Thanks to James for answering these questions:
What can we expect to see from Agent over the next year?
More recording, gigs, video, an album, and one or two singles. There is a bit going on.
What advice would you like to give to other aspiring musicians?
Surround yourself with positive, creative, open-minded, and motivated people.
Who are your favourite NZ musicians/bands, and why?
Shihad because they are NZ rock legends, I Am Giant because of their great songs, Jayson Norris because he dominates an acoustic guitar like nobody else I know, old school Salmonella Dub because it reminds me of home, Shapeshifter because they kill every time I have seen them live.
What will Agent's next release be?
We are currently working on our next album which at this rate is looking like mid-2012 for release, hopefully before that! A new track 'Vondelpark' from the record will be up on www.muzic.net.nz and on our facebook (www.facebook.com/agentbandnz) very shortly.
How do you come up with your lyrics?
Life experiences good, bad, real and imagined.
Who would you most like to support live?
Tool, Muse, Karnivool, S.O.A.D, A7X.
What can you never leave home without?
I’m ashamed to say my phone.
How do you describe Agent's music?
Heavy rock with a progressive spin.
What is the best part of being a musician?
Creating something from nothing and also meeting some pretty cool people.
What is your favourite place in NZ to be?
On a black sand beach in the Naki relaxing for a day.
What inspired you to start Agent?
The compulsion to release energy and communicate through music.
What is the best gig you have ever performed at, and why?
We absolutely loved KOTJ festival in London. We were on the main stage and at the start of the evening it was looking like an average turn out but by the time we went back stage and got ready then came out to see the room was full for the Agent set it was pretty awesome to see we were starting to make a small dent in the UK.
How do you keep in contact with your fans?
Mainly via www.facebook.com/agentbandnz these days, hit us up and like! J
What rumour would you like to start about Agent?
One of our band members is dating Pippa Middleton and we regularly get on the piss with Lemmy from Motorhead.
Temples on Mars is a London based progressive rock band. Originally formed in New Zealand (NZ) under the name Agent, the band relocated to London in 2008. Featuring James Donaldson on vocals and guitar, Daz Carikas on bass, Gerald Gill on guitars, and Dean Gibb on drums, Temples on Mars produces accessible, progressive tinged, rock music.
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.