I'm Playing At Apple Tarts #2: Richard Wood (Niltones)
You won our competition for a local band to open Apple Tarts, how did you get involved in it? I did a little writing for David’s now sadly defunct magazine Gobshout, which is how we’re acquainted. When he started promoting Apple Tarts, I introduced him to niltones and we were subsequently put forward for the vote, meeting, as we did, the crucial criteria of being both local, and “a band”. Where are you guys from? You haven’t been together long, right? In fact niltones have existed in various evolutionary stages for about eight years. For a very long while we stuck in a bacterial stage of development, and only recently have we produced the necessary gumption for getting out, gigging, and promoting ourselves. We’re Medway and Maidstone-based. Where did you meet? I’ve known the drummer since he was born and I was four years old; we’re brothers. The founding members (I and Matt: our bassist) met at school, and our lead guitarist Ben was a friend of Matt’s. He still is a friend of Matt’s, and the band as a whole; he’s our friendly Ben. How would you describe The Niltones, sound-wise? Always hard to do. We like to think of our songs as “entertainments”, and so we try to keep them moving and changing, always introducing new melodies and shifts in dynamics. Any glaring influences? I’ve stared pretty long and hard at Radiohead’s back catalogue. Our Drummer Alex likes Led Zepplin. Ben loves Mastodon. Matt is a bit of a Jazz fiend. If this makes us sound awesome; we are, but not in the way you’d expect. Who is the musical Jehovah? A musically perfect being? God; that’s hard... perhaps Kate Bush. I think I’d have to work pretty hard before spotting an imperfection in her recorded output. Who is the musical Beelzebub? Tom Waits. As I think Johnny Depp said “The devil doesn’t have the best tunes. Tom Waits does.” Do you believe in Jehovah and Beelzebub? I can see how, allegorically, they have their uses, but no. Religion is a pathetic fallacy, in at least two senses. How excited are you about Apple Tarts on a scale of 34 to 78? 100! Well, ok. Accepting the limits of your scale, I’d have to say 78. This is niltones’ biggest gig to date, and our first festival show. We’re preparing diligently, and can’t wait to showcase ourselves, as well as to see what Apple Tarts is all about. You’re on quite early. Are you going to stick around to party afterwards? Indeed. We’re very interested in the wider scene, and I’m sure it’ll be necessary to stick around so as to greet the multitudes as they rush to venerate our spectacular set. What’s your favourite apple? Adam’s. You can check out Niltones' youtube channel here , follow them on Twitter here , and listen on Soundcloud just.....here