Hi Fitz, thank you for doing this interview, how are you doing?
Great thanks! Hope you are well.
In 2008 you did release the ” Insects & metaphors” ep, how do you look back on it?
With amazement - it was originally intended to be a demo but did far better than we imagined.
The ep entered the Dutch Alternative Charts on the number one position, what did this do for the band, what was your respond when you found out?
It certainly got us noticed - I honestly thought it was a mistake when I saw it at number one – I even refreshed the web page a few times in case it was a problem with my computer – but literally while I was doing that I got an email that someone had commented on our MySpace congratulating us on the number one position and it dawned on me that it was actually true. I was like … o.O
Now the new album is out called “Selfish Discipline”. Why did it take such a long time before you decided to release it?
What can I say – I’m a terrible procrastinator. The truth is I’m a perfectionist and I didn’t want to release it before I was happy with it. Also I did have a few setbacks, the main one being I was a passenger in quite a serious car crash last year (on my birthday no less) and I hit my head very very hard; (I actually couldn’t feel part of my head for a couple of months). This was during the final mixing / mastering phase of the album and it distracted me. (I’m ok now though, but ironically it only hurts when I sing.)
Did the success of “Insects and Metaphors” put some pressure on you, how did you deal with it?
When something does well, this becomes the standard by which you are judged and you have to do better next time, so yes – there was pressure to be a lot better. The Insects & Metaphors EP was originally intended to be a DJ promo, but people assumed it was a release due to it’s success in the DUC so we just went with it and self-released it as an EP.
Can you explain the album title? Did finishing the album took a “Selfish Discipline” ?
Quite! It’s obviously a play on words of ‘Self Discipline’ but whereby one indulges in discipline for their own selfish needs… read into that what you will.
Before we will talk about the album I want to talk about the line-up. How did you manage to keep the line-up stable throughout these years? Has the role of Susana and Gus changed over the years?
Blackmail. Seriously though – I was a friend of both Susana and Gus since before the band, but we get on so well it’s never been a problem. Gus however is very busy with his other duties (he’s a tour manager for some quite big bands when he’s working) so often it’s just Susana and I for some shows, but Gus plays when he’s available and it’s mutually convenient.
Before you started to record the albums, did you had all songs in finished form or did you still improvise a bit on the album?
I’m a firm believer that art is never ‘finished’ only ‘good enough to release’ so I never treat my work as finished exactly - I will make changes up until the last possible minute. (My mastering engineer would probably happily kill me given half the chance ;)) I consider my music ‘organic’ as I start with an idea, and continually revise it until it’s ‘good enough’ and this extends to collections of songs. During the album development process there were some tracks planned to be on there which I simply wasn’t happy with and so they were replaced (which causes delays etc) but I don’t like to rush things and end up with something I’m going to hate every time I hear it.
Can you give us an insight look on the creative part of this album?
Difficult to articulate. I take inspiration from anywhere really, and I don’t really have a set method for producing. Some tracks I start off with a vocal idea and write the music around it (e.g. ‘Selfish Discipline’), other times I come up with a bassline and the rest of the track just flows (‘Control’), and sometimes I just have a totally left-field idea and everything just flows from that (‘The Reality Of Decay’ which was completed in three days from start to finish).
What made you decide to put Insects and Metaphors on the album as well instead of just new songs?
Insects & Metaphors was always intended to be an album track, but the EP was released as a promo which kind of got out of hand. The album version has changed since the EP – astute listeners will notice it’s actually in a different pitch on the album, mainly as it was too difficult for me to perform live at the original pitch which was too low for me to sing with any power. There are some other improvements, but I consider the EP a ‘demo’. The album version is how I always imagined it.
What progress did you make with this album when you compare it to the Ep?
I learned a lot from the EP and my production skills improved a lot in the time afterwards. I re-recorded all of the vocals for example with a pro-grade microphone and valve pre-amp since the EP tracks so the vocal production is a lot better overall, and I know a lot more about mixing now which should be obvious when listening to the album.
In the previous interview you said you were talking with Grendel and Rotersand about remixes but on the album there are no remixes? Why is that?
I had a long think about remixes – I still might ask Jos (Grendel) to remix some tracks if he has the time as he’s a friend of mine and I like his work, but personally I don’t think remixes have a place on albums, only EPs. I never approached Rotersand in the end; I have the greatest respect for their work, however I suspect I can no longer afford them. I wouldn’t turn them down if they offered but I fear they have bigger things to concern themselves with these days.
I think there is a pretty big market for SkinjoB because the music is both danceable as well as melodic with good vocals? How do you see your own potentional? What are your hopes for the album?
Thankyou for saying that. It’s very difficult to judge your own potential when you are making music, as firstly because you are listening to the same tracks all the time you get quite tired with them. The only way to judge if you are any good is to release and see what happens. We’ve done OK so far, but I never assume anything. It’s always nice to get good feedback. As for the album, I honestly don’t know what to expect over the coming months. We will have to wait and see.
Where can people order the album?
The album is currently available as a download from iTunes & Amazon. Physical CDs will be available very soon from our friends at musicnonstop. Check our website for any other availability.
Will you support the album with live-shows? Are they booked already?
Definitely. We are in the process of arranging some shows – we play with Decoded Feedback in Slimelight (London) this Saturday (7th May 2011) in fact. Nothing else confirmed / announced just yet. We always post our show details to our website so that’s the best place for your readers to check for updates.
Any last words for the readers?
I would like to say thankyou for the support. Without people like you we are nothing.
www.skinjob.co.uk