Setting/Background Information: The Music Vibes was lucky enough to have a chance to sit down and chat with the members of The New Mastersounds shortly following their performance at the Official Equifunk Pre Party at The Blockley on Thursday August 15, 2013. What began as a casual conversation about The New Mastersounds preference for “BLEEEH” environments, turned into what might be described as a musically informative sitcom. In addition to being exceptionally talented musicians, the members of the band are also genuinely wonderful people. We discovered a lot about the band members and their musical ventures, between interjections from a self-taught violinist/guitarist who also does her own oil paintings. The narration provided by the young, self-taught musician, along with her frequent interjections, served as an initial icebreaker and provided some comic relief for the otherwise long, monotonous and traffic-ridden drive the band made from Washington, DC to Philadelphia. So, here’s to The Music Vibes’ sit down with The New Mastersounds: A Night of Dancing, Family, Enlightenment and Fun!
Violinist: You know, I did play violin in fourth grade.
Simon: Well, I can tell that . . .
Violinist: And I do have an electric guitar.
Simon: So you’re a string player?
Violinist: Definitely…
Simon: You could probably sit down with Eddie, talk about pickups.
Violinist: I don’t know too much about it and I’m kind of aero…Whatever, I’m self-taught, pretty much. I refuse to take lessons. I’d rather teach myself.
Simon: Oh, really?
Rebecca: So . . .
Simon: Oh yes, go for it, and Eddie might chime in, too
(Eddie shushes violinist, who refuses to shush).
Rebecca: So we noticed that last night was your first set reuniting, and then you guys had a lot of fun, bonding time in DC traffic I’m guessing.
Simon: Yeah yeah yeah- we had a really shitty journey.
Eddie: Two and a half hours is it, really?! …. Only seven hours later.
Simon: We knew what type of gig this is because we played The Blockley before and it’s like the kind of gig that works well for our music.
Eddie: Yeah yeah, dirty, sweaty…
Simon: We were playing in a big arena last night and it was just kind of weird. A bit of a shit show. Small, anything where it’s low is good.
Eddie: (Describing The Blockley)… This is kind of *Makes noise with mouth BLEEEEH*
On the contrary to the American connotation of the sound/term “BLEEEH”, Eddie used the onomatopoeia to convey the opposite of what one would consider a “sterile” or mundane environment. Thus the term “BLEEEH” refers to a venue that is sweaty, energetic, and saturated in experience at it’s most sincere form.
Mia: If lower ceilings are ideal for concerts, how will that transfer to Equifunk where it’s open air?
Eddie: Equifunk is *BLEEEH* too. It will be my third time, it will be our second time… and the guys that run the thing are good friends of ours- It’s a real nice family environment. My son’s in town. I’m excited to show him a bit of the world, a taste of the world, he’s with me. So I got him here. I wasn’t sure he was going to be allowed to come to this show, but then when I came they were like “yeah yeah sure no problem!” So here and at Equifunk, it’s nice to show him my world.
Rebecca: Is he having a blast?
Eddie: He’s having a great time and he is selling a bunch of merch. He’s actually making more sales than I am, I can tell ya. He’s hustling. I think he’s found his passion.
Rebecca: Does he go to many of your gigs?
Eddie: The UK is a bit uptight with laws allowing kids in to clubs. I try to take him to as many as I can, but it’s kind of difficult. Also, certain states in America- I did a gig in an art gallery in San Francisco two weeks ago and they wouldn’t even let him in for the sound check even though it was an art gallery. *Mimicking art gallery employee* you can’t be in here right now. I was like well all right; well you don’t get a sound check then. So I was so happy when I didn’t need to call ahead on this one, I just walked into the club and I was just like “I don’t suppose . . . ” and they were just like “Ah, yes, yes!” I was really grateful, it means a lot to me. I think it’s great for young people, young kids, to experience live music.
Violinist (over Eddie)- Are you drinking a CORONA?
Mia: Do you see that range of age in your fan base often?
Eddie: Not that often because of licensing laws. But when it is all ages, we are starting to see quite a lot of 15-year-old guitar heads, things like that, and little drum-kids come in all like “Oooooh!” and it’s amazing, it’s so good to see that.
Rebecca: So, what is the difference between the fan base in the U.S. and in Europe (with the fan base)?
Eddie: We don’t play that much in Europe anymore. The U.S. has really been our core fan base for the last 6 years or so. We’ve been together 14 years, we struggled for a long time- what we should do, and our style, and developing our sound… We’re not from Leeds, but we all ended up in Leeds, and that’s where we met and where we came out on the music scene. I mean the music scene in Europe is very stylistic. It came very much from the DJs’ scene- the DJs playing funky soul and that’s what the young people do.
