One For The Team
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Interview With One For The Team By Chris 29/4/09
One For The Team are a great band who I discovered online, writing and playing some great music. Naturally an interview was a must. So read on
1. Are you happy how the new release turned out?
I am very happy with how this turned out. To be completely honest, I am surprised as to how the fidelity ended up so high — simply because I did it all in my bedroom and pretty much expected it to sound that way. It was a lot of fun to slow things down and take a step back and focus on different aspects of our songs.
2. What was the inspiration for it?
Well, all of our songs start off this way. They are generally quiet and slow and start in my bedroom. I wanted to make a record that was true to the beginning of the process to show people where things begin.
3. What inspires the band when writing music?
Things around me in my everyday life that spark my interest tend to find their way into my songs. Things people say, articles I read. I often feel like a sponge. You know, sponging information all around me, and then I get rung out when I write a song. Bad analogy maybe, but that’s how I feel!
4. Has the internet help with getting your music out there?
Absolutely. We all love blogs and feel fortunate to have been embraced by that community.
5. What do you think of major record labels and the new 360 deals?
Fish have to swim, birds have to eat. In the end, those deals really don’t effect us much; but I do understand that, in order for this industry to exist on that level, sacrifices need to made. At this point, it seems like the artist is making the sacrifice, once that doesn’t work, perhaps the roles will reverse.
6. How did the recording of the new release go?
It was a blast. It was nice to be home and experiment with how an apartment sounds rather than a studio.
7. Do you think ITunes is a good thing for the music industry?
Yes. With the easy accessibility of iTunes, anyone anywhere can buy a record without the band needing to have their record distributed to the buyer’s neighborhood. Beyond that, there is no ceiling prevent any artist from selling 1,000,000 copies, whereas before, 1,000,000 physical products needed to be manufactured.
8. Has Myspace helped gained the band a new audience?
I’m not sure if it has brought in a new audience, but it certainly has provided for a great way for us to connect with our fans — which is why we’re doing this in the first place really: to connect with people and talk about music.
9. What has been the highlight for the band so far?
My personal highlight was playing in the offices of Spin Magazine. That was a ton of fun. Beyond that, we just really like being in a band and it makes us happy.
10. What has been the response like to the music you make?
Very positive, which is wonderful and we greatly appreciate all of the support.
11. Who has been the biggest help for the band so far?
Our wonderful visual artist: Bradley Hale of Now, Now Every Children.
12. What next for the band?
We’re touring the West Coast in May, Europe in July and recording our new LP in August at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco. Beyond that, Grace and Elliot are finishing their undergraduate degrees, and Ian’s new book comes out in October.
13. What don’t you like about the music industry?
I run Afternoon Records, which means that I spend every waking moment of my life within the music industry. I really enjoy it, however, my one true qualm is that not everyone is particularly kind. The music industry has developed a reputation for being built upon bad attitudes, and it is my hope that that changes.
