T W E L F T H
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N E V E R
[ O T H E R - I N T E R V I E W S ]
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T W E L F T H O F N E V E R |
By Gordon Taylor of Infectious Unease Radio
I first came across
Twelfth Of Never when I received there beautiful Debut Cd "Blowing Bubbles through
Broken Windows" I fell in love with there sound it took me into a world of mystery
and dream like states. Their music and lyrics gave such listening pleasure.
Twelfth Never are wonderful talent band that have something special to offer.
I discover more about them in this interview. I now give you Twelfth Of Never
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Band
Members:
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Bandīs
pic
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Robin Tinker (vocals, recorder)
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Bands
Discography:
"Blowing Bubbles Through Broken Windows" (8 song
CD -1999)
2 song promo demo cassette - (Halloween 1999 - NLA)
Bands
Web Page:
www.twelfthofnever.com
Bands
email Address:
info@twelfthofnever.com
Bands
Snail Mail Address:
PO Box 7327 Fitchburg, MA 01420
Interviewer:
Gordon Taylor of Infectious Unease Radio
Gordon@infectiousunease.com
Interviewee:
Robin, Ron, Keith, and Matthew. Answers transcribed by
Matthew.
Date:
November 12, 2000
Matt: I
started off wanting to be a drummer in 1987 or so...I made drum sets made out
of plastic bowls and such. Then my mother got me a low-cost portable Keyboard...from
then on until around 1994, I got various instruments and learned how to play
them all and started recording on a 4-track tape recorder. Keyboards have been
my main focus since 1994.
What previous bands have you all been involved in? What
styles of music did you play in these bands?
Ron: The
first serious band I was in was Scattered Remnants which was a death metal band
I was involved with them for about five years.
Matt: I
was in a few minor bands that never got out of the basement from 1988 up to
around 1992. Then I had a death metal recording project called Blackened Chapel
which made the transition to a full band in 1992 until 1994. After that I had
several solo recording projects and then Twelfth of Never in 1997.
Robin I understand
you where involved in chorus groups what song did you first perform solo?
Robin: Well, I did one of the tunes from
"Godspell" in elementary school when we performed it.
Robin do you have a particular vocalist or style of singing that you admire.
Robin: Jarboe.
Robin you are involved
in New Blood Productions. How did you become a part of New Blood Productions?
What sort of films do you produce? What was one of the first films you produced
and are there any particular film producer you admire.
Robin: In college I literally bumped
into Andy Sawyer of New Blood Productions. After that he asked me if I wanted
to be in one of his movies. With New Blood Productions and Hour of the Wolf,
we produce everything from horror to drama to comedy. The first film I was involved
with was Dumb Fiction. I don't know if I admire any particular producers but
there are lots of directors I admire, such as Roman Polanski, Dario Argento,
and David Lynch.
Robin you are publishing
a collection of sarcastic little nursery rhymes, which have the themes of candy,
dead people, and bugs. Who will you be publishing the book with? What was it
that inspired you to write about these particular subject matters?
Robin:
Due to becoming more involved with other projects, that
project is currently on hold. The poems just popped out of their own accord.
Matthew I was reading
a review that you are a photographer of cemetery statuary. What sort of equipment
do you use? What Cemeteries have you captured the images of? Is there a particular
cemetery you have really enjoyed taking photos of? What do you look for when
taking photos?
Matt: I use a Fuji Discovery 290 camera
and 400 speed Kodak film. I've photographed various cemeteries around New England
but my favorite is Mt. Auburn cemetery near Boston Massachusetts. I usually
try to set up my shots to include a lot of different subjects in the frame to
have a good sense of perspective and depth. I have a particular fondness for
old weathered statuary.
Mathew you have studio
called Loony Bin what made you decide on that name?
Matt: The Loony Bin is essentially my
bedroom/living room and Nightmare Before christmas merchandise gallery in the
house in which I live. I decided to call it the Loony Bin because it has a history
of varying degrees of dementia and drama.
Matthew what form
of Martial arts do you practice?
Matt: Well, I was formally trained in
Kempo and Kung Fu quite a few years ago. I now casually practice a combination
of various styles such as Kung Fu, Kendo, Ninjustsu, and Judo.
Matthew you have produced
the album Blowing Bubbles Through Broken Windows. Is producing something you
would like to get more involved in?
Matt: I'd been producing my own demo
projects since 1992, learning and progressing along the way. I would really
like to get into a real studio and start doing it professionally.
