Warning: This work has been rated 16+ for language and mature content.
Best known for 'International Tearducts on Parade' and 'Gay Fairyland', the skinny white guy, otherwise known as 567ajt agreed to let his ultimate fan-girl interview him. A member of the YWS community for over two years he's spawned a portfolio and blog of more than 200 songs. Through his work he tackles a range of social issues including religion, politics, isolation, societal values and existence.
Now let's start the interview... release the bats.
Why did you start playing?
I used to idolise a lot of musicians. It got to a point where I was like: ‘I can do this myself. I’m pretty sure I can.’ So I learnt and for the first sixth months I was useless. I knew no chords. I just slashed open strings. Turns out I wasn’t the only one. Through this revelation, I branched beyond your Joy Division’s and The Cures. I searched into what influenced them and their contemporaries; and that is what lead me to play and continue to play.
Who are your musical inspirations and why?
On the surface it seems fairly un-eclectic. Bands like Joy Division, The Cure, The Dead Kennedys, Fugazi, At The Drive In. And recently, The Birthday Party. My new favourite band, they have everything – rhythm section capable of fucked up time signatures, abrasive guitars, a singer off his head. Everything I want in a band...my singing voice has actually been likened to that of Nick Cave, albeit if sober.
Tell me about the instruments you play and how long you have played them for.
I got my first acoustic guitar in 2009. For a few months before I dabbled with my dad’s electric. (Unplugged, of course.) I seriously started learning in early 2010 and got my first electric in July 2010. I got my second electric in August 2012 and started playing bass in 2011, after my brother [Alex] gave it to me. I am basically a guitarist on bass. I treat the bass like a lead guitar.
How would you describe the kind of music you want to make in 3 words?
Release. The. Bats.
What are you trying to achieve with your music? Is there a specific goal?
To give people perspectives. Not to change their minds on anything, but to get them to consider other options. One main theme such as politics, specifically capitalism. I do not want a communist style revolution, but more responsibility and free thinking political systems.
You seem very militant about your views. Why do you act militant when it comes to your sexuality?
What you must understand is, the militancy sprung from me in retaliation to the militancy sprung from who we are. Such as the deeply religious, the ignorant, the easily conditioned in society. Sometimes, the best and the only way to make them understand (especially those of incredibly callous ignorance) is through being very outright and perhaps using borderline prejudice. Only fair, considering the numerous cases of violence aimed at gays, bisexuals, transsexuals or any ‘genetic mistake.’ I am extremely militant. I admit that. You get nationalists, you get racists... I consider myself to be incredibly pro-LGBT. To the point at which I would die for a fellow member of said community. Which sounds crazy. Because it’s true.
What single area of the world around you do you draw on most for inspiration for your lyrics?
The de-industrial, grey, desolate, (ironically) un-inspirational. How people still attempt to find prestige in these areas.
What area of your personal life impacts most deeply upon your work? Eg. sexuality, political stances, religious beliefs (or lack of). You can only choose one.
It varies depending on my mood and the deepness of the personal event. Most of these events have been linked with sexuality or my lack of religious beliefs. Which also links to politics, so in a way, all of them are just as important.
Where would you most like to perform?
I love the idea of playing in a club. A tiny club, where everyone, including the band are cramped. A high level of intimacy.
Who would you most like to open for?
I am hoping by the time I am in a band that; Savages or Holograms are still around. I also imagine that touring with Foals would be a fun experience.
If you didn’t want to be a musician, what would you do with your life?
Something in acting, directing, art, photography etc. Involving myself in film. And it shows in my writing, because I consider my writing to be cinematic; to be stories and sequences much like in a film script.
What genre of music can’t you stand to listen to?
Naive, general and safe stuff. Anything that doesn’t take risks. Doesn’t branch out, that goes back to the same template every time. Take Miley Cyrus, her greatest resort is twerking on MTV as opposed to creating daring music to prove the ‘haters’ wrong. She is not an artist, but an entrepreneur, whose product is bland music. And THAT is what I hate more than anything else in this world.
Your work ‘International Tearducts on Parade’ received much critical acclaim. Why do you think that was?
A number of things. It may have to do with timing. It may have to do with an event that was going on, involving the song’s themes. Or maybe it was able to connect with a lot of people because of its message – the loss of youth due to war.
If forced to choose, which would you say is your favourite work to date?
Hard, very hard but it’s between Flares, Lisa’s Strap-On and International Tearducts on Parade. I will have to say Lisa’s Strap-On, for its bluntness. Its honesty and blatant promotion of hedonism and kinkiness.
‘Songs About Casual Sex’ features heavy sexual imagery. What motivated you to choose this style?
In spring 2012, I was incredibly lonely. It was kind of creepy, sad. I asked out random girls, just to have someone. There was one time where this girl didn’t go out with me because I was bisexual and it went against her religion. I had a long distance relationship for two weeks, which didn’t end well. Overall, desperation, the want of something. And that’s not me anymore. I don’t want to go back to that. Lonely, desperate, stupid. Thinking I could trust people.
Which ONE song and album would you say has had the most profound impact upon you musically?
