How did you come to be in TPT and has your role developed since joining the band (in terms of the parts you play/being involved in live, writing and recording work/becoming a member of the band who handles certain elements like tour management and logistics)?

A drummer friend and I recruited Bruce for a band when we were all at Leicester Uni. That’s how I met Bruce in the first place. We remained really good friends ever since – at least until the point in 2003 when we decided it would be a good idea for me to join TPT.

Other than your involvement in TPT, what other musical adventures have you had since you first picked up your instrument of choice? (answers could include how and when you first started learning, if you were in other bands, if you play other instruments, if you went to college to study music etc)

I get the proverbial ripped out of me by my TPT colleagues for playing in a jazz big band when I have time. I’ll play for theatre stuff and small group jazz gigs if I get the chance and I’ll really play anything that feels good. My first instrument was the piano and I used to play the trumpet, which Bruce once recorded me playing in a wardrobe. I was in the wardrobe for a long time.

If you could hold your own dinner party and have six people round for dinner, who would you choose and why? And which celebrity chef would you employ for the night?!

I would invite 6 friends that I don’t get to see often enough. Bruce reckons he is a brilliant chef and a celebrity so I’d get him to do it.

How did you come to be in TPT and has your role developed since joining the band (in terms of the parts you play/being involved in live, writing and recording work/becoming a member of the band who handles certain elements like tour management and logistics)?

I met Bruce when I was at college at the local recording studio. He was working on Vulgar Unicorn’s Sleep With the Fishes and they needed someone to do some sampling and programming. I first got involved with TPT when Bruce asked me to help mix 12 Stories Down back in 2004. Matt O’Leary was currently playing keyboards but was struggling to balance work and band commitments. After deputising for Matt at Summers End 2005 I subsequently officially joined the band on keys.

I’ve continued to help produce, mix and master all the albums since. We have all taken up active roles within the band on top of our playing duties as things have got busier. On top of studio duties I help maintain our website, store and online presence. 

Other than your involvement in TPT, what other musical adventures have you had since you first picked up your instrument of choice? (answers could include how and when you first started learning, if you were in other bands, if you play other instruments, if you went to college to study music etc)

I started learning the piano when I was 7 and was classically trained until the age of 18 when priorities such as girls and beer took over. My interest in technology and studios kicked in from an early age and this fused with my musical interests formulated what I do today. I was determined at school that this was what I was going to do for a living.

I was signed to the very cool label Ninja Tune with a writing partner at the age of 18 with the first demo I had ever sent out. We released an EP and featured on a number of well selling compilations. Initially working out of my parents spare room I started working as a sound engineer eventually working at a number of recording studios. I’ve subsequently forged a career as a mastering and mixing engineer. I now work full time from my studio at home whilst carrying out TPT duties. 

If you could hold your own dinner party and have six people round for dinner, who would you choose and why? And which celebrity chef would you employ for the night?!

Well I’m a big believer in never meeting your heroes and I’m not into celebrity culture. How about God, Jesus, Hitler, Father Christmas, Satan and Darth Vader? Keith Floyd can cook. If they can’t make it then I’ll just get the band around.

How did you come to be in TPT and has your role developed since joining the band (in terms of the parts you play/being involved in live, writing and recording work/becoming a member of the band who handles certain elements like tour management and logistics)?

I came to join TPT through Wayne Higgins who was our rhythm guitar player for three years.  Wayne and Bruce had played in bands involved in the Yeovil / South West music scene for years and Bruce pulled Wayne into the original TPT line-up. Initially, the band had tried a couple of drummers who didn’t work out so after the second one left I got a call from Wayne asking if I was up for an audition. I went, loved it and the rest is history. I’d played in lots of bands since the age of 12 through to leaving college in my early twenties.  After that, things went quiet due to the combined commitments of work and a young family which didn’t leave much time for music. When I got the call from Wayne about joining TPT I hadn’t been playing regularly for several years and had pretty much resigned myself to never being back on stage.

Once I realised the potential that the band had, and we started playing bigger shows and getting more and more fans I knew that this was a second chance for me to make some kind of a living from music; something I’d always dreamed of but never truly believed was likely to happen. After nearly 10 years together we’ve made a lot of progress as a band and we’re a pretty well-oiled machine.  Everyone works hard to push things forward. We’ve always been ambitious but our experience confirms that it’s a slow road to major league success in the music business and we’ve learned how to function well as a tight unit both musically and corporately. For my sins, I have the joy of organising all our logistics which, as anyone who knows me well will confirm, is more than ironic due to my general lack of ability to organise myself!

