Sonic Shocks
Page 10
September 2011
GRAND MAGUS Q&A with JB
Yeah! Who knows? After today, you’ve got a few more shows and festivals? Yeah, we’re doing a big festival in Germany and the last ever Hole In The Sky. We’re doing a few little shows this summer and then thinking about the new album
Our Dan Balchin catches up with JB from Grand Magus backstage at this year’s High Voltage Festival. Read the chat here and get ready for a new album in 2012!
Yeah, very much so
Did you get any feedback on the night of those gigs, or on social networking sites afterwards? We’re not doing very much social networking at all (laughs), we play music! I don’t have a FaWelcome to Sonic Shocks cebook account, so I don’t know Thank You about the feedback. But, the response we have been getting is High Voltage, pleased to be great. So many people turning here? up. Great crowds. The thing is, Yeah, it looks like a really cool when we played with Motorfestival. Its really nice to be play- head, that is known for being a ing a festival in the middle of really tough crowd – bands have London. Its kind of unique been egged off stage before, but they were really great to us. Last time you spoke to Sonic Shocks you were on tour with Has all this started happening Arch Enemy since moving to Roadrunner? Yeah, that’s right Yeah, especially those kind of tours. Roadrunner have been We also talked about Roadrun- treating us well and they’ve givner Records, the fans and the en us freedom with our music. It new album. How do you think has opened up quite a few doors things have progressed in the for us. I guess you’re only ever last 7 months or so? as good as your music, whatever For us, since that time, we’ve label you are on and that’s what done quite a few things. We’ve matters. toured with Motorhead and Accept. We’ve played festivals this Thinking about this festival, summer and it really feels like would you have expected to see things are starting to pick up for Grand Magus playing here? us. I don’t know. It looks like a really good mix of rock bands, espeThe recent tour with Accept, cially on the stage we are playing was that a warm-up for your today. If we’re playing the same Summer Battles season? festival as Judas Priest, that’s alYes, kind of. We did some shows ways a good thing (laughs) in Scandinavia and Germany, but for us it was a pinnacle reach Are you altering your setlist toto play with Accept. It wasn’t re- day then? ally a warm-up. We had so much Yeah, we never play the same set fun with them and it was great twice. Maybe we do actually, I for us. don’t know! (laughs). There are always surprises on the set list Were they always a band you for me at least. It will be a mix aspired to play with? of the last three albums – a speDefinitely, Accept have been one cial festival set. We always try to of my favourite bands ever since get the best combinations, like I started listening to music. They when we play our indoor shows. were really great guys and that Sometimes you succeed and made it even better. sometimes you don’t (laughs). We like to mix it up. You needed to step-up for those shows then... Looking forward to it? Definitely, yes Yeah, definitely It gave you a new audience to ...and your second from the top play to and the chance for new this year, so how about headlinfans? ing next year?
by Matthew Tilt
Sonic Shocks: Congratulations on Ode to Youth. Your first album, The Sound of Breaking Up, received excellent reviews; did you feel And when can we expect that? any pressure approachThat will be available early next ing this one? year. Gold Kids: Not really You’ve started writing already? actually. We only do it Yeah, we’ve written 3 songs al- when we feel it so we ready. They are not fully re- don’t rush. We have no prescorded and finalised, but they sure from anyone. The first are down. This is top secret of course! Nobody has been enti- album was on Thirty Days tled to hear them yet, apart from of Night, who are really cool our manager. people, so there was no pressure. So you won’t be showcasing any of those 3 songs today Sonic Shocks: You’ve menNo (laughs) tioned before about the lack Will you be doing a pre-album of a scene in your hometown tour? Cagliari, so there was no Yeah, I’d like to do that. If we base for you to start off as a can find the time to organise it and do it. This time we have put band. much more work in before re- Gold Kids: Where we grew up cording the album. there was no proper hardcore or punk scene, so we started Is this different to how you this band to get away from approached your previous althis island. So it’s pretty hard! bums? Yeah, it’s always been like ‘SHIT, we’ve got to record an album’ Sonic Shocks: ...and was it and it is never quite finished. So, difficult finding the bands we end up spending more time to play with, because of than I would ideally like in the studio getting things finalised. most places having their This time we want to be as effi- own scene? cient as possible. Gold Kids: We actually felt pretty welcome. We never That’s the way you work best? felt like outsiders coming in Yeah, get it all done before and then go into the studio and lay it from some weird place. We’ve down. I want to spend more time played over Europe and the before so it’s really good. U.K. and we made it to Australia and Scandinavia; it’s Are you going to be using pretty cool and we’ve tried the same record producer and the same recording our best to play everywhere. space, or will you be one of We’ve never been to the U.S. those bands who jet off to a though; it’s too difficult, I hot country now you’re with don’t think it’ll ever happen. a label? I think Germany is one of the Err.. I don’t know. I think it’s safe to say for certain that we’ll use best. It’s always really, really the same producer as last time. good. He’s a great guy and he knows how we work. We’ll stay in the Sonic Shocks: We’ve mensame place to record, because we tioned the fact that you’re can’t afford to go anywhere else! constantly touring. Do you Sounds great. Thank you for find it difficult to keep the your time today and best of energy up? luck with the set! Gold Kids: We’re getting old Thanks man! actually! We’re in our thirties. We haven’t been touring a lot recently; we’ve played a few festivals but we had to write the new album so that
took a while. We toured a lot in 2008/2009 but no it’s a bit quieter. Sonic Shocks: You’ve just played the main stage at Hevy, with hundreds of people watching, does it still surprise you when the crowd really comes out and supports you? Gold Kids: Well you can’t expect anything because it’s always different, but I’m glad it went alright, yeah. But you never know. Sonic Shocks: The artwork for Ode to Youth was done by Francesco Lori and it looks amazing. Did you have any input with the design, or did he take his own ideas away from the album. Gold Kids: The artwork is really connected to the lyrics. The idea of youth, it’s actually the Governess of Youth and she’s been held down. It’s really important to the concept of the album. Sonic Shocks: And were the lyrics very personal on this record? Gold Kids: On The Sound of Breaking Up they were really personal, but on this one it wasn’t as much. I don’t really like to talk about them, or to explain what they’re all about, but yeah, they’re quite personal. For your info please point your mouse to www.gold-kids.com