1.Growing Up
My dad had never been allowed to play guitar and he ended up building them (as a hobby) instead. One night, when I was about nine, he just finished one and was trying it out. That was the moment I decided I had to learn to play guitar. Growing up in a town where there wasn’t much happening, it was such a great escape, listening and playing along to music to create something that is your own world. I haven’t stopped escaping since.
2.Inspirations
I was lucky enough to run into one of my favourite musicians, Josh Homme, by chance last year. I love the way he approaches music by writing and brilliantly producing songs that go wherever they need to go without falling into repetition. By far the biggest influence, however, are The Doors – both musically and lyrically. Their songs are poetic, weird, sometimes carnivalesque, dark… the L.A. Woman album especially is a masterpiece.
3.Your Band
I reckon bands are strange things – unstable, organic, uncertain. Everything has to come together somehow to form an entity that surpasses just being a bunch of people playing instruments. We’re an odd bunch as well; an Italian as the animal on the drums, a Greek-Australian on bass and an awkwardly-taller-than-the-other-two Dutchman on guitar and vocals.
4.The Music You Make
We describe it as “oddly timed stoner jazz rock with a dash of goth”. Which really is the only way to describe the mix of moods and styles we incorporate. To me, restricting yourself to one style is like slapping yourself in the face with a wet fish – it gets boring pretty quickly. Life isn’t that one-dimensional either. Of course it all has to flow and stick together somehow, but we’re not afraid to take it where it needs to go. Also, I can’t seem to write a happy song.
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
For a long while, apathy and lousy musicianship reigned. I think the mainstream is getting a little rockier, edgier now. That might be wishful thinking. There are some great venues that try to keep the live music scene going, though. Someone needs to invent a teleportation thingy so one can see more music on one night.
I is out now independently, and Magnus play at Frankie’s Pizza on Wednesday April 20.