Violinist: (Over Eddie) – It exploded in my stand up shower. I forgot to wait 24 hours for the gases to release and I opened the door and was like “huh! My shower looks pretty dirty and there’s glass everywhere” and then I shut the door and walked away…
Eddie: Shhhh!
Violinist: I apologize.
Eddie: This is an interview.
Violinist: I need to get my credit card because it’s at the bar still. Watch my purse, it’s right here… (Continues to stay and talk)
Eddie: Europe was good for us and it is still nice when we go back. We play like twice a year in London, maybe.
Mia: You have a few Europe shows coming up- are you looking forward to them?
Eddie: Yeah, I think the end of October, November, so we tend to kind of hit Europe twice a year. Europe is almost like a state- like one region. It’s not as if you can go and tour a lot in Europe – there’s not enough cities that have enough people that have enough money. There is definitely much more of a live music scene in America, and a LIVE live music scene.
Rebecca: Do you have a particular venue that you play at when you play in London?
Eddie: Yeah, we’ve been playing at the 100 Club.
Simon: It’s on Oxford Street, which is right in SOHO.
Eddie: 100 Oxford Street.
Simon: By the famous shopping street.
Eddie: It’s a famous club that has been there since the 50’s; the photographs on the wall are incredible.
Simon: It had to be saved by Paul McCartney recently because it was about to go bankrupt. The rent had increased and they couldn’t pay it. So Paul McCartney said that he would do a gig there to save the venue.
Eddie: There are all of these pictures of these old blues guys and old jazz guys- the Sex Pistols when they were first starting out- just some wicked photographs!
Simon: From the outside of the place you wouldn’t know that there was a venue there. Just one little sign that says like 100.
Eddie: It’s just like a little… just a doorway between like Zara and you know, H&M. It’s not quite that… but’s it’s the only shops I go to.
Simon: Zara and H&M…. Do you have Zara and H&M here?
Eddie and Simon Laugh
Rebecca: We have H&M… (To Mia) Do we have Zara?
Mia: Zara is taking over a little bit.
Simon: Zara is Spanish.
Eddie: Top Shop is the Hip British One. When we were kids it was like- Yeah he got that from Top Shop- and then like in the 80’s they hired designers and totally re-branded themselves. Now they are all like skinny suits, just really great shit. Top Shop for girls and top men for…- they have got them in New York.
Violinist: (Screams about astigmatism)
Rebecca: Everything seems to start in New York and then spreads out.
It was very interesting talking about the famous venue in SOHO that the band frequented and were quite fond of and the transition into fashion. Fashion is such a staple international topic and it is crazy to see the evolution. Also, much of our fashion trends here in America come by way of our European counterparts. London has its own style of fashion and is one of the world’s fashion capitals. We end up drawing a lot of inspiration from fashion overseas, including countries such as England, Spain (Zara being from Barcelona) and France. It is rare nowadays to go into a mall and not see an H&M. It is one of the most popular clothing stores in the States and there is even a four-story H&M located in Manhattan. Zara is spreading through malls like wildfire and I am sure Top Shop will be infiltrating the U.S. apparel market very soon as it is huge in London. Everything takes a bit of time to travel here from Europe; America seems to be somewhat lagging in the fashion forefront and, Europe will likely continue to serve as America’s fashion forefront.
Mia: Looking at the Equifunk line-up, there are a lot of names that pop up that you have collaborated with before, such as Papa Mali. Should we be expecting collaboration on stage?
Eddie: Papa Mali is the first guy I met in America, the first musician and we’ve had a great friendship- since 2005.
The next portion of the interview was a bit hard to decipher. This is because as Eddie tried to explain to us his experience with various other artists at Equifunk and the possible collaborations that could occur, the violinist continually interrupted him as she bashed SEPTA. This lasted for the entire segment of the conversation.
Eddie: I mean yeah, the line-up is all our people; it’s all of our friends. Maceo is there again. So we played with Maceo on Jamcruise. He is like…(pauses to find worthy term for this funk legend) Respect … Anders [Osborne]- a great friend. Stanton’s there and I’m doing the super jam with Stanton [Moore]. Various people, yeah, it’s very family, it’s nice. In a way Bear Creek Festival is like that. It’s a scene that has evolved over the last five years of all these bands. We all kind of cross-pollinate and play together it’s nice to play… that’s what it’s really turned into and it’s great, we need it more.
