
there to be a wee bit of an audience so we can get our name out. That
means waiting/ asking to be offered a support slot with a “well
known” touring band or a “festival” slot. We’ve
played live as far North as Inverness and as far south as Wakefield
and willing to do it all again if offered.
We’ve
no rush to write new material as we can play for an hour and a half
of good material whenever required. We can take our time coming up
with the new songs.
Aye-Aye - Stardust
So no ambitions at all? Just
playing music for relax, joy or for whatever else you do it?
It
would be nice to play some bigger shows or festivals and get our
music out to more people. Maybe sell enough Cds for recording and
duplication to be self-sustaining cost wise. Obviously we’d take
whatever breaks we can to get to more people and perhaps make some
fans. In the meantime, though, we are happy having the band as a
three friends enjoying making the best noise we can and playing to
friends, other bands and their friends.
What
are main things in your life? Can you imagine that one day you’ll
stop playing music?
I
can’t imagine not making music, and I’m so pleased that Mac and
Del seem to be of the same ilk. The band is OUR time when the outside
world can be forgotten for a few hours -a -week in a splendid sea of
fuzz, oscillations and beats. We all enjoy playing live too. I’m
planning to get better on MOOG synth.
We
all have jobs which we hate but are necessary, and families that we
love. We have to fit the band time around these. I also love my
pets, a West Highland Terrier, Alfie, who loves his walks along our
local canal and two young kittens who are very funny to watch as they
play. Named from “The Munsters” TV show they are Lily and Herman.
Did you already find the label
for “In Peace”?
No.
It’s all DIY.
In which condition you did record
new songs?
We
recorded with Chris Gorman again in Glasgow. I now have a MOOG synth
from my late friend ,Gerry, whom I mentioned earlier. We put it to
good use in this album, especially on “Closer
Than Mars”. The
spoken word at start of “Nocturnal”
was purely spontaneous and weed fuelled. LOL The vocals were inspired
by Bowie’s
vocal delivery too at the time.
We
just overdubbed the lead, backing vocal and Moog takes. I had a go at
mastering the tracks myself as I know how they should sound. May not
be the most "loud" master but I think it sounds OK.
The album sounds pretty raw, was
it your intention or just an only option?
Our
sound is raw. Tube driven distorted guitar with the bass full up and
tuned to B, with a very gainy bass sound also in B tuning will do
that. There’s a
lot of dirty bottom and oscillation.
Well,
I bet that you know better how to make sound Aye-Aye as it used to
be, but really… you have some space / old school rock influences in
your songs, isn’t
it right to make it sound “clearer”?
It
is what it is, Alex. It’s just a wall of noise and fuzz with some
quiet bits and oscillation effects. I’m happy I can hear all the
parts, the vocal, the solos and, to me they all sit as they should in
the mix. With recording we like having a really full rhythm guitar
tone. I think in most of the songs recorded we use two or
occasionally three guitar tracks. Live we only have the one.
However,
I’ll see how the Smokescreen recording sounds soon and compare it
to the Aye-Aye recordings. I’ll go with my ears.
“In
Peace” is a blend of doom metal and space or sometimes stoner rock,
from where did your musical roots grow?
The guys and I are united in our
love for the classics (Sabbath, Dio, Hawkwind, Floyd etc.). We like a
good riff, an occasional solo and some melody. It has to make your
head nod and/or your foot tap.
We listen to stuff like Zoroaster,
High on Fire, Paradise Lost, Warrior Soul, Gojira, ASG, King Buffalo,
Prong, Voivod, OM and The Grand Astoria (cheers).
Mac played guitar in a band called
Evil Kinevil before Aye-aye. I saw them live and they blew me away. I
poached Mac when they disbanded.
Iain, how do you value your
progress on “In Peace” consider “Men Are Ugly”?
We put a song or two on “Men Are
Ugly” that we seldom play live now that we have the choice of the
“In Peace” songs for our set lists. I suppose that sums it up in
a sentence.
As I understand the lyrics of new
songs continue the idea of “Men Are Ugly” album, right?
More
songs about life as a lemur or a human. "Nocturnal" is
about the near extinction, due to human habitation, of animals that
have taken millions of years to evolve. "Procrastinated" is
about knowing that something is coming to a bad ultimatum but being
too caught up in life/ love/ addiction to be empowered to do anything
about it. “Red Dust Dog”
is about the loyalty of animals and is based on the story "Red
Dog" by Louis De Bernieres. "Space Goat" about wanting
to be high rather than put up with the humdrum of life. “Closer
Than Mars” is
about how capitalism is destroying our planet better than any
Martians could.
How was your world view formed? I
appreciate the themes you raise in your songs, but it sounds unusual
for doom / space bands?
I
read too much of the news and I’m
a cynical idealist. I also love the comedy of late Bill Hicks and the
current Steve Hughes.
I just hate the destruction,
oppression and corruption happening in the World at the expense of
our assets. By assets I mean human solidarity, the wild creatures and
their natural habitats, life supporting seas and fresh water, mature
trees and fertile soil.
I’ve
never met an animal I didn’t
like or admire to some extent. I despise people who do not show
respect for their fellow man and nature.
Don’t
you think that you could use the band as a platform for spreading
your views further more actively? Doom, stoner, rock in general looks
like some entertainment with all macabre tales or weed-inspired
fantasies as very rare outfits give some food for brains. Isn’t
it a problem when almost the whole musical genre turns in escapism
and show?
Maybe I just lack imagination.
No-one likes the vegetarian who shows a video of a playful calf or a
sad, scared cow at an abattoir while someone’s about to take a bite
of their steak. Instead of showing a video to someone in a restaurant
I sing about it. LOL
Okay,
Iain, that’s
all for today, I wish you to play great show on “Metal to the
Masses” and draw attention of Ozzy’s
producer (is it Sharon still?). Do you have few more words for our
readers?
Peace.
Words by Aleks Evdokimov and Iain Laing
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