Tomahawk - Duane Denison
Questions: Jo Taylor
After nearly 10 years since they last played live together and six years since their last album, Tomahawk have returned with new vigor. Featuring Mike Patton from Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Mondo Cane and the million other projects the workaholic has been associated with, Duane Denison from The Jesus Lizard, John Stanier from Helmet and local Adelaide band Mark of Cain and now joined by their latest member Trevor Dunn from Mr Bungle and Fantomas fame. Now the epic four piece return to Australia for Soundwave Festival.
Caught in the Mosh spoke to Duane Denison about the new album, his other projects on the go and the time he was in Australia and crashed a classic car!
The new album Oddfellows seems to be a lot more straightforward than previous albums, with hookier choruses. How have audiences responded to the new material live so far?
It’s been good, but I have to say somewhat mixed because we only played about a week worth of shows and that was right when the single came out. So that was the only song of the new ones, that anyone had heard. To me, when you play live, you can only play so many new ones or their just not that interested especially when the album isn’t out yet. But that’s fine, we expected that. Also we hadn’t played any shows for almost 10 years so people were understandably a bit impatient. They wanted to hear their favourite songs.
Well, by the time you guys play here, the album will have been released and people will have had time to digest it and have songs they’ll want to hear.
They should be singing along to every word and playing air guitar to every riff and air drums and including the songs in their conversations (laughs).
It’s been six years since the last album Anonymous. Was it good to get together and write and record songs together again? How did it compare to past records?
It was great to get back together. I almost feel like we’re relaunching the band in a lot of ways. The writing process was the same as the past. I would start of with some sketches of material, make some demos. Then we all got together to work out the final arrangements then rehearse those and head to the studio. So in that aspect it was the same. But time has its thing. We’re all a little older and wiser and we have Trevor Dunn on bass, which is a new personality, a new energy and a perfect fit. We did a week’s worth of shows and it was fun! Everybody played well, it sounded great. Crowds were responsive and it was just great hanging out with each other.
Caught in the Mosh spoke to Duane Denison about the new album, his other projects on the go and the time he was in Australia and crashed a classic car!
The new album Oddfellows seems to be a lot more straightforward than previous albums, with hookier choruses. How have audiences responded to the new material live so far?
It’s been good, but I have to say somewhat mixed because we only played about a week worth of shows and that was right when the single came out. So that was the only song of the new ones, that anyone had heard. To me, when you play live, you can only play so many new ones or their just not that interested especially when the album isn’t out yet. But that’s fine, we expected that. Also we hadn’t played any shows for almost 10 years so people were understandably a bit impatient. They wanted to hear their favourite songs.
Well, by the time you guys play here, the album will have been released and people will have had time to digest it and have songs they’ll want to hear.
They should be singing along to every word and playing air guitar to every riff and air drums and including the songs in their conversations (laughs).
It’s been six years since the last album Anonymous. Was it good to get together and write and record songs together again? How did it compare to past records?
It was great to get back together. I almost feel like we’re relaunching the band in a lot of ways. The writing process was the same as the past. I would start of with some sketches of material, make some demos. Then we all got together to work out the final arrangements then rehearse those and head to the studio. So in that aspect it was the same. But time has its thing. We’re all a little older and wiser and we have Trevor Dunn on bass, which is a new personality, a new energy and a perfect fit. We did a week’s worth of shows and it was fun! Everybody played well, it sounded great. Crowds were responsive and it was just great hanging out with each other.
This is the first Tomahawk album to feature Trevor Dunn. How has his influence changed the Tomahawk sound?
Trevor has a real even keel as far as personality and everyone knows him and liked working with him in the past. He’s also just a great all round player. He can play the jazzy side of things, he can rock out and play heavy things. He knows how to adjust his sound and spiel for the different tunes and he’s very quick at learning things and grasping new material. It was just a pleasure really, working with him. This guy’s doing it now, so if we want to keep going and do new things we can and who knows, maybe we will.
You have also been working on some other projects including UnSemble and Empty Mansions. Can you tell me more about these?
Yeah, Empty Mansions is the brain child of Sam Fogarino of Interpol, who is the drummer with them. But he also sings and plays guitar and stuff, really well actually and he writes really well. He has an album coming out and I played guitar on that and we’re going to play some shows in the States at least, no sure where else.
Unsemble is myself and another Nashvillian Brian Kotzur who has worked with everyone from the Silver Jews to Harmony Korine and others. And Alexander Hacke from Berlin band Einstuzende Neubauten. One of the originators of what became the German Industrial scene I guess you could say. On that, we’ve got an album done, but we’re not quite ready with that one yet so we’ll see where that goes.
