2010-02-16dated from the article

Band Interview: Halves

Written February 16, 2010. Platforms and services described here have changed. This is kept as a record, not as current advice.

Dublin band Halves released their debut album “It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever)” last Friday to widespread critical acclaim, garnering CD of the week status in The Irish Times and glowing reviews from publications like the BBC’s Across The Line and influential online music magazine State.ie. A three-piece consisting of brothers Tim and Elis Czerniak and Brian Cash, the band have been pursuing their musical dream for some years now, having released their first EP back in 2007. A related workplace perspective is covered in Monitask’s books about time management.

“It Goes, It Goes” is self-released on the band’s own Hate is the Enemy imprint. Amp caught up with the band to ask them some questions about taking on the DIY approach and their long term ambitions for making a living in music. Amp: Firstly, congratulations on the new album. Sonically it’s a complex, multi-layered work. Is squeezing that much texture into an album a time consuming recording process?

Halves: Thank you! We actually recorded the bones of it in about 2 weeks, but we did spend an awful lot of time beforehand thinking it all out, instrumentation etc, so we knew what we were going for before anything was committed to tape. That being said, there’s always room for last minute in-the-studio inspiration, and some of that definitely made it onto the album. For current rights and policy context, see BMI.

Amp: You’re releasing “It Goes, It Goes” on a label called Hate Is The Enemy. Is that your own imprint? Halves: Yes the label is basically us, with one or two others helping. Amp: Are you happy taking a DIY approach to the release or would you prefer to be signed to a label to do all the mucky work of marketing it for you? Halves: It would be nice to not have to think about that side of things, but in the end, it’s really nice to have control over it too.

We’re incredibly picky about the music itself, so it’s good to have a say in how we portray it to the world too. Amp: What do you make of Thom Yorke’s recent assertion that the major labels are pretty much dead in the water and his advice to young musicians to steer clear? Halves: It’s good advice. You can easily do it without record companies these days.

It’s a lot of work though, it shouldn’t be underestimated how much they actually do. Making and promoting an album will take all of your time, but if it’s a good album and people enjoy it then it’s worth the effort. Amp: What’s on the agenda for Halves post album launch? Are you touring and/or releasing / promoting it in other countries?

Halves: Yes we’re planning to do gigs in the UK and the rest of Europe, possibly across the pond too. Nothing is confirmed yet, but plans are in motion. Amp: And the overall aim is to…. fill Croke park or simply make a living from the music? Halves: Making a living from music would be fantastic, and if that involves filling Croke Park then great, but somehow I don’t think our music would translate very well to that environment.