Getting to Know: UK Alt-Indie act, The Spase
In today’s Getting to Know, we meet The Spase, an alt-indie collective that likes to create music that goes beyond standard definitions. If you are in an up and coming band that would like to partake in a Getting to Know feature, contact editor@riffyou.com to receive the questionnaire and instructions. Thanks!
Band Name: The Spase
Band Members: Andy Forrest, Peter Walker, and Simon Morris
Years Active: 1
City of Origin: Widnes, UK.
Who are you and what do you do?
“The Spase features Andy, Peter and Simon. Other musicians have contributed to various songs, but the core remains the same. Initially all playing together in the Liverpool based 20while40, we have played sets with The Zutons and The Stands. After wanting to open different doors, the band members went their own ways, eventually leading to the formation of The Spase.”
In 100 words or less, tell us how your band has gotten to this point.
“We used to play a lot of gigs when we were younger, and now that we are older, we want to put our time and effort in to making albums. We started making this album a little over a year or so ago and got in to talks with Canadia Records about releasing it. From there, we’ve been trying to get as many people to listen to it and give us some feedback.”
What is your latest release and how would you best describe it to someone who hasn’t heard your band?
“Our debut album is called On a Cloud. We’ve never really gone out of the way to make a certain sound, only to make the individual songs as complete as possible. The songs on the album go through the band and each member adds their particular part to it. In a way, it’s similar to the way that light can be passed through a prism and split into its component parts. If you can imagine the same thing happening but in reverse – with the initial song idea/demo – each member imparts their own style and sound, and the prism of the band brings those sounds together into the song on the other side.”
When making an album, which aspect of the process do you put the most time into and why?
“We take our time over the production of the songs. Song writing and rehearsing can vary depending on the song, but production is where we try to match the initial vision of the song with what was in the head of whichever band member came up with it.”
What is the best part about your band and why?
“The best, and the worst, part of being in the band is the amount of time we spend together. Some of our best moments have been where we have all been cooking stuff up, but then that can quickly go the other way and explode if the ideas don’t gel and people feel strongly about them. On the whole, though, it is good.”
What makes your band unique from the rest?
“Everyone is unique anyway. We never set out to match up to a particular genre. Our genre is music!”
How does your band survive the challenges of touring/gigging?
“We play a few select gigs a year, as we still jobs outside of the band and it can be difficult to plan that far ahead for a gig and possibly let a venue down.”
Would you rather be critically-acclaimed; rich and famous; or an under-the-radar band with a dedicated fan base?
“We’d rather have recognition from our peers…those bands and individuals that have made it through hard work and determination, and can recognise those qualities within us, rather than journalists who perhaps would only pass comment on the flavour of the week.
“We’re quite lucky that we do have a dedicated fan base, who know us and like what we do. Not because of who we are, but because the songs connect with them and in turn, them with us.”
If you’d have to compare your band to another one out there, living or dead, who would it be and why?
“We’d have to leave it open for interpretation by those who listen to us, as some of the past comments have surprised us. A couple of people have said that one or two songs sound like The Cure, while others have said The La’s, Stone Roses, Brian Jones Town Massacre and U2.”
Which band/musician would you like to share many drinks with? What would you talk about?
“Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. Jimi because we’ like to know where he wanted to progress to with his music and how he saw himself developing in the future. We’d like to chat with Zappa because he walked that fine line between genius and madness. He was awesome.”
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