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. Up next is drummer Tony Kemp, who plays in The Relatives & The MacTones.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:
I’m Tony Kemp, main instrument is the drum kit with a bit of singing also. My music mainly at the moment is with a professional working covers band “The Relatives” and also have a original side project called “The MacTones”.
What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?
Since “Lockdown” I started up an original group with a friend online called The MacTones, we recorded and made a video online due to Level 4 and then from there released it and decided to keep writing more tunes! Now we have been to a real studio to record drums for 3 new tracks, one of which has just been released, 2 more to come soon!
Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?
With the MacTones original stuff would be Spotify and Facebook, and with the covers band would be our Website and Facebook.
What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?
The first album would have to be the first one I brought at the age of 11yr which is Funky Town by Pseudo Echo. Also Queen 1/The Game by Queen.
Which other Wellington musician (s) would you most like to work with?
I’d be open to anything if it worked! So no one in particular, being pushed in a different style is always good!
What’s your favourite Wellington venue to play in?
I’ve enjoyed playing in a lot of Wellington venues from San Fran to Bodega to The Front Room to local band bars! It’s just the load in that can be challenging at times with some places!
In your songwriting or composing (or the band’s songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?
With me being a drummer and not composing songs as such, the songwriter will bring a song to the table and from there I usually try and chop the song up or shorten parts and work on structures etc along with the rest of the group!
Where/when is your next gig?
My next gig will be with the covers band as we usually play every weekend (if Covid doesn’t get in the way) which is mostly weddings/corporate functions/festivals, with a few bar gigs thrown in for good fun times. Hoping for a MacTones gig to celebrate the writing and recording of our new songs!
