interview with Turret
Have any of you played in other bands? Yes, several underground bands over the years. Catwitch, Jolt, Dementria, Requiem, Legal thieves, Martian beer pigs, Centurion etc. TURRET is a new band. I also recently joined PEGAZUS as vocalist.
What are your names? / Who plays what?
Joe Stanley - vocals/guitar. Bryce Hurley – drums
We have had several fill-in lead guitar and bass players.
Did you make music even when you were young? No. I didn’t start playing guitar until I was 16, and I was a terrible player for many years. Some say I still am. Haha! About 6 years ago I started singing, and joined a metal cover band for fun.
Where are you from? Melbourne, Australia. I was originally from London, UK.
What year did the band form? TURRET formed in 2015.
What's your style of genre? We play classic metal. Influenced by the NWOBM bands like - Angelwitch, Cloven Hoof, AIIZ, Saxon, Diamondhead, Samson, Trespass, Weapon, Blitzkrieg, Chariot, Iron Maiden and other UK acts Judas Priest, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, etc.
What inspires you? Seeing other bands playing live and having fun on stage. Playing with other metal bands and jamming with other musicians.
How often and where do you rehearse? Every week in a rehearsal studio. We are too loud to play in a house. I play guitar and write songs at home when I have time.
How have you developed since you started with the music? The more I play or sing, the more I hear music, the more I learn. I never stop learning. I have slowly got better, it was never natural for me. I even did a 3 year music course that was jazz based, that was really hard. It really helped to expand my mind to new sounds, and listen to other players.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? I work many jobs to fund my bands, including film crew, band crew, roadie, auto bodyshop work and construction jobs too. Playing in a band doesn’t pay the bills. I wish it did! Haha.
What made you decide to make this music? Music has always been inside me, my head, my soul. It breaks your heart but also makes you feel the best you ever can. It’s just something that I have to do. I love it when people sing my songs back at me during a gig. Fantastic feeling.
What are your songs about? Mainly history, castles, medieval adventures, swords, witchcraft and pagans.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? I write all songs and lyrics for Turret.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? I start with the music, then sing a melody over a quick demo version before I write any words. I send that to Bryce and then we get together to jam. It changes a little from the demos I send, sometimes just a stop or extend a section for better musicality or flow. Bryce writes all drum parts.
Have you done any covers live? Yes, many Judas Priest and a lot of NWOBHM songs as well. Great fun to do. Sometimes it’s a good way for people that haven’t seen us before to get into it..
What language do you sing in? I only know English. I never got to learn another language at school as my family moved around when I was younger. I tried later but nothing stays in my head. I am always saying sorry in Europe for not knowing the local language. Luckily most people are patient with me. At festivals over there most metal-heads know enough to get food and alcohol! Cheers. haha
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? The songs vary a lot as I have written about 60 or so tunes.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Melbourne has a large metal/ hard rock community with many venues and many good metal/rock bands. You could go out nearly every night and see bands play, from very small pubs with 20 people to much larger clubs. A lot of International bands tour here now which is great.
What was your latest gig? 28th Jan was Pegazus at Ausocalypse 3. Metal festival in Bendigo, Victoria. It was with 25 bands. 3 stages. Was a great day/night. Got to see a few bands I hadn’t seen before.
Where have you played live this year? Only in Bendigo and Melbourne so far. Last year was Australian state capital cities, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, Sydney,
Where do you plan to gig the coming year? Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart, and any other metal festivals that we can get on.
Where can people buy your merchandise? We have patches, stickers and downloads, available through bandcamp or at a show.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? Everybody is different, personally I don’t download many songs. I prefer the cd in my hand. I like having the artwork and lyrics to read. I still have vinyl and cassettes from when I was a teenager. I hear a lot of new bands via the internet these days and through two local radio stations that have weekly metal shows, 3RRR and 3PBS-fm
What do you think of my work? Great reading. Blog looks really good.
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? All interviews, blogs, radio stations on FM or online are important to get a band’s tunes out there for people to hear. It’s great to get a message from some-one on the other side of the world say Hey I really enjoyed that tune. Cheers.
Do you have any role models or idols? There are some local guys I really like, but the biggest International band is Iron Maiden.
Why do you think that they exist? Consistently playing and touring the world and releasing good albums. They appreciate their fans and crew. They enjoy playing live. I was lucky to crew for them here for the last few tours.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Be nice to the crew, venue workers, other bands and fans. Say thank-you. They have taken the time to listen to your band, buy your merch, turn up to shows. Appreciate them and your fellow bands members time and effort. Practice, a lot. Be reliable. Buy good equipment. You wont make any money but you will have fun connecting with people.
What are your web sites?
There is no official website but my TURRET can be found here.
What are your plans for the future? I am wanting to record one EP with Turret and an EP with Pegazus this year. We will continue to play gigs around Australia and try to get back to Europe one day.
Do you have something to add? Thank-you so much for the invitation of this interview.
