19 Dec 2024
Temples on Mars - Agent Newsletter Interview
22 Aug 2005 // An interview by Shade
Agent are perhaps one of the most well known New Plymouth bands. Watch for this 3-piece hardcore group in this years' Battle of the Bands!
Which NZ artist/band do you think will be a huge international success one day?
I'd have to say Chuganaut. They've definitely got what it takes. However NZ in general is really crap at nurturing/supporting it's wicked musical talent so it could go either way! It seems only mainstream or "safe" music gets any funding. I know so many fantastic musos/bands that give up because it gets too hard to give it 100% when no one gives a shit. This is a very sad state of affairs. Pardon the negative comments but home support is all part and parcel of becoming an international success.
What was the best Agent gig?
It is definitely a tie for the best. One was at Scotty's in Gisborne. The crowd just turned up and turned it on for us, and with a bit of free piss, a nice motel and great company it was a killer night! Next was a show we played at the Basement Bar in New Plymouth. Gigs had been pretty slow in town so we buggered off and did a north island tour and the last show of the tour was at the Basement Bar and we packed the place out. There was a huge crowd with a really positive vibe! That was when we realised we might be doing something worthwhile in some shape or form.
What is your most embarrassing concert moment?
Being really sick with a stomach bug from Christmas through to New Years last year and trying not to shit my pants or faint whilst playing on stage at a New Years Eve gig. Those high notes were really scary!
What are you planning on doing during 2005?
Well with what is left of 2005 we are releasing a video for our new single 'Hiatus', doing a bit of Battle of the Bands, play every weekend in a different town, going to the South Island to play some gigs (Dunedin and Christchurch), keep writing new material - basically more of the same but bigger and better.
How did you come up with the name Agent?
We wanted a one word name that described us quite well yet wasn't too obvious. The name Agent is used in the chemical sense, as an agent to create a reaction - which is what we wanted to do with our music.
What is in your CD collection at home?
I have a wide and varied collection. In my stereo at the moment I have Mudvayne, System of a down, Tool, and Slipknot. The rest of my collection comprises of old school stuff like metallica, anthrax, acdc, through to bands like Muse, radiohead, supergrass, prodigy, Incubus, Korn through to international like some bazook players, Khaled (Egyptian artist), global underground (compilation of international artists) I also like my NZ stuff I've got some outshine, chuganaut, viscera, horror story, 8 foot Sativa and then I've got the CD's that I won't admit to owning or don't know where they came from such as Oasis (huh?), The Titanic sound track (fuck knows), Black Eyed peas (What the?...)....So it goes on and on...I have a lot of music, and I love all sorts, people are really missing out when they exclusively listen to one genre.
Agent are perhaps one of the most well known New Plymouth bands. Watch for this 3-piece hardcore group in this years' Battle of the Bands!Which NZ artist/band do you think will be a huge international success one day?
I'd have to say Chuganaut. They've definitely got what it takes. However NZ in general is really crap at nurturing/supporting it's wicked musical talent so it could go either way! It seems only mainstream or "safe" music gets any funding. I know so many fantastic musos/bands that give up because it gets too hard to give it 100% when no one gives a shit. This is a very sad state of affairs. Pardon the negative comments but home support is all part and parcel of becoming an international success.
What was the best Agent gig?
It is definitely a tie for the best. One was at Scotty's in Gisborne. The crowd just turned up and turned it on for us, and with a bit of free piss, a nice motel and great company it was a killer night! Next was a show we played at the Basement Bar in New Plymouth. Gigs had been pretty slow in town so we buggered off and did a north island tour and the last show of the tour was at the Basement Bar and we packed the place out. There was a huge crowd with a really positive vibe! That was when we realised we might be doing something worthwhile in some shape or form.
What is your most embarrassing concert moment?
Being really sick with a stomach bug from Christmas through to New Years last year and trying not to shit my pants or faint whilst playing on stage at a New Years Eve gig. Those high notes were really scary!
What are you planning on doing during 2005?
Well with what is left of 2005 we are releasing a video for our new single 'Hiatus', doing a bit of Battle of the Bands, play every weekend in a different town, going to the South Island to play some gigs (Dunedin and Christchurch), keep writing new material - basically more of the same but bigger and better.
How did you come up with the name Agent?
We wanted a one word name that described us quite well yet wasn't too obvious. The name Agent is used in the chemical sense, as an agent to create a reaction - which is what we wanted to do with our music.
What is in your CD collection at home?
I have a wide and varied collection. In my stereo at the moment I have Mudvayne, System of a down, Tool, and Slipknot. The rest of my collection comprises of old school stuff like metallica, anthrax, acdc, through to bands like Muse, radiohead, supergrass, prodigy, Incubus, Korn through to international like some bazook players, Khaled (Egyptian artist), global underground (compilation of international artists) I also like my NZ stuff I've got some outshine, chuganaut, viscera, horror story, 8 foot Sativa and then I've got the CD's that I won't admit to owning or don't know where they came from such as Oasis (huh?), The Titanic sound track (fuck knows), Black Eyed peas (What the?...)....So it goes on and on...I have a lot of music, and I love all sorts, people are really missing out when they exclusively listen to one genre.
About Temples on Mars
To date, Temples on Mars have headlined their own NZ tours and UK shows, featured at UK Rock festivals, released two EP’s, plus two full length albums: Expand/Contract which was given 5/5 stars by NZ’s leading music magazine Rip It Up and NZ Musician magazine, making a name for them in their native NZ, and their second album Kingdom of Fear, which created a buzz in the prog-rock scene in the UK and Europe earning the band a 2014 UK progressive music award nomination.
After relocating to London, Temples on Mars quickly became regulars on the live music scene and have shared the stage with numerous UK bands including Skindred, Devil Sold His Soul, Black Peaks, InMe and I Am Giant to name a few. Temples on Mars subsequently teamed up with long time friend and producer Paul Matthews of I Am Giant fame (whose production credits also include OpShop, Blindspott, Stylus and Six60). With Matthews, Temples on Mars began work on their second full length album Kingdom of Fear which was released world wide in December 2013. Kingdom of Fear was mastered by Tom Coyne (Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, I Am Giant) of Sterling Sound in New York.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Temples on Mars
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