Music's Week Staff: What was the defining moment when you knew you were meant to create music?
Then&Now: I started singing and dancing in Eisteddfods when I was six years old and have in one way and another been on the stage since then. My daughter decided that she wanted to make music at around thirteen – that’s when she asked me to teach her to play guitar. After years of doing our own thing musically with our own friends and connections, Tori and I decided to put Then & Now together to marry our talents and as a cool way to spend more time together.
Then&Now: I started singing and dancing in Eisteddfods when I was six years old and have in one way and another been on the stage since then. My daughter decided that she wanted to make music at around thirteen – that’s when she asked me to teach her to play guitar. After years of doing our own thing musically with our own friends and connections, Tori and I decided to put Then & Now together to marry our talents and as a cool way to spend more time together.
Music's Week Staff: What are the essential qualities that make a good artist?
Then&Now: Firstly, confidence is KEY. If you don’t have the confidence to bear your soul in front of an audience and perform you won’t get far. You must also of course have quite a bit of talent in one of the performing arts – whether with an instrument, singing or writing. From then on, it’s hard work and persistence. Far too many artists today try to take the easy way to the top and when you strip it down they are not very good at any particular thing, just using technology to create sounds anyone else can create. The test is – taka away all the technology, the backup tracks etc. - just play a musical instrument just you by yourself or sing without reverb and effects. That’s what makes a good artist – hard work at your skill set.
Then&Now: Firstly, confidence is KEY. If you don’t have the confidence to bear your soul in front of an audience and perform you won’t get far. You must also of course have quite a bit of talent in one of the performing arts – whether with an instrument, singing or writing. From then on, it’s hard work and persistence. Far too many artists today try to take the easy way to the top and when you strip it down they are not very good at any particular thing, just using technology to create sounds anyone else can create. The test is – taka away all the technology, the backup tracks etc. - just play a musical instrument just you by yourself or sing without reverb and effects. That’s what makes a good artist – hard work at your skill set.
Music's Week Staff: What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
Then&Now: I think trying to get people to actually listen to the construction of the music and the stories - in the words, of the songs and the individual efforts of seven people all top musicians in their own right – trying to take people back to what music is supposed to be about.
Then&Now: I think trying to get people to actually listen to the construction of the music and the stories - in the words, of the songs and the individual efforts of seven people all top musicians in their own right – trying to take people back to what music is supposed to be about.
Music's Week Staff: Describe your experience recording the song "Angel Or A Devil?"?
Then&Now: Firstly we spend many hours developing and working on the song before we go to the studio – then we record the song as if we were playing it live to the audience – that’s about 75% of the work done out of the studio – then we overlay harmonies, individual fills with instruments etc. Our sound engineer/producer has a huge input in the final sound of the song, recommending this and that – let’s try this and that add an instrument etc. But the final product must have one criterion: We must be able to play it live without any backing track help of any sort. When we play live we must sound like our studio recording, or damn close. Even if it means bringing in a session musician for one fill, for example the trumpet on two songs on our album.
Then&Now: Firstly we spend many hours developing and working on the song before we go to the studio – then we record the song as if we were playing it live to the audience – that’s about 75% of the work done out of the studio – then we overlay harmonies, individual fills with instruments etc. Our sound engineer/producer has a huge input in the final sound of the song, recommending this and that – let’s try this and that add an instrument etc. But the final product must have one criterion: We must be able to play it live without any backing track help of any sort. When we play live we must sound like our studio recording, or damn close. Even if it means bringing in a session musician for one fill, for example the trumpet on two songs on our album.
Music's Week Staff: How did you describe your process of creating "Angel Or A Devil?" compared to your other song?
Then&Now: We create all our songs exactly the same was as I have described.
Then&Now: We create all our songs exactly the same was as I have described.
Music's Week Staff: What was the creative approach for this new video?
Then&Now: We wanted to show the viewer how we create music – we wanted them so see each instrument actually being played as we would play it live – the talent it takes to play instruments to make the sounds we do - that there are no overlays – no special effects other than a bit of overdrive on the guitar solos or a slight reverb on the vocals. What you see is what you would get in a live performance.
Then&Now: We wanted to show the viewer how we create music – we wanted them so see each instrument actually being played as we would play it live – the talent it takes to play instruments to make the sounds we do - that there are no overlays – no special effects other than a bit of overdrive on the guitar solos or a slight reverb on the vocals. What you see is what you would get in a live performance.
Music's Week Staff: Do you take the context of the song in consideration when creating the video? Why/Why not?
Then&Now: The artists performing the video show the context of the song with their hand and body movements and expressions and the focus on what is happening during the video. We are challenging the viewer to watch each musician produce music so yes the entire performance is in the context of the song.
Then&Now: The artists performing the video show the context of the song with their hand and body movements and expressions and the focus on what is happening during the video. We are challenging the viewer to watch each musician produce music so yes the entire performance is in the context of the song.
Music's Week Staff: Does your music fit in to your local scene? If so, how do you take advantage of that? If not, do you see that as an obstacle and what do you do about it?
Then&Now: We see ourselves primarily as a recording band, and have recorded two albums (and we’re in the throes of the third) so we do not perform a lot live - but when we do we offer a full musical experience – we are not a background band for pubs and restaurants. A lot of the local music is focussed on hip hop, kwaito and rap and those are great musical genres and attract a large audience, but we are finding that a lot of people are hankering back to the detailed musical compositions which dominated the seventies and eighties such as the early heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath and bands like Led Zeppelin, The Carpenters and more complex bands like Jethro Tull, and that is where our focus is and where our following is growing.
Then&Now: We see ourselves primarily as a recording band, and have recorded two albums (and we’re in the throes of the third) so we do not perform a lot live - but when we do we offer a full musical experience – we are not a background band for pubs and restaurants. A lot of the local music is focussed on hip hop, kwaito and rap and those are great musical genres and attract a large audience, but we are finding that a lot of people are hankering back to the detailed musical compositions which dominated the seventies and eighties such as the early heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath and bands like Led Zeppelin, The Carpenters and more complex bands like Jethro Tull, and that is where our focus is and where our following is growing.
Music's Week Staff: If you could pass on a nugget of wisdom t the next musical generation, what would it be?
Then&Now: Don’t try to be like anyone else. Find out exactly who you are why you want to make music in the first place and instead of just trying to replicate what’s popular at the time, try to say – “This is me – this is my story – this is what I would like you to hear.” If you turn on the radio and you heard three seconds of a song today it would be very difficult to say which artist was playing unless you heard the voice. That was so different in the 70’s 80’s and even 90’s each group had such a distinctive sound it was instantaneously identifiable. That’s our goal – when you hear three seconds of Then & Now you say – “That’s Them.”
Then&Now: Don’t try to be like anyone else. Find out exactly who you are why you want to make music in the first place and instead of just trying to replicate what’s popular at the time, try to say – “This is me – this is my story – this is what I would like you to hear.” If you turn on the radio and you heard three seconds of a song today it would be very difficult to say which artist was playing unless you heard the voice. That was so different in the 70’s 80’s and even 90’s each group had such a distinctive sound it was instantaneously identifiable. That’s our goal – when you hear three seconds of Then & Now you say – “That’s Them.”
Music's Week Staff: Where can potential fans find out more about you?
Then&Now: This is where you can find listen to both our current albums – meet the band and catch up with what we’re up to. linktr.ee/thennnowband
Our latest live video performance can be found here!
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