CK: To start off, can you introduce me to the members of the band and tell me about how Dr Slaggleberry got started?

Pethers - Well Chris, in this little band of ours we me on guitar, Turnbull on guitar and Bateman on drums.

Turnbull – I joined the band in 2006 when we were much more funk/metal based. Chris is the only original standing member, so only he can give you the full story!

Pethers - as for the bands origins, it was way back in 2005. The band had a completely different line up. We were all very much into our Primus and Mr.Bungle back then and so had a very dark funk metal sound. But over the years the line up has changed a great deal and with different members joining adding different chemistry to the sound and more technical ability, we have moved more to the so called “math metal/ progressive” sound that we have today. All though I like to think we still have kept a tinge of our humorous funk metal routes.

CK: For the uninitiated, how would you describe your musical output? And who or what has inspired you musically?

Pethers - Lots of different bands and styles, but currently we listen to a lot of Meshuggah, Pysopus, BTA, Cardiacs, Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum to name a few. I would say we are influenced mostly by bands that are very rhythm based, but when we write material were not too conscious of trying to sound like any certain band, we just go with what we feels good at the time.

Turnbull – I’m inspired by music that catches you out but you can still nod your head to, that and dirty riffs, although on the other hand I quite like blues/funk, so I like to try and keep at least a hint of that in Dr Slaggleberry.

Pethers – HA…. You’d be lucky

CK: Why did you decide on the name ‘Dr Slaggleberry’? Where did it come from and what does it mean to you?

Pethers - Back when we were stoners, and thought every idea we came up with was great, Nick (our old singer) came up with Dr.Slaggleberry. We all pissed ourselves and thought it was really funny. At the time it did fit our more humorous funk metal style, and the name just stuck. It doesn’t really mean anything, we have thought about changing it, but meh. A names just name, it’s more about them musical output for us. So alas we are cursed with our brilliantly stupid name haha.

On the upside, nothing else comes up when you Google Dr.Slaggleberry

Turnbull – having not been in the band from the beginning, I’m quite happy to shift the blame for that one haha!

CK: Why did you decide to pursue an entirely instrumental direction? I believe you used to have a vocalist in your ranks – why did you decide to dispense with him and why didn’t you opt to replace him? Do you ever see yourself reintroducing a vocal element in the future?

Pethers - We didn’t plan to go instrumental, our old singer “Edd” decided to leave when we got our new drummer “Rich Bateman” and we went a bit mental with the time sigs. He lived a fair drive away and couldn’t put in the time to learn the all the songs in the full depth they needed, and started to feel like the weak link in the band. He thought it was best not to do it at all than half arsed. In a way I think not having a singer has freed us up to do more with the music. As for a vocalist in the future, we aren’t currently looking for one. We are happy with how we sound, BUT if the singer of our dreams was to fall into our laps we would defiantly be up for giving vocals ago again.

Turnbull – I don’t think we’d ever completely rule out vocals, but when Edd left, we didn’t want to get a singer just for the sake of having a singer. We have yet to come across a vocalist who really gives something extra to the music.

CK: The new EP sounds excellent and was recorded live for an XFM radio session – can you tell me a little about that experience?

Pethers - We got the session off the strength of our last self titled e.p and jumped at the chance. We practised our tits off for the session. Went up to London. Plugged into some line 6 pods and micked up the Kit. Chris Denman engineered the session and got a really good sound for us and we played a stonker. We didn’t expect to use the material recorded there, but it came out so well we thought we would release it. It was just one of those days where it all came together perfectly. Sometimes you play shit, sometimes you play amazing, and it just so happened that day it was spot on.

Turnbull – It was really good, I think it was a prime example of how practice pays off, we were practicing every other day for a while, which put a lot of pressure on us all, but I think it paid off. I’m really pleased with the outcome.

CK: How has the sound of Dr Slaggleberry changed since the band started and how do you envisage it developing in the future? Are there any boundaries to your sound or is it pretty much a case of anything goes?

Pethers - Well as I said earlier, the bands sound has changed a lot since the early days, but I cant really tell you how the bands sound is going to change or evolve, it’s an organic process. It’s not all planned out. We create ideas at home and then bring them to the band and see how they work, as well as good old fashioned jamming, simple as that. I suppose as we improve on our instruments we will be free to play more of the ideas that come into our heads

Turnbull – even when I joined we sounded completely different to how we do now, we were just a lot more funk based. As we’ve been together longer we’ve discovered more bands that have influenced us in different ways. The result is Tuc into the TAR!

CK: Is there any particular meaning or relevance to your song titles or are they just randomly created phrases?

Pethers – They’re just random. We don’t take ourselves too seriously when it comes to that sort of thing. I think too many bands worry too much about the spiritual meaning of a song or what it represents, maybe I’m just not that deep, but I just listen to the song cause it makes me feel good or angry or sad because that’s how I want to feel, not what the song is called. I don’t care if the song is called “puppy rape for beginners”. If its sounds good I will listen to it.

Turnbull – Random, None of us are really bothered about song titles (apart from rich) as you can tell takes he them very seriously.

CK: How does a typical Dr Slaggleberry song get written? Do you have a set way of working?

Pethers - We jam ideas that we have come up with at home, quite often me and Rich will get together to get the backbone of the song done, then me and Lewis will right some lead parts, then we all get together and see how it sounds, then we play about and refine the ideas till they become a song.

Or sometimes we just throw all our instruments down the stairs and record it.

Turnbull – Chris normally brews up a riff from somewhere inside of him that I would just hate to imagine, a dark place where I don’t think anything could live. Then Rich tames the beast and puts it to a structure, then I sprinkle some water on it to cool it down.

CK: You are obviously all very proficient with your instruments – what sort of musical backgrounds do you have? Have you had any formal musical training or education? Why did you start playing in the first place?

Pethers – I’ve been playing drums since I was a nipper, guitar is more a recent thing for me, I’ve been playing properly for the last 3 yrs, but I’ve always dabbled. Lewis has been playing guitar since he was 14, mostly self taught, and rich has been playing drums since he was 19.

Me and Rich both went to drum tech for a year back in 2002, which definitely has helped with the band and our understanding of rhythms and being able to put them into practice, but for the most part we are all self taught. I think the best way to learn is to get into a band with people who are up for challenging their playing, then you all push and learn from each other.

CK: What plans do you have for the band in 2009?

Pethers - Album and a tour….win the lottery, swim with dolphins. 2009 is going to be a busy year for us, \early part we will be finishing off the album, and working on all the artwork and stuff, shooting a new video or two (we’ve got plans for releasing a DVD of all our videos) I’ve got some awesome ideas going round in my head. Rehearsing the new set. We also want to gig and tour a lot more during the summer and autumn, and play at some of the summer festivals. We seem to have a lot of fans in Europe and America so it would be wicked to get out there and tour,

Turnbull – I’m mostly going to be wearing nipple clamps.

…thanks again for doing this and please feel free to add anything you think might be relevant.

Thanks a lot, check us out on myspace.

For more on the band check out http://www.myspace.com/drslaggleberry

Interviewed by Chris Kee

MTUK HOME