Cordless News

It's hard to get recognised as a great band in this day and time with such fierce competition but, five piece punk band 8 Fold have found a way. They came on the Cordless Show. Broadcasting their talent to the world in August 2009, the boys performed Shindig and Let's Have Another Drink in their unique style that they've sealed and labelled as Gyp-Hop. Lawrence Gichigi has a casual chat with band member Toby about Spanish cathedrals and unicylces from Santa...

Alright Toby? How you doing mate?
Very well, very well thank you.

What are you up to right now?
Right now I'm looking out the window of the studio at a car park. Very exciting.

Very exciting stuff! What role do you play in the band?
I'm the drummer and I also do a bit of singing... even a bit of shouting!

You know the drummer is always popular with the girls!
Yeah... I know that.

Briefly explain to me, what is Gyp-Hop?
Gyp-Hop is basically and amalgamation of loads of different styles of music. It's not Gypo music but a reflection of our way of life and the way we accumulate clothes, vinyl and all kinds of crap.

How long ago was your current single Shindig written?
Written? Oh man! When we're working on a song we put in a lot of effort to make it sound the way we want but once it's finished I completely lose my memory of how and when we did it. I just move onto the next one.

In that case, when was the last time the whole band went out to a shindig?
Umm..... I think it was probably New Years Eve. We just had a house party here. Then we found one of the best views of London and watched the fireworks. It was excellent.

I was stuck indoors with the flu. I'm well jealous. I've seen the videos on your Myspace. The PorFavor stuff looks like it should be on late night Dave... please explain.
Well, I was in Barcelona with my family and I just saw this bin that was tipped over next to the cathedral and it was just the sight of seeing that next to something so beautiful. The filming was quite spontaneous but it just had a funny twist to it.

Is that spontaneity something you carry into your music?
Definitely. You've gotta be able to play but it's also what's behind the instruments that counts a lot of the time. We're quite fun, we have a laugh and don't take ourselves too seriously but we take the music seriously because we wanna play well.

So apparently the holiday season is over and we're being dragged back into the work mentality-
Not at all. We're going snowboarding in about a week!

You're alright ain't ya! But umm... what did you ask santa for last Christmas?
Umm... I got a unicyle!

[Laughs] You got a unicycle? That's every aspiring circus clown's dream!
Yeah I know. Pretty hard but I've done about 100 metres now. I haven't mastered idling, when you go back and forth on one spot but I'm getting there.

Damn! If you can move on that thing then you're doing better than me mate!
Maybe... I dunno how you are with your unicycle mate.

Neither do I, that's the problem! Did you make any wishes over Christmas?
My Earthly wish is for everybody to get along!

Aw that's nice init! It's been great talking to you.
It's been a pleasure.

Check out 8 Fold on Myspace