(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Noyo Mathis and what are your musical backgrounds?
We're a three-piece band from Portsmouth/London (attempting) to play technical rock music, and probably alienating most listeners in the process, although that is honestly not our intention. We like to use weird time signatures and harmonised vocals as much as possible.
(((o))): How did the band come together?
Dan had been kicking around with other musical projects that never really took off. The three of us knew each other through mutual friends, and we were interested in putting together a band for fun, so we had a writing session. At the time, Jamie and Toby were in another band, and after it broke up a few months later we got together in the practice space of our friends in Bear Cavalry and spent some time getting a short set together. The three of us were all good friends to start with anyway, so it was a pretty easy transition.
(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)
Haikus are always a good laugh. Here we go:
Complicated stuff.
We're often far, far too loud.
That's a good thing, right?
(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?
We're really fortunate to be part of a local scene in which the artists and promoters work really closely together – a friend of ours runs Beach Community, which has been instrumental in bringing us as bands and artists together, often for good and charitable causes. Being in a band and playing shows at home has ended up with us making a lot of contacts and genuinely good friends.
(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?
Aside from our earliest demos, we recorded three tracks last year with our friend and released it as a short EP called Tethers. We pressed fifty handmade copies, each one having a unique photograph from the seventies on the front. We didn't repress as we didn't have many photos left, but we put together another handmade collection of work to date bundled with a zine, as well as making about ten or fifteen cassettes. We've recently released a new EP called Ages, which we're all pretty proud of. It's up for free download on our Bandcamp page.
(((o))): A lot of three-pieces have a really unique chemistry by virtue of the fact that they are unable to embellish their sound with lots of extra bits as easily as larger groups. Do you feel that’s important to the dynamic of Noyo Mathis as a band?
I think we all, as a band, like to listen to music sometimes that isn't completely drenched in fancy noises and weird, idiosyncratic instruments. Those embellishments can really work well sometimes, but for our material we like to put as much focus as possible on raw and stripped-back sounds, a kind of 'less is more' ethos. Being limited by what we can play simultaneously live lends a hand in focusing less on parts and more on the songs as a whole.
(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
We've never really made it a goal to try to make much money, because though it can appear feasible, it's a false economy. Bands need to be prepared to pretty much feel lucky to break even.
For us, the biggest stumbling block has not so much been getting gigs, but branching out beyond our own city limits. We were lucky enough to have had a lot of great opportunities early on in the band to get outside of Portsmouth, and although we love playing gigs at home, it's important to try and get the experience elsewhere playing to a room of people that have no idea who you are.
(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Noyo Mathis to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?
To be able to balance a life of work and to keep the band playing shows, getting out to Europe and touring as much as possible. That might be it – if we broke into Europe and found an audience there, we'd be living the dream. I mean, it's not international but it's a nice goal and we've heard the crowds are generally incredibly receptive and nice. Of course, we'd love to be able to play the States too, and Japan, ad infinitum. Anywhere you put your finger on an atlas – that's cool with us. Except possibly North Korea.
(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?
Oh, now this is difficult. I guess we'd like to see The Band perform 'Music from Big Pink' in full, if they resurrected Rick Danko, Levon Helm and Richard Manuel. Alas, science has only come so far. They could do a 2Pac and just use holograms. Another essential we'd all pick is Godspeed You! Black Emperor, just because it has to be done.
For the other three: Dan would pick The Dismemberment Plan, they've written some of the finest songs of the past twenty years. Toby would pick Joanna Newsom, who could be considered a genius. Jamie's choice would be The National – they've been consistently good for their entire existence.
(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?
There are a few artists from within our own scene who really deserve recognition. Acres are a really talented bunch of guys and good friends. Matt Jarvis is an incredibly gifted songwriter and we're all pretty jealous of his effortless ability. There's also a band called Jesse Wyldes & the Stallions – if you could imagine a guitarist with dirty surf sounds, growling vocals and a killer rock combo backing him up. And finally, Bellyeyesmile – they sound like Cardiacs with a bigger set of balls.
(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?
Just keep on truckin', really. Play shows, make friends and get ourselves over to the continent. Chase that goal.
Noyo Mathis play Manchester's A Carefully Planned Festival #3 on Sunday 20th October.
