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Sheffield-based prog hardcore outfit Rolo Tomassi have been going from strength to strength over the last few years, and are set to return later this month with a UK tour and the release of the second album, ‘Cosmology’. Ahead of their tour, High Voltage caught up with vocalist and keyboard player James Spence to chat about their sound, their history, and their plans for 2010.
HV: Tell us about your new album, ‘Cosmology’; we understand it’s been pushed back...
JS: Well, everything was running a little bit late with it. We actually got the mastered record back from America a lot later than we were initially expecting. It’s kind of disappointing, as it doesn’t really coincide with the tour now, although we’ve pushed our London headline show back, so that’s now acting as the release show. This record has been done for us since we finished recording it at the end of October last year, so we’re desperate to have it out – we really want to play the new songs, we want everyone else to hear it. We’re just so keen to start this new chapter with the band!
What can we expect from the album?
It’s a natural progression from the first record, everything is just so much better. It’s such a cliché for a band to come out and say that, but I think we’ve found a bit more of an identity in what we want to do, as we have more direction than ever, in terms of song writing. It’s a lot heavier and flows a lot better. It’s a fun record to listen to!
You’ve worked with DJ and producer Diplo on this album; how did you guys meet?
Actually, he mentioned us in an interview for Pitchfork. I was aware of some of the high profile remixes he’d done, so we approached him about potentially doing a remix, as he mentioned he was a fan of the band and it escalated from there, really! He came to see us when we played SXSW, and then Ed and I went to meet with him when he came over to England to DJ. We then started talking things out, and it was then worked out that we would go over and record with him in America.
How would you define your sound?
We’ve kind of settled on ‘progressive hardcore’, just because people are trying to put works like ‘spaz’ and ‘Nintendo’ in there, and we just wanted something that sounded a bit more respectable than that (laughs). I think it’s prog rock meets hardcore—hardcore definitely, as that’s the base of the sound, it always has been and always will be. It’s progressive as well, like bands like Between the Buried and Me; our guitarist is a big fan of that band. We’re just trying to create this really big wall of sound.
As a band, who inspires you, musically or more generally speaking?
Everyone would give you different answers! When we started out, we were all listening to very similar sorts of music, and that’s one of the reasons we started the band. Bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Red Chord and At the Drive-In were a massive influence to us. Personally, when it came to writing the second album, at the time I was listening to Goblin, M83 – this was mainly from a keyboard writing perspective. Obviously, I’m sure the others would probably discuss artists that are more specific to their role in the band. In my head, when I think about what inspires me, I think about my role in the band and what I bring to songwriting.
Do you have any European festival plans this year?
We have a few festival appearances, including Live at Leeds and Slamdunk Festival in May, and we’re looking to figure things out past then. We have some very interesting things in the pipeline! Nothing I can announce, but we’ll be busy throughout the rest of the year. Once the album comes out, all we want to do is tour, hard!
What's been the highlights of being Rolo Tomassi this far?
Definitely still being able to do this! I would really struggle to pick a single highlight, as there have been several. In just the last six months, we’ve been to LA and Australia, as well as touring the UK and selling out some of our shows. There’s far, far too much to pick from across what we’ve done, and we’re so proud about what we have achieved with this band. I think my favourite thing is that I get to wake up every day and still get to do what I love—it’s a complete privilege.
Rolo Tomassi's new album Cosmology is out on 24th May TAGS: Rolo Tomassi Words by: Gemma Louise Harris
Links:
Rolo Tomassi - Myspace
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