Mathew what songs
do enjoy by Faith and the muse?
Matt: Definitely "Annwyn, Beneath the
Waves", "All Lovers Lost", "Fade and Remain"....I generally enjoy all of their
music.
Keith and Ron Is there
a particular Guitarist that you admire.
Keith: Thurston Moore, Paul Barker...
Ron: Michael Hedges.
Keith what are your
favourite songs by Laibach, Sameal. Radio Head.
Keith: For Radio Head, the entire
OK Computer album. I like Laibach's Beatles cover album.
What instruments and
equipment do you all use when producing and performing your music?
Keith: I use an Ibanez Sabre 6 string
electric guitar, a Washburn acoustic 6 string, and a 12-string acoustic. Mesa
50/50 power amp with Mesa 4x12 cabs, a BBE 462 sonic maximizer, and an Alesis
EQ.
Ron: a Washburn xp-600 6-string bass
guitar, a Hartke 7000 bass head and a Crate 215 cab, a BBE 462 sonic maximizer,
and a compressor/limiter.
Robin: an AKG mic which I don't like,
a Yamaha recorder, and an Alesis Nanoverb.
Matthew: My set-up for Twelfth of Never
consists of a Korg N1 synth, a Roland MC-50mkii sequencer, Korg x5d-r and Boss
Dr-5 sound modules, an Akai s2000 sampler, Roland xp-30 synth, a Behringer mx1602
mixer, an Alesis Nanoverb, a Shure sm58 microphone, and most recently a hammered
dulcimer.
I understand Twelfth
of the Never is looking for a drummer have you had any successful applicants?
Robin: We have had no applicants...yet.
What creative process
do you go through when composing your music?
Ron: It usually starts off with one person
coming in with a riff or musical passage and we build off of it from there.
You have beautiful
songs that express emotion, what inspires you to write such lyrics for the music?
Robin: I listen to the instrumentation
which puts me into a particular mood. Then I allow that mood or emotion to sweep
me along with it, and the lyrics just seem to blurp out.
The song "I
shall not care" You have used a sample from the movie of Wuthering
Heights (the Juliette Binoche/Ralph Fiennes version.) What was it that you
enjoyed about the film / book of Wuthering heights?
Robin: It was utterly emotionally
devastating. I can't even read the book anymore because I don't want to cry.
You have adapted lyrics from a poem by Sara Teasdale. Could you tell
me about the poet and how you came across her?
Robin: I first read that poem when I
was a junior in high school.... I was alone sitting in a room and I opened a
book exactly to that poem and I've loved it since. In reading other poems by
Sara Teasdale, found she was an extremely smart and haunted woman. Her writings
can be very upsetting.
Ron you wrote the
song "Union" what was the inspiration behind this song?
Ron: It was after my former girlfriend
of eight years and I broke up. Basically the song is about feeling that you
have some control and direction in your life when you have a relationship, but
when the relationship ends, you're at a loss. Then you're looking for someone
to help get you out of that state you're in.
What was the inspiration
behind the songs "To Lure The Swans And Flies" "Theanna" "Parade OF Bodies"
"Your Shroud Of Turin"?
Robin: "Lure" is about my
ex-boyfriend...it is about how you compromise your goals in life when you get
involved in a relationship. The swans and flies are the potential people you
attract to yourself. "Theanna" is about an old man trying in vane trying
to keep his younger lover by his side. "Parade" is when you're people-watching
at a club.
Ron: "Shroud" is basically
about asking or expecting too much of people sometimes and not being able to
return the favor.
In the song "Parade of Bodies" there is spoken word could you
tell me more about the production behind this composition,
Matthew: We have samples in the song
from an episode of the Twilight Zone titled "Five Strangers in Search of
an Exit". I thought the particular samples fit well with the lyrical content
of the song.
Are you influenced by books or movies or plays?
All: Yes...very much so - mostly movies
and a few select writings.
When you get the time
what music do you all enjoy listening to?
Keith: I've been listening to a lot of
Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Funker Vogt, Kovenent, Covenant, and
miscellaneous techno and industrial.
Ron: October/November Project, Katatonia,
Slowdive, Sopor Aeturnus, and To Die For.
Robin: lot of early Cure, The Chameleons,
and a lot of Motown.
Matthew:
I've only been listening to music in my car lately because my home
stereo is currently broken... a couple compilations, Gary Numan, the
Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.
