If you are into Progressive Metal and haven't checked out Norwich based quintet Aeolist, do so immediately. Seriously, your life will be better for it. Here at The Pit we absolutely loved their self titled debut EP and I for one have had it as part of myy constant rotation for the last 6 months. So when the opportunity arose at TechFest for me to do a quick interview with these guys I grabbed it with both hands. To find out how their music comes together and where they are going next. Enjoy….
CP: So Guys how has TechFest been for you?
Toby: Great so far, I showed up on Friday and the other guys got here on Saturday. We're all pretty boring to be honest. So there's not really many exciting stories. Getting in bed by 12, making sure that we get early nights.
Paul: Yeah, making sure we eat right.
Bradley: We do treat ourselves to a cigarette now and again.
CP: Really?
Paul: Yeah, that's as crazy as it gets
CP: A hand rolled cigarette?
Paul: Yeah rollies not straights. cos of chemicals and stuff.
CP: Yeah, that Salt Petres far more addictive than nicotine.
Paul: Exactly.
CP: So, its been 5/6 months since you release your self-titled EP, have you guys started writing new material yet?
Toby: Yeah thats what we want to move onto after this string of shows we've been doing. We had a tour with Felix Martin and Disperse. Who are both incredible and need to be checked out if anyone out there hasn't done so far. And onto TechFest Today. But yeah, we really want to move on and focus on getting an album out.
CP: Have you started writing that?
Toby: Yeah we have material lying about , but its not really there in terms of songs yet.
Paul: We've got some riffs, which are sounding very good.
CP: What is your process of writing? I mean, one of the real strengths of your music, to me, is the sense of structure, of when this need to happen. And their in the exactly the right place. How do you go about making that happen?
Billy: With the EP we sort of made a plan of it first. We knew it was going to be in 4 parts. So we sat down and thought "what's this part going to sound like, what's this going to sound like?" And then we wrote it to the specification we had in mind.
Paul: Like how do we make them flow.
Billy: Yeah and then we sprt of tied it together afterwards. We a specific idea for each song.
Toby: Most of it flowed quite naturally when we had worked out the transitions.
CP: Because that is one thing for me. Whenever I start listening to the EP I have to listen to the whole thing. For months I didn't know where the tracks began and ended.
Billy: That's what we aimed for. I'm glad that came across like that.
CP: It was perfect for me, because the length off my walk to work, from Victoria Station to Regent street was exactly the length of the EP
Paul: Ahhh, we did that on purpose just for you!
CP: Thanks very much Guys! It worked out perfectly!
CP: Is the new material going in a different direction or is it more of a similar vibe?
Toby: Well how we want it to be different from the EP is that on that release all the instruments sound very separate and distinct which was fine because it was all one sing and that worked for that release. But we want to have it coalesce together on the album, form it into a whole and see how that sounds. Try something a bit new.
Billy: Changing over to using 6 strings as well, instead of using 7 strings.
CP: I'm glad that you are, just because of the accessibility of 6 strong guitar music. That anyone with an acoustic and a tab book can learn a song.
Billy: Well a lot of bands use 7 strings to go lower and heavier because of the extra stroing. But we're not really that heavy a band. We found that were only used the additional notes that having a 7th string gives you 2 or 3 times on the EP, so we don't really need it.
CP: Have you been thinking about doing any different or new style of Vocals?
Bradley: I'm still gonna have metal vocals there but I am now doing some vocal lessons and training hown to sing. So people should look forward to hearing me sing on the album. So, I'm trying, I'm practising and heading down that route. I've done metal vocals since I was like 15, thats my core.
Toby: We really want to diversify across the board I guess.
CP: I'm so glad to hear that. I just feel that if you guys stay arooound for like 4 or 5 years, you have the potential to be Huge. I've asked pretty much everyone I know aboutt you guys and no-one was like "oh Aeolist, they're OK." if any person had actually heard the EP, they would instantly respond "Yeah, they're amazing, should be massive!"
Toby: It still hasn't sort of sunk in.
Paul: People do tell us that but you don't really come to terms with it quickly.
Billy: It's really hard to take, but you feel vindicated and can just say "thanks". Then put your head down and walk on.
CP: I know what else you guys need to do.
Toby: Whats that?
CP: Make a fucking T-shirt, that people can fucking buy!
All: Hahahaha, Yeah we know!
Paul: Yeah, we're working on that. The next couple of months you'll see some designs coming out.
CP: It just helps with getting your name out there and branding and all that jazz. Cos I will buy the first one that you make. Seriously!
Paul: Thankyou, Its got your name on it!
CP: Thanks.
Toby: Well, actually it'll have our name on it.
All: hahaha.
CP: I will write my name in the label like my mum used to!
Bradley: Yeah! Do it!
Paul: So you don't lose it when you do P.E.
All: hahahaha
Paul: [put on an angry mum voice] Wheres your P.E kit, Toby?
CP: People have compared you to a British version of BTBAM, how do you feel about that?
Toby: Well we are obviously big fans of BTBAM and I think you can sense that from the EP.
CP: Yeah I can, but for me, you have taken what they do and have distilled it down to its essence.
Toby: We want to try and take it further down. To the core of what that style is about and then blast off!
– John Whitmore
