Twelve Foot Ninja Discuss Their Upcoming Album: ‘It’s Gonna Be Heavier and Softer’
Twelve Foot Ninja have emerged in the last year as one of rock's brightest new bands and they were rewarded for their efforts on their album 'Silent Machine' with the Best New Artist honor at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards this past week.
Prior to the event, Loudwire spoke with Twelve Foot Ninja's Kin Etik and Stevic Mackay about 'Silent Machine,' but the good humored rockers also opened up about their forthcoming album, some of the influences that they're incorporating and more. Check out our chat below.
Back when 'Silent Machine' first came out, we had the chance to do a track-by-track preview on Loudwire. I guess as good a place to start as any is the 'Silent Machine' disc …
Kin Etik: Well, it's called 'Silent Machine' and it took two hours …. Wait, two hours?!
Stevic Mackay: [Laughs] Yeah, you just put two coins in the booth and then that was it.
KE: No, it took us two years from inception to completion and it was a hard two years and yeah, it sort of came together more than that, but we pulled songs from a couple of years before and created something tangible so that we could get festivals in Australia. Because apparently we weren't a real band until we had an album out.
SM: Yeah, that's pretty much it. We're already under way with the next one and it's happening a lot faster because we've figured that it's better if you don't record just one note at a time and if you don't do it at the same place. So don't record outside, go inside.
KE: Yeah, it makes all the difference. It really does.
SM: Shorter cables, shorter cables.
You mentioned the fact that you've started on a new album. Anything you can share on the direction, the sound?
SM: It's gonna be heavier and softer at the same time.
KE: It's groovier. It has its roots in 'Silent Machine,' but we're kind of experimenting with a few different things. There's more emphasis on songs and the actual songwriting as opposed to just riffs.
And Kin, you mention more focus on the songwriting. For you personally, are there artists out there who've influenced the way you approach things?
KE: Man, good question. There's quite a lot involved in this album. There's a bit of Jamiroquai in there. There's aspects I suppose of '90s artists like Deftones and a little bit of Meshuggah in there and little tiny bits of Steely Dan. There's a range of influences in there.
SM: A bit of Latin stuff in there too. It's hard to explain. It's like fruit salad. Or you can explain fruit salad easier actually.
You know, Stevic, I remember you from the track-by-track preview attempting to make breakfast with your bandmate. So I have to ask, is there anyone who is the best cook in the band?
KE: Ross our drummer is a massive foodie. But I reckon the cook in the band is probably Damon or Steve …
SM: Yeah, I think we cook different stuff. Damon's good on the barbecue, but I like doing my Jamie Oliver things.
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