Marc caught up with Ben Kotin, Nate Derby and Devan Bentley from Such Gold to talk about their UK tour, Zebras and Giraffes and much more randomness.

You recently recorded Misadventures didn't you, how has that gone down at gigs and with fans?
Devan: It's been going pretty good. It came out in august so it's been a while since it came out and it seems to have been pretty well accepted by everyone. We've been playing quite a lot of the songs live to, more so than the old stuff.

Do you prefer playing that to your older stuff?
Group: Yeah

What was it like recording with Steve Evetts because he's worked with The Cure, Senses Fails, Saves the Day and more?
Nate: That's true he did work with The Cure.

Devan: Yeah Steve has worked with a tone of bands we look up to. It was awesome to be able to work with him and learn from him. Play the best we could play.

Ben: He really go the best out of us.

Nate:He taught Skyler and I guitar techniques we had never known before. So now I play guitar how he taught me. It's simple things like that that just working with a producer of his calibre help you not only with a better recording but become a better musician so it was a really excellent learning experience.

Devan: Do you want to say something about Steve?

Ben: It was a little intimidating at first

Nate: yeah

Ben: because it's this guy who's done all this awesome shit. But once we got going everything went super smooth.

Nate: We warmed up to him pretty quick.

Ben: Yeah definitely.

How was the recording compare to your past experiences. Did you record your old demo by yourselves?
Ben: No we've recorded people before. A couple we've done with the guy Steve at Square studio's where we live at home. It's a smaller studio, but he still knows what's up. Greg Oldman on Pedestals. Small studio in someone's basement but he still knew what he was doing. If we had to record ourselves up in till recently we would have been pretty screwed. But now we have Steel Wolf our new bassist I'd have to take that back because he knows a lot about recording.

Nate: He lives in John studio and he just did two song's for us. We basically self produced the record, and he engineered it so that was a way different experience with way more freedom. I really liked it.

Devan: Just before we left for this tour we did two songs in John Studio which is what he's talking about.

Do you think you will play either of those two tonight?
Devan: Maybe, but probably not .We've been playing one a little bit a couple of the days and it's not quite up to par.

Nate: We were headlining in Europe in Germany and we were playing them when we had the time but with just 30 minutes on this tour we have core stuff that we've just got to get through. We might play it once or twice in the UK tour.

Ben: Maybe if all you loving fans come out to support we might.

If you could tell anyone to listen to one of your songs which one would it be?
Ben: The World That You Live In on the Into It split because that's one of my favourites and it's probably and overlooked song as it's on the split.

Nate: I like Two Year Plan. I think it's the most accessible for someone who wants to get into our band. It's catch, it's fast and melodic, I think it encompasses everything we do in one little package.

And you did the video for that track recently What was that like?
Ben: It was cool. We had to wake up super early in the morning. We've never done anything like that really.

Devan: We don't wake up early very often.
Haha

Ben: We felt pretty weird about it, or I felt pretty weird about it at first but the guy we were working with made it really comfortable. He's done it a lot and it didn't seem as goofy to him. He was real easy to work with. It was fun.

Nate: What was his name again?

Deven: Ben, erm Ben something. Should know that haha.

Do you think it's important to have control over what happens and the style of music videos and album art?
Devan: Absolutely. We've never had any issues with it before. No one has ever told us this is what the artwork needs to be or how the video needs to go.

Ben: We wouldn't put up with that.

Devan: Yeah we wouldn't. We've always tried to keep the control there for all the art, wither it's the music or the artwork.

Where do you guy's see yourselves in a year's time?
Ben: On my parents couch eating microwavable pizza.

Good answer.
Devan: Hopefully having a new record in the works, just writing as much music as we can. Wither that be Such Gold or other guys have a side project going on, Taking Meds. Writing a lot of music for that as well.

Does that interfere much with this or do you have a good balance?
Ben: We just recorded a demo when we had time off and we'll probably try and play it a bit when Such Gold is having time off.

Have you got any interesting tour stories? For example Devil Sold His Soul had their bassist kidnapped by the support band and brought back the following day.
Devan: Oh wow.

Nate: Nothing that great. We never do anything that crazy.