Rebecca: So you guys played last night, you have the Pre Party show tonight then you have two more nights going- how do you stay fresh when you play so many nights in a row?
Simon: He doesn’t sweat.
*Rebecca and Mia Laugh*
Simon: I’ve come off pretty much soaking wet, and he’s wearing a jacket for the whole gig! I’ve got a fan behind me trying to keep me cool and I’m still-
Eddie: I just regulate my body temperature.
Simon: Yes, using conscious processes.
Violinist: You’re so Zen.
Eddie: Yeah, it’s all Zen.
Simon: It’s Zen.
Eddie: Yeah, but you know – it actually, it gets better the more shows in a row that you do and-
Simon: Well it gets to the point where there is an optimum one, like maybe the fourth one will be the best one and then after 5 or 6 you start to get a bit sick of it.
Eddie: But it’s fine because the fourth one is our late night set and then we have a few days off. So we know that’s the way it goes now.
Now, this is where the sitcom esc environment really becomes apparent and the self-taught lady violinist ends her conversation with Simon and interjects into the actual interview. Raising her hand, she expected it was her turn to ask a question . . . However, we cannot promise that it will be as musically informative as The Music Vibes would hope.
Violinist: Please explain the goatee.
Eddie: Ummm…
Simon: Is that what that is? I mean it’s more goat than a goatee….
Violinist: It’s more goatee than a beard.
Eddie: Yeah.
Violinist: And it’s more goatee than a mustache.
Simon: Goats do have longer beards don’t they?
Violinist: They do, and their beards kind of go like that.
Simon: I think he looks like a form, like someone from the Narnia-
Eddie: I have to go put my stuff away, actually.
Simon: I’ll take over.
I’m afraid at this point the lady violinist may have either scared away Eddie, or he simply became frustrated that he could not get a word in over her incoherent, irrelevant and incredibly loud banter. The Music Vibes appreciates his taking the time to speak with us and sincerely enjoyed hearing about his passion for music and family, his experience at Equifunk, the musical scene in London and fashion tips!
Rebecca: In addition to your upcoming tour, your site says that you plan to do more writing and studio recording.
Simon: We do.
Rebecca: Is this going to be done in tandem with your tour?
Simon: So, the album… We have to do it wherever we are. If we’ve got five days when we’re all in the same country, that’s when we’ll try to record. And that happens so rarely that there’s not all that much choice in the matter. So we are recording in Denver in September. Next week we’ve got two days where we can rehearse.
Mia: So that recording time fits into a zigzag tour schedule. You’re in the northeast, and then in Colorado, then back in the Northeast, then back in Colorado, then Washington, and Florida?
Simon: So, the album, ding! We tried to start recording it in Leeds in April, which was the other time we had five days when we were all in [the same place] And we ended up abandoning the recording so that we could rehearse for The House of Blues gig in New Orleans – because we were doing 1973 one night and 1983 another night, and we had to learn about 12 covers per night and it was the only chance we had to rehearse. So, what I had organized as the album recording turned into a long-winded rehearsal for these two difficult gigs. And we really needed the rehearsal but it was like…ehh (sigh of disappointment) Now we haven’t actually recorded an album so we’re gonna have to do It again.
At this point, Simon introduces the violinist who continues to talk as he explains how she ended up at the concert. After a moment of musing, he describes the interview in a more accurate form, which we appreciate and have openly adopted. This is no longer The Music Vibes exclusive interview with The New Mastersounds; but, an episode from a new mini series, “Green Room Talk: A Day in the Life of the Self-Taught Violinist, featuring The New Mastersounds and The Music Vibes”. Yes, this very well could be the first in a mini series of interview attempts; it would be interesting to see how a future one would unfold.
Rebecca: So, are you guys excited to play at the Brooklyn Bowl in September?
Simon: We’re excited about these new special show posters that Brian’s friend is going to make. Screen prints, I will accept as art because when I was 16 I did art school and I got the qualification. When you’re 16 you don’t have that, do you, in American high school? You just graduate and that’s it…
Simon and Brian proceed to show us these really incredible screen print posters that Brian’s friend is creating. The graphics and colors were truly incredible so everyone in the green room huddled closer to catch a glimpse of these works of art. However, as the attention was taken away from the lady violinist she grew somewhat jealous, craving the spotlight. In the blink of an eye she jumped into the picture hovering her cellular phone over the screen prints proclaiming loudly that she too is an artist and she does oil paintings. On her phone was a picture of one of her oil paintings.
