Nothing Major with The Ts & Cs

In anticipation of the next instalment of #NothingMajor we roped in The Ts & Cs new drummer; Gary Wright for an interview discussing riff rock, the same ol’ dirty influences and collaborating with Hellcats.

There’s been a recent change in the band. Tell us more about that. What happened?

Well, thankfully it doesn’t feel so recent anymore! Basically the old bassist Wally got an awesome job offer from overseas which he decided to jump at – this happened a few months before I joined the band. Shortly after The Ts & Cs acquired Nic, Josh decided to pursue other musical avenues, that being Surf Rock, (with Miagii) which left the band looking for a drummer.

From there, Baz wrote this for our Facebook page so I’m choosing to use it!  “…Then, all of a sudden, lightning struck the earth next to our rehearsal space. In its crater, we found a naked man lying there with drumsticks in his hands. Casually he got up and said: “I’m Gary, I’ll be your new drummer.” A gift from the Gods of rock. We continue to make music.”

How was Oppikoppi? What is your first time playing the event?

Yes, it was my first time playing Oppikoppi – we all loved what the organisers did with the Bruilof stage and had an unforgettable time up there. Apart from that – nothing beats partying with homies and listening to music I love. Apart from that – I found that drinking cups of Brandy and coke, peppered with trace amounts of dust, made the experience all the more hearty and unique.

What goes into preparing for such an occasion?

A lot of practice getting the set as tight as possible, packing smart, planning which bands to see and also mental preparation, like deciding on the mushroom to chicken ratio we’d like on our pregos after our set.

Your second EP. released earlier this year, is titled Same ol Dirty Influences. What are these influences?

In terms of writing, Baz has kept to his age-old, raw storytelling ways, which thankfully come very natural to him. In terms of sound and production, we really just play what sounds the most rock ‘n’ roll to us and focus on the riffs being fun to play – whilst tonally supporting the unique vibe of each track. We called the EP Same ol Dirty Influences because we felt it was clear that this EP definitely sounds quite different from our older releases – so we wanted people to understand that we were still obsessed with similar ideas and influences and that we’re now exploring them in new ways.

You’ve previously mentioned that you were going for a more riff rock sound on the EP. Explain what riff rock is and are you happy with the result of your exploration of it on the EP?

Put it this way – we won’t use a hook if we don’t think it’s got one hell of a barb!

We are pleased with the results and more importantly, pleased with the live translations – it’s been a jol evolving them as we go.

Tell us about your relationship with Mysterious Records.

Like the relationship between Mike Tyson and his facial tattoo, Mysterious isn’t in control of us – it’s a part of us.

You’re working on a track with Hellcats for #NothingMajor. Can you tell us anything about this track and what it’s like working with Hellcats.

Just constant, “Oh my F%#*! That’s the one!” – ing. It’s been a lot of fun because both bands are on the same page and complimenting each other in all kinds of ‘Siff’ ways. (Al’s words)

I am really excited on this one.