they took a chance and went against the norm and the results has been a success
norm and the results has been a success
norm and the results has been a success welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with guitarist and bassist wil
speaking with guitarist and bassist wil
speaking with guitarist and bassist wil from alt-j to learn more about the
from alt-j to learn more about the
from alt-j to learn more about the band’s origins and background in fine
band’s origins and background in fine
band’s origins and background in fine arts and English literature why don’t
arts and English literature why don’t
arts and English literature why don’t you give us an idea about how alt-j came
you give us an idea about how alt-j came
you give us an idea about how alt-j came to be well we kind of start off his
to be well we kind of start off his
to be well we kind of start off his friends we went to the same university
friends we went to the same university
friends we went to the same university we met there and we basically started
we met there and we basically started
we met there and we basically started hanging out playing guitars kind of like
hanging out playing guitars kind of like
hanging out playing guitars kind of like students do you know you get together
students do you know you get together
students do you know you get together you guys you cook at our level guitar
you guys you cook at our level guitar
you guys you cook at our level guitar but what was kind of interesting was the
but what was kind of interesting was the
but what was kind of interesting was the Joe who’s the you know kind of prey to
Joe who’s the you know kind of prey to
Joe who’s the you know kind of prey to rats and lyrics and then there may
rats and lyrics and then there may
rats and lyrics and then there may master song we had our own parts he had
master song we had our own parts he had
master song we had our own parts he had had some really good songs and they
had some really good songs and they
had some really good songs and they hadn’t shown anyone who sort of showed
hadn’t shown anyone who sort of showed
hadn’t shown anyone who sort of showed them to me and I just really interested
them to me and I just really interested
them to me and I just really interested them and we started recording on very
them and we started recording on very
them and we started recording on very basic way just on my my computer with
basic way just on my my computer with
basic way just on my my computer with GarageBand and then that kind of
GarageBand and then that kind of
GarageBand and then that kind of developed we were really enjoying it and
developed we were really enjoying it and
developed we were really enjoying it and so we so asked our two other friends who
so we so asked our two other friends who
so we so asked our two other friends who University with us if they were
University with us if they were
University with us if they were interested in doing it and it just kind
interested in doing it and it just kind
interested in doing it and it just kind of continued we spent four years at
of continued we spent four years at
of continued we spent four years at university writing without any pressure
university writing without any pressure
university writing without any pressure no worry about kind of a record deal or
no worry about kind of a record deal or
no worry about kind of a record deal or having a job because we were at
having a job because we were at
having a job because we were at university so that was kind of it and we
university so that was kind of it and we
university so that was kind of it and we finished University and decided to
finished University and decided to
finished University and decided to continue the music so what kind of music
continue the music so what kind of music
continue the music so what kind of music did you grow up listening to I mean who
did you grow up listening to I mean who
did you grow up listening to I mean who or your kind of idols and icons I think
or your kind of idols and icons I think
or your kind of idols and icons I think kind of like a lot of people are right
kind of like a lot of people are right
kind of like a lot of people are right we’ve grown up with phases master phases
we’ve grown up with phases master phases
we’ve grown up with phases master phases you know when you’re at school like you
you know when you’re at school like you
you know when you’re at school like you have different groups that are into
have different groups that are into
have different groups that are into different music and and I wasn’t in a
different music and and I wasn’t in a
different music and and I wasn’t in a good music group of school because I
good music group of school because I
good music group of school because I grew up to know quite a rural place in
grew up to know quite a rural place in
grew up to know quite a rural place in the majority of my kind of early teenage
the majority of my kind of early teenage
the majority of my kind of early teenage years was into hip-hop and no one else
years was into hip-hop and no one else
years was into hip-hop and no one else was and damn it was kind of completing
was and damn it was kind of completing
was and damn it was kind of completing my thing and then I grew out of that and
my thing and then I grew out of that and
my thing and then I grew out of that and I started playing guitar when I was 18
I started playing guitar when I was 18
I started playing guitar when I was 18 because my brother my younger brother
because my brother my younger brother
because my brother my younger brother was playing it and
was playing it and
was playing it and he introduced me to some so look at our
he introduced me to some so look at our
he introduced me to some so look at our bats I liked and I wanted to start
bats I liked and I wanted to start
bats I liked and I wanted to start playing it properly because I thought it
playing it properly because I thought it
playing it properly because I thought it would get me laid
would get me laid
would get me laid I think of that kind of age you’re kind
I think of that kind of age you’re kind
I think of that kind of age you’re kind of like you’ll try anything sort of make
of like you’ll try anything sort of make
of like you’ll try anything sort of make yourself more I’m appealing I think I’ve
yourself more I’m appealing I think I’ve
yourself more I’m appealing I think I’ve been through kind of like dance music
been through kind of like dance music
been through kind of like dance music phases I think as a band we all have but
phases I think as a band we all have but
phases I think as a band we all have but as I also as a band were from very
as I also as a band were from very
as I also as a band were from very different backgrounds I would say I
different backgrounds I would say I
different backgrounds I would say I don’t have a musical background that I
don’t have a musical background that I
don’t have a musical background that I wouldn’t describe myself as a musician
wouldn’t describe myself as a musician
wouldn’t describe myself as a musician Jose would have grown up listening to
Jose would have grown up listening to
Jose would have grown up listening to kind of classic singer/songwriter stuff
kind of classic singer/songwriter stuff
