‘The Eighth Note’ is 8 quick Questions with Wellington Musicians.
A chance for us to catch up with people & see what they’re up to, or introduce you to a new musician/band and their music.
Today’s guest is Jack from The Shocking and Stunning.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:
We are a duo comprised of synth/samplers + live drums, and we make music that sits somewhere between dance+noise+drone. Our Press Kit says we have been described as “blurry, emotive, physically propulsive and above all, f^&ing epic”, however we’ve also been described as “sounding like someone noodling in d minor for 40 minutes”.
What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?
We’ve been working on stuff lately! It’s been a few years, but we’ve got our debut full-length album fully completed+mixed+mastered. We’re slowly rolling back into everything, so you can expect news over the coming months.
Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?
Bandcamp & Facebook.
What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?
For the band? Lets go with Boris – Amplifier Worship, Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, and Boards of Canada – Music Has the Right to Children. Our drummer Sam was (and still is) a big fan of Eiffel 65 and Savage Garden.
Which other Wellington musician(s) would you most like to work with?
Back when we were active, we were lucky to collaborate with musicians such as Tourettes, Sunken Seas and Name UL, and we have always been interested in collaborations and remixes. Also, Sam once said that he would rather work with any other synth player in Wellington.
What is your favourite Wellington venue to play in?
It’s been a few years since we were performing regularly in Wellington, so we probably haven’t performed at half of the current venues. Back in the day we enjoyed playing at Puppies, Mighty, San Fran, etc, but we’ve always been more at home at house parties.
In your songwriting or composing (or the bands songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?
It’s all through jamming. We might come to a practice with some sounds or ideas, but 90% of it will come through jamming, refining and arguing. Whoever plays the loudest tends to dictate where the piece will go.
Where/when is your next gig?
We are playing at the Performance Arcade on the Wellington Waterfront, Friday the 23rd February at 10:30pm. We are excited! We haven’t played the Performance Arcade before, and it is such a cool space.