Other than your involvement in TPT, what other musical adventures have you had since you first picked up your instrument of choice? (answers could include how and when you first started learning, if you were in other bands, if you play other instruments, if you went to college to study music etc)

I’ve played drums in lots of different bands.  Started in school with some other kids who had guitars and I clearly remember playing in front of the whole school in assembly – we were dreadful.  When I was a kid I also got the opportunity to spend two years playing with the Dorset Youth Concert Band!  Hardly rock and roll, I know, but it was great experience for a young drummer as this was a large brass and wind ensemble which performed a wide range of music, from classical to film theme tunes, jazz standards to pop rock.  I was one of three drummers and we shared out playing the kit, orchestral percussion and all sorts of other weird and wonderful drum-related instruments.  It really broadened my horizons and, looking back, it introduced me to a load of new influences that I’d never otherwise have had. 

Plus there was the added bonus that once a year the Concert Band did a week long tour of Germany which meant teenage kicks at the back of the bus and sneaking beers into the hotel room to impress girls.  At the same time in my mid-teens I got into playing with a Yeovil band called September Sting.  The lead singer was a guy called Rob who had a massive quiff hairstyle and cool, winkle-picker shoes.  We played indie-pop and were gigging with a load of other local bands in and around Yeovil for a few years.  The bass player in my band had an older brother called Dom who was the drummer with The Chesterfields. 

They were the one Yeovil band that had ‘made it’ (e.g. they were signed and had a manager and EVERYTHING!)  Dom was really encouraging and always willing to give me tips on becoming a better drummer.  At the time he was my idol … although I’m sure he’d be more embarrassed than me about that now!  A few years later at college I played for a while with a couple of mates in a band backing a solo songwriter called Sam Hill.  He was small time but established in that he had management and we went on a tour of the UK with him playing venues like Fibbers in York, The Jericho Tavern in Oxford and The Mean Fiddler in London.  It was my first experience of ‘semi-professional’ music and opened my eyes to the world of music ‘venues’ instead of pub skittle alleys.  I got my first chance to record with this band and vividly remember playing to a click track with limited success … and the rest of TPT will tell you that nothing’s changed in that department.

If you could hold your own dinner party and have six people round for dinner, who would you choose and why? And which celebrity chef would you employ for the night?!

Celebrity chef?  Easy.  I’d have Nigel Slater doing the food.  He’s the man for me.  Good wholesome, tasty grub.  He inspires me to cook although I’m still pretty poor in the culinary department.  As for guests, I’d have a random selection of drumming related folk and others. 

Ray Vincent - my first ever drum tutor who taught me for a couple of years when I was in my early teens.  He was a soldier with the Royal Logistics Corps and he played with the regimental band so I got rudiments drilled into me which were a vital foundation for my future drumming.  But he was also a huge jazz fan and introduced me to the likes of Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and many other jazz drumming legends who have long since been a big influence.  I never really appreciated how much I learned from Ray until I was a lot older. 

Next up, a quantum leap brings us to Mark Beaumont.  My wife bought me his book “The Man Who Cycled The World” and I read it when we were recording at The Chapel Studios.  He’s an inspirational guy and I’d love to hear him talk about his experience of breaking the world record for riding around the globe.  Then I’d have JoJo Mayer, genius Swiss drummer who I can’t believe I only discovered recently when I found clips on the Sabian website of him playing some mind-blowing stuff.  The guy is just incredible but he comes across as a humble, self-effacing person who is simply passionate about his ‘craft’.  I like that. 

Also at the table would be Nick Vujicic – not a drummer but another person like Mark Beaumont who is simply inspiring.  If you haven’t heard of him, just Google him and you’ll see why.  To even out the gender balance I’d have Cindy Blackman, responsible for the blockbusting beat on Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?’ plus masses of other awesome drumming across a long and illustrious career.  I had such a crush on her as a spotty pre-pubescent …!  And for pure entertainment value it has to be Steve Moore a.k.a. the Mad Drummer (www.themaddrummer.com) because he is truly unique.  The most incredible fusion of solid drumming and pure over-the-top showmanship.  So there you go …

Thanks to Alx Leeks for helping to conduct the interview.

Bruce Soord has been working on a collaboration project for quite some time now. He recently tweeted that it’s nearing completion:

bsoord

(Bruce Soord)

So while Mark and Steve start mixing the album (you better not be down the pen mill!) I am cracking on with the collaboration. Almost done.

On 20-1-2012 20:47:18 from Twitter for iPhone

Look for an exclusive PineappleProject.com video from The Pineapple Thief’s Q&A session filmed at Chapel Studios very soon!