quinta-feira, 18 de junho de 2015

In a Hole with Sun Mahshene - An Interview


Uma preciosa indicação do amigo François Sky chamada Sun Mahshene, comandada por Nathan Henderson, que cria toda a concepção psicodelica ruidosa e viajante e conta em suas apresentações ao vivo com uma verdadeira legião de grandes músicos.

O último Ep, On Blood lançado no início deste ano é um verdadeiro caldeirão de nuances psicodelicas distorcidas, com conexões a tudo de melhor que foi feita nos últimos anos de bons sons no universo.

Se você não conhece o Sun Mahshene não perca mais tempo, vá direto se embriagar sonoramente com esse elixir.

***** Interview with Sun Mahshene *****


Q. When did Sun Mahshene start, tell us about the history...
I started the project just over a year ago. It was born out of the frustration of being in bands which were run as “democracies”. I’ve always had a clear vision of what I want in a song and where to take it and with the band democracy thing it has been largely counterproductive as too many opinions tend to ruin an idea leading to frustration and very little output. Or as a friend of mine put it, too many chefs spoiling the broth. So I decided to go my own way with things. I wanted to create something which could be dynamic and exciting but with a clear vision and direction. It’s been a great way to meet cool people and work with a lot of like-minded musicians. I’ve also brought some close friends on board who are helping to make this a great live experience. The most recent collaboration was with Francois Sky and Gary Hughes & Laura O’Brien from Rise of the Echo Drone/Helicon. We’re working on a collaboration ep call Sun, Sky and Echoes. It’s a 3 part ep with the first song ‘For Tomorrow’ available to listen to on Youtube. Earlier in the year we released an ep called Coming Home to You which features a collaboration with Lydia Des Dolles from DAAG HUR. That was a lot of fun to record. Maybe I’m being biased but it sounds great.

Q: Who are your influences?
Being a teenager during the nineties the Britpop explosion was probably the most influential scene in shaping my musical interests. So my biggest influences would be Oasis, The Verve, Pulp, Blur, The Stone Roses, Kula Shaker, Radiohead, Ride, Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, Primal Scream and many many more. Although some of the bands mentioned were out slightly before this era. But they all ended up being intertwined during the mid-nineties. What a great time eh? Post Britpop, it was BRMC who opened my eyes to this other side of rock n roll which I hadn’t been exposed to. But once I was I grabbed it with both hands. It was through them I discovered bands like Asteroid #4, A Place to Bury Strangers and The Jesus and Mary Chain. A friend of mine at the time recommended I watch the documentary Dig. Needless to say my mind was blown after watching it. The Brian Jonestown Massacre were probably one of the biggest revelations for me. There are many other influences but the bands mentioned give you an overall picture of what floats my boat.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
That’s a tough question as there are so many I love but if I have to choose…

1. Definitely Maybe – Oasis
2. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
3. The La’s – The La’s
4. These Flowers are Ours – The Asteroid #4
5. Heartworm – Whipping Boy

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Playing live is every bands bread and butter and it’s something we live for. I’ve played with the guys that are there now in various other bands over the years so we know each other well and we vibe off each other. Sun Mahshene hasn’t gigged as of yet but rehearsals are due to start later this month with a view of running our first few gigs later this year to give people a taste of what we’re about.



Q. How would you describe Sun Mahshene’s sound?
This is a tough question. I would say that if you were to take Oasis, The Jesus and Mary Chain, A Place to Bury Strangers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and elements of Shoegaze and mix them all together you would get our sound. It’s quite a mix.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording your songs?
I have a small recording studio set up so most things come out of jamming ideas. It’s all about the music first and the vocals and lyrics come afterwards. Whatever is captured in the initial recordings we listen back to and then try and fine tune the structures. Once this is done, vocal melodies and lyrics are worked on and then layered on the song afterwards.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
New bands I would recommend checking out are:
This Other Kingdom: https://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Other-Kingdom/123658440997718 Late City Edition: https://www.facebook.com/LateCityEdition
The Subterranean Satellite Band: https://www.facebook.com/thesubterraneansatelliteband

Q: Which band would you love to do a cover version of?
Hmmm, that’s a good question. I’m not really a fan of doing covers but if we were to do one I guess it would be something by The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Q: What are the plans for future....
Right now we are demoing songs for an album which we hope to record early next year and release closer to the summer of 2016. For the more immediate future we are putting together a live show to begin gigging later this year.

Q: Any parting words?
I’d like to say a big thank you to all who have supported us so far and who have listened too and downloaded our music. It’s hugely appreciated!
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Thanks

https://sunmahshene.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sun-Mahshene