Stereoboard Talk About New Beginnings And New Album 'Astraea' With Rolo Tomassi (Interview)
Thursday, 08 November 2012
Written by Ben Bland
With Rolo Tomassi’s new album 'Astraea' wowing everyone who listens to it (read Stereoboard's review here), Stereoboard took the opportunity to sit down with Eva and James Spence, the band’s dual vocalists, to discuss the new release.
Well, thanks for taking the time to talk to me... I have to say that 'Astraea' really blew me away a little bit when I first got a chance to listen to it a couple of weeks ago. I mean, the last records were great but this seems like a bit of a step up. What was different about the development process this time around?
James Spence (Keys / Vocals): Obviously we have two new members who have joined the band and changed the way we do things. We were doing the record living in different locations, which necessitated a lot of live demo work whenever we were together. That was something we’d never done before. In the past there was more just a presentation of ideas, and thus there was less room to change parts, to develop things further with each of us seeing new directions for the songs. The ideas were just much better rounded because everyone had a chance to digest the ideas and then contribute.
Were you concerned how the dynamic was going to work with the new members coming in?
James: A little bit at first. I mean we played with the two people who were in the band before for seven years so it was an initial concern but we knew we wanted to carry on doing this. The fact that both Nathan and Chris said yes so quickly, and that they were people we knew both as friends and musicians, was a big help. They knew what we were about and what we wanted to. At first they were maybe a little reluctant to get involved in the ideas process but as it turned out they contributed tons of ideas.
There’s a slightly meatier, chunkier sound to the heaviest bits of this record, alongside an increased accessibility too though I think. Was that something you were very much going for when in the studio?
Eva Spence (Vocals): In a way I’d say so, yes...not accessible in a commercial sense but in that it reflects a lot more of the music we listen to now, which maybe isn’t always as obtuse as some of the stuff our music has reflected in the past. The heavier bits being heavier came a lot from not having toured as much I think. The energy from playing live went into the writing more.
James: I agree entirely. I think the more experimental sound of “Cosmology” came from touring the first record so hard, and maybe wanting to get away from that a bit. Certainly, six months is a long time to take off touring for us. Having to spend time behind bars instead of on stage gives rise to a lot of pent-up aggression which I think has definitely come out on this record. The bigger melodic parts also increase the contrast, making it starker than ever. I think everything has more impact as a result. We wanted to explore grander parts to the music as much as anything, rather than getting into a technical free for all which is really hard to play live. As much as anything I want to listen to our albums and enjoy them too, not listen back and think how much of a headfuck they sound!
Some people, of course, find the idea of a band that includes elements from numerous different styles, like you guys, very exciting. Others just can’t get their heads around it, and because of that I can’t help but be surprised how many festival slots you get, how much press coverage...
James: It’s a mystery to us as well!
Eva: We’re absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of coverage we get I think! We’re so lucky that we sound the way we do in a way because we fit in a lot of brackets a little bit without being confined to one demographic.
What is it about utilising a broad set of stylistic influences that still appeals to you?
James: I think it’s just a love of the music we listen to, and wanting to reflect that in Rolo Tomassi. If we were just playing one style I think I’d have got bored of it as well. We never set out to flip between styles, it feels very natural. We never want to be awkward for the sake of being awkward, we just sound how we do because we do…I can’t really say anything more than that to be honest….
The album is called 'Astraea' which, I believe, is the name of the daughter of Zeus. Any particular reason why that album title got chosen?
Eva: Well, we’ve always been interested in mythological and constellational themes. We have always had themes in our song titles and within the songs themselves, and I think we wanted to keep an element of that on this album.
James: Definitely, yes. I really like the grandiose connotations of it, and we were looking for something with that kind of aura to it…so when 'Astraea' came up as a possibility we were set on it really. It just fitted really well with everything...even stuff we had done before the album like the 'Old Mystics' single. I read somewhere that Astraea had left the earth because she had been disgusted with the way people were treating each other, and it was prophesised she would return at the turn of the next golden age. 'Old Mystics' even references a “golden age” in its lyrics, and that was before we knew anything about her!
Eva: We were struggling for a name for a really long time but then when we found 'Astraea' we knew it had to be that...
James: We wanted to continue the one word title thing too.
Eva: Definitely. We also had the song 'The Scales of Balance' ready for the record, and then we found out that 'Astraea' was associated with justice and purity as well. She would use the scales of balance for judgement...
James: On her ascent from earth she left behind the scales to become the constellation Libra, and she became the constellation Virgo. It’s all fascinating stuff really!
That’s definitely the most in-depth answer I’ve had to an album title question...
James: Well that’s the thing man, you can have all these clever titles and stuff if you want but if there’s nothing to back them up it’s all a bit pointless isn’t it?
Eva: Every aspect of this record has been as thoughtful as possible. It’s been the most thoughtful that we’ve done definitely. Everyone has put so much into it.
James: It’s not actually a concept album...but it’s as close to one as we are ever likely to get I suppose. Everything interrelates to everything else.
Eva: I definitely think I’ve got more into that side of things than ever before. A lot of the time in the past, our song titles were in-jokes...
James: ...or references to “Peep Show”!
I guess I’ll leave you with a different sort of question. You guys have obviously been doing this a while now. Longer, in fact, than a lot of more ‘difficult’ bands ever get to sadly. What have been the highs and lows of the Rolo Tomassi journey for you so far?
James: I think the low was definitely last year when there were maybe some question marks over the future... but then that has made the high of finishing this new record and having Chris and Nathan integrate into the band all the sweeter I think. The fact people are still interested in what we do, with music being such a saturated thing, despite the fact that we disappeared for a little while, is amazing. This is definitely a bit of a restart but it’s going well I think.
Eva: I agree, totally. We’ve been very lucky to be able to fall back into this after such a long time out. It feels like a new band, a new lease of life if you will. There’s a new excitement in everything we’re doing. It’s great!
'Astraea' is out now via Destination Moon. Read Stereoboard's review here.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
Well, thanks for taking the time to talk to me... I have to say that 'Astraea' really blew me away a little bit when I first got a chance to listen to it a couple of weeks ago. I mean, the last records were great but this seems like a bit of a step up. What was different about the development process this time around?