As this was an obvious attempt to garner Simon’s attention r, she showed the photo off to him beaming- and Simon simply asked her (and appropriately I might add) “Is it just poorly photographed?” It may have been taken at a weird angle, there could possibly be some weird devil creatures in the painting . . . and for all we know it could even be hell?”
Rebecca: Have you played the Brooklyn Bowl before?
Simon: We are excited to be going, but we’re not unfamiliar with the place. We played there this previous November I think.
Rebecca: Did you guys get to bowl there?
Simon: Yeah. The thing is, I recently took my son, for his birthday party, I took him bowling with a few friends and… it was awful. You know when you’re programming your lane with everyone’s name? Well, okay, I was the adult and I chose “no bumpers” for my games and all the kids had bumpers. And then I proceeded to get almost every shot in the ditch.
Rebecca: Bumpers are a lifesaver!
Simon: And then I thought . . . why didn’t I just leave bumpers for me?! As if I were good at bowling! Bowling’s so frustrating because it just seems like a random thing every time- sometimes I’ll get a strike and I’ll go “ah-ha, yes”, then I’ll come back again and go “dmmm” it goes to the gutter. So I’m not interested in bowling, I find bowling frustrating and pointless. I like “The Big Lebowski,” I like that…
Simon turns to the violinist and asks her if she plans to play the guitar and if she is playing the lute with those nails. Her nails were indeed very nice and it was a well-deserved compliment.
Rebecca: So, who had to make the lovely drive from DC?
Simon: Today’s traffic was horrible. It made me never want to do a gig again. Traffic in America is so much better than in England. America has lots of irritating shit that kinda just baffles me, but lots of stuff is better than in other places.
Mia: Are you enjoying driving on the “right” side of the road here?
Catching a glimpse of our questions earlier in the evening, Simon pokes fun at the inquiry- saying, “the interview seems to have gone well- emergency question!” Once again, The Music Vibes fails at their own attempt at comic humor, but the whole series leading up to this point and the interjection caused everyone to break out in laughter.
Simon: I won’t drive in America.
Ian from the Monophonics jokes about the drums being better in England, wherein Simon calls him out, both admitting that the instruments may be better here as well.
Simon: Instruments are better here. Driving on the right side of the road is something that Eddie and Pete and Joe will do and I will do in Europe. I’m not allowed to drive in America. I find the American traffic system to be baffling; I mean this business of four-way stop signs.
Someone chides in about traffic patterns and roads in San Francisco.
Simon: And there’s hills!
The violinist begins to yell about south Philly and talks about crashing into an ice cream truck earlier in the day. Simon expresses his deep concern for the ice cream truck. He starts explaining that in Europe the ice cream trucks play “Greensleeves” and then the whole room breaks out into a chorus of Greensleeves. With such a personal moment, this discussion with Simon and Eddie could not have been more enjoyable! Even the semi-autobiographical comments from the young lady violinist seemed entertaining. The night ended as Eddie asked the self-taught violinist to play the mandolin; it cannot get more perfect than that.
What a night. The Music Vibes could not have been more pleased with the experience of chatting with The New Mastersounds and friends. So much learned in one night! Eddie is not only an incredible guitarist, but also a wonderful, loving dad and quite the family man. It was amazing to see his son at the show, smiling from cheek to cheek “hustling” the merch as Eddie described. Simon, as everyone witnessed, held the beat better than anyone. He was able to organize such a masterful appearance at The Blockley and all of Philadelphia packed the venue to get funky as soon as The New Mastersounds hit the stage. Despite being drenched in sweat and exhausted from a ridiculously long and treacherous car ride through DC traffic, Simon was still jolly and a pleasure to talk with!
The New Mastersounds are an incredibly talented band. The musical beats of their passionate music emanate from the stage and like pollen spores spread through the crowd causing a chain-like reaction of dancing. I think that everyone in the venue- aside from Eddie- was drenched in sweat after The New Mastersounds’ performance! Following their performance at The Blockley, The New Mastersounds proceeded to play the headlining sets at Equifunk; so check out The Music Vibes’ review that FUNKY festival “Funkitize Me Capn; Good Times for All at Equifunk Music Festival.”
Also, be sure to catch one of The New Mastersounds’ performances as they continue on their zigzag tour through the United States. The Music Vibes eagerly awaits their performances at The Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday September 5th, Friday September 6th, and Saturday September 7th.
Interview by Rebecca Wolfe and Mia Jester
Article by Rebecca Wolfe
Photography by Rebecca Wolfe
Check out The Music Vibes Equifunk 2013 Review
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