Project Description

Interview with

THE BUTLERS

Interviewer – Dave Bruce

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After a summer filled with sold out shows across New Zealand and opening for some of the worlds biggest bands, The Butlers are about to throw their self titled debut album on the shelves from March 7th. The nine track album includes two songs already released and loved by fans across the world, while featuring seven fresh and unheard songs. The band have spent the past six months piecing together this collection of songs, each with their own unique flavours and meanings, whilst retaining their underlying alternative rock and surf funk genres throughout the music. The album was recorded at Christchurch’s Orange Studio and produced and cared for under the wizardry of Thom O’Connor.

The Butlers are based in Christchurch, New Zealand and have been playing music as a five piece for nearly one and a half years. The boys’ musical influences range from a number of genres, which largely reflects their wide spread of genres within their music. From hip-hop, to rap, to folk and even funk, The Butlers sound deeply reflects their musical influences and what they have grown up around.

A fair amount has been achieved in the time that The Butlers have been together. The band has completed three New Zealand tours with majority of the shows being at full capacity. As well as this, the boys have played at New Zealand’s marquee festivals, Rhythm and Vines, Rhythm and Alps and Bay Dreams North. An much demanded Australian tour will follow the album’s release in March, with a six dates booked across the country.

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How did it all begin? Where did you develop your interest in performing music to an audience? What was your first big break that told you “I am in the right place”?
Jordy – The band grew from 2 members (acoustic duo) to 5 members over a 3 or 4 year time period but I guess the Butlers people know now have been a thing for almost 2 years. It was all right place right time kind of stuff and it just happened kinda quick. We are pretty grateful for that. Performing is always a great feeling and we always give people their moneys worth in that department.

What kind of music did you grow up on? Which artists inspired you?
Walt – mum and dads music taste was influenced me, so with dad it was The Pixies, Dinosaur Junior, The Lemon Heads, Buffalo Tom, Yo La Tango and The Go Betweens. And then in mums car it was more Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Spain’s Cleaves, The Thorns, The Rolling Stones, Style council, The Jam. The list goes on and on to be honest haha.
Jordy – I grew up mostly being into whatever Mum and Dad had in the CD Player which was just early rock, lots of power ballads. When I got to high school I got more into reggae and older shit. The Beatles are probably the biggest inspo as they were kinda the first you know, it makes you wanna do something thats never been done and see how people react (but still not give a fuck)
Stingy – Jazz and Hip Hop.
Brad – I grew up on whatever artists sold the most chubba-chups, and in the mid to late 80s it was probably the spice girls. Inspo goes to Bob Dylan probably because he’s a loner and quite miss-understood at times.
George – Dad is a massive fan of jazz and artists like Miles Davis, which is why I initially got into jazz drumming and playing in jazz bands at high-school. But there was always a funk and disco element to the music we played in the house too, Earth Wind and Fire and the Bee Gees. They definitely inspire me a lot- writing and recording their album Saturday Night Fever in one weekend which is now one of the greatest albums in history? That’s insane.

What is the music scene like over there in NZ? Building, or on a plateau? Or worse, is it a diminishing proposition?
Jordy – The music scene is defenitely growing here, people are getting a taste of live music again, and they are loving it. With more great festivals, great touring acts put on by Pato, Mitch and the team, as well as more and more new bands starting to pop their heads up. People are loving it, and I think they defenitely want more.

Are the fans like everywhere else, or do they have their own identity?
Brad – Everywhere else? We haven’t played anywhere else?

With your self-titled debut Album, can you describe its origins and evolution?
Jordy – The album was pretty much us sitting down (having been a band for a while and having two EPs out) and saying right, lets make something special, lets give it a theme and a sound, and give people what we think is our first real statement to the music scene.

I know how challenging the creative and producing process can be. How has it been laying it down and where is it at?
George – To be honest, it wasn’t as difficult as we probably once thought. We are lucky to have Jordan and Walt who are two incredibly talented songwriters, and they churn out quality lyrics at any given time. We’ve worked out a really good system in terms of getting a song off the ground and into the airwaves. In terms of the recording process, we’ve usually gone for getting all the songs done in one weekend and getting the songs out as soon as we can because we’re so excited for people to hear them. But this time we took a long time getting these songs right, and have had them ready to release for a while, but have waited for what we feel is the right time to get them out there. I think we’re all really stoked with the album, and we can definitely be proud of what we’ve been able to translate through our music.

