FAR FROM JUST YOUR AVERAGE INDIE ACT, TESTTONE3 ARE ABLE TO SEAMLESSLY BLEND ROCK GUITARS AND SOARING VOCALS WITH HARD DANCE BEATS IN A WAY THAT HAS CAPTIVATED AUDIENCES ALL OVER THE NORTH. AFTER THEIR COMEBACK GIG IN LEEDS WE CATCH UP WITH ANDY P (BASS) FOR THE LOWDOWN ON THE BAND’S RETURN.
S] HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK?
“Awesome! The gig really defined what we’d been missing for the past year.”
S] WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR RETURN?
“The crowd! It was great to be accepted and see everyone really going for it, the vibe and energy in that little room at The Primrose was amazing.”
S] WHAT ARE THE GROUP’S INFLUENCES AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GET
TOGETHER IN THE FIRST PLACE, DID YOU SEE A GAP IN YORK AND LEEDS FOR YOUR BRAND OF ELECTRO-ROCK?
“The band’s formation was kind of a happy accident. As brothers, me and Rich (synths) had already written and played together in other bands and projects. Adam was a friend’s brother who came for a jamming session with us one weekend and the whole dance / rock crossover sound just evolved naturally from there – we didn’t have an agenda or specific sound in mind.”
S] OBVIOUSLY YOU ONLY GOT A FEW SONGS RECORDED ON YOUR DEBUT CD
‘FUELLED BY SUBSTANCE’ WHAT KIND OF THEMES AND IDEAS CAN WE EXPECT FROM NEW MATERIAL AND HOW WILL IT BE DIFFERENT FROM OLDER WORK?
“We’re trying to write songs which are catchy but clever, which not only rock out but also twist and turn to keep you interested. There’s a lot more time going into the writing and production – in the past, once we’d written a riff we’d pretty much stick to it, whereas now we’ll think of different ways to develop it using whatever tricks and tools we have. Consequently it’s taking longer to write each song but the results really speak for themselves.”
S] IT WAS VOCALIST ADAM G’S MANAGEMENT DEAL WITH THE JONES THAT CAUSED YOUR HIATUS THE FIRST TIME AROUND, IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING AGAIN?
“Well in this industry, anything is possible. It seemed so unreal that we were unable to continue the band that we all loved because a few words on paper had forbidden us from doing so – that feeling of helplessness was very frustrating. But it’s given us all a kick up the arse and made us realise that we really needed to raise our game – ironically, it may be one of the best things that’s happened to us yet!”
S] WHAT INSPIRED THE ORIGINAL THOUGHTS OF GETTING THE GROUP BACK
TOGETHER THIS YEAR?
“We were all totally gutted to have to fold the band a year ago, so the decision to reform the band given the opportunity was already made! It’s been a real challenge though – since getting back together it’s been one thing after another preventing us from progressing at the rate we’d like. Every time it seemed like we were getting somewhere, something would crop up and destroy the momentum we’d gained. At times it’s seemed almost impossible, like we’d never get back to where we were. But we’re very determined and now it’s all starting to fall into place – it’s a really great feeling!”
S] ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN TERMS OF YOUR PROLIFIC LIVE SHOW? ALSO, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2009?
“Our main plan is to take it to other cities. In the past I think that, like many bands, we were guilty of becoming too comfortable within our local scene to the point where it was actually holding us back. We love playing local gigs but there’s a whole world out there, it seems a bit daft to only play gigs on your own doorstep!”
S] FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW YOU, WHY SHOULD FANS OF INDUSTRIAL, ROCK AND ALTERNATIVE MUSIC NOT JUST IGNORE TESTTONE3?
“Because we ROCK! [laughs] …but also because we have a unique sound – I know it’s a cliché used by every band ever but I’ve been looking for similar bands across the country to organise gigs with and it’s proven very tricky to find bands who sound similar to us! So if anybody has any suggestions then please let us know!”
S] WHAT HAS BEEN THE DEFINING MOMENT FOR THE BAND THUS FAR?
“That’s a tough one because it feels like we’ve had a completely fresh start… but I quite like it that way. I’m happy for us to learn from our experiences, put the past behind us and concentrate on the future. We’re getting ready to make that big push which will take us to the next level, so hopefully you’ll be hearing a lot more from us soon!”
TESTTONE3 WILL PLAY A COUPLE OF SELECT NORTHERN DATES BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. THIS INCLUDES THE KHAOZ MEDIA LAUNCH NIGHT AT THE BASEMENT BAR IN YORK ON DEC 22. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE GROUP’S WEBSITE AND MYSPACE.
