With an EP release on the horizon, what better time to introduce Tailblock as our Band of the Day?
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Dartford, in Kent.
How did you meet?
I met Martyn at an acoustic night at a bar in Dartford about 11 years ago. I met Jak at a New Years Eve party about 14 years ago, but I don’t think we properly spoke until a few years later, then we were thick as thieves.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We got together in May 2016, none of our other bands at the time were doing anything, and we’d all wanted to do something together for ages. We jumped right in, I think we only had a couple rehearsals before our first gig.
Before you get sick of being asked. where does the band name come from?
It’s a skateboard trick, and also part of an acoustic guitar.
What are your influences?
A variety of stuff, Melvins, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Alexisonfire, Reuben, Silverchair, Hundred Reasons, Coheed & Cambria, Rival Schools, Samiam, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Prince, and all of our friends we play gigs with.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
The most common feedback we get is that it’s difficult to pigeon-hole what type of band we are. I don’t know if that means we’re unique, or just a pain in the backside…
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
A joyous way to otherwise describe an unfortunate event. Like stubbing your toe but at the exact same moment someone gives you a big slice of cake.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
I don’t know how many shows we’ve played, but I know it’s not enough. Our live shows are pretty upbeat, sweaty, and usually pretty fun.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Saw a dude stage dive into a crowd of about 15 people… it was pretty dicey but he pulled it off.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I play Fender guitars, either a Telecaster, or a Jazzmaster. A couple of songs from our first EP are in baritone tuning, I use a pretty heavily modified Danelectro baritone from the 90s for those. I use a Blackstar Series One 45 amp. Jak plays an Ibanez K5 bass because he knows what’s up. Martyn uses a Gretsch kit, I think. He has a really loud snare too, which is nice.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our new EP Think Or Be, it’s coming out Friday 13th July. Also our new single “Heavy Arms” is now on YouTube.
What are your plans for 2018?
Play some more shows, release our new EP, and a music video. Hopefully get back into the studio to start working on an album.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Supporting our mates in Drawstring, they’re awesome. And our mates Moper cos they owe us a support, and they’re also awesome.
