Today’s
piece is about a fantastic band called “Under A Banner”, and if you don’t know
who they are you outta be ashamed of yourself. Now click here to read all about them and their music…go on…I’ll wait until
you’re done before moving on.
Here’s the
discussion I had with Adam (vocals, guitar), everything you wanted to know, and
some you didn’t, but all in all it was awesome.
1. How
did the name “Under A Banner” come about?
I came up with the name Under A Banner over 10
years ago when I played solo under that name after leaving another band. I
wanted it to hint at a series of nameless causes and suggest music with
passion, meaning and worth.
2. What,
or who, is your inspiration?
We made our Twitter blurb '... and
lovers of everything worth anything.' Meaning that we take inspiration from all
corners. There are far too many bands to name as influences but, speaking personally:
The Cure, Joni Mitchell, New Model Army, Tool and many more. The other guys are
into metal, blues, alternative and, once again, many more.
3. Have
you ever thought about just taking the easy path in the music business and
letting a team or producers/writers make your music for you, while you danced
around like a bunch of trained monkeys in matching outfits?
No ; ) That kind of 'music' is for the young
and impressionable. I'd rather not, thanks.
4. You
guys have a very mellow and deep vibe about you, you get your message across
without yelling and/or ramming it down people’s throats like some other
bands/musicians do, you’re kind of like a grandpa…has anyone ever told you that
before?
Ha ha! We have some very strong opinions
about politics, culture and the less savory facets of humanity in general.
These will, I'm sure, surface in time. We only hint at them now as that's how
our songs have shaped themselves thus far. Things change.
5. What
bands, if any, would you like to collaborate and/or tour with in the future?
I've always wanted to work with a
string/orchestral ensemble of sorts, not necessarily a full philharmonic set
up. Japanese drummers would be fun to work with too.
6. You
guys don’t plan on dying of a drug overdose once you make it big; do you,
because we would all hate to see you go the way of Blind Melon and the many
other bands that took a similar path?
Well, life's for living. Our drugs of choice
include real ale, cider, red wine, coffee and cake. Not heroin!
7. Who
writes the music/lyrics?
I write the lyrics and the skeletons
of our songs. The band then takes these frameworks and fleshes them out.
8. What
are your feelings towards the music business today?
The music business (as far as I can discern) is
fraught with traps and blind alleys; there'll always be unscrupulous people all
too willing to exploitatively trade in others' dreams. Having said this,
there's still art to be made and new ways and places to make it. We're holding
out hope for something of a revolution.
9. Miley
Cyrus, out of control, or are the people just upset because she’s not the “Miley
Cyrus” character they’ve come to know from the Disney show?
In my opinion (having never met MC)
she seems no less balanced than anyone of her age of I've met. the whole thing
could just be a very successful publicity stunt. Perhaps...
10.
Speaking of Miley, would you twerk it with her like Robin Thicke did at the
VMAs, why or why not?
I don't think an appearance on the
same stage is the kind of image we're trying to portray. I'd twerk in the
Bodleian library though ; )
11. How
do you feel about people sharing your music online, are you okay with it, or
are you like Lars Ulrich (of Metallica) where you believe nothing in life is
free and if the people want to hear your tunes they need to pay a brother?
I think it's now too late to cram that particular
genie back in its bottle. Thus far, we've been grateful for the frequency with
which others have shared our music. The money seems to be in live performances
and merchandise; we're endeavoring to make those too as appealing as possible.
Our artist friend Susan Omand is doing a grand job with the art.
12. What
are some of the bands/musicians you listen to?
Between the 4 members of the band we listen to all
manner of alternative rock (The Cure , The Levellers, NMA, etc.) Tori Amos,
Joni Mitchell, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Seth Lakeman, Ambrozijn. stacks of great
metal (Slayer, Metallica, Trivium, Sabbath etc., lots of classic and
contemporary prog rock, lots of folk, quite a bit of classical, blues and
Status Quo ; )
13. How
bad would it feel to be a one hit wonder?
I wouldn't have a problem with being
a 'one hit wonder' providing the one 'hit' we'd had was honest and credible.
I'm incapable of writing something I can't love.
14. Would
you ever allow someone to remake one of your songs?
It would be an honor if someone
remade one of our songs - the quirkier the better!
15. Please
tell me you guys know better than to use pyrotechnics in a club; we don’t want
another Great White on our hands?
Smoke and lights are sufficient for us. I'd
love a shadow puppet show playing out the thematic scenes of some of our songs.
16. Underground
or mainstream, where would you like to see Under A Banner?
I've always thought that there's honor
in remaining largely underground but popping one's head above the parapet from
time to time just so folks don't forget the name.
17. Where
are you guys from?
We pride ourselves on all being west Midlands boys.
In my opinion our part of the UK hasn't raised a great alternative band for a
long time. Maybe it's time for that to change.
18. In
your music are women bitches or beauty queens?
The old maxim 'there's good and bad in everybody'
is true. Some of the people referred to in in negative terms our
lyrics are male, others female. How's that for tact.
19. What
message would you like people to take away from your music?
Our songs have many ‘messages’. Often there are
several conflicting messages within one song. We only hope that
people don't misinterpret any of these messages and see them as possessing
ill-intent. The intention isn't to preach but rather to present a series of
reactions and interpretations to the human, natural and supernatural worlds.
20. For
all your fans, like me, when can we expect to get some new music from you?
We have some free music to give away right now http://underabanner.bandcamp.com/ the third and final
installment is on its way within the week. These tracks were recorded from the sound
desk at a recent live show. We begin work on our second album on January 18th
and this should be available by Spring 2014.
Now that
you heard what the band had to say, go check them out and spread their name
around like fertilizer, because by doing so you will see the amazing flowers
that will grow as a result of it.
MJM