Will Tun talks about the band, the music and their future plans.

A good week to you all. We have a new featured band this week and it’s Will Tun and the Wasters. Their music isn’t something you can just take for granted for the following reasons: Youthful energy, foot stomping beats, amusing lyrics and a style that appeals both to punk and traditional Irish/Scottish music listeners.

Their new EP is called Time is a Bastard. I enjoyed the five songs because they struck a chord in  me. It is good when music has the capacity to do that. It shows that we are all connected in some way beyond our cultural and geographic distance. As a fellow Asian, I am really rooting for Will Tun’s involvement in the Celtic music scene. Way to go bro!!!!

I got to know the band a couple of weeks ago and it was fun looking at the pictures of crazy things they did on their gigs. I think they are in the right track. It would be interesting how this band would progress musically. Fast forward to the future…say five years from now. That’s actually one of the questions here. Check out their video Community at the end of this interview.

 

 What can listeners expect from your new EP?

The new Will Tun and the Wasters CD “Time is a Bastard” is a 5 track release containing Pogues-Levellers inspired folk punk songs. It also veers of in places to include a gypsy song.

Lyrically it is varied, from narrating a story of getting drunk in Spain to running away with the circus as well as having love songs and political protest songs.

 How long did it get you guys to get together and then decide to form a band?

I met Declan the tin whistle player at a house party one drunken night 3 years ago and we took off from there. He soon introduced me to the rest of the Wasters. Our most recent recruitment has been in the form of a French Rapper, MC Amalgam who raps in the 2nd track “Community”. We intend to do much more collaborations with him in the future.

What were the challenges creating WTATW and also representing an eclectic blend of Celtic and Punk influenced music?

Most of the band members go to university in different parts of the country. Traveling long distances to a gig can take it’s toll after a while… I once did a gig, stayed up all night at the party that followed and then took the 6am train back across the country so I could make it took a compulsory lecture at 9pm…

but at the end of the day, we are all so passionate about making the music that we love and we’re having so much fun going crazy at our live shows that it’s worth the long distance travel.

We all graduate next year and plan to move into Bristol in the West Country so we can keep making music for the years to come. Hopefully, travel should become a heck of alot easier after this.

There’s not a huge amount of punk bands with Celtic influences in the UK circuit at the moment, and I think we set ourselves out by being the only one of the genre with an Asian front man and a French rapper. Musically as well we’re becoming more adventurous… Already in the last month, we have written a waltz, sea shanty and a gypsy jazz tune to give you a taste of the experimentation to come! We’re all excited about the years to come as we mature musically and begin to mix up our song style even more!

 Do you see a polarity between old and young listeners when they hear this kind of music?

I think there is a whole range of personalities and music tastes found in both the young and old generations. I think young kids nowadays are more likely to be open minded about music since they have grown up in a generation where access to different forms of music is but a click of the button away on the internet. Having said that, we have met some “old folks” who are just as open minded and insane as the young.

What is the creative process when you guys start writing music. From conceiving the lyrics, the melody to post production? 

Often I write the song acoustically and then take it to the band and we add in the melody and percussion. Other times another member of the band writes a chorus, a concept or create a chord sequence and I am left with the job of finishing of the verse lyrics.
The song “Community” is a great example of how we hope to write our songs in the future once we live together in Bristol. This is probably the best example of a song in the current Wasters repertoire where the song is composed as a full on team effort

Before going into the studio, what are the things that you bring with you and things you leave behind in terms of attitude.

When recording “Time is a Bastard” Aymeric our French rapper made us a brew of honey, lemon and ginger mixed with a spirit made from the extract of Pine Trees grown from the Alps, it did wonders for rejuvenating my throat after singing for hours as well as making me tipsy haha.
Our attitude in the recording studio we’d like to think is professional but that can be disputed at times…

What do you plan to achieve being in the band five years from now.

In 5 years from now, we hope to be still making the music that we love and playing mad festivals in England and hopefully around the world! We plan to release our first album in 2 years time so watch out for it!

 

 

 

Wow just think about it. They really have big plans. So let us go ahead and support this band. The music culture needs something positive, wild and fun.

This is a self-produced video of the first single-
COMMUNITY- from the upcoming release: “TIME IS A BASTARD” by WILL TUN AND THE WASTERS

Footage was shot in Reading by:
Stu Brooks- vimeo.com/user4610841/videos
Aymeric Voirin
Jared Dyer
Editing was done by Jared Dyer.

Lyrics

As the rich get rich and the poor get fucked
as the fear begins to creep
as the bombs go off and the nights ablaze
we return to Cable Street
and the wheels of history turn again
they’re looking for someone to blame
a media storm is coming our way
and it spins like a hurricane

Chorus
but I know where I’m from
and I’m no time bomb
Have some faith in what you see
this is our community!

we’re the underdogs, the alley cats
the rats trapped in a maze
we’re the immigrants that came to shore
and we are here to stay
the name of our enemy is fear and greed
it crawls beneath our skin
but music will always shine a light
from a single flame within

Chorus x2

Pourquoi s’assimiler à une catégorie de personnes
L’apogée du mimétisme quand le droit à la différence se prône
L’Homme siège, trône, bien haut sur l’absurdité
C’est l’esprit abasourdis que j’aspire à être compris
Comprends, qui veut, qui l’accepte et qui l’entends
Espérant de toujours plus recevoir plus d’enseignements
M’efforçant de réduire et ceci efficacement
Ces leçons pas comprises ou omises volontairement
Chaque être est unique, mais tellement se ressemble
Et c’est bien triste à dire, mais la connerie rassemble
Ne pas devenir aigri, en luttant contre la misanthropie
Aujourd’hui c’est aussi difficile que de connaître ses amis
Amis, sache que, l’époque veux que
On se tire dans les pattes en tout temps et en tous lieux
On cherche le bonheur et une vie toujours meilleure,
On cherche dans l’argent ce qui se trouve au fond des gens

Check their facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willtunandthewasters

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Featured band: Lachan

http://www.reverbnation.com/lachlanirishamericanfolkduo

Wow an Irish band based in Holland. I shall write more about them soon but have a listen to their reverberation link. I am sure you will find something that you like. There is definitely that unmistakable Dutch  flavour in their Irish music which makes it really interesting. It is hard to explain in writing you please have  a listen.

History
Marlies Janssens and Marc van Mulkom started Lachlan in November 2005. They were soon recognized for their own unique sound especially their rhythms that just pull you in. Within a very short period they were not only to be found in the Irish pub-circuit, but were also popular in all kinds of cafe’s and venues.

At the end of October 2009 Marc decided to leave Lachlan and Marlies was looking for a new colleague. It did not take very long and a few weeks later Wesley joined Lachlan. The partnership has already proven to be successful.

Lachlan is gaining popularity and appreciation in the Dutch folk world and you will have to hear them for yourself to fully appreciate their wonderful sound. Lachlan performs in pubs, clubs, cafe’s, parties and on festivals throughout the country. Check their schedule to see where you can catch them next!

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Flashback: Gaelic Storm – Titanic Set

We all know that Gaelic Storm earned international notoriety by appearing in the set of the movie Titanic.Remember that part where they do the Irish dance? Yeah that’s them. A blue ray DVD of the movie is going to be released soon. So watch out for this one. I love it when someone in the entertainment industry tips us about these things!