Your music has many
styles of sound. To people who may not of heard Twelfth of the Never
how would of you describe your sound to them.
Matt: Our style of music is just like
the title of our CD Blowing bubbles through broken windows. Soft, yet abrasive,
like bits of broken glass shards along with beautiful floating bubbles. That's
actually how the title of the album came to be. That's the best way to explain
it.
I get the feeling Loony Bin studio is in a beautiful part of Fitchburg
Massachusetts. Are all you close to the environment?
Matt: Well, the Loony Bin studio is technically
in Baldwinville, Massachusetts which is a very small town in the middle of the
wilderness. As for being close to the environment, Keith is more into to technological
pursuits, Ron raked his lawn recently, Robin lives next to a swamp, and I am
part wood-elf.
What is the subculture
like in Massachusetts?
Matt: Well....it's kind of in a slump
right now...it has become a little stagnant. People seem to be more interested
in dancing to top-40 Goth hits than going out to see/hear new bands these days.
But the club scene is good - there are a couple of decent Goth/industrial type
clubs in the Boston area, most prominently Man Ray. However, Northampton
seems to be on the subcultural map these days.
How has the response
been for "Blowing Bubbles through Broken Windows?
Matt: The general majority of people
that have heard it really like it. Word of the band is slowly spreading all
over the world...the CD is being played on the air in several countries such
as Romania and Japan.
How long did it take
to produce "Blowing Bubbles Through Broken Windows"?
Robin: We wrote the songs over a period
of about two years and we recorded for about two months.
I was impressed with
the album's artwork and also the artwork for the webpage. Who designed the artwork
for both and what Mediums and Methods were used to produce the work?
Robin and Matt: Mr. Jay Hendershaw,
former vocalist of Scattered Remnants and current employee of CDR Interactive
designed the website and album layout, mush of which was done using Adobe Photoshop.
The statue photographs on the album cover are by Matthew...the photographs of
the band on the site are by Babble and Jim Hutchinson.
The photos of twelfth
of never have been taken in very beautiful environments. Some of the photos
have been taken in the snow and others taken on the coast. At what locations
have they been taken?
Robin and Matt: They were all at locations
in Massachusetts. Such as Marshall apple farm in Fitchburg, a little red school
house in Leominster, Mt. Auburn cemetery...and the shots at the ocean were at
Coolidge Reservation in Gloucester, MA.
Where have you toured, are you planning any up and coming tours?
Keith and Robin: We've only played selective
dates in the New England area.
What gigs did you
enjoy the most and what was the audience response?
Robin: I really liked a show we
did at the Java Hut in Worcester MA. I really liked the atmosphere of
the place.
Ron: The Tune Inn in Connecticut
because it was our first show away from our immediate area and most of the audience
didn't know us yet.
Keith: I also liked the Tune Inn.
Matthew: I really liked the gig at the
Wallace planetarium in Fitchburg MA...it was just a great place to play
and the atmosphere was unique.
Have there been any gigs in which you have not so much enjoyed?
All: Our last show at the Above Club
in Worcester MA, at which the owner/sound man at the club cut us off in the
middle of our set so he could go home and drink.
Is there anything
special incorporated within your performances?
Matt: At every show we do, we have samples
from a selected movie play in between songs. The Shining was the first...followed
by such films as The Lost Boys, Amadeus, Labyrinth, and many more. We
usually also try to fill the stage with candles.
When you have a performance
what goes through your mind when you are on the stage. What is it that you feel?
What sort of emotions do you go through when the eyes of the audience are on
you?
Ron and Robin: For all of us, we tend
to be start off a bit nervous and are usually praying that we don't make mistakes
or forget the songs.
Matthew: Personally, after
I'm comfortable with where I am and what I'm doing, I eventually start looking
out at the crowd and gathering the collective energy there - it definitely helps
a lot. It's always a major thrill to see people dance to our music while were
playing it.
In which countries
do you receive the most response from?
All: Romania!
What are your future
plans?
All: Keep composing...try to generate
some label interest...play in other parts of the country and the world.
Is there
anything you would like to say to the readers out there?
All: Thank you for your support. We appreciate
all the positive feedback from our fans.
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Interview by... Gordon Taylor Gordon@infectiousunease.com Infectious Unease Radio http://infectiousunease.com/ Tuesdays 11pm to 1am 96.5 INNER FM P.O. Box 554 Heidelberg VIC 3084, Australia |
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