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As a little preview, which tracks would you call “signature” pieces for you?
Jordy – A signature piece for me is probably track 9, ‘Vodkas What You’re Drinking.’ Reason being its the first track that I sing and it’s a chorus that Walt wrote years ago but hated. So when I sat down with a guitar to show him the new song I wrote around his chorus, Walt and George agreed that it should stay as is and so we recorded it me singing with an acoustic guitar.
George – To me the beauty of this album is that each song is super unique, and they all individually have so many different flavors in them. Same with Jordan’s answer really but for a different song. Being able to sing “Why Do I Keep Going Back” and actually get the wires in my brain to write some lyrics was awesome. It was cool to write on a perspective that many people probably face in their lives too.

What is your favorite track on the album and why?
Walt – hmm changes everyday. Freeway is something different to what we’ve done before but Cats has a sax solo like none other in it that makes me fist pump every time I hear it. Stingy is the man.
Jordy – My favourite track personally is track 3 ‘Why Do I Keep Going Back.’ Me and Stingy came up with the basic instrumental for this song in the early hours of the morning off our heads, so to hear it develop into a song that has so many layers, and different emotions, all from that one night is pretty sick. Thanks to some great lyrics from George.
Stingy – Probably Lizards, it’s pretty fun to play.
Brad – Maybe Why Do I Keep Going Back because its mean, and it’s nice to listen to.
George – I love em all, but probably I think I thunk. The lyrics are epic and the way it came together at practice was almost seamless.

Do you plan to tour the Album?
George – Yeah no doubt. We’re playing shows the day we release it and the day after too before heading across the ditch. We’ve been playing a few off it since December giving people a taste of what’s to come. We’re stoked they’ll be able to finally hear them in their ears whenever they want too soon, not just live.

Any plans to hit Australia at some stage?
George – Yeah yeah yeah, we’ll be over from March 13th till the 24th! Check out or Facebook page soon as for deets on where we’ll be and when.

If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
Walt – Bruce Springsteen. Just be classic seems like a nice guy.
Jordy – After watching This Is It, Michael Jackson but then Bohemian Rhapsody came out so i’m pretty stumped.
Stingy – Albert Hofmann, and why, um, uhhh, just say… umm, UMM, lets just say.. Hahahahah um, I don’t even know why, just mean hangs.
Brad –  Frederick Owens, and why? Because it’s Frederick Owens.
George – Probably Encarnacion.

Apart from the album, what are your major goals or milestones for the future?
Jordy –  Just to keep touring, writing and releasing. At the end of the day, I guess the dream is to create something timeless, that we loved before everyone else got there hands on it, and so the love is mutual. We hate the idea of trying to write something just so people will like it, we just love doing what we’re doing and that’s what we will continue to release.

Finally, this is a paragraph dedicated to some quick discovery. Really corny, but for the fans, can you tell me your favorite album, artist, movie, place, drink, meal and person (living or dead) and some brief reasons why? Answer some or all please?
Walt – Doolittle by The Pixies, The Pixies, Lion King or The Aristocrats, Kaikoura on a good day, Cooler full of cold ones, gumbo, Freddy Owens
Stingy – So near so far by Joe Henderson. No comment. In Bruges. Niue. Gin and Elderflower. Egg plant parmigana. Michael Jackson because hes bad.
Jordy – Land Of Pleasure by Sticky Fingers, Bruce Springsteen, Step Brothers, Sumner, Rum, Burgerstop. Freddie Mercury because hes a fuckin mad dog.
Brad – Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan, Almost Famous, Arthers Pass, Spiced Whiskey, Anything Mexican, Nic Todd because Nic Todd
George – My favourite album changes all the time but its Gumbo Unplugged by PJ Morton. Bee Gees. Sumner. Water (it’s mean). Nachos. Probably Freddy Owens with 4 mirrors in the room.

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Check out THE BUTLERS below
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AMNPLIFY – DB