Needles & Bees

Needles & Bees have been pretty quiet of late so we got in touch with Sam Hume to find out what's going on.

Been around since?

August, 2007.

Current line up?

Brad on drums, Oli on bass, me on keys, guitar, vocals.

Where are you based?

Melbourne currently.

Musical history?

The best band I’ve been in is probably Rank, and that was in high school. It was with my friends Tony Smith, Bevan Morgan, Sam Gilmore and one Rowan Crowe who is now in Goodnight Nurse. Then I was in The Rabble for a while, then I got kicked out and started Needles and Bees and soon I’m starting a new thing called Nude Pix which will be good let me tell you.

How would you describe your sound?

Beirut/The Shins, our new stuff is like that but with maybe some Animal Collective , Mint Chicks and Joy Division also.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, my favourite song at the moment is For Kate I Wait.

What were you listening to in High School?

So much of the best stuff including NOFX, Blink 182, MXPX, The Ataris. I also have a good memory of seeing the Phat Controllers play at school, some if not all members went on to become Mint Chicks, so yeah I like that memory.

What is your writing/recording process?

Find some nice sounds and sing along. Recording, I don’t really know. Our EP was done with the basic tracks live and then over dubbing the vocals and synths and other guitars, etc. But it will always change.

Your Dream Collaboration?

Me, Roy Irwin, Emma Cullen.

Do you have any releases out or coming out?

Well we have a million new songs that in my opinion are way better than our ep, but we have recently decided to take a break so they may not be recorded for a while. I’m thinking of doing a few of them for Nude Pix.

If you could have any original vinyl release in the world what would it be?

I don’t want vinyl because it’s too inconvenient.

Of all the instruments you own, or have owned, what is your favourite?

I love my Ernie Ball guitar and Nord Stage equally.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learnt musically in the last year?

That most musicians annoy me.

What’s the best concert you have ever been to?

Beirut at King’s Arms was good, I also enjoyed Iron and Wine at the Powerstation. I also always enjoy the Mint Chicks. But I think my favourite show so far is Wilco at Blues Fest. I saw them at the Bruce Mason also but for some reason I liked them more at Blues Fest, it was just so very very amazing.

Best or most memorable gig you have played?

They all blend into one, but I liked Soho in Gisborne last year because people actually seemed to enjoy it.

Most overrated band at the moment?

Most of them.

The future holds…?

Nude Pix for me. Oli’s hell bent on getting married so yeah, he will probably do that. Brad will wander around until he stumbles onto a seat which he then discovers is on a deck on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Then he’ll probably sit there for a while.

The state of music in NZ is….

Well the state of nz music is much the same as everywhere else, there’s just so much crap. But the few shining stars make you not hate music altogether.