Music Interviews

Where are you currently based?

I am living/working in Melbourne, whereas Thijs has moved back to Utrecht in the Netherlands! 

How did you first start playing music?

My dad plays guitar, and so I had always taken an interest in watching him play music when I was a child. I think when my friends started playing guitar in about year 7 or 8 (Age 13-14?) that really motivated me to pick it up and try to play though! At one point I started learning from a book to read proper music notation etc, but then guitar tabs appeared that let me learn to play ‘Scar Tissue’ from RHCP, and then I was done with learning properly! Sort of regrettable in hindsight not to learn more music theory, but once I could play the songs I loved I just couldn’t be bothered learning the ‘proper’ way. I do often think that my lack of formal musical knowledge allows me to think outside the box a bit though in terms of song writing, without being bounded by what ‘should’ follow a certain chord etc. But it also limits me, which is why working with a classically trained musician (Thijs) worked so well for our songs, I could have the crazy idea, and then he would be able to add really clever additions to the chords/progressions to tie it all together! ☺ 

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

I have been super busy with my work in science and also promoting our album! My Covid experience has been very fortunate compared to a lot of people, as I have maintained my employment throughout the entire lockdown in Melbourne. I was able to work from home for many weeks and then get back into the lab occasionally as well because medical research is an essential service. Although working from home was great for a while, I think being able to go back into the workplace was really good for me, and I feel very lucky for it. It was tough not being able to see my parents for around 6 months, as they were outside the ‘ring of steel’, but we have seen each other again now and it was just awesome to get back and say G’day! ☺ 

Your new album ‘Yours to Lend’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

There are a huge amount of different influences on this album, as is demonstrated by the range of different sounds within the 10 tracks. The sounds on our album range through rock music like ‘Storm’ to piano ballads like ‘Dork’ and acoustic guitar/harmonica sounds like ‘Rory’. The influences behind all those sounds are so varied it’s hard to describe, but I guess for me personally, my strongest influences are probably as follows: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus (I love the percussive vocal lines in both of these bands, and I often try to include percussive vocal sections in our songs), Ben Harper, Neil Young, and basically anything that makes me feel emotions! I think I can speak on Thijs’s behalf to say his largest influence as a pianist/keyboard player is definitely Supertramp.

How did you go about writing the music?

For 9 out of the 10 tracks I had lyrics/chord structures written already in an acoustic form, and I would bring these ideas in to work with me where we would find a quiet room and start putting piano lines to them. But as the songs developed the piano would quickly become the driving force behind the songs, and I would then really reduce the amount of guitar I was playing to a minimal amount to leave room for Thijs’s beautiful piano lines ☺ As a guitarist who has played in guitar heavy punk/rock bands before, it was a really fun experience actually to play in a very minimalistic way, just trying to compliment the piano and vocals. For the song ‘Storm’ our roles were switched…Thijs came in with the whole chord structure on piano and initial lyrics, and we jammed to it, I added some guitar and played around with the lyrics/vocal style until we had what you hear on the album ☺ 

Where and when did you record/produce?

We recorded the whole album with Steve Vertigan at Soggy Dog Recording Studios in Upwey. I have worked with Steve before on some other recordings and I knew he has a great ear for mixing, and vast musical knowledge to draw from during the recording process. The bulk of the recording was done across 2 days in March 2019, where the session musicians Jason Vorherr and Peter Maslen were present to record the bass and drums. Once the ‘skeleton’ of the tracks were down, we raced to get Thijs’s piano/harmonica and backing vocals down before he had to leave for the Netherlands in about May! After that, I basically went back into the studio once a month or so to add in my parts and work on the mixing with Steve. I also had around 7 weeks overseas in the middle of 2019 where I could listen back to the mixes and come back with fresh ears. The final mixes were sent off for mastering with Ross Cockle from Sing Sing Studios in about March 2020, so it really was an album recorded across an entire year! ☺ Although an unusual process, I love writing/recording and it was really great to have a creative project going along on the side whilst I continued working in science. 

