(((o))): So, first and foremost, who is Theo and what is your musical background?
Theo isn't a real person I'm afraid, although sometimes I feel as if I'm playing a character, or an extension of myself. Theo is what I call this solo project; one man, and a lot of equipment. I had a pretty standard musical upbringing really: learnt piano from an early age, got onto guitar pretty early, studied music at school/uni and always tried my hardest to contribute somehow to the various communities I have been a part of.
(((o))): How, and why, did you first start playing?
I started learning guitar, thanks to my Dad's love of Hank Marvin, at 7 years old; and then playing in bands when I was a bit older. Once I had started playing in bands, I soon had an overwhelming desire to learn to play drums too. I often get asked which I'm better at, or which I prefer, but I seem to be equally competent at both, and I appreciate them both just the same. Theo really started because I had begun to dictate too much during band practices, so I used it as an outlet for my bossy ways, which in turn helped me to be more of a team player with my band work.
(((o))): Has your local scene had much impact upon you as a musician?
I started going to gigs in my home town (Worcester) from an early age, and always wanted to perform, the difficulty was always trying to get good enough! Worcester has boasted some pretty amazing acts in the past, so I've always had the opportunity to see genuinely life changing performances. The gigs I went to back home tended to have a good mix of brilliant out of town bands, as well as equally good local bands, and Birmingham, Bristol, Oxford and London are all close enough, so really I was spoilt for choice. Having seen all this great music, I just wanted to try and contribute my own offering and stand next to those guys in some way.
(((o))): Your music is incredibly complex and expansive considering you’re just one man! How do you go about creating such a sound on your own?
I would say that my playing style, at least in terms of guitar work, is quite simple; and the looping style is very intuitive, so you just have to keep trying different combinations until it works. Normally I start with a core looped riff and work around it until I have several ideas, after that it's just a matter of arranging everything (in my head).
(((o))): How difficult is it then to recreate the sound live?
Playing live is the easy part, it's actually much harder for me to transpose those ideas onto a record that can go some way to matching the intensity of the live performances.
(((o))): We’re looking forward to seeing you at ArcTanGent Festival in August. Who else on the bill should we check out?
I saw Blacklisters in Birmingham this year, which was superb noisy hardcore. then obviously Among Brothers, Delta Sleep, The Pirate Ship Quintet and Howard James Kenny have all played shows with me in the past, and are all awesome and definitely worth watching; and then there's That Fucking Tank and Astrohenge who are brilliant!
(((o))): What are your plans for the near future?
Finally get my album pressed, play more shows, and then write another record!
