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12 Stone Toddler
Ben Jones from 12 Stone Toddler reveals his love of literature and the Eastenders theme tune
What motivates you to make music?
Incompetence at everything else? Some deep-seated infantile bid for attention? Or perhaps genetics- my Gran was an actress and dancer and my parents met making kid’s shows for local radio. Performance is part of my DNA program.
What three aspects or parts of your latest release (single or album) are you most proud of?
Our latest release is the ‘Come Back!’ single. My favourite aspect of it is the way the slightly menacing Mancini-esque riff contrasts with the sweet poppiness of the chorus. I like the way the guiro is used to sound aggressive, an unusual use of the instrument yet an obvious one in a way, as it sounds like a raspy voice talking, some kind of wooden goblin. The guiro is one of those percussion instruments you scrape with a stick by the way- a recent reviewer thought a washboard was the culprit! I also enjoy playing the rock ‘n roll piano part.
If time and money were no issue, how long do you think it would take you to make the perfect album?
I don’t think it’s good to spend that long on an album, inevitably after a time you lose perspective and can no longer see the music as music, merely information. Also the pressure of deadlines creates nervous energy that’s useful creatively and often produces the best results. I think a work should contain spontaneity and the spirit of the time in which it is made. Our first album took us three months, with several breaks. If it had been three uninterrupted months I would say that’s about optimum.
What do you enjoy doing away from music?
Being a Dad and a boyfriend, spending time in nature, being with close friends, being silly and laughing.
Which song or piece of music other than your own draws the strongest emotional response from you?
I’m utterly soppy and an embarrassing amount of songs make me choke… the strongest response is a little hard to measure so I’ll plump for the Eastenders (or Blenders) theme tune as it draws the most vocal response from me- I can’t hear it without loudly singing “BLENDY WENDY WEN-DY..WOOOS…” over it hoping one day someone will join in…
Outside of recording and playing music, which part of the musician’s life do you find the most dull?
Queuing in airports.
Which instrument do you wish you could play and why?
The xylophone. I’m inspired by Frank Zappa’s music in which it’s a constant feature. His principal xylophonist from the 70s, Ruth Underwood, blows me away. I’m going to learn!
Apart from music are there any other art forms you relate to?
I probably relate best to literature. I’m fond of William Blake and my favourite novels are Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I also love Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy. However I’m lazy about reading and haven’t read a good novel in years. On a day-to-day basis TV and newspapers are the only other media in my life.
What role do you believe music plays in the world and how do you help to fulfill it?
I think music is a manifestation of a something vaster and more complex than the world made by human beings: - the inner workings of the universe and the forces of creation themselves. Therefore it’s more a question of what role our world plays in music- hopefully to nurture it and allow it into people’s hearts, minds, throats and fingers, to transform for the better. How do I help fulfill it? Despite being lazy by nature, I’ve devoted my whole adult life to translating the music I hear in my head into a form people can listen to.
With the rise of the internet fans are able to become closer to and know more about their artists. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
I think it’s a good thing; we love corresponding with our fans on Myspace and with people that inspire us. I think the Internet is a tremendously empowering tool for artists and people of a creative disposition, breaking the fourth wall and all that.
How do you think music will be distributed, exchanged or sold in 5 years time?
Probably exclusively on the net, although in parallel with this development I expect live performance to grow in value as it can’t be downloaded or duplicated. I would like to see a resurgence of vinyl LPs as coveted items- they still have superior sound quality and don’t feel like I truly own an album unless in this format. Shame on you, compact disc jockeys! MP3 jockeys should be subjected to medieval punishments, or at least given asbos. The few respectable dj’s lug their record bags around with them…
If you could rename your band (or if you don't already have one), what would it be?
I’m curious which artists would be answering this questionnaire without already having a name??I do have an answer but it’s sadly unprintable.
Looking back on the last century, which decade had the best music?
Not a fair question as the 1900s-30s will lose out due to inferior recording technology.
In 10 years time, what will you be doing?
I will be Emperor Of The Earth
Please leave us with your favourite lyric, line of poetry, quote or phrase.
“Granny spots the teacakes, and moves in for the kill. A loose nail snags her piss-bag, and out the contents spill. You try to stymie laughter, but you are laughter’s toy, and it’s ha ha ha ha ha ha schadenfreude.”
(Schadenfreude, by The Don Bradmans)
12 Stone Toddler release their new single 'Comeback!' on 3rd March
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