How did you approach the recording process?

I like to approach recording with an open mind to the fact that the songs might take on completely new forms during recording. It’s actually what I love most…the spontaneous things that arise in the studio, whether it’s a little guitar line or a particular take of the vocals, I just love it when you can drive away from the studio listening back to something that didn’t even exist when you drove there in the morning! ☺ 

What programs/equipment did you use?

I have no idea! (Steve?)

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the album?

Most challenging was probably holding back from rushing the recording. After almost a year of recording/mixing there’s a real desire to get the music out and show it to people, but I really tried to hold on until the music was absolutely finished and mastered before I showed it to most people. I really wanted an end product that I was completely happy with, and it was totally worth the wait in the end, so I guess that is the most rewarding part…there really isn’t anything on the album that I listen to and go ‘Oh no! What were we thinking! Why didn’t we change that bit?’ Which has always been my previous experience with more rushed recordings.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Spotify tells me that recently I’ve been switching mainly between Thundercat, Bad Mother Nature, Jackson Browne, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, John Frusciante, Karnivool and Queens Of The Stone Age.

What do you like to do away from music?

I’m a mad scientist in most of my hours away from music. I actually really enjoy my work and particularly microscopy. I get to make time-lapse microscopy images of immune cells attacking their target cells and it’s just an incredible thing to visualise. I have a lot of fun and pour a lot of my creativity into trying to develop new techniques of visualising these events more clearly so that we can learn more about them ☺

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?

I think like most people I just want to get through 2020 and then have an awesome 2021! It’s actually been pretty handy getting all of the album out this year, so that hopefully if gigs are allowed in the new year, I can start to focus on remembering how to play guitar and get a band together to perform Dutch Monks songs at live gigs! I’m actually really excited about that, can’t wait to perform these songs!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Oh gee, anyone that knows me knows that I love most food! (a little too much tbh). But I think my favourite would have to be home-made pasties that my Mum makes ☺ As for a place to hangout, this year it’s probably been the research laboratory that I work in at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre! Other years it would be a quiet place in the bush though…as a kid who grew up in the country the city is far too busy for me, I like to get away from it and gather my thoughts ☺ 

Website
https://dutchmonks.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DutchMonks

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/dutch_monks/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/DutchMonks

YouTube
http://bit.ly/DutchMonks_YouTube

Spotify

http://bit.ly/DutchMonks_Spotify

Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/au/artist/dutch-monks/1522421212

Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/user-305369583

Triple j Unearthed
https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/dutch-monks

Bandcamp
https://dutchmonks.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Youtube

Where are you currently based?

Right now I’m based between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

How did you first start playing music?

I started playing guitar first when I was 13. I use to be obsessed with the game guitar hero and wanted to try and see if I could actually play the songs on real a instrument. From there everything else progressed purely out of curiosity to learn more.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

Since I got back from America things have really slowed down as I’m sure they have for everyone. I have been very lucky during Covid to be living in Queensland as the virus hasn’t really affected our state as drastically as other states and certainly as it has other countries. I have mostly been working on new music here and there and unwinding from the past few years of being non stop in LA.

Your new single ‘Sick World’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I wrote Sick world in my first week of quarantine in Australia. I’d just gotten back to Brisbane from LA and everything was very raw and the world wide panic around Covid had only just started. It was a very uncertain time and still is of course . I wanted something musically that sounded sad but also had a feeling of hopelessness and disappointment . I wanted the song to not only be about how terrible the virus has affected so many lives but also how divided everyone has been about not only this but so many other important topics. 

Where and when did you record/produce?

