31 Dec 2024
Stylus - Stylus Interview
09 Oct 2004 // An interview by Epitomised_Drummer
Carl - What are your influences?
Dave - As a band we listen to so much different music its Scary! Aja lstens to Heavy shit, Paul listens to 80’s Pop and Rock, Matt listens to a lot of modern Rock/Metal and Hip Hop and I listen to more old school Rock bands and Hip Hop. Depending on my mood I’ll Put on Anything from Led Zep or Black Sabbath to Ozomatli or Jurassic 5. So I guess we are all influenced by different things which is why the music we write jumps styles so often.
Carl - What do you think you would be doing if you weren't in Stylus now?
Dave - I’d be in another band doing exactly the same thing I do in Stylus. Playing gigs, touring, recording etc. That’s all I know how to do.
Carl - How do you believe your band fits into the NZ music 'scene'?
Dave - It’s hard to know if Stylus fits in at all.
Carl - What can you never leave home without?
Dave - Some cds to listen to.
Carl - What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while playing on tour?
Dave - I remember when people first started singing along to our songs, the first time a large audience started singing along with Lessons I just about stopped playing from shock! It was awesome, now it happens all the time and I love it!
Carl - Where do you see yourselves in five years?
Dave – We are going to release as many albums as we can so in five years we should be just about to release a best of compilation. No seriously…um I guess if all goes well we’ll be touring the world playing our songs to as many people as we can.
Carl - What are your plans for the rest of this year?
Dave - As soon as we finish the our Aug/Sept tour we are going to lock ourselves into our studio and finish writing songs for our next album then we will start recording and hopefully have it out by the middle of next year. Oh and of course we will be playing some shows over summer.
Carl - What do you always take to your gigs?
Dave - Ear Plugs, Drum Sticks.
Carl - What advice would you like to give other budding musicians/bands?
Dave - I’ve been playing in bands since I was 14 and I’ve learned a hell of a lot about how bands work and how to tour and record and all that shit and I would have to say that every band does things differently and there is absolutely no point in giving advice to bands because they never listen any way!
Carl - Who else worked on your album with you?
Dave - We did all the engineering production ourselves. A few friends helped us out with extra bits and pieces. Steve Tofa from the Mercenaries sang on a few songs, he has an amazing voice, and Mathias from Pluto played Keys on a couple of tracks. Phil D raps on Have one for me.
Carl - What is in your CD collection at home?
Dave - I guess I have about 200 CDs at home, all sorts of things from 70s Rock (Led Zep, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, the Who etc), 70s Prog Rock (King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra), A lot of 90’s grunge (Soundgarden, Alice in chains, Brad etc) Also Massive attack, portished, tricky from that era. Hip Hop like Jurrasic 5, Blackalicious, BEP, De la soul through to N.E.R.D., Ludacris, 50cent. Modern rock/metal like Lost Prophets, Hedpe, Audioslave, Velvet Revolver……………I could go on for ever, oh and Motley crue, Guns’n’Roses…….
Carl - What is the best live gig you have ever been to?
Dave - Either Tool, or Jurassic 5…..or BEP at the regent, St James…….or….Black Crowes at the Mt Smart Supertop 1992ish?
Carl - Do you think that you will eventually move overseas to further your career?
Dave - Definately
Carl - What is your favourite place to be in NZ?
Dave - The South Island has been really good to Stylus this year, especially CHCH & Dunedin.
Carl - What is your strategy for surviving as a NZ band?
Dave - Do everything yourself for as little money as possible.
Carl - What inspired you to start a band?
Dave - I saw 80’s glam rock music videos with huge stages and pyro when I was a kid and I wanted it all! Maybe not the tight leather pants.
Carl - What were you doing before you made a name for yourself?
Dave - I was playing in a band.
Carl - What was the best event you performed at, and why?
Dave - There are lots, My favorites have been, Dunedin Town Hall with Alien Ant Farm. Auckland Town Hall with Blindspott and Powerstation with Steriogram. Oh and the first time we played at the Rocky Cola in CHCH.
Carl - How do you feel now that Painkillers has been released?
Dave - Like I’m ready to make another album.
Carl - If you had to be confined to one room for 6 months what CD would you take with you?
Dave - Eagles Greatest hits
Carl - How do you keep in contact with your fans?
Dave - Email list (Shameless plug) go to www.stylus.net.nz and click on join the mailing list at the top of the news page!
Carl - Do you prefer to play large stadium gigs or quiet intimate gigs?
Dave - I prefer smaller gigs where the people are nice and close…but not quiet!
Carl - Have you always wanted to be musicians?
Dave - Yes, except when I wanted to be a rally driver for 5 minutes
Carl - What rumour would you like to start about yourselves?
Dave - That Aja practices satanic rituals before and after each show to make sure that we go hard and play well. Oh and of course we all sold our souls long ago to the Devil.
Carl - What has got you to where you are today?
Dave - 50% luck / 50% Hard work
Carl - What's the strangest present you have ever received from a fan?
Dave - A kid at a school gave me a bracelet that she made that said Stylus. It was cool I wore it for months until it fell apart. Some one gave me a magic wand once.
Carl - If you were to retire, what would you do?
Dave - Start a band
Carl - How do you feel about people copying your style?
Dave - Good luck to them, maybe they’ll do something cool that we can copy later.
Carl - What will your next single release be?
Dave - Incredible. I’m not trying to be big headed, that’s the name of the song.
Carl - What is your secret to staying together?
Dave - Chocolate.