kind of classic singer/songwriter stuff his dad if that kind of goes around pubs
his dad if that kind of goes around pubs
his dad if that kind of goes around pubs playing guitar and kind of the classics
playing guitar and kind of the classics
playing guitar and kind of the classics and Gus pace keyboards is for he went to
and Gus pace keyboards is for he went to
and Gus pace keyboards is for he went to a Cathedral School in Ely in the UK and
a Cathedral School in Ely in the UK and
a Cathedral School in Ely in the UK and he grew up as a chorister in the in the
he grew up as a chorister in the in the
he grew up as a chorister in the in the in the Cathedral Choir and Tom the drama
in the Cathedral Choir and Tom the drama
in the Cathedral Choir and Tom the drama was in metal bands he was only
was in metal bands he was only
was in metal bands he was only interested in metal on my metal and then
interested in metal on my metal and then
interested in metal on my metal and then I don’t know how his drumming style has
I don’t know how his drumming style has
I don’t know how his drumming style has come out of that metal background but it
come out of that metal background but it
come out of that metal background but it somehow felt I have that now with all
somehow felt I have that now with all
somehow felt I have that now with all those diverse influences is there do you
those diverse influences is there do you
those diverse influences is there do you guys see eye to eye on any one band yeah
guys see eye to eye on any one band yeah
guys see eye to eye on any one band yeah I think there’s Radiohead we do not on
I think there’s Radiohead we do not on
I think there’s Radiohead we do not on all the album certainly though in the
all the album certainly though in the
all the album certainly though in the rain I thought would say actually I
rain I thought would say actually I
rain I thought would say actually I would say in rainbows it’s not actually
would say in rainbows it’s not actually
would say in rainbows it’s not actually about Radiohead I’d say it’s about that
about Radiohead I’d say it’s about that
about Radiohead I’d say it’s about that album
album
album metronomy I think we will agree on and
metronomy I think we will agree on and
metronomy I think we will agree on and someone called princess Chelsea from New
someone called princess Chelsea from New
someone called princess Chelsea from New Zealand whom no one really knows
Zealand whom no one really knows
Zealand whom no one really knows like you said you met at school and I
like you said you met at school and I
like you said you met at school and I think you were also you three or a bunch
think you were also you three or a bunch
think you were also you three or a bunch of you were studying Fine Arts and then
of you were studying Fine Arts and then
of you were studying Fine Arts and then somebody was studying English Lit I mama
somebody was studying English Lit I mama
somebody was studying English Lit I mama see how did that background kind of
see how did that background kind of
see how did that background kind of affect the music that you found me
affect the music that you found me
affect the music that you found me I think they’re both critical courses
I think they’re both critical courses
I think they’re both critical courses and I would say Gillian asked before
and I would say Gillian asked before
and I would say Gillian asked before like why didn’t you do a music degree
like why didn’t you do a music degree
like why didn’t you do a music degree instead of doing an article for me
instead of doing an article for me
instead of doing an article for me personally that’s simply that I wasn’t
personally that’s simply that I wasn’t
personally that’s simply that I wasn’t interested Ashley into music as Korea if
interested Ashley into music as Korea if
interested Ashley into music as Korea if we had done music degrees then we would
we had done music degrees then we would
we had done music degrees then we would have been taught kind of how to make
have been taught kind of how to make
have been taught kind of how to make music how to structure music in a way
music how to structure music in a way
music how to structure music in a way that its kind of identifiable as
that its kind of identifiable as
that its kind of identifiable as music and and the you don’t necessarily
music and and the you don’t necessarily
music and and the you don’t necessarily get taught anything on a fine art course
get taught anything on a fine art course
get taught anything on a fine art course but you do get taught to be really
but you do get taught to be really
but you do get taught to be really freaky really critical about everything
freaky really critical about everything
freaky really critical about everything and that includes each other so that’s a
and that includes each other so that’s a
and that includes each other so that’s a really important part that as a group of
really important part that as a group of
really important part that as a group of people I think that we don’t have much
people I think that we don’t have much
people I think that we don’t have much of an issue
of an issue
of an issue telling one another if we don’t like
telling one another if we don’t like
telling one another if we don’t like what we’re doing and I think that’s
what we’re doing and I think that’s
what we’re doing and I think that’s really important because I think you can
really important because I think you can
really important because I think you can oh really achieve make something of
oh really achieve make something of
oh really achieve make something of value if you kind of drop your own egos
value if you kind of drop your own egos
value if you kind of drop your own egos and that’s kind of I think that’s quite
and that’s kind of I think that’s quite
and that’s kind of I think that’s quite easy for me because like I said I don’t
easy for me because like I said I don’t
easy for me because like I said I don’t would never describe myself as a
would never describe myself as a
would never describe myself as a musician so if I’m playing guitar as
musician so if I’m playing guitar as
musician so if I’m playing guitar as someone’s like I’m not feeling it mate
someone’s like I’m not feeling it mate
someone’s like I’m not feeling it mate I’m not gonna be like what you know I’m
I’m not gonna be like what you know I’m
I’m not gonna be like what you know I’m like fair enough I don’t know what I’m
like fair enough I don’t know what I’m
like fair enough I don’t know what I’m doing like each time you know I try and
doing like each time you know I try and
doing like each time you know I try and play I don’t know what’s gonna happen
play I don’t know what’s gonna happen
play I don’t know what’s gonna happen because I don’t know what I’m doing I
because I don’t know what I’m doing I
because I don’t know what I’m doing I think that’s quite a good thing I think
think that’s quite a good thing I think
think that’s quite a good thing I think if I changed that I wouldn’t necessarily
if I changed that I wouldn’t necessarily
if I changed that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to function in the same way in
be able to function in the same way in
be able to function in the same way in the band
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