Turf ‘N’ Turf – Thanks for Asking!

Turf ‘N’ Turf – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

TNT: The two bands I admire most in our community are Eastbound Jesus and Girth Control, both because of their longevity as bands. Each of them have been writing and playing for over ten years. It can be tough to keep a band going, to stay inspired. When I’m looking for inspiration to carry on with what I do, I look to these two bands.

RRX: A band is a business. A business of love, but you got to work for it. Let’s pretend, instead of a band, you all owned a business. What would it be, and why would it be good?

TNT: If I owned a business, I’d want it to be a small VHS video rental store. I’d carry a wide range of tapes and also rent out VCRs to customers- because who has those anymore? It’d be a very niche venture, and not much of a money-maker, but I think it would really appeal to people looking for the nostalgic experience of going to a video store and picking out a movie to watch.

RRX: Cover art is cool. It shows listeners what the artist thinks the album is all about. Because music can be felt visually. If you had to give the public a visual image that you think they would see and just “get” your groove right away, what would it be?

TNT: I think my original Bull Snail logo sums up Turf ‘N’ Turf pretty well. It features a cow skull emerging from a snail’s shell. To me a cow skull is a very traditional image, a cornerstone of rural and Americana iconography. Having it emerge from a snail shell warps the image, mutates something traditional into something totally weird. And that’s what Turf ‘N’ Turf is all about, taking a traditional style and turns it on its ear.

RRX: Artists, musicians, we immortalize. We set it in stone. Is there anyone who has passed that you feel you have immortalized in your work? If so, can you tell us a little about them?”

TNT: Someone whom I’d like to think I’ve immortalized in my work is Mississippi Fred McDowell. I love his slide guitar work, particularly the acoustic stuff. It’s so raw and gritty. He used to say “I don’t play like anyone else, I play how I play,” and that has been an inspiration for me since day one of picking up slide guitar, and continuing on with the evolution of Turf ‘N’ Turf.

RRX: Stereotypes are a bitch. I mean, aside from the really bad ones, you have cultural stereotypes about everything, including music.  Would do you think is the stereotype for the music you play, and how far are you away from it?

TNT: When people think one-man band, I feel like they tend to picture a guy sitting behind a kick drum playing guitar. With the Noise Machine, I’m trying a different approach, standing rather than sitting and incorporating cymbals into the mix. Playing in a cage is more than just some silly gimmick to me- it’s an integral part of my music’s identity. Turf ‘N’ Turf without the Noise Machine isn’t Turf ‘N’ Turf at all. Also, sonically I  find myself somewhere in between the worlds of metal, punk and blues. I play slide guitar but it’s loud, noisy, chaotic and chord driven. I like a lot of metal and punk and therefore want that to be evident in my music, but I also want blues and Americana to be pillars of my sound and visuals. I’d like to think Turf ‘N’ Turf is a good mix of all of those things.

RRX: Our style comes from the extension of our influences. It’s like an evolution. We’re influenced, and it inspires us to influence. What can you say about your influences, and what you feel you’ve done with their influence as a musician or band? Have you extended their work?

TNT: I really look up to  bands and musicians who had a pioneering spirit. Mississippi Fred McDowell, Voivod, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Captain Beefheart all come to mind. Like I mentioned previously, Mississippi Fred McDowell developed his own style of slide guitar playing, which has inspired me to develop my own as well. I love Captain Beefheart’s warped blues-tinged approach to avant garde music. It’s inspired me to bring my own warped style to the blues. Voivod, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost are my favorite metal bands. Not only do I love their sound, I love that they explored the boundaries of metal in their time, bringing their own unique styles to the world of heavy music. I’d like to think I’m carrying the torch for all of these musicians, with my own hybrid of blues and loud, aggressive music.

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