I saw you have an all aluminium semi hollowed body guitar! How does this design affect the sound of your guitar playing?
It’s subtle, but it’s there. I’ve always enjoyed guitar sounds that are kind of twainy and chrome metallic yet also crunchy and thick. I’ve always been involved with aluminum or partially aluminium instruments when I think about it. In the Jesus Lizard, most of my recordings and playing were done with Travis Bean Guitars, which were made with aluminium necks. To me, we live in the aluminium age. Maybe it’s a good thing, save the woods. I’m not anti-wood, I’m not sure that aluminum is necessarily better. But with effects etc it seems to enhance it even more. It kind of suits the way I play.
Trevor has a real even keel as far as personality and everyone knows him and liked working with him in the past. He’s also just a great all round player. He can play the jazzy side of things, he can rock out and play heavy things. He knows how to adjust his sound and spiel for the different tunes and he’s very quick at learning things and grasping new material. It was just a pleasure really, working with him. This guy’s doing it now, so if we want to keep going and do new things we can and who knows, maybe we will.
You have also been working on some other projects including UnSemble and Empty Mansions. Can you tell me more about these?
Yeah, Empty Mansions is the brain child of Sam Fogarino of Interpol, who is the drummer with them. But he also sings and plays guitar and stuff, really well actually and he writes really well. He has an album coming out and I played guitar on that and we’re going to play some shows in the States at least, no sure where else.
Unsemble is myself and another Nashvillian Brian Kotzur who has worked with everyone from the Silver Jews to Harmony Korine and others. And Alexander Hacke from Berlin band Einstuzende Neubauten. One of the originators of what became the German Industrial scene I guess you could say. On that, we’ve got an album done, but we’re not quite ready with that one yet so we’ll see where that goes.
I saw you have an all aluminium semi hollowed body guitar! How does this design affect the sound of your guitar playing?
It’s subtle, but it’s there. I’ve always enjoyed guitar sounds that are kind of twainy and chrome metallic yet also crunchy and thick. I’ve always been involved with aluminum or partially aluminium instruments when I think about it. In the Jesus Lizard, most of my recordings and playing were done with Travis Bean Guitars, which were made with aluminium necks. To me, we live in the aluminium age. Maybe it’s a good thing, save the woods. I’m not anti-wood, I’m not sure that aluminum is necessarily better. But with effects etc it seems to enhance it even more. It kind of suits the way I play.
You have toured Australia many times with Jesus Lizard and Tomahawk, any stand out memories from those tours?
Sure! I met a gal who worked for the Big Day Out and we borrowed a car, a vintage Holden. I remember stalling it at an intersection on a hill. And we tried to start it and put it into gear and it went into neutral and ended up rolling down the hill and smashing into a park! (laughs) so there was that! All kinds of things... Swimming in two different oceans on one tour. I mean, you can do that here too, but it’s not as nice as it is over there!
Your touring here in Feb/March with Soundwave Festival, are there any bands you want to check out on the tour?
I haven’t looked closely at the line-up yet, but I think A Perfect Circle are playing which I’d love to see. But I want to see Spiderbait and Front End Loader, all those great Australian bands. And Regurgitator!
Actually those guys have just finished a tour where they played their first two albums in their entirety, and it was amazing!
Oh my goodness. I didn’t even know they still were playing. That’s awesome! Well, I want to see them.
Tomahawk play the sold out Soundwave festival this Feb/March. The new CD Oddfellows is due 29th January.
Sure! I met a gal who worked for the Big Day Out and we borrowed a car, a vintage Holden. I remember stalling it at an intersection on a hill. And we tried to start it and put it into gear and it went into neutral and ended up rolling down the hill and smashing into a park! (laughs) so there was that! All kinds of things... Swimming in two different oceans on one tour. I mean, you can do that here too, but it’s not as nice as it is over there!
Your touring here in Feb/March with Soundwave Festival, are there any bands you want to check out on the tour?
I haven’t looked closely at the line-up yet, but I think A Perfect Circle are playing which I’d love to see. But I want to see Spiderbait and Front End Loader, all those great Australian bands. And Regurgitator!
Actually those guys have just finished a tour where they played their first two albums in their entirety, and it was amazing!
Oh my goodness. I didn’t even know they still were playing. That’s awesome! Well, I want to see them.
Tomahawk play the sold out Soundwave festival this Feb/March. The new CD Oddfellows is due 29th January.