Ben: No that happened to us, but we were all on mushrooms and wearing ninja turtle outfits. And Splinter was there. It was just like that one but way cooler.

Hahaha yeah.

Devan: I've got a question actually. Where'd you get that Led Zeppelin t-shirt and how old is it?

About 6 years old I think, I've had it a while.
Devan: Oh cool.

Ben: What's your biggest inspiration?

Nirvana because they got me into music.
Devan: Havana?

Nate: Nirvana.

Ben: Tight.

Who are your musical influences?
Ben: Mostly music from Havana.

Haha.

Nate: Cuban rock, Cuban pop, C-Pop I believe it's called. Reggae Tone.

Devan: Cuban cigars.

Devan: The Spawn album.

Nate: Yeah check out Spawn the album, it's a load of rock and Electronica mash ups.
R Ben: The Space Jam soundtrack as well.

Nice. Do you guys prefer doing festivals or shows like this?
Ben: I think it's good to have a healthy balance. I think I'd lose my mind if we did festivals everyday because there so much fun. Not that shows aren't fun but there's just so much going on. It's very intense and it's super cool to do once in a while but on an everyday basis I'd rather be playing clubs.

Nate: Clubs are more intimate, like a show like this or last night in Cardiff or whatever, most of the shows on this tour are in clubs like this. I think that's why Funeral picked those, they wanted a more intimate tour. Something where the fans would feel a lot closer to the band and closer to the stage. This is the environment were most comfortable in at this point. Were very much in our element.

Devan: It's cool to have festivals as a little treat ya know. It's like a day of crazy awesome bands.

Nate: Groezrockwas like that last year.

Devan: We get to play on a big stage. Keep it as an every once in a while kinda thing.

Nate: You get a lot of exposure doing that.

Devan: Yeah Rose Rock really helped. Everywhere we go on this tour people have been like "oh we saw your set at Groezrock". Germany and Netherlands especially.

You've toured over quite a few different countries where's been your favourite?
Devan: There's been Costa Rica, Japan.

Nate: Australia.

Devan: But Australia was probably the best.

Everyone says that.
Devan: It's beautiful. When we went there we went with No Trigger and it was so much fun. It was just a really good time.

Our last question and we ask everyone this. Would you rather be a Giraffe or a Zebra and why?
Nate: Where are we talking?

Devan: Anywhere.

Ben: Africa.

Yeah probably Africa.
Nate: I was guna say, I wouldn't want to be a Giraffe in New York. But if it's Africa.

Ben: I'd be a Giraffe. It would be pretty cool.

Devan: I duno that weird's me out, to have such a long neck.

Nate: Yeah right. I like Zebra's because of the stripes.

Ben: Which is faster?
In a short race probably a Giraffe because they just have to bend over but in a longer race Zebra.
Ben: Yeah. I feel like Giraffe's might be quick but they have terrible balance with those skinny legs and all that weight. I feel like a Zebra would be faster.

Ben: I'll chose Giraffe.

Hahahaha.

Ben: Because I feel like a Lion would eat a Zebra first, because it's close to an Oreo cookie I duno.

Nate: It's closer to the ground.

Devan: I'll be the Lion.

Ben: And Zebra's just look like Donkeys with stripes.

Devan: That's true.

Hahaha.

Ben: I mean in books they look cool but for real you're like meh.

Nate: Like in Zoo magazine, use to get that magazine.

Devan: Fuck Zebra's

Ben:Yeah Fuck Zebra's.

Hahahaha.

Do you have a message for any of your fans that read this.
Ben: Yeah if any of you are Zebra's we were just kidding.

HAhahaha.

Nate: If you get offended don't come to our shows.

Ben: Woah Nate, we talked about this.

Nate: Sorry.

Ben: We are accepting of Zebra's.

Devan: Both Zebra's and Giraffe's are accepted at our shows.

Ben: Yeah if you're Giraffe and the club says you can't come in that's against your basic human rights.

Nate: Well Giraffe rights.

Hahaha.

They've got long necks they could peak in through the window, a Zebra outside couldn't see anything.
Nate: He couldn't see shit.

Devan: Yeah.

Interview by Robert Lawrence