Interview with Mark & the Spies
by Crizia Giansalvo
- The band started as a instrumental trio, Link Wray's style, and then became one of the best "60s influenced" band of this years. How was this changeover?
I was always a bit unsure about my vocals. We used to cover some Motions songs and Q65. But when I wrote Everything I Need and It's True (I Need You) (both on our 1st EP), that's when Mark & I decided that it sounded pretty good and that we were gonna write our own songs from than on.
- Which artists inspire you?I remember from your show a moment when you sing something from various band,like AC/DC,and you covered a Josè Feliciano'song!It seems like a curious patchwork inspiration..
All three of us like AC/DC, but that was pure fun. Jose Feliciano has some great songs, but I especially like his voice. It may sound strange, but he infuenced me as a singer. He has a lot of passion in his voice.
Other bands that inspired Mark & the Spies are Thee Cybermen, The Motions, Elvis Costello, (Early!) Bee Gees, The Zombies, The Waistcoats, Beach Boys, The Fall-Outs, Beatles, Remains, Motown, just to name a few.
- Let's talk about your producer E.J. Kloosterboer,"king of the mono sound".Why and how was this collaboration?I like the importance you give to this side of recording.
He is the king of mono, but all our albums are in stereo ;-) I know EJ for a little more than 10 years. I recorded many times with him when I was in other bands. He has a very fast way of working, which is good. When we tend to concentrate on details, he always listens to the overall feel of the song. So the collaboration is very good. Also his sound is very natural and real. No fancy stuff. And he's got all te right equiptment. He now has a new studio where we are gonna record in February for the first time.
- What means musically grow up in Netherlands?From this land always came out great band..
Musically the Netherlands don't mean that much nowadays in my opinion. Especially as for the sixties music. There's not really a scene over here. There are only a few bands who play this kind of music. I don't really like a lot of Dutch bands. One of the best bands we had over the last years was Daryll-Ann and the Treble Spankers.
- I think that Mark and the Spies have a special connection with Spain,recording for two spanish label,having a little documentary about you spanish tour (and yes,also because the first show I saw since I moved to Spain was yours).I think that right now the spanish' garage and beat scene is the best in Europe. Do you agree with me?
Yep! Spain is the place to be! The people are just great! Lots of passion! Beautiful women, great food, beautiful county! For some reason people really dig our music over there, which is fantastic.
- Thinking about this decade,what are for you the best albums that came out in this last 10 years?
I really liked 'Don't Believe The Truth' by Oasis and 'Beat This' by the Waistcats, but to be honest, I don't really follow 'todays music' that much. I'm still discovering a lot of old stuff, like the early Bee Gees. But here are a few album I discovered these last 10 years which really blew my mind. 'Odessey and Oracle' by the Zombies, 'My Aim is True' by Elvis Costello, 'Back From Samoa' by the Angry Samoans, 'Friends' by the Beach Boys, 'Live at the Star Club, Hamburg' by Jerry Lee Lewis (one of the best live albums ever!!), 'Blonde on Blonde' by Bob Dylan just to name a few.
- I like your video for "It won't work on me".I feel that is something badly missing in the underground scene, videoclip could be a pretty form of art,but maybe it's too linked to a mainstream promotion.what do you think?
We are lucky that a good friend of ours is into making and writing movies. So he helped us out to make that video. But it was all really low-budget (no-budget). We did it in my livingroom. Just moved the furniture and had some fun.
I think with all this live-on-stage-footage on Youtube and stuff, a lot of bands in the underground scene consider that as a videoclip these days. I think you're right that people see a video as mainstream promo. But like you also say, it can be a good thing. And it's fun to do.
- Future Projects?
Well, we're gonna record a few new songs in February and hope to release a new single/EP or possibly a new album. We're also gonna tour Italy and Germany again and probably Spain.
I'm also recording some songs all by myself and plan to release them as a solo EP in the near future.
