Brighton based alternative pop band Two Spot Gobi celebrated the release of their second album ‘The Sun Will Rise’ this month. Recorded at the home studio of US singer/songwriter Jason Mraz and produced by Niko Bolas - who has also worked with the likes of Neil Young and John Mayer - the Sussex six have already enjoyed critical acclaim and are currently airing their new material in music venues across the UK.
Music News caught up with Two Spot Gobi’s lead singer James Robinson following their recent set in London to find out more about the new album, their success thus far and supporting John Mraz on his European and US tour.
Music News: You were discovered by Jason Mraz while playing in a bar in Plymouth, had you been playing together for long prior to this?
James: Not too long I think we had been going out as a six piece since September/October 2005 and we met Mraz when we were on the SW leg of a UK tour in March 2006.
Music News: I understand he invited you to record at his home studio in San Diego - not an opportunity every new band is presented with - after you supported him on his European and US tour, what was that like?
James: The European dates were incredible, we were so well received by the thousands of kids in Porto and Lisbon, we felt like a huge band! They were all singing and clapping with us, it was very powerful and I think the whole band was very inspired by the reception, given that no one out there had ever heard of us before.
When it came to recording in San Diego, I don't think any of us were prepared for how much of an emotional journey it would be. We worked very hard in the studio and we made sure that we fully immersed ourselves in Californian culture. By the time we came to leave we had been through a lot and the experience with stay with us forever. We are now so happy that we have a record that documents our time spent over there so well and we are so proud of the album we made in Oceanside.
Music News: You’ve had a fair number of EPs prior to releasing your album - ‘The Sun Will Rise’ - this month. How has your sound and style developed during the course of these releases and leading up to this album?
James: Our sound has evolved considerably over the last five years, I think I can say that we are more sure of what we are doing these days. We are constantly challenging ourselves to write new music that excites us and as we do so I think the newer songs we write are more mature sounding. That said there are songs that we wrote right at the beginning that we still play in our live set and that we are still very happy to include at shows. The new songs we are writing now are some of the best we have ever written.
Music News: Is it true the album was just two months in the making and how were you able to get it together this quickly?
James: It's not true (laughs) if only. We wrote it in 2-3 months, then we took 2 months on and off to record it in California and then it was another 12 months or so of mixing and mastering before everyone involved was completely happy with it. I'm glad we took the time on it though, it was worth the wait!
Music News: Do you write songs collectively or is there one predominant writer? Talk us through the process you go through as a band…
James: Generally songs will stem from one core idea, whether that is a riff, a melody or a complete song. Once a few of us have worked on a basic structure, we will present it to the whole band and then if everyone is feeling it then we will work out an arrangement.
It's a pretty organic way of doing things and it can make for some really great creative moments. Both Rob and I have come with almost complete ideas, but I think it's fair to say that the finishing touches are added by the other guys and that's why it works so well. Ben Daniel (bass) has been with us for a year now and he has been getting heavily involved in the writing process with Rob (Lewis) and I recently. He is so talented and is a fountain of great ideas so whilst we are still approaching our writing in the same way, we are now collectively a much more creative force with his input.
Music News: What has the general feedback been like on the album so far and are you already working on another?
James: The feedback so far has been incredible, we have a lot of really close followers who are so patient and loyal and they have been raving about the new songs. It's strange because obviously the tunes for us are not wholly new, but it's so re-vitalizing to know how much our friends and fans are enjoying the record with fresh ears. In terms of a new album we have been working on one for some time and we are very excited with the results thus far!
Music News: Are you doing any of the festivals this summer and if so which ones?
James: We are playing at a number of different festivals around the country all over the summer, none of the big famous ones at the moment, but they will come. We are building grass roots upwards right now.
Music News: For those who have not yet caught you live, what can they expect and how important is touring and performing to you after your committed focus to recording?
James: People can expect us to give everything we've got on tour and at gigs. As performers we feel that it is our responsibility to put on a dynamic live show and to represent our songs the best that we can. Other than trying to write great tunes, the live show is the single most important thing to us because it's our opportunity to truly connect with our audiences. We continuously try and better ourselves and make sure that every performance is even better than the last and by doing this we know that we are making the experience more enjoyable for us and for the crowds. We love playing live more than anything.
Music News: If you weren’t in the band - Two Spot Gobi - what would each of you be doing to pay the bills?
James: Hard to say - it's not something I ever really think about. Some of the guys in the band teach their instruments and so I guess they might do that.
Music News: Who do you admire most in the charts at the moment and why?
James: I can't speak on behalf of the whole band, but I would have to say for me personally it would be Beyonce. She is a total artist, singer, actor and icon. She has always been at the forefront and she just keeps on pushing herself. I think her passion, her focus and her intense drive is inspirational and I like the fact that her musical taste is so versatile. I read an interview the other day in which she was bigging up Rage Against the Machine and Muse. Yes Beyonce!
Music News: What are your plans moving forward, will there be a tour and further albums?
James: Our plans moving forward are to travel the world, to play to audiences everywhere and to continue to produce exciting music until we are old. We are getting closer everyday to getting to where we want to be and we will not stop. We will be touring and we will be writing new music, we have only just begun...
Music News: If you could collaborate with anyone on your next album who would it be and why?
James: There are so many amazing artists that we would all love to work with and so who knows. For the moment we will keep it in-house and let's see what happens.
See Two Spot Gobi live in the UK on the following dates:
04/06/2011: Beach Dreams Festivals - Shoreham
25/06/2011: Aylesbury Rugby Club - Aylesbury
22/07/2011: Deershed Festival - Yorkshire
23/07/2011: Redfest - Redhill
27/07/2011: Station Sessions Festival - London
01/09/2011: 100 Club - London
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