Picture the scene; you come round mine for a cuppa tea and a slice of banoffee pie and I say to you, “Let’s form a band. Within two years we’ll be able to count Oasis, Kasabian, Paul Weller and Ian Brown as fans and friends. We’ll be signed to a major label, and we’ll have our own headline tour and album out. What d’ya reckon?” In response you would quite rightly say, “Get your head out the clouds you lunatic. We both know that’s impossible. Now pass me the sugar and get back to your Sudoku”.Now, I understand this may sound a little far fetched, but it is possible. How do I know it is? Because Twisted Wheel have achieved it. The Oldham three-piece have gone from begging and pleading to play gigs wherever anyone would have them, to being invited by Oasis to perform with them on their recent stadium tour. And the most impressive thing is that they've done all this in the same amount of time it takes a banana skin to degrade.
With all this sounding like one of those amazing dreams that could never turn into reality; I thought I would find out first hand exactly what sort of band it takes to achieve everything, in no time. I was lucky enough to get an exclusive opportunity to speak with Jonny, Adam and Rick about everything they’ve accomplished up to now, and how they see Twisted Wheel panning out in the future.
CSW: “You’ve come a long way since you formed back in 2007. Could you ever have dreamed things would turn out the way they have?”
TW: “We've achieved a lot in a short space of time. Before we were in Twisted Wheel, we were all in other bands grafting really hard for 4 years, but we all believed we could do it”.
CSW: “Many bands say they started out as just a few mates having a laugh in someone’s garage. Was this the case for Twisted Wheel? Or was there always the thought from the beginning that you wanted to make a go of making music a profession?”
TW: “We had always said that one day the three of us would start a band. When he was younger, Jonny used to follow Adam home from school asking him if he could be in a band with him because he knew he was a top drummer. Then one day we just got together and started playing some tunes that Jonny had been playing live, straight away it worked really well and we had our first gig a couple of days after”.
Initially things are always difficult for a new band. However, Twisted Wheel were determined on circumnavigating the pitfalls of being another set of nearly men. The trio went about doing things the old fashioned way; handing out CDs outside other band's gigs. The CD’s came complete with a sleeve depicting a close up of a Victorian slot machine and the words: “Pay £1 for the Mega Ride”. Two years on, and I’m reliably informed that these very CD's are now reaching as much as £40 on eBay.
CSW: “Was there a defining moment when you thought – ‘Jesus, we could actually make this a living?’”
TW: “I think when we supported The Happy Mondays in Manchester at the end of 2007 it struck us mid-gig that we were really picking up pace. We worked really hard and managed to get some top support slots. When we walked on stage for that gig it sunk in what was happening, everyone was talking about us and wanted to come and see what the fuss was about”.
Just like many top bands that are about today, the buzz surrounding Twisted Wheel started off on a local level. Sheffield has the Arctic Monkeys, Leicester has Kasabian, and Oldham has Twisted Wheel. It's important to build a local fan base which forms the foundation for everything else to grow organically from. However, as crucial as this is, without having a group of individuals that work well together in the first place, the whole exercise is pointless.CSW: “What is it about you three as musicians together that initially made you think it was all possible?”
TW: “Between the three of us we have quite a similar taste in music, although we like a broad range of genres. Sometimes we'll have Sex Pistols on full wack and other times we'll be listening to the folky Davy Graham or the dubby Lee Scratch Perry. We're all good musicians and have worked hard at what we do and so it gels together really well”.
CSW: “You’ve already achieved a lot. You’re signed to Colombia Records; you’ve played with Paul Weller, and you’re currently sweeping the nation with your own headline shows. What’s been the highlight so far?”
TW: “The tours with Oasis were fantastic, you get to play in front of massive crowds (70,000 at Heaton Park), have a top stage sound and hang around with the people who inspired you to start playing guitar in the first place. We also love our own headline shows, its great playing in a town you've never been to and there's a big crowd of people singing every word back at you, and the hometown gigs are amazing”.
