‘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 guests are Nick, Jared & Chiz from OddJive, a Progressive-Funk band originally from Christchurch who relocated to Wellington last year.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:
Nick: We are your ironic, high-energy funk-agressors collectively known as OddJive, bringing Progressive-Oddtime Funk-Punk Jazz-Hop ta those brave enough ta groove it.
What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?
Chiz: I suppose releasing the album and working on new material.
Jared: Got a few new tracks, yep.
Nick: We’ve been in an odd state of flux since moving tae Wellington from Christchurch in 2017 – we had ta recruit a new drummer (Chiz) and teach him the old catalogue which ate intae my songwriting time. We also finally got our debut album released which took waaaay longer than anticipated so that ate up valuable creative time too. But I’m excited ta say that, after a burst of productivity, we’ve got plenty of new tracks in the works and I think an EP should be a viable project sometime this year or next. In the meantime you can hear our debut album, ‘More Trouble Than Funny’, ta hear some of our jive.
Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?
Chiz: Facebook – are we putting the album on Spotify?
Nick: We have a Facebook page and a swanky Website, as well as our album and tracks being available on Youtube and Bandcamp. I’m nae a social-media bhoy so I leave all that jazz tae Jared. Although I do havta make sure I remind myself tae promote our social media when we gig.
Jared: Yes, I’m the social media guy. We also have an Instagram account that gathers dust… Please like us.
What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?
Nick: Hmmmm, that’s a tough one, mostly because what I listened tae in my youth is not what I listen tae now. But I guess the ones that have stayed with me are Smash by The Offspring, Vs. by Pearl Jam and Rhythm and Art by Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens. Weird.
Jared: Yes, this IS hard. The real question is what is the real meaning of influential? Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland; Jaco Pastorius’ debut solo album: Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger are what come to me. I’m gonna cheat and throw in Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders as well.
Chiz: As a drummer, BloodSugarSexMagik – I learnt the drum parts to every song and would spend hours in my room playing along. I guess the other two albums would be Appetite For Destruction and whatever Beatles compilation album my uncle used to play every time we went fishing.
Which other Wellington musician (s) would you most like to work with?
Nick: There’s a whole bunch of mega-talented soul/funk/jazz groups in Welly that I’d wanna play with but at the same time am intimidated by. But I guess Chocolate Thunder, Sky Canvas and the indomitable Brockaflower are up there. If Funkacyban were still around I’d be their opening act-fan boy.
Jared: Wellington is a pretty amazing place musically, it’s pretty much why we came here. We’d play with anyone, really. If Estère ever wanted to have us play with her that’d be amazing! I saw a great act at Newtown Festival, Wallace, if she was around I’d love to open for her. We’ve got some mates around the scene that are pretty different from what we do, but we love anyway. We’ve got a family connection with girlboss, and our buddy George plays as the Human Peeb. He came with us from Christchurch and he’s really our spiritual brother, you must check out his album Peebulum!
Chiz: The Human Peeb – but he’s impossible to get in touch with.
What ís your favourite Wellington venue to play in?
Nick: We need space tae thrash out and get our audience moving. We also need tall ceilings because Jared is a behemoth. So anywhere that can provide both is a venue I’m thrilled ta play at.
Chiz: I like Nick’s response.
Jared: Nick said enough, anywhere with a high ceiling!
In your songwriting or composing (or the bands songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?
Nick: I write pretty much from no theory knowledge whatsoever; I have a basic understanding of musical theory but haven’t bridged the gap where I’m conscious of said theory whilst writing so my writing comes from either a huge emotional expression or bizarre concept (such as our track ‘Tuck Pendalton’ which was written as a funk-stomp theme song to a character I made up with a friend, or ‘Bear Trees’ which is an exploration into one of my closest friend and I’s differing perceptions.) I usually come up with a key riff and then several enveloping parts (A section, B Section, Coda etc.) and then throw it at the bhoyz and see what parts stick. Also, a lot of our writing comes from spontaneous jams that I record and listen back to, picking out key parts which are strong and then writing around those parts. It’s all pretty mish-mash but we’re lucky that our unique sound always seems ta be a connecting aspect of our music. The only thing I always try to place in our songs is an aspect of oddtime, be it large or small.
Jared: Nick normally comes with ideas and they grow pretty organically in a jam setting. Little refinements made here and there. I’ll typically write my own lines around what Nick’s doing. I’m much more jam oriented, love a bit of improvisation and getting ideas out of the ether.
Chiz: The normal process and sometimes stuff from jams.
Where/when is your next gig?
Chiz, Jared, Nick: April 21st at Moon in Newtown. We’ll be opening for the mega-talented Pencarrow on their North Island tour alongside Sheeps. It’ll be a night of progressive music indulgence.