Carl - What are your influences? Dave - As a band we listen to so much different music its Scary! Aja lstens to Heavy shit, Paul listens to 80’s Pop and Rock, Matt listens to a lot of modern Rock/Metal and Hip Hop and I listen to more old school Rock bands and Hip Hop. Depending on my mood I’ll Put on Anything from Led Zep or Black Sabbath to Ozomatli or Jurassic 5. So I guess we are all influenced by different things which is why the music we write jumps styles so often.
Carl - What do you think you would be doing if you weren't in Stylus now?
Dave - I’d be in another band doing exactly the same thing I do in Stylus. Playing gigs, touring, recording etc. That’s all I know how to do.
Carl - How do you believe your band fits into the NZ music 'scene'?
Dave - It’s hard to know if Stylus fits in at all.
Carl - What can you never leave home without?
Dave - Some cds to listen to.
Carl - What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while playing on tour?
Dave - I remember when people first started singing along to our songs, the first time a large audience started singing along with Lessons I just about stopped playing from shock! It was awesome, now it happens all the time and I love it!
Carl - Where do you see yourselves in five years?
Dave – We are going to release as many albums as we can so in five years we should be just about to release a best of compilation. No seriously…um I guess if all goes well we’ll be touring the world playing our songs to as many people as we can.
Carl - What are your plans for the rest of this year?
Dave - As soon as we finish the our Aug/Sept tour we are going to lock ourselves into our studio and finish writing songs for our next album then we will start recording and hopefully have it out by the middle of next year. Oh and of course we will be playing some shows over summer.
Carl - What do you always take to your gigs?
Dave - Ear Plugs, Drum Sticks.
Carl - What advice would you like to give other budding musicians/bands?
Dave - I’ve been playing in bands since I was 14 and I’ve learned a hell of a lot about how bands work and how to tour and record and all that shit and I would have to say that every band does things differently and there is absolutely no point in giving advice to bands because they never listen any way!
Carl - Who else worked on your album with you?
Dave - We did all the engineering production ourselves. A few friends helped us out with extra bits and pieces. Steve Tofa from the Mercenaries sang on a few songs, he has an amazing voice, and Mathias from Pluto played Keys on a couple of tracks. Phil D raps on Have one for me.
Carl - What is in your CD collection at home?
Dave - I guess I have about 200 CDs at home, all sorts of things from 70s Rock (Led Zep, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, the Who etc), 70s Prog Rock (King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra), A lot of 90’s grunge (Soundgarden, Alice in chains, Brad etc) Also Massive attack, portished, tricky from that era. Hip Hop like Jurrasic 5, Blackalicious, BEP, De la soul through to N.E.R.D., Ludacris, 50cent. Modern rock/metal like Lost Prophets, Hedpe, Audioslave, Velvet Revolver……………I could go on for ever, oh and Motley crue, Guns’n’Roses…….
Carl - What is the best live gig you have ever been to?
Dave - Either Tool, or Jurassic 5…..or BEP at the regent, St James…….or….Black Crowes at the Mt Smart Supertop 1992ish?
Carl - Do you think that you will eventually move overseas to further your career?
Dave - Definately
Carl - What is your favourite place to be in NZ?
Dave - The South Island has been really good to Stylus this year, especially CHCH & Dunedin.
Carl - What is your strategy for surviving as a NZ band?
Dave - Do everything yourself for as little money as possible.
Carl - What inspired you to start a band?
Dave - I saw 80’s glam rock music videos with huge stages and pyro when I was a kid and I wanted it all! Maybe not the tight leather pants.
Carl - What were you doing before you made a name for yourself?
Dave - I was playing in a band.
Carl - What was the best event you performed at, and why?
Dave - There are lots, My favorites have been, Dunedin Town Hall with Alien Ant Farm. Auckland Town Hall with Blindspott and Powerstation with Steriogram. Oh and the first time we played at the Rocky Cola in CHCH.
Carl - How do you feel now that Painkillers has been released?
Dave - Like I’m ready to make another album.
Carl - If you had to be confined to one room for 6 months what CD would you take with you?
Dave - Eagles Greatest hits
Carl - How do you keep in contact with your fans?
Dave - Email list (Shameless plug) go to www.stylus.net.nz and click on join the mailing list at the top of the news page!
Carl - Do you prefer to play large stadium gigs or quiet intimate gigs?
Dave - I prefer smaller gigs where the people are nice and close…but not quiet!
Carl - Have you always wanted to be musicians?
Dave - Yes, except when I wanted to be a rally driver for 5 minutes
Carl - What rumour would you like to start about yourselves?
Dave - That Aja practices satanic rituals before and after each show to make sure that we go hard and play well. Oh and of course we all sold our souls long ago to the Devil.
Carl - What has got you to where you are today?
Dave - 50% luck / 50% Hard work
Carl - What's the strangest present you have ever received from a fan?
Dave - A kid at a school gave me a bracelet that she made that said Stylus. It was cool I wore it for months until it fell apart. Some one gave me a magic wand once.
Carl - If you were to retire, what would you do?
Dave - Start a band
Carl - How do you feel about people copying your style?
Dave - Good luck to them, maybe they’ll do something cool that we can copy later.
Carl - What will your next single release be?
Dave - Incredible. I’m not trying to be big headed, that’s the name of the song.
Carl - What is your secret to staying together?
Dave - Chocolate.
About Stylus
LAYING THE TRACKS
Gain Control was recorded in Auckland over 2005 and early 2006 at The Lab Studios and York St Studio, Auckland. It was mastered at Sydney’s 301 Studio in May 2006 with legendary mastering engineer Don Bartley. Gain Control was produced, engineered and mixed by award winning band members Paul Matthews (bass) and Dave Rhodes (drums) who have worked with many New Zealand artists including Blindspott, OpShop, Foamy Ed, Redline, Crumb and Tadpole.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Stylus
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