CSW: “Your debut self titled album was produced by Dave Sardy. It’s pretty safe to say this man has been there and done it all in terms of music production. He’s worked some of the biggest names in music including Rage Against The Machine, Jay Z and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. How do you feel you benefited as a band working with such a seasoned pro?”
TW: “When we were discussing which producer to use, Dave came back to us with some great feedback and ideas about recording the songs. Dave liked the late 70s new wave influence we had going on and I think he really understood what we wanted to get out of the recording”.
Twisted Wheel’s debut album is a perfect example of where they are now as musicians. It produces a fresh sound that contains deeper qualities usually only achieved by more experienced bands. Jonny Brown's lyrics adopt a story teller technique which enables the listener to really engage with the music. Since forming in 2007, the band has received many plaudits from some industry heavyweights comparing them to some truly epic bands.
CSW: “Your musical style and lyrics have been compared to the likes of The Clash, The Who and The Jam. How does it feel being compared to such legendary bands?”
TW: "The Clash, The Who and The Jam are all bands we spend a lot of time listening to, we love that raw energy they have and the song writing is bang on, so obviously we like being compared to them, I think it comes out especially in our live shows".
CSW: “Talking of legendary bands; you’ve obviously taken a lot of influence from Oasis. What did it mean to you to be asked by them personally to go on tour with them?”
TW: “When we were growing up we used to listen to a lot of our dads record collections, like Led Zeppelin and even Deep Purple, so when you're a kid and you see what those rock stars look like its almost like looking at an alien. But when Oasis came along, they just looked like ordinary blokes who were taking over the world and made anything seem possible, they are the band that really got us into music and made us start playing ourselves. When we got the phone call saying Noel had seen us do a live set on Channel M - a Manchester TV station. We were buzzing! Our tunes are honest rock and roll tunes which is pretty much the same as theirs, so we thought they would like it”.
CSW: “For me, it’s a crying shame they’re no more. However, I read a good quote from Liam the other day in The Times. It said “The thing about Oasis is, no one ... we ended Oasis. No one ended it for us. Which was pretty, kind of ... cool”. I think that’s a fair shout. What’s your opinion on the split?”
TW: “We were gutted when we heard about the split and were glad to be part of what might be their last ever tour. Oasis made such a difference to music. When they came out they blew everyone else out of the water. Even 15 years later, 70,000 people are stood at one of their gigs singing their hearts out to their tunes! It’s a shame; but on the positive side, think about how many people they have influenced and made a difference to”.
CSW: “The Oasis tour must have been a real eye-opener. You witnessed first hand the rewards you can reap if you work hard enough. But what do you prefer; playing to thousands in a field, or seeing the whites of people’s eyes in a more intimate venue?”TW: “In reality, both big gigs and small sweaty ones have their upsides and downsides. Its an amazing feeling walking out to a sea of people you cant see the end of, but then again you get a proper buzz from a small venue with 100 people clawing their way to the front singing all the words!”
There's a certain rawness to the Oldham trio. They're a band that is blind to the chaos that surrounds the music industry. They're young, hungry and only care about playing their music to as many people as possible. That's the beauty of Twisted Wheel; they're a real band for real people.
CSW: "Finally; apart from big houses, Bentley’s and supermodel girlfriends; what does the future hold for Twisted Wheel?"
TW: “We're working on a lot of new material and getting a good idea of what the second album is going to sound like. It’s great to work on new tunes and to see how they go down live. We've also got a lot on touring wise. We're back out with Paul Weller in November/December and we'll have another UK headline tour early next year”
And so the interview comes to a close with the last word being, "We play because we love music and like being in a rock and roll band". And for me, that sums them up perfectly. Everyone in the Twisted Wheel camp is buzzing. They're an inspired band that has their eyes firmly on the prize. They have the attitude that they can take on the world. And with their impressive CV to date, would you bet otherwise?
