vgbnd
m a g a z i n e
Undoubtedly our favourite local musicians, we couldn’t wait to chat with the men who appear to have struck gold with their uniquely melodic and overwhelmingly sweet, sweet sound. This intense harmonic force is causing absolute obliteration everywhere they are heard. VGBND talks Germany, ‘Piece By Piece’ and the industry.


Photography by Sean Brand
So, for starters, congratulations on your previous album ‘Inscape’s success. Are you guys happy with the feedback you got?
Yes, indeed. We had 2 songs, Destiny and Torpid, play-listed on national radio with Torpid reaching the number 8 spot on the 5fm top 40.
I remember watching MK and hearing ‘Beauty Queen’ for the first time. Did you know back then that you would be as well received as you have been?
We knew back then that we could do bigger and better things if we stuck together and worked hard. Having an audience for our music is a huge privilege for us, and is without a doubt the biggest perk whether you’re a small or a big band. There’s not much more you can ask for.
You guys performed in the O2 Arena in Berlin, the O2 World in Hamburg and the Festhalle in Frankfurt – how was that experience? Did you ever think your music would become so successful?
We were very lucky to be given the opportunity to tour Germany alongside one of its biggest names of the last 20 years. It was an enormous learning curve, both with regards to our performance and as a growing step amongst ourselves. We didn’t know what to expect and the reaction to our music was overwhelming.
If you could play on your dream tour, what bands would be on it and where would you be playing?
Probably any tour anywhere involving: Nine inch Nails, Coldplay, Muse and Infected Mushroom.
How do you go about writing your songs, as well as the melodies? Is it a group effort or do specific people play different roles in the creative process?
Generally the lyrics and melodies are composed by one person and the arrangement is worked on by the entire band. Marko and Richard are the biggest contributors in terms of songwriting and also production ideas.
We have all noticed an increase in the international acts coming to show face in SA and events are getting more epic by the month, ISO even opening the show for Two Door Cinema club earlier in March 2012. From a South African artist’s point of view, give us the low down on the progressing SA music scene.
The music scene is moving along nicely, with sponsors playing their part by bringing over international acts. However, the industry is still quite isolated in terms of the individual genres (you only have to look at how many SAMA award categories there are) and this means that cross-over appeal plays a big factor in any groups’ success, unless the niche market they are focused on is large enough to sustain them (i.e. some of the famous Afrikaans artists).
Congratulations on the release of your newest album, ‘Piece By Piece’. With its debut, do you guys see many differences in your music when looking back on your first album to now?
We feel that we have definitely matured and grown in terms of our songwriting and production skills. We tried to showcase that on this recording. We are very pleased that we are developing and trying new things with our sound. This progression from our earlier sound is only natural when one considers how young we were when we wrote that music.
We’ve seen an increased level of energy in your live performances with the release of ‘Piece By Piece’. Have you seen an evolution within Iso’s live music? Do you feel you’ve changed in the way you perform?
We have always strived to put on a really professional and exceptional live show. We feel that the new record allows us more freedom on stage and therefore more opportunity to enjoy the show. This relates back to the audience who respond to that energy. We love it!
‘Piece By Piece’ lead you on a nationwide tour and I was lucky enough to catch you guys at Live in Durban. Your performance was electric! Did you guys have a stand out favourite gig on your ‘No Fire’ tour? And how do you feel the crowds reacted to your new songs?
LIVE was definitely the best show we had on the tour. We love playing in Durban and have a really good following there. We have had such an amazing response to our new music, it’s been rather overwhelming. We want to keep touring and honing this show, and then hope to tour Europe and Asia next year along with a few more singles and music video releases from this record.
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​Do you have any advice for new young artists and bands in SA? Any inspiring words?
In SA, as elsewhere in the world, you have to work hard to get noticed and even harder to get ahead. But our advice would be to build a sound team and befriend as many people as possible in the industry.
Where can readers find out more about you and keep up with tours and updates?
Follow us @ISOband and www.isochronous.net and www.facebook.com/isochronousband. |
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