I wrote the song partly in my parents house and then in the studio with my mate Magnus Murphy. I had finished the song pretty much when I started it however when the George Floyd video came out I was so shocked by the video but inspired by the reaction of everyone standing up together. I went to a Black Lives Matter march in Brisbane a few days after the video came out and was so moved by how many people came out to support such an important issue. After that I had to mention the subject in the song. Me and Magnus then produced it from his home studio and in a few days it was finished.

Who did you work with during the recording/production/mastering of Sick World?

I worked with Producer and songwriter, Magnus Murphy who is also one of my best mates. We had been working on songs pretty much the second I got out of quarantine in Brisbane. He has a studio at his house so I would just drive to his place every day and work from there. I’ve had some of the most fun recording with him and the quality of music has only kept getting better and better. We wrote produced and mixed the track and then sent it to Sterling sound for mastering.

How did you approach the recording process?

I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. Not get too tricky with what instruments I chose. Most of the core of this song is the vocal and telling the story so I didn’t want to over shadow that. If anything I try and highlight it. I’m a big believer in trying to take the feeling of what it sounds like to play the song live and bring that to the recording. So we kept it simple  and used  space to our advantage, by using ambient noises to highlight certain lyrics such as “sirens blazing through these streets” and even the intro we found noises of police and ambulance cars. Because when I was in La that’s all you would hear from your apartment. All in all I think the term “keep it simple stupid” could pretty much be applied to anything I make, just let the song talk. 

What does Sick World Mean to you?

It reflects not only the struggle of the year that has almost passed but the struggle that still lies ahead. We need to really look at ourselves seriously and try and find some common ground with eachother. The world is so divided and not United. But I know that at the end of the day we still hold those traits of compassion and empathy we just need to find ways to show it to eachother and stop fighting and start listening. Hopefully 2021 won’t be as divisive.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

At the moment I’ve been listening to a lot of UK rock like Nothing but thieves and Sam fender. I also recently got into a local band Selfish Sons one of my mates Jordy sings for them his voice is insane.

What do you like to do away from music?

I recently got obsessed with Golf. Had a lot of down time while I’ve been back so I decided to pick it up and now I can’t stop. I’m usually like that when I get into a new hobby I get very obsessive and can’t focus on anything else. Maybe I’ll quit music and head to Augusta next year!

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?

The plan is to focus on new releases and collaborating. I’ve been lucky enough to run into some really talented Aussie artists since I’ve been back and I’m super keen to get stuck into writing with them. As for me I’m not pumping the brakes it’s full steam ahead on new music out as soon as a possible and then touring!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I’m a sucker for grilld although since I moved to the goldy I’m pretty much down in Burleigh at the Pavilion every second day!

https://www.facebook.com/JoelAdamsMusic/

https://www.instagram.com/joeladams/

Why do this new alias anonymously? What is the thinking behind that? Because I have another project which is more tech house and techno-focused, so I like being able to split the two projects. That’s it!

Aside from music, can you tell us a bit about your inspirations? 

I have always been very sensitive to sound in general, I have always had a passion for recording sounds and voices, since I was a child, in fact I have a childhood memory where using an old director of my father, I recorded my grandfather talking, and thanks to those recordings now we can still remember his voice.

What else you got coming up/are you working on? I started a new album that I would like to release on some big label, let’s see the upcoming news 🙂

Where are you both based?

We are both based in Glasgow. 

Your latest EP Leatherbound – released on Soma Records – dropped at the beginning of this month, what influenced its sound?

Being forbidden from clubs and the absolute nick of 2020 has made a lot of producers ramp up the pace of techno and we think we went down a similar route with this release!

French producer Felicie is behind a huge remix of Leatherbound – how did this collaboration come about?

We were looking into a few different names around the time of making the EP – Felicie had not long released her debut on Soma and had been on our radar for quite some time before that. We both felt that her sound really matched what we were going for with the release, so it felt right to have her on board. She delivered an absolute stomper of a remix and we really couldn’t be happier with it.

When did you two start making records together?

