PRP: Let's start with the basics, how did the band get together?
Oz: joe and myself have known each other (and been in bands) for years… we just kind of drifted together with others over a process of time. kind of like natural selection…
PRP: Where did the name Earthtone 9 come from?
Oz: a long, drawn out weekend’s arguing.
PRP: Describe your band's sound.
Oz: it’s very hard to do without sounding pretentious… maybe organic intensity. melodic aggression. it’s all in the interpretation. people hear what they want to in music, just as they see what they want to in art. everything must come from a perspective of history, so although i might be surprised by some of the comparisons people make to our music, i understand that they are coming from different reference points.
PRP: what’s with the strange song titles i.e tat twam asi, zechariah rush (uru shalom har meggidon)?
Oz: obviously this is karl’s area… but the titles have distinct meanings that relate to the lyrics… i think karl likes to imbue his stuff with a sense of ambiguity… and the left field nature of the titles ensures that there is no definitive meaning immediately apparent within each song… it is not meant to be pretentious… it just illustrates what ever is in karl’s head…
PRP: how does the band go about songwriting?
Oz: difficult to explain… we just attack each idea until it sits comfortably with what we do… time and repetition plays a big part…
PRP: At the london astoria show supporting one minute silence you all wore masks. what were the reasons behind this?
Oz: no big thing – it was just meant to provoke a reaction… i know what people thought it meant… but we were implying a lot of different things…
PRP: Have you ever nibbled on a band members ear?
Oz: …have you seen the other band members??? no way!
PRP: Both your albums, in particular your most recent have received critical acclaim from the press but do you ever become frustrated that the english metal scene is so overlooked in favour of the more fashionable american bands, in what seems more style over substance.
Oz: a lot of american bands do warrant the attention paid to them… i don’t think it is realistic to demand that domestic acts garner an equal share of media attention when quite often they blatantly aren’t as good. but that said, it is grossly unfair that credibility seems to be afforded to non-british bands as a matter of course. it is hard to know who to point the finger at… there is so little in the way of supportive media for rock music in this country and the few operations that do exist need to stay alive financially. that means they have to cover what sells magazines, brings in listeners or turns on viewers. obviously you can argue that these players have the power to bring public support directly to uk bands, but it is hard to know if that really works. (just look at the wildhearts, paradise lost etc etc)
PRP: can you explain the reasons behind the departure of your bass player?
Oz: just people growing up differently.
PRP: how has the new bass player settled in?
Oz: we have a good guy called dave anderson who has helped us out for all the shows we have been doing. and we have a long term replacement in mind. time will tell…
PRP: When was the last time one of the band stepped in animal feces?
Oz: it has been years for me… can’t speak for the others… of course, it is fairly regular for members of et9 to speak animal feces…
PRP: Are there any bands you could list as a general influence for the band as a whole?
Oz: not really… we all like a lot of different bands, but i don’t know if they directly influence us… i think a band’s strongest musical influences are the acts they listen to as they learn to play their instrument (if you’ll pardon the expression!)… they tend to direct the way you think about music and the manner in which you create…
PRP: What do you currently listen to?
Oz: different for each band member… recently i have been giving the hundred reasons stuff some regular stick – they are unbelievable – also i love liberty 37 and sting… but on the heavier side not a lot has really fired my imagination in a while…
PRP: Looking back on your first two albums, how do you perceive them? particularly as you recorded your first album on only £500.
Oz: i am certainly proud of what we have done… the albums represent a snapshot of time… i don’t really listen to them much anymore, but then we do play half the songs night after night after night!
PRP: what can fans expect from the (hi-point) e.p
Oz: hopefully it represents a distinct progression… we feel that the two new songs are more focused and combine the elements that make us sound like us in a more fluid manner… that said, ‘you again’ and ‘vitriolic hsf2000’ are pretty raw…
PRP: Any favorite places you guys have played?
Oz: exeter cavern… newcastle trillians… milan binario zero
PRP: what song do you enjoy playing live most?
Oz: new stuff… always new stuff… by the time we come to play live we have lived with songs for a while – but once you start touring you quickly tire of the old stuff… we have been playing withered for over three years now!!!
PRP: Any comments or shout outs you'd like to give?
Oz: thanks for the int… hope the answers were of interest… go check out www.hundredreasons.com for free downloads of an awesome band… take care and see you at a show some time…
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