TOI - Interview with Tunes of I
December is almost upon us and that means the season of summer music festivals, winery tours and new sounds for the backyard barbecue. An early contender for a party favourite is Get Up, the new single by Wellington dub rockers Tunes of I. They’re hitting the road on November 27, when they'll play the Festival of Lights in New Plymouth. Their schedule, which stretches through to Summer Stein in Christchurch on February, also includes four support slots with one of the capital’s most loved sons, Fat Freddy’s Drop. Mike Alexander from Muzic.net.nz caught up with Tunes of I bass player Makura Tomoana, and here's what went down:
How many friends does it take to make up Tunes of I and how did you originally meet up?
There are currently six members, all friends, in Tunes of I: Makura Tomoana (backing vocals and bass), Conway Jeune (vocals and guitar), Luther Hunt (drums and backing vocals), Jules Blewman (lead guitar), Kaito Walley (trombone) and Bryn van Vliet (saxophone, backing vocals and keyboards). We all met at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. The band was originally started by Mudz Chadwick, the original drummer, but we have since parted ways and he is now a teacher.
Your name is an acronym of TOI, the Maori word for knowledge, skill, excellence, origin and mastery. Do you try to encapsulate all of these things?
Yes, definitely. We always strive to deliver in whatever we do and music just so happens to fall within those confines as well.
Tell me about the
inspiration behind your new single Get Up.
Most of the lyrical content was written by Luther
Hunt and was meant as a pick me up song. Like, in a crazy world where stuff
might be getting you down, you just gotta push through, get up and dance.
Musically,
the sounds of motown, soul and funk inspired this tune. It actually went
through a couple of styles but we felt this was the best, most accurate way to
portray the awesome feelings of songs in those particular genres. More
specifically we looked at Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and more currently New Zealand's Lord Echo for inspiration.
It was recorded at Surgery Studios where you also recorded your debut album Restless. What involvement did the legendary Lee Prebble have?
Lee's awesome and we've loved working with him over the years. His knowledge and scope for all things live is awesome and he definitely had a ton of input. Obviously Lee is a sound engineer, so he recorded Get Up and helped us get to that vintage, old school feel. Lee is also great with the composition side of things as well, like maybe halving choruses/verses or adding/subtracting a couple bars from the bridge, etc. He's also an invaluable resource when there's a deadlock on a decision we need to make and more likely than not his input will influence the final outcome.
That record was produced by Barnaby Weir. Have any of you ever been invited to join is revolving door group Fly My Pretties?
Naa not yet ... (waiting by the phone Barney haha).
If there was a party at your place, what kind of
music would you be listening to?
Either something by Daft Punk or Tool. Everyone loves Tool.
You have a hectic summer touring schedule including support slots for Fat Freddy’s Drop, who have just dropped a new album. Who introduced you?
We were introduced to them through our agent Adam Findlay who works at Eccles Entertainment. Adam has been helping us for the past couple of years with shows and management and managed to get us a couple of slots with Fat Freddy's. We are super excited to be playing with the dudes.
Is there another album in the pipeline?
There's more to be had from us and we're definitely cooking something up. At this point we're just keeping things close to the chest as we're starting to work on something pretty big. However, the Get Up single release and tour are our focus right now.
About TOI
Having recently celebrated six years as a band, TOI have been working hard to cement their place in the New Zealand music scene. Most notably, the past few years has seen the award-winning band advance in leaps and bounds from their humble beginnings. In 2014 they were recipients of funding from theaudience.co.nz, resulting in their music video Give In, which enjoyed more than six weeks on rotation on Edge TV. They then pursued more than 25 shows around the country in summer 2014/15, rivaled only by a tour of slightly more magnitude the following summer, which celebrated the release of their debut album Restless at the end of 2015.
Restless - the result of a Kickstarter campaign which raised more than $13 000 - was recorded in Surgery Studios by Lee Prebble, mastered by Mike Gibson of Munki Studios, and produced by Barnaby Weir of The Black Seeds and Fly My Pretties. Its release at the end of 2015 was celebrated with performances at Rhythm & Vines and Soundsplash, plus more than 25 shows around the country as support and headlining acts alike.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for TOI
Releases
Other Interviews By malexa
MNZ Interview: The Space Between Us 001: Serpent Dream
18 May 2021 // by malexa
In the first of a series of interviews with musicians who primarily colour their musical worlds wordlessly, Mike Alexander from Muzic.net.
Read More...
Interview with Naircol
30 Oct 2020 // by malexa
As a sonic explorer and sci fi fan, it’s apt to suggest that Matt Hennessey is "boldly going where no man has gone before". His 'starship' goes by the name Naircol and his debut album Isolate is a starburst of energy and mystery that probes themes of isolation and hallucination.
Read More...
Interview with Lou'ana
29 Oct 2020 // by malexa
In the video for her 2019 debut single Eye To Eye, Lou’ana played the role of a fortune teller. It’s doubtful though that even she could have foreseen the plaudits that would come her way on the back of another three singles that heralded her as a soul sister with a voice to stop you in your tracks.
Read More...
Interview with Kate Owen
04 Sep 2020 // by malexa
It’s been said that extra-ordinary people are simply ordinary people who put the extra into whatever they do. Kate Owen certainly fits that description.
Read More...
Interview with Alae
22 Aug 2020 // by malexa
With a Taite Music Prize nomination for their 2016 self-titled debut EP and a Spotify streaming record for their single Too Strung Up, Alae have been turning heads from the get-go. Alex Farrell-Davey and Allister Meffan met in high school, crafted a unique indie folk style as a duo and then fleshed out the band with the addition of bass player Marika Hodgson and drummer Jayden Lee.
Read More...
Interview with PRINS
05 Aug 2020 // by malexa
You might have seen Alannah Prins in the cheer-leading squad for the Crusaders or you might have heard her delightful dance pop gem Notion, released under her stage name PRINS. One thing for sure is that with the release of her five track EP Magnetic and an upcoming tour you are going to see and hear a lot more about her.
Read More...
Interview with Ben Hazlewood
28 Jul 2020 // by malexa
Ben Hazlewood is yet another Kiwi who counts Australia as his home. The Wellington-bred songwriter, a former winner of MTV’s The Freshman music video competition, has performed at New York and London Fashion weeks, has been nominated for an LGBTI Music Award in Australia and, despite the disruptions of Covid 19 still managed to recently release his debut album Bloodline.
Read More...
Gramsci - Interview with Paul McLaney
06 Jul 2020 // by malexa
Paul McLaney is one of New Zealand's most prolific artists. As a case in point, last year he released a new The Impending Adorations album, a collaboration with Jakob guitarist Jeff Boyle and a single with his "live" band Her Own Medicine.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- TOO SWEET
Hozier - BEAUTIFUL THINGS
Benson Boone - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - LIKE THAT
Future And Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar - END OF BEGINNING
Djo - I LIKE THE WAY YOU KISS ME
Artemas - WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
Ariana Grande - STICK SEASON
Noah Kahan - TEXAS HOLD 'EM
Beyonce - LEAVEMEALONE
Fred Again.. And Baby Keem
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
