INTERVIEW: TWOGOOD — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

TWOGOOD

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THERE is so much colour and fun in the world…

of the fabulous TWOGOOD. The duo consists of Tom and Jon, who have been talking about their brilliant new single, Raindrops, and working with Maddy on it – and the unusual circumstances behind her involvement!

I ask the guys (Tom fields the questions) what the scene is like in Bristol and whether we’ll get more music; how they formed way back and who they count as influences – they share some advice for new musicians and reveal what they have planned for the remainder of 2018.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Not bad, man; been cracking on with lots of new music. We had a show in Nottingham last night. Stopped for breakfast on the way home and somehow ended up in a cat café. Turns out those places actually exist.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We’re Tom and Jon, A.K.A. ‘TWOGOOD’. We are a producer duo residing in Bristol, striving on providing new-school funky jams.

How did TWOGOOD get together? When did you meet one another?

We both became residents for a night in Leeds. On the opening night, Jonny ended up breaking one of my decks during my first-ever D.J. set. (That kicked things off nicely). Safe to say I thought he was an A-star pr**k for at least six months. After I eventually came round and the dust had settled, we decided to write a track together.

The rest is history…

Talk to me about the latest single, Raindrops. What is the song all about?

Jonny was going through some heartbreak at the time so we figured we could use some of this as a stimulus to write something a little different to our usual upbeat party tunes. I suppose the song is just about a classic heartbreak situation. Textbook, but it’s always good to draw from your own experiences.

Was it cool working with Maddy? How would you define what she brings to the recording?

Yeah. It was great, actually. With all of our previous tracks, the featured artists come prepared with their writing ready to record. But, with Maddy, she encouraged us to sit down as a team and collaborate. It was a totally new experience for us and changed our approach to collaborations for the better.

I believe you met Maddy on the dodgems! Is it true she attacked you guys?!

It is. We were at a festival last year enjoying a casual ride on the bumper cars when we were attacked from behind by what appeared to be the smallest woman on the ride. We made it our mission to make sure she suffered at least third-degree whiplash by the time the five minutes were up.

Is there more material from TWOGOOD later this year?

This is just the beginning. We’re sat on about twelve unreleased original tracks - just need to set out the time to get them finished. Planning on having another three/four out this year, so hold tight.

You are based in Bristol. Is there a good music scene in the city right now?

Yes, of course! It’s Bristol! It was pretty much the only persuasion strong enough to coax us out of our comfortable life in Leeds! By the time we were leaving, the whole city had gone pretty Techno.

Moving to Bristol was a breath of fresh air. The scene is diverse. Dig deep enough and you’ll probably find a night that caters for your tastes.

I know you have opened for the likes of Grandmaster Flash. Which artists do you count as idols?

Nile Rodgers, James Brown; Todd Terje, Disclosure; FKJ…the list goes on.

Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?

We’ve got a jam-packed summer with over twelve U.K. festivals in the bag and a European tour is in discussion as we speak. Especially pumped for our debut appearance at Shambala this year. We’ll be releasing our whole summer schedule in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on our socials to get the full breakdown.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Get rid of Donald Trump. Maybe put out a few more tunes if we have time.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

One that jumps to both of our minds was our delayed exit from AMP Lost & Found due to Jonny launching a twelve-pound burrito at a shuttle bus after the night had ended. It's safe to say that security was not very forgiving. Jonny's not been the same since.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Probably, Nile Rodgers. Not only do we have the utmost respect for him, but we’re also pretty sure he could tell a few good stories in the green room after.

Rider? Dunno…anything to convince him into recording a hit single with us that very evening. A couple of bottles of Patrón XO Cafe and several Valiums would surely do the trick.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Network as much as possible. Be seen. Infiltrate. It’s all about who you know. Also; never be afraid to ask people further along the line than you how they do things. We’ve harassed countless artists in an effort to pry golden nuggets of information from them. Try it. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to help.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Nope. Just us…

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

The truth is, no, we don’t. The thing about being an artist is it’s never finished; there is no end. So, it does take up a lot of our time, which is okay I guess because we do enjoy what we do. If we’re not having a good day, gluing pound coins to the pavement outside our house provides sufficient relief.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Richard Cheese - My Neck, My Back

We found ourselves in a caravan after jamming at a festival with our nearest and dearest when our ears were suddenly blessed by this seductive re-imagining of an all-time classic.

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