Photo courtesy of Rob Billingham of Billibee Creative
Theia is an interesting name for a band, what’s the significance or reason for it?
THEIA is one of a long list of name ideas doodled in the back of a school science book! It stood out from the rest because it had a nice, memorable ring to it and also because THEIA is the name of the asteroid that started off the Big Bang.
Who is responsible for the band forming in the beginning? And when exactly was that?
Kyle and Paul actually met under less rock and roll circumstances than you might expect! They were both rehearsing for the stage musical adaptation of the 80’s classic film ‘Footloose’. At the time (2011) Kyle was looking to put together a band and needed a bass player, Paul, having never touched a bass in his life, came over to Kyle’s place to jam some songs and took to it like a duck to water! Jake joined the ranks more recently after responding to an ad we put out on the internet and the rest might hopefully become rock and roll history!
What has been the most memorable point so far in the band’s history?
It’s so hard to nail down one moment that is the most memorable or a favourite but this year has brought us so many amazing moments in the band. The success of our pledge campaign took our breath away – we reached 100% of the target within 8 hours! That felt really surreal, and humbling too. We’ve also played some awesome shows that will live long in our hearts, the heart of it all has been seeing our fan base grow steadily and to know that we’re connecting with people – you can’t put a price on that feeling.
If you could choose a band to share an event with, who would it be and why?
If we could share the stage with Black Stone Cherry, that would be a dream come true! We’re all huge fans and have no doubt it would be one hell of a story to tell…… maybe one day!
Who are your biggest musical influences each?
We’re all influenced by a massive range of artists but if we had to pick then we’d go with the obvious choices: Kyle would say AC/DC, Paul Guns n Roses, (the original line up of course) Jake owes his love of music to Motley Crue.
Your first album was an awesome opening, were you nervous about how your second album would come out?
Definitely! Anything we put out there is something personal for us, a snapshot of our lives at that time and a reflection of who we all are. I don’t think we’d have been doing things right if we weren’t nervous! It’s been over a year since Take The Pill was released and we certainly weren’t in a rush to get back into the studio just to churn out another bunch of tracks for the sake of it; all of the songs on Back in Line mean something to us and we were so excited to let people hear them!
Since releasing your latest album Back in Line, you’ve received numerous reviews which have all been fantastic, how do you think the album has been received by fans and general public?
It’s really nice to be able to say that we feel like Back in Line has been well received everywhere its gone! Of course, everybody likes different things – that’s part of the spice of rock and roll – but we’re feeling confident that we’ve got enough flavours going on to keep people hungry!!
Are you planning any videos to support any of the tracks on your new album?
Absolutely! Today’s generation of music listeners in particular appreciate the visual aspect of a band and it’s something we’re working as we speak. There’s a couple of videos were working on getting done this year but they may take some time; we want to make sure that they’re the best quality possible.
Do you feel that, as a band, you have evolved? If yes, why?
It definitely feels that way from inside the camp. It would be strange to say we haven’t evolved when this has been happening for some 8 years now. Thankfully the evolution all seems to be positive and forward thinking!
Who’s responsible for the writing process, or is it a collaboration?
Mostly Kyle brings the initial ideas and themes to the table, sometimes riffs, sometimes lyrics and occasionally a more complete idea. the songs only really come to life when all three of us get in the practice room and put the puzzle pieces together.
Standard question I know, but what does the next 12/18 months hold for Theia?
Besides a lot of crossed fingers and hopes for bigger and better shows, you can be sure to hear more new music coming your way!
You seem very busy with things at the moment, is it a difficult pace to keep up?
It has its challenges – each of us have our own families and jobs to keep us going in the day. It can be like spinning plates on hot coals! thankfully our families are all understanding and help to push us forwards.
Keith is your manager, does that work well for you and why?
Keith has been the manager from day one really. It was an unspoken thing at first since he had the same passion we did for the band. After 8 years and hundreds of shows, he’s only missed 3, so his dedication has been the fuel that keeps us going, especially when times have gotten tough. He’s so much more than a manager to us, (obviously he’s Kyle’s dad) Keith is the 4th member of THEIA.
Do you have any set targets, or are you just pushing on and going with the flow?
We always have goals in mind, some are easy to manage and others take a lot of blood sweat and tears to come through. You have to go with the flow to a certain extent – the music industry is a living, breathing beast that can’t be tamed. As long as we stay on our toes we should keep rolling on and rocking out!
Could you please give me one juicy titbit of information, either from a professional level or a personal one, something that you haven’t disclosed as yet?
That’s a trickier one to answer! It really depends what you’d consider to be juicy information! What if we told you that the character ‘Roxy Pigwhistle’ wasn’t dead yet and we haven’t heard the last of her?
Lastly, I think I already know the answer to this, but if one of you had to be committed to The Rock Asylum for ;in -the-chair’ treatment (one of my blog pages), which one would it be and why?
In all honesty we’d all feel right at home in the chair! However Kyle is the one with the mighty mouth so you’d be best strapping him and bracing yourself for some madness!
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