Both Sides of the Line are a five piece band from Dunedin. They have an exuberant, upbeat guitar-based sound with male and female harmonies. They answered the following questions for muzic.net.nz:
What inspired you to start Both Sides of the Line?
Songwriters, John and Glenda had so many songs composed and home-recorded, they thought it was time to get more people involved to play them and present them to an audience.
How did you come up with the name Both Sides of the Line?
Both Sides of the Line is a song title sung by rockabilly singer, Wanda Jackson. It encapsulates the dualities of the band – rock and pop; acoustic and electric; light and dark, old yet fresh, etc.
What can you never leave home without?
iPod; house keys, wallet.
What is the best gig you have ever performed at and why?
We played three gigs for the Rugby World Cup in September last year on the back of trucks to rugby fans walking to the games at the stadium. Some exuberant Argentinians climbed on board our truck, grabbed the mic and started rabble-rousing. We got paid enough to start recording our first EP which we have just launched this month. (Another “best” gig – our EP launch party!)
Who are your favourite NZ musicians and why?
The Eastern and The Harbour Union from Lyttleton -dynamic and hard-working; Delgirl for their onstage banter; Donna Dean for her thoughtful lyrics; Gin Wigmore for pure raunch from one so slight; Flight of the Conchords – if you aren’t laughing the music is still great.
and many more…
What can we expect to see from Both Sides of the Line over the next year?
More song-writing. More recording, either single tracks for bandcamp or a full CD. And more gigs – please ask us!
Both Sides of the Line formed in 2009 in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is a band with an eclectic mix of retro pop, rock, country, and rockabilly sounds combined to make their own original sound.
The name Both Sides of the Line comes from a song by Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, which along with country music, pop and jazz, has been a big influence on the song writing of Glenda and John. The band released their first EP, 5, in August, 2012. This was followed by a full-length album, Sideshow in 2013. Party Line! was released in 2016 and Dangerous! was released in September 2019