INTERVIEW: Splashh talks international songwriting, new album and new tour!
Photo Credit: Zachary Sheik
Tomorrow night, I’ll be headed out to Great Scott to catch Aussie via London Splashh! Just an hour or so ago while the band was in commute to play the show tomorrow night, I jumped on the phone with synth player Jaie Gonzalez. Gonzalez has been in the band since the beginning and since before the band split themselves between London and NYC. While this move would break up many a weak band, it only made this unique quartet stronger. While the band hasn’t been playing out too much since they’ve been working on this record, that will all change this year. Some of these songs have been in the works for over three years and along with eagerly waiting fans, I’m looking forward to seeing some of these gems tomorrow. Read our chat below and if you’re in Boston, doors are at nine with the band playing as main support for Public Access TV and fellow New Yorker’s The Brittany’s opening up the night. Tickets are a sweet deal of $12 at the door, hope to see you all there!
Obviously tomorrow is a really big day for Splashh. Announcing the album details and the first day of the tour with Public Access TV. Maybe what are you most looking forward to on this run? Maybe goals or hopes for it?
What are we most looking forward to on the trip? Yeah there’s a lot going on. On this trip, I’m looking forward to playing in Washington on Inauguration Day. I feel like being in Washington on Day 1 of Trumpmerica is kind of cool. Or really uncool or something. Significant anyway. I’m looking forward to staying with Jon Eatherly’s family in Nashville. He is the singer of Public Access TV. That’s going to be a highlight.
Perfect and then considering there is so much hype going on right now, it’s been a long time waiting for this album for your fans. For these sets, what is the focus for the band? Is it going to be a lot of like the new? What’s the focus for you?
The shows are kind of like half/half, with old stuff and new stuff. We got a brand new drummer on board with us and we got a bass player filling in for our bass player who’s visa got denied. We’re kind of starting pretty fresh. It’s a new kind of show that we’re playing so it’s cool. Taking the training wheels off.
Then just from reading about it, I know it’s definitely been in the works for a while to have this second record out. When did you first start writing the songs that are on this record? When did you really start the process for this album?
We started writing songs a bit more then three years ago now so it’s been in the works for a good long time. Sasha came over to New York and started writing songs with me. Then we were sending them back and forth between London and New York. Then we were kind of bouncing back and forth for a good long while. Most of the songs went through three or four different demo-ed versions before we got to the final one. The ones on the record now.
Then you talked about how they went through a few edits. Maybe something on this record that you think is really going to scream Splashh then maybe something that you feel is really left field for the band?
I’d say there’s a bit of both really. There’s a couple of songs that you can definitely tell that it’s the same band that made the “Comfort” record. And there’s definitely some songs that maybe if you played it for someone that had heard that album, it wouldn’t be immediately obvious it was the same band. But I think the spectrum is covered.
Perfect and then you mentioned just now about sending stuff between London and New York. Maybe how do you feel that songwriting process really affected the album?
Yeah it affected it a lot I guess. You got a band split between two continents. Your record is going to sound different to one bandmate on his own compared to all of you in the same place I guess. I guess it kind of forced us to take our time in a way which was frustrating at the time. It felt like a hinderance but now that it’s done, I think we’re all glad that we did take this route. Because the songs that we made right at the very end there we feel are some of the best ones on the record. It was good to have that slow moving process. See what I’m getting at?
I see it! Some of the bands call the states home and some of the members call London home. You’re all from other countries then the states. How do you think that helped your band kind of in the approach to this project?
It definitely helped in the sense that whenever we had shows whether it was in the UK or the US, only half of us have to fly. So that was definitely a benefit. But now this is kind of the big touring year so we all kind of live in a van together so there’s no more New York team and London team. We’re back in the one team now. Just a van team now. Road dog team.
Then this is about a three week run in the US and obviously you have a European tour coming up. You said how it’s going to be a big touring year. Is that the game plan/focus for this year? Considering the album is coming out so soon.
Yeah it’s the focus definitely. We’re literally in the van right now on our way to do the first show and it looks like we’re pretty much booked to do this for the rest of the year. So far the past three years, we’ve been pretty light on the shows. We’ve done little bursts every six months. We’ve only done a handful of shows every year up until now but yeah we’re literally at day one of seemingly endless tour cycles. But we’re excited for it. I think we all feel like we haven’t played enough so we’re kicking into touring mode.
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