Shortly after a brilliant set on the Red Bull stage at HEVY, Hawk Eyes invited Trebuchet to their picnic bench for a quick Q&A.
Trebuchet : You’ve played at a few festivals this summer. Which has been your favourite so far?
Hawk Eyes : Probably Hurricane Fest in Germany. The catering was excellent (laughs)!
Trebuchet : There’s a Yorkshire pudding on your plate that doesn’t look too bad!
Hawk Eyes :Yeah, this is good – on the continent they’re on a different level, though.
Trebuchet : So who do you want to see at Hevy?
Hawk Eyes :Two years ago we played fourteen festivals in one summer. We don’t watch many bands any more, really. We try to do festivals sensibly now we’re older and wiser!
Trebuchet : It’s been a while since you changed your name – do you think this has affected your crowd and reception at festivals?
Hawk Eyes :Not really. We’re the same band but a different band – we needed to change to keep it interesting! The band went from being an exercise in noise-making to crafting sound.
Trebuchet : So what were your goals for new album Ideas?
Hawk Eyes :We tried to make a real progression (Rob: I didn’t (laughs)). What’s the point in repetition? We’ve never really tried to craft an image, just evolve organically – differently from ‘desperate’ bands. Modern Bodies was wall-to-wall get fucked, whereas Ideas is a progression from that. We’ve reigned in some of the technicality as too much can get boring, and gone for the Foo Fighterish anthemic feel Vs. the technical elements of Dillinger – why can’t both be involved?
Trebuchet : You have your own stage presence, too – you don’t really focus on the crowd like a lot of frontmen, Paul!
Hawk Eyes :So many bands talk shit and kiss ass. I like the kind of bands that gets up and plays music – if you play something people can connect with, everything else is superfluous. Plus, if I was worrying about what I’m saying to the crowd then I wouldn’t be enjoying it.
Interview : Jed Saint & Kyle McSweeney
Jed the Music Ed. is a Music Promoter/Booking Agent and general fixer with Rawkus Events. Jed’s interests include a constant and reckless over-caffeination, irrationally spontaneous travel plans and maintaining an over-expensive (borderline hoarder) PC/retro gaming habit.
