February Birthdays 
Hangmen Interview by Noel
Part 1: Background
For Part 2 go here.
For Part 3 go here.
Hangmen are a surf instrumental band from Swansea, which is a coastal city in Wales, United Kingdom. They recently released a new full-length CD titled Singapore Slingers. This interview was conducted via emails with Alastair, who collected answers from the other members of Hangmen. If you’re not familiar with Hangmen, here’s a sample of the tracks on their new record. https://soundcloud.com/hangmen/sets/singapore-slingers-album
These guys have a lot to say about themselves, their background and their music. So I've divided the interview into three sections of about equal length, Introduction in which they talk about their musical backgrounds, Hangmen which is about the band, and Singapore Slingers in which they talk about the recording process and their new record. I decided not to edit out anyone's answers because there isn't much redundancy and I find what they each have to say very interesting. I hope you do too.
Noel: Who are everyone and what instruments do they play?
Alastair: Alastair Jenkins, Lead Guitar, Iwan Meaker, Drums, Robert Crowley, Rhythm Guitar, Bob Thomas, Organ/Percussion and Tom Frayne, Bass.
Noel: How did the band come together?
Alastair: Iwan and I have been playing music together for about ten years now and had talked about starting an instrumental surf/rock and roll project for a little while after our previous band called it quits. We made contact with Rob and Tom and started jamming and here we are today!
Noel: How did you get into music? Parents musical? School? Childhood friend? That sort of thing.
Alastair: Yeah I got into music through my dad pretty much, He used to play me Chuck berry, Eddie Cochran, Beach Boys, Elvis, and The Shadows as a Child, All of that just has been engrained in me I guess. He also plays guitar and was a massive inspiration for me learning.
Bob: I started studying the piano at the age of 6, picking up the cello a little later and then the guitar at around 12. My mother's side were are very musical. I still have my great grandfather Ivor's saxophone, and grandfather's piano and violin. My mother is a violinist and pianist, and my father a gigging guitarist.
Iwan: I loved music from a young age, my Dad, Brother and Uncle were big influences on me. I guess I had range of eclectic and strange combination of music to listen to. From Iron Maiden to The Spin Doctors and from Led Zeplin to Mike Oldfield
Robert: My parents always played me music. Whether it be in the house, in the car or on holidays. In school Tom and I were in a few bands together but hadn't done anything for a while until Alastair got in touch.
Noel: Do you have a clear memory of the first song you heard that had an impact on you musically?
Alastair: I think of two tracks in particular, Ghost Riders in the Sky-Ramrods or In My Room by The Beach Boys, I was probably about 5 or 6 and I remember the way it made me feel, I was totally in love with it and it conjures a lot of emotions for me. My dad had them both on vinyl which he used to play me all the time, I still remember the crackles.
Iwan: Don Mclean - American Pie. I borrowed the record from my old man and would just play it on loop for hours. I still know every word.
Bob: I think Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity was the first song that blew me away. I remember thinking "How do you even start to go about writing something like that?" It was probably my first initiation into jazz piano
Noel: What as the first record you ever bought for yourself and do you still own it?
Alastair: Yeah it was a cassette single of The Monkees theme, I used to watch the TV show when I was young and that's the first thing I remember buying with my mum. I think it’s long gone!
Iwan: Blur - Parklife
Robert: Absolutely not. My sister made me buy Backstreet boys... no I don’t still own it.
Bob: Aerosmith's Nine Lives album, and yes I do, albeit a fresher copy
Noel: Who were your musical influences growing up and as you developed as a musician?
Alastair: Growing up, it's varied, Chuck Berry I always thought was super cool, I then got into more main stream stuff for a while from Reggae to Punk to Jazz and Blues, I suppose it changes as you grow up, Some things I'm probably not proud of!
Iwan: Mike Oldfield as a musician but Eric Delany as a drummer. I went to see Eric Delany in Spain when I was about 13, he was amazing and blew my mind. Ever since, I have been a big fan of technical and linear drumming. I guess the biggest commercial influence would be Stewart Copeland from the Police.
Bob: Queen were a big influence as a kid, and Michael Jackson. In my teens I got into blues, soul, jazz, and rock, rock becoming dominant in my mid-to-late teens when I fronted a four piece dual guitar band. There was a dark period in college where I pretty much only listened to Iron Maiden.
Robert: Well my sister got me into the pop punk faze like Blink 182 and Green Day but then the older I got the more I got into serious music like progressive, instrumental and surf.
Noel: Do you still have the first instrument you ever owned?
Alastair: The first guitar I ever owned was a Kramer (made in NJ) semi-acoustic in Red with a weird oval sound hole. I still have it and was playing on it earlier today it sounds gross plugged in though!
Bob: Not the cello, but I do have my first guitar: Yamaha Pacifica 112.
Robert: Unfortunately not. It was a lovely Strat copy from a department store. I sold it to buy my next guitar.
Noel: Are you self-taught or did you take formal lessons?
Alastair: Bit of both. Initially, I was full self-taught. I took some formal lessons to understand theory and song writing a few years back.
Bob: I had formal piano lessons up until around 14, then I took guitar lessons
Iwan: I little of both. I started drum lessons early and reached grade 6, but only after this did I start really playing. I watched Buddy Rich and Chad Smiths DVDs and tried playing to anything I could get my hands onto.
Robert: I had a few lessons when first starting. Since then just playing with friends has taught me everything else I know.
Noel: Were your parents supportive of your music when you were growing up?
Bob: Unequivocally. And it has cost them dearly.
Alastair: Completely, my parents have always been very supportive. They allow us to practice in their garage and have been to a number of gigs!
Iwan: Yes very. I practiced every night on an acoustic kit and they never complained.
Robert-:Yes 100%. And still are. That’s where we've been super lucky. All our parents are amazing with the band and try to come to gigs as much as possible.
Noel: Who are your musical influences now?
Alastair: I really dig bands and artists like Link Wray, Beach Boys, Jellyfish, Dick Dale. Then stuff like Chesterfield Kings, The Chocolate Watchband, Strawberry Alarm clock, The Animals The Pretty Things, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. I love Exotica and cocktail jazz, Stuff like Martin Denny to Esquivel the list goes on..
Iwan: Peter Green, Elvis, Squeeze, Kinks Jimmy Eat World, Refused I could name a vast amount that have influenced my playing and my musical taste.
Robert: Well besides the obvious surf/rock n roll cliches, I like to keep a broad spectrum of influences from modern punk bands like Title Fight to old Jazz guitarists like Grant Green.
Bob: I listen to a lot of Muse, Future of the Left, Mars Volta, and Frank Zappa. My keyboard influences are Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Tom Waits, John Lord, and Freddie Mercury.
—This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Apr 10, 2013 11:04:51
