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MM
- Introduce the band members to us?
Jayde - Guitars and Vocals
Matthew Cohen - Bass
Jason Charles - Guitar
John Fraser - Keyboards
Donal Owen - Drums
MM - When was the band formed and how did you discover each other's
mutual interest in making music?
Jayde & Matthew - April 2001. We met at a studio in Penarth, South Wales.
We just started talking and found out that we touched base on a lot of
musical grounds and therefore decided to form a band.
MM - Describe how your music sounds and who do you think would
appreciate it?
Jayde - It sounds a bit symphonic rocky. Well who would appreciate it? My
dad does and that's all that matters at the moment.
Matthew - It sounds to me, rocky, heavy, light, beautiful and full of
life. Who would appreciate it? Everyone really, because it has everything
in it for every musical taste.
MM -
The band have been working hard on their
debut album. Can you tell us a little bit about it? When is it due out,
what will it be called, where did the inspiration for the songs come from?
Jayde - The album will be due out at the beginning of May and it will be
called 'Voyage'. The inspiration for the songs came from life, stress,
pain and development, and also parenthood.
MM - How
did you actually come to hook up with F2 Records in the first place?
Jayde & Matthew - We met our producer Rob Reed at the studio we were both
working at and we gave him some rough demoed songs which he liked. He
asked us to get some more songs together and come and see him when they
were done. We did that and again he liked it and he decided to sign us to
F2 Music.
MM - Once the album is out will we be seeing
the band hit the road with a tour?
Matthew - Bloody right. This whole process has been moving and building
towards the live music experience. Without it, the album will only be half
complete. The stage is what I love doing more than anything else, so yes
is the answer, we will be playing this live so keep an eye out for us.
Jayde - This will be the first time I have ever sung live and I'm looking
forward to it, but I remember the days of being a serious guitar slinger
and I will miss running around the stage like a headless chicken. Becoming
a front man for the first time will be a welcome challenge.
MM -
How can people find out about what's
going on with the band and where you'll be appearing?
Really simple -
www.erasmus-web.com.
MM - What are your opinions on the current music scene? Do you
feel it's getting worse or better? Will Erasmus change the face of rock?
Jayde - I quite like it (hee hee). It is getting better. When our album
comes out we will see the music scene change for the best, we hope !!! So
put away your glade air freshener and prepare to smell the glove of
Erasmus.
Matthew - I think at this stage there are some great rocking bands but I
would love to see more Welsh/British heavy rock bands making more of a
stir around the world. The scene is getting better, but I can see it
getting like the grunge days where all the bands started to sound the
same. So when Erasmus hits the stage and stores we will make a difference
to the scene because we will be a breath of fresh rock air.
MM - Has anyone in the band appeared in any
other bands prior to Erasmus?
Jayde & Matthew - Yes, but they are in the past now and Erasmus is the
present and future.
MM - What
does the word Erasmus actually mean to you and where does it come from?
Jayde - We got the name from an ex-psycho girlfriend and she said it was a
15th century dude who was an advisor to the king at the time. It was also
a ship in the TV show Shogun.
MM -
What influenced you when you were
younger and what influences you now?
Jayde - Queen influenced me when I was younger and now just plain old
madness gets me going.
Matthew - When I was a kid (and still now), it was bands like Deep Purple,
Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. The imagery they conjured up was magical
and I wish there was more of it around today. Erasmus will hopefully bring
some of the back to the scene. Today, just great music gets me going.
Bands like Dream Theatre, Yes, System of a Down, Emperor, Cradle of Filth,
Asia, King Crimson ... Bloody hell, I have to stop now because this could
go on forever dude, but the bands I just mentioned really do it for me.
MM - Which Erasmus song is your personal favourite and why?
Jayde - For me it has to be the 'End Of Time' because when I put the
vocals down in the studio, it seemed to do more for me than any therapy
session I have ever been to. Also, without a shadow of a doubt the title
track, it really fucking rocks!!!
Matthew - I think the song 'Voyage' is my personal fave, because when we
wrote it, it started as a blank canvas and turned into a musical journey
that was incredibly fascinating to be part of.