In 2019 we got in the studio for the first time to produce a remix of a classic soma track by Equus. The workflow and idea’s we had were so similar it made sense to continue the journey of making tunes as a duo.

Do you have similar approaches to the way you produce music? 

As we have a similar taste in music that kind of draws out our collective creativity when we produce together. We generally have an idea of what we want to create when we sit down in the studio and the process is very much 50/50. We always know what the track might need, or not, and generally work fairly quickly once we have an idea going. Two heads are definitely better than one in this case. 

Once the world can dance together again, where are you each most excited to play?

We had a few gigs lined up before everything shut down so hopefully we’ll pick these back up. One particular one was with the Voxnox crew in Berlin and would be the first time we both play under the Animal Farm banner abroad together. We’re also looking forward to being back at our home in the Sub Club. We’ve missed the events in there loads during this pandemic and can’t wait to see the explosive energy of the Glasgow crowd once we return to the basement. 

www.facebook.com/quailafr
www.facebook.com/aisha.gla
www.soundcloud.com/animal-farm

https://www.somarecords.com/artists/quailaisha/

https://www.beatport.com/release/leatherbound-ep/3159184

Hey Joe, welcome to the Partae!  You’ve got a pretty epic 7 track EP ‘Texture’s dropping imminently – it might be your first EP, but you’ve been turning heads for a while, we particularly loved your track Crystal Clear. Why did you decide to release a 7 track EP?

Hey! Yeah this EP has been a long time coming – but I can’t wait to get it out there for everyone to listen to. There were a few reasons behind the longer track-listing. A big factor was that, as you stated, this is my first EP and I wanted this body of work to have some sustenance and structure to it. Rather than a collection of random songs, I wanted all the songs to weave together and feel like every song plays a significant part in the EP’s journey. 

You were in bands before you started producing electronic music, right? What made you make the switch? 

Yep, that’s right! The change from band to producer happened pretty smoothly to be fair. I had been learning to produce for a few months (just making random ideas with no real direction), then our band split up – which I was gutted about. However, I felt like I had to embrace the change of lifestyle and shortly after, I started to find my feet in production and the rest is history!

What bands or artists did you listen to when you were growing up? Have they had an influence on your production style?  

Growing up there were so many different styles of music being played in my house. I’ve always loved class Motown and Disco tracks, which I feel like are the ‘club’ tracks of the 70’s and 80’s. I think the thing I try to take from those genres is the heartfelt harmony and melodies in Motown, mixed with the dancefloor based disco grooves. My style is obviously very different to them on paper; however I definitely feel those two genres in particular helped shape my music taste and later on, my decisions when writing and creating music.

It’s a scary time for the UK live music and events scene. Can you tell us about one or two key events you went to when you were younger that have helped shape who you are/the career path you’ve taken? 

I remember the first year I went to Reading Festival I was so amazed by the spectacle of the whole place. How big the stages were, how you could see so many different acts you could see across the weekend. It’s a bit cliché, but I remember watching bands up on the main stage and thinking ‘that is the coolest thing ever – I want to do that!’ So ever since then I’ve always had the ambition to perform at one of the bigger festivals, hopefully one day!

‘Textures’ is a really varied release, with a mix of dance, vocal hooks, more crossover… is this how you naturally produce, a bit of a mixture rather than focusing on one specific sound? 

Yeah that’s definitely how I produce. I have tried to limit myself to working within a specific style before, however I found that it just hinders my creativity. I think that ‘Textures’ lays a good foundation as to what I have to offer as a producer right now.

What’s next for Joe Turner? 

I will be spending the winter months writing a load of new music, maybe a few livestreams thrown in there too. Despite being in lockdown at the moment, I aim to be as creative as possible. You have to accept some days you won’t come up with anything, however it’s all about managing your expectations, and writing as many good tunes as you can!

Joe Turner ‘Textures’ EP is Out Now on LG105, get it here: https://joeturner.lnk.to/TexturesSo