The Recently Deceived Newsletter Interview

The Recently Deceived are described as being a ‘power house’ four-piece from Hamilton, providing high octane blistering punk with an offering of heartfelt lyrics spat over melodic hardcore rhythms. Their new EP Use Your Head has an “immediate familiarity about it” where The Recently Deceived “aren’t copying their influences so much as wearing them on their sleeves”. Terry and Timo from the band answered the following questions for muzic.net.nz:

How did you become involved in music?

We were all actually hand-picked by the gods of Rock n Roll at an early age, except Reece, music was the only profession that suited his blonde spaghetti hair.

If you could perform with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Well, to be honest there’s this guy that stands by the Warehouse in Hamilton and busk, he plays guitar and harmonica. We’re all just trying build up the courage to ask to play with him! If he’s not available, then to play with the bands that influenced us and that we looked up to when we were younger would be amazing.

Which one of your songs are you most proud of, and why?

Probably The Simpsons theme, as we originally wrote it but our people have been in court with the Simpsons people for the last 25 years arguing the case for us …

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

A good description would be like a homeless man: not pleasant on the eyes, has quite an odour when you get close, but when you sit down and talk with him you find he has a lot of wisdom. You can also tell he’s 100% nuts, and you realise that his babble now makes sense to you. You then question your sanity! That’s what The Recently Deceived sound like!

What can we expect to see from you in the next year?

We plan to focus less on music and more on our stage banter, and building up our tolerance to alcohol… A lot more shows around Hamilton and Auckland and maybe a few other stops around the North Island. Another EP is on the cards as well.

What NZ musicians or bands would you like to see more of, and why?

Let’s build the damn punk scene!!! Let’s party like it’s 1996!!! Seriously though just want to see more people come through the doors to see live original music. We, like others, pour every ounce of our existence into creativity. No wonder we don’t have anything left in the tank to do decently at our day jobs!

What local albums have you been enjoying recently?

Battlecat… Great local Hamilton punk, they’ve got a great little EP called Live Bullshit. Our other Hamilton brethren Rebel Sound Radio have just dropped a tasty little EP Regret Nothing as well… Get that up ya!

What is your favourite NZ venue, and why?

Nivara Lounge in Hamilton. It’s a good size for bands like us, with a decent size stage, couches to chill out on, and Ivan the owner is a big supporter of local music. Yot Club in Raglan is awesome too.

Have you got any tips for dealing with nerves before a gig?

1 or 2 beers normally do the trick, although we don’t really get too nervous. A couple of drinks with our mates before a gig are always good though.

How do you balance your music with other obligations; family, job etc?

Well, we prioritise music WAY higher than anything else in our lives… Family and work really do get the crumbs off the table.

Where do you get your inspiration to create music from?

As songwriters it’s pretty straight forward really: we all have built in USB ports, and each night we just plug in and download our creativity from the computer generated rock gods. Reece doesn’t though because he doesn’t actually play an instrument… Drums don’t count.

Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

We are still aspiring musicians! If we could give advice to our younger selves it would be to get out there and play as much as possible and just have fun doing it. And move to Auckland, because the smog and traffic congestion WILL make you famous.