MM -
What's the most
memorable concert you've been to (other than your own) and why?
Jayde - On my 20th birthday I saw Queenryche on their Promised Land tour
at the Newport Centre, just outside of Cardiff. It was great. I was in the
front row where the guitarist Michael screamed down hello to me whilst he
was rocking away. The show was awesome and was a huge inspiration to me.
Cheers guys for making it still, one of the best birthdays I have ever
had.
Matthew - This is such an unfair question. I have so many great memories
of gigs, whether it was my first ever at 11 years old when I had the
privilege to see Rainbow. It might have been Iron Maiden at Cardiff St
David Hall in 1986, Whitesnake at Newport Centre in 199, Dream Theatre at
The Bristol Colston Hall in 2000, even Queen at Wembley in 1986 or more
recently Yes with an orchestra at Cardiff St David's Hall in 2001. But for
me it really has to be Deep Purple last month at the Cardiff CIA. I had
been waiting to see them since I was 6 years old and it was well worth the
bloody wait.
MM - What one possession could you not live without right now?
Jayde - My Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel DVD box sets. Oh my GOD WOW
!!!!!
Matthew - It would be my basses. I know that sounds obvious and corny, but
it is true. I can't be without them.
MM -
What's your idea of fun? Are
you serious by nature or a bundle of mischief?
Jayde - I use Ibenez guitars and Line 6 amplification.
Matthew - I use Warwick and Ken Smith 6 string basses and Marshall
amplification and Alesis FX. Bloody awesome stuff. The Marshall stands
over 6 feet tall and sounds massive especially when I am playing a low B
through it.
MM -
Are you superstitious? Is
there anything you do before you go into the rehearsal studio for good
luck, or do you believe we make our own luck in this life?
Jayde - I am not superstitious, though I do believe in magic and the
mystical plains of existence. As far as going into the studio or stage
stoned was my ritual. I believe you have to work hard to find your own
luck in life, I have had plenty of bad luck but the good luck I have had,
not matter how small, outweighs the bad.
MM - Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know.
Matthew - I love that song by S Club 7 - Don't Stop Moving !!!!!!! How
rock is that?
Jayde - My god that's the first I've heard of this. S Club 7 you say? I
love them too they're wicked. Well they are all pretty aren't they? Had I
known this Matthew, we might have sounded er different.
Matthew - Cool, let's go and rewrite the album then dude? On the other hand
let's make the new one Progressive Dance Pop! That has to be the way
forward (HA HA HA!)
MM -
If you could
spend just one day with anyone in the world (past or present) who would it
be and why?
Jayde - Natalie Imbruglia. She is the sexiest woman that has ever lived.
Matthew - Rachel from S Club 7. Need I say any more?
MM - Who do you think influence the world of rock more than any
other person, for better or worse?
Matthew - I have to answer this in a couple of ways if you don't mind? As
a kid of 6 years old, I was first influenced by Deep Purple when my sister
gave me a compilation tape with them on it. They got me into rock big
time. They had everything that made rock what it is, exciting.
When I was 10 I first heard Iron Maiden and they influenced me to pick up
the bass. Seeing Steve Harris running around playing these great bass
lines changed my life forever. Then came along Dream Theatre, Yes and Led
Zeppelin. These 3 bands have great magical imagery that I get transported
to another place whenever I hear them. They really make me feel overjoyed
and happy every time there music is on. So a lot influenced the world of
rock for me. For worse, that answer is easy. Ugly Kid Joe, what the hell
was all that about? Should never have been released.
Jayde - For better it has got to be Queen they rocked. For worse, I'd say
grunge because it had a lot to do with the demise of the rock world in the
90's.
MM - Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to all your
fans out there?
Matthew - What we have fans? That is so cool! Hello to you all I love you
dudes!!! See ya on the road and keep rocking!
Jayde - Yeah man, I was stunned by this question too. Fans? My word how
nice. Apart from my father and daughter who are big fans, I hope we pick
up fans around the world on our first tour. So until then, I love you bye. See ya around. I love you again, by now. Oh fuck, this sounds like I've
gone up my own arse with a fluffy sheep. Well it is Wales we live in after
all (Hee Hee). |
