Interview with Stevie Stoker of the UK Band Twister
UK’s unsigned band Twister has an addictive sound, and they’ve definitely proved they are a band to keep an eye (and ear) on. They’ve recently released “Watch Over You,” which you can listen to through the YouTube video linked below. We interviewed their lead singer and guitarist Stevie Stoker, so keep reading to find out more about their influences, song-writing process, and surprise run-in with the guitarist of another band you just might know! Visit their website for tour dates and to purchase tickets.
Band members: Stevie Stoker (Lead Vocals, lead Guitar), Jonny Kell (Backing Vocals, Bass), Karl Stott (Backing Vocals, Guitar), Will ‘Larry’ Shaw (Drums)
Official Website | iTunes | YouTube | Facebook
What’s the story behind your band name Twister?
Well, there were five of us in the band when we first started. We were all at school and we didn’t have a name for our first gig. It was one of those things where we based it on our last performance, because of how energetic we are on stage. We thought we needed a name that sort of [fit with] our energetic performances. So, that’s where the name came from.
Your songs have an addictive and unique sound. What or who influenced your style?
We like a lot of off-beat stuff. To be honest, we all come from different musical backgrounds, so we’re all into different things. Personally, I like a lot of singer/songwriter stuff. I think, lyrically, there’s nothing better than a singer/songwriter. Then, I [also] like the sound of raw power with bands like ACDC – [and] we certainly also [like them] just because of how tight they are as a band, as a unit. There’s nothing like them. So, when you hear a band as good as them, you always want to aspire to be as good as that.
What is your process for writing new songs? Do you all get together first or start out individually then come together?
Yeah, I usually sit down with an acoustic guitar and come up with an initial idea – usually it’s a verse, chorus, pre-chorus structure. Then [I’ll] take it to the lads and go “This is what we’ve got, this is what we want to do with it. What do you think – what’s your input?” and then someone else will say “Well, what do you think about this?” and someone will add “How about this?” then we’ll all collectively agree on the best way to put the song together.
What’s your favorite song you’ve written so far?
My favorite song so far? It’s probably out of two – “The I.O.P.” [releasing on February 26, 2013] and the song that we’re going to release after that one.
What is a crazy or funny experiences that happened to you guys while you were on tour?
Yeah, we occasionally end up in really random situations. Last time we were on tour and we got to talking with some people – we hadn’t played the gig, we were just talking at a bar. A guy said “did you guys say that you were in a band?” and we were like “yeah, we’re on tour we’ll be playing tonight.” Then we just sort of stood there talking, telling him all about the band and everything we’ve got going on, and he’s like “oh, yeah, I play in a band” and we [asked him what band he was in] and he says “Iron Maiden”. So we stood preachin’ to the guitarist for Iron Maiden – so that was quite amusing.
So how did you all meet and form Twister?
We were in school together – Me, Jonny, and Karl met in school – and our drummer [Larry] I met in college. We were just all really good friends – and decided it would be a cool idea if we just play together.
What do you guys do when you’re not playing music?
Personally, I’m really into soccer. Me and a few of the guys that are involved in the band – that do some of the recordings – and some of the lads we all hang around with are on the same football [soccer] team. It’s good fun.
Of course! So what are your plans for the future [for Twister]?
Well, we’ve got a UK tour coming up in February [2013] – it’s a short one because we’re recording quite a lot, working to release the album later this year – so we’ll have a short tour in February, and then we’ll do a bigger tour throughout the summer. We want to try and get our music out there more – trying to get more people in tune with what we’re doing.
Great! Well, thank you for the interview and good luck to you guys on tour. We’ll be looking forward to listening to the new songs coming out.
Thank you very much for having me!
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Photos credited to Twister’s website.