TheAussieWord meets with The Fuse in a very special blog interview!
What can you tell us Aussies about you? How and where did it all begin?It all began in Jake’s studio in Hackney in the hot August of 2006. Mike Varnava was the only bass player in either of our phone books, and he answered! He turned up with a bass he had last played 8 years before, complete with the same set of strings. That was the first jam of the band that would eventually become The Fuse.
What first got you interested in music?
As a kid it was all classical because my parents were into it. I basically missed most of the early 80’s music as all I heard was Mozart. I had a babysitter who was really into Michael Jackson though and I remember her listening to it. I didn’t like it. REM was the first band that really knocked me sideways – I clearly remember going into WHSmith and listening to Automatic For The People on one of those listening stations. Blew me away and I spent all my pocket money on it right then and there.
Who inspires or influences your quest to make great music?
My all time hero is Freddie Mercury because I think to achieve what he achieved knowing what he knew takes incredible courage. Plus – Bohemian Rhapsody for me is the greatest song ever written.
Are there any tours or gigs planned for the future?
Yes! Gigs and festivals. We are playing our next London show on May 11th, and we have recently been booked for 2 festivals, The Pembrokeshire Fish Week Festival in North Wales and Grabhamsbury Festival in Somerset.
What are some of the biggest goals you hope to accomplish as an artist?
My long term goal has always been to get in my car and hear one of our songs on the radio. Just casual, like. I also dream of playing to a sell out stadium crowd.
What can fans expect from you in the coming months?
We have a new single which is currently on a long list in a radio play competition on XFM – which is a big indie station in London. If we win that comp, fans can expect to hear us on XFM! Vote for us here if you like: http://promo.xfm.co.uk/danny-wallace/gallery/ We are working on our second album and we have written a christmas song called The Light, which we will release in October. We are also aiming to release the album around then.
Success, what is the secret to success and what has been your biggest career highlight so far?
The secret to success is quality, hard work, and a bit of luck. If you make quality music, and work hard to get it out there, you’ll get a bit of luck. Biggest career highlight was supporting UB40 in Holland and playing to 2,500 people.
Which current stars in the industry do you highly rate?
Bandwise, Coldplay are still right up there. Cristina Perri’s Jar of Hearts is the best song I’ve heard in ages that isn’t by Adele. Adele has been the big story of 2011/12 though – three or four top top quality tracks on her album.
How would people best describe you and your music?
People who are old enough to know say they hear 80’s influences in the music, and some people say they hear Coldplay and U2.
Tell us a bit about your first EP or album?
Our first album is called Freedom of The City. It was released to coincide with our first ever tour – of Holland in 2010. The artwork was shot in Bristol by my friend on his iPhone. The guy in the photo looking drunk is actually me! (Alex Lato)
Do you have any exciting projects in the works?
Really looking forward to recoridng the video for The Light, because its going to be a tear jerker – and also dying to continue writing the second album. Got a feeling its going to be a cracker!
The industry is huge, where do you see yourself a few years from now?
On this day in 6 years time, I will be getting ready for Glastonbury, where the Fuse will be headline act.
Name a few of your favourite Aussie artists.
I saw Pendulum at Bestival a few years ago and they were probably the only act I’ve seen at a festival that sounded really on it. So big kudos to them. Overall though, my favourite Aussie band is Crowded House (albeit they are an Aussie/Kiwi hybrid). I rate Crowded House right up there with Coldlplay and listen to them a great deal. Other Aussies in the collection are the Bee Gees – great songwriters – and Savage Garden write a mean song as well. Natalie Imrbuglia and Kylie keep the ladies side of things respectable too.
The shape of the music industry has changed significantly over the years, including the use of social media, how do you feel about the industry as a whole and what it means to you in getting your records out into the public eye?
The music industry has been through a tough time, in so far as major labels have lost a great deal of revenue. This has affected their ability to nurture acts. However, I think the bulk of the restructuring is now done, and I think money will start coming back into the industry – so I think there are good times ahead. Social media has blown marketing wide open. The game has changed a great deal, and because of that its harder to control as no one really knows what the rules are. Tha creates opportunities which weren’t there before but it also has to be said that when the barriers to entyr come down, you have to battle a lot more people to get heard in the first place – there’s a massive amount of music out there which is all equally audible/visible. That said, I think when you get down to it, a great record still tends to eventually get heard – at which stage its greatness will give it elevation. As far as The Fuse is concerned, the social media has given us a voice which would otherwise have been hard to find – this interview is a great example of that. So we’re grateful for the social media and the way that it levels the playing field and allows a small band like ourselves to be heard all the way down under!
Thanks for the interview! What can you leave fans with here on TheAussieWord blog today?
To show our love for our current – and future – Aussie fans, and to say thankyou for reading this far, if you email us mentioning the Aussie world blog interview, we will send you an MP3 of Paint This Town for free.Just email rob@thefusemusic.com and you’ll get a track back.
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