Interview with Nice Birds as part of our MUZAI Records special.
Been around since?
Valentine's Day
Current line up?
Tim - Bass/Vocals
Michael - Vocals/Guitar
Alex - Drums/Vocals
Where are you based?
Tim - Birkenhead (represent)
Alex - Same
Michael - FORREST HILL
What got you into music?
Tim - being lent the Velvet Underground "It's time you started listening to some good music"
Alex - Piano Lessons forced upon adolescent me.
Michael- learning stairway to heaven on guitar in third form (don't look at my shame)
How did you get together?
Tim - chillaxing
Alex - Uneventfully, we all attended the same school.
Michael- rising from the ashes of indie-pop sensations "Fox in French"
How would you describe your sound?
Tim - Slow, post-punky melodrama
Alex - The Smiths+Joy Division+Grr
Michael- what they said
What are you listening to at the moment?
Tim - Mountain Goats
Alex - Woods. Black Tambourine.
Michael- can't think of anything that will make me sound cool and alternative. Nice Birds.
What is your writing/recording process?
Generally building upon some kind of sweet riff, lyrics are always last. Usually a bass one.
Your Dream Collaboration?
A David Bowie and Morrissey dance battle.
Do you have any releases out or on the way?
A sweet sweet single coming out, recorded with Tyler Burke named after a bookclub which wasn't. Recorded in September. Um...used the time between takes to design the Nice Birds Official Clock, we take orders, $10.
What do you enjoy most about music?
No one thinks about it the same way so whatever you produce at least someone should dig it.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learnt musically in the last year?
Everything sounds better with 'Echo Mic'.
What’s the best concert you have ever been to?
Tim - The Chills 25th Anniversary of Pink Frost, so great.
Alex - Deerhunter!
Michael- BJM feat. Dimmer
Best or most memorable gig you have played?
Moshbox Radio Birthday, Cross Street Studios Win.
If you could share the stage with anyone (band or person) who would it be?
Tim - Jeff Mangum
Michael- Jeff Mangum,with Chris Knox also, of course
Most overrated band at the moment?
Tim - The Big Pink
Alex - Any band outside America with 'Crystal/s' in their name and/or song title.
Most underrated band at the moment?
Tim - FATANGRYMAN
Alex - Word.
The future holds…?
Tim-Only emptiness and pain/shows in Wellington and maybe Chch as well.
Alex - life.
Michael- Chances are good that something will be resolved about the place where you live, Scorpio, and whatever this solution or improvement is, it will not be apparent to the eye. In other words,
this could be an improvement in the electrical or plumbing systems,... this only applies to scorpios.
The state of music in NZ is….
Tim - A long way from glory days of Flying Nun but coming back slowly to at least a small degree of global relevance.
Michael- A long way from glory days of "How Bizarre" but coming back slowly to at least a small degree of global relevance.
Alex - 5/10. LOLZ AT MICHAEL