Disorder, by Joy Division. Which is the first song on Unknown Pleasures. Which is an album that changed my life forever. The realisation that music doesn’t have to be current or trendy to have an effect on you. It amazes me how it sounds like nothing out of 1979. Or the year, or the century. It is astonishingly ahead of its time. That has been a driving force to be daring. And to not sound like anything. Just to sound like yourself.
Do you think there should be a limit to expression through music? Why/why not?
No limit whatsoever. No hesitation. No holding back. Risk risk risk risk risk risk risk! If it means destruction, then destruction it is. If it means fucking over music ‘rules’ so be it.
How would you like your music to be classified? Eg. What genre?
I am not one for classification. But it would make sense to put it in punk/post-punk/alternative because those have been my largest influences.
How much of a part does money play in your musical motivation?
I won’t lie: it does play some part. Specifically in having enough for food. But I don’t want to play music to gain money for luxury. I think money is important. Anyone who says it isn’t is lying. I want to make enough money to support myself. I don’t want my lifestyle to be enviable. I don’t want money for fucking cars... and pool. A pool would be nice. But I can live without excess. Even then, I see money primarily as a bonus. Who cares about the capability of profit for music? Music is music. Music has no price tag.
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125,011 Literary Works • 672,841 Reviews
You actually wrote this XD what should have I expected?
Anyway, I have a few things to criticise on your interviewing skills. First thing first, there is absolutely not structure to these questions. You have completely lost your reader at the very first question. Do you want to know why? Well I will tell you.
You start off with an introduction. All very well. Most introductions say something about the reason why the person is being interviewed and a hint to what the interview is going to cover. In your introduction you make it out to be that the subject of the interview is going to be about YWS and literature.
As A reader I am completely thrown when you ask a really random first question. You say "Why did you start playing?" This is the type of question that comes after a long string, and is a truly terrible one to put as a first question. We as readers have no idea what the context is. Playing what? Doing what? A game? A sport? A player? Your introduction hints to nothing of what this could be. You must 10000% change your first question.
The second question implies that this interview was about music. Well why didn't you say so? I certainly thought this had nothing to do with music from the introduction. I thought it would either be A. About his literacy aspect, or B. About general life. Your questions are initially way too specific for an undefined interview.
This is clearly some sort of inside joke, and is off-putting to the reader. Since you published it here, that proves that you want others to read your stuff, which means that you should know better than to assume a reader would understand/be interested in your inside joke.
You aren't really at fault for this reply, rather your interviewee. But as the writer and editor you have to take initiative to exclude questions with answers that add nothing to the interview.
What the hell? I thought this interview was about music... and then I initially thought it was about general stuff. You are all over the place with your questions. You need structure. Although this was one of the most interesting answers to read about, it is completely random in your presentations of questions.
When being an interviewer, your duty is to ask the type of questions you think that the reader would like to know. You should put some background and context in your introduction so that the reader can generate their own ideas for questions. You suddenly drop questions like this which are so off-topic that no reader would ever be able to imagine it up. Its the same sort of thing as interviewing Obama with lots of questions on cooking, which he had privately told you was his hobby and the general public did not know about, then randomly inserting a question about a pending alien invasion under investigation, if you get what I mean.
I think you could make your interview work better by simply re-arranging the questions and making a better intro which shows what you are about to cover.
For example if you ask the questions in this order.
‘Songs About Casual Sex’ features heavy sexual imagery. What motivated you to choose this style?
THEN NEXT
You seem very militant about your views. Why do you act militant when it comes to your sexuality?
That would make 100% more sense. Also applies to your first question.
Overall I think you need to work on your intro, and also think about what you are asking first. You can evoke these interesting answers, but you need to present them to a reader. At the moment it is a mess.
I hate to be so critical to you, since you are always being an angel to me, but you know me.
I am blunt and honest.
Actually this is really helpful.
You made a good point about the introduction, I didn't think about how it could be misleading. But reading it back, it is a little bit. I got blinkered, because I knew what the piece was about.
Ok, editing needed on the Release. The. Bats question. Agreed. It is and inside joke and you are right.
Yes, you are being critical, but in a way that helps me. I will seriously think about revising this interview and cleaning it up a bit, when I get chance.
Thank you Black, for taking the time to review. < 3
Hey BloodInk. Just for the sake of getting this out of the Green Room, I'm going to attempt a review on this work.
I felt that it wrapped up the interview very well, along with being a very true statement. I liked the mix of serious controversial subjects as well as humor in this interview.This piece is interesting. I enjoyed it quite a bit, actually. It gave a glimpse into the legendary 567ajt's mind, as twisted as it is. I liked how you covered both his passion with music and his written works. It is always interesting to see what a writer or musician was thinking or feeling when they created a work. I loved the saying
Although, I was wondering: Was this face to face (or Skype or whatever) or over a chat or another typed connection? Because, just saying; I could never talk so smoothly without a single "um" in there. XD Also, props to you, BloodInk, for typing this all out, if it was a spoken interview.
Overall, good job at this interview. It was entertaining and enlightening all at once.
Keep writing and being amazing! Go Beasts!
~GC
It was over Skype. It was typed though. So there were no ums. And I did have to edit all this and type it up myself for YWS purposes. Glad you enjoyed it.
Wow. Sounds like a lot of work. Props to you.
It was. But it was also great fun. I intend to do more works like this in the near future. Thanks again.