DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Hootin
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we find Hootin sat on the beach. The island is far from their home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
You're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
It's impossible to pick one and be truly satisfied with your choice. I think the Untitled album by Wintersleep has had the biggest impact on my musical style. I’m a drummer by trade and the drums on that album are incredible. It’s not that they are technically impressive or awe inspiring… The drummer uses his instrument in such a unique way. He creates landscapes that give the rest of each track a new element of artistry. So often drums are used as a bedrock from which the music is built on top. A really inspiring drummer finds a way to be more than that without taking too much spotlight.
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
Hahaha, another tough choice. Since I’m a solo artist and would be by myself the twelve year old boy in me would want something with girls on it. Maybe something like Blink-182’s Enema of the State but that pose she’s got is a little threatening. Maybe something cartoonish to keep me entertained would be good. Something like Demon Days by Gorillaz. It’s impossible to know my state of mind a couple years in.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
Good German beer. I’m a major fan of the beer they serve at the Hofbräuhaus brand of beer halls in Germany. It’s lite, energising, doesn’t give much of a hangover, doesn't make you feel bloated. Would be excellent for an island exile. For a spirit though I would have to go with ‘old trusty’… tequila. A nice tequila with a little water and lime juice and I’m set.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
My Pink Floyd branded satellite phone, hahaha, j/k.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
Probably someone who is both good to talk to and is pretty handy. I have many skills but I’m really not the best at anything construction related. You give me two pieces of wood, a hammer and a nail it's more likely to burst into flames than be fastened together. Also probably someone who you can comfortably sit in silence with. That’s the mark of a true friendship, I think. A couple close friends come to mind.
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
The Central park concert by Dave Matthews Band would be a good candidate. It’s long and intricate. Another good one would be those recordings of Hendrix in the studio working out licks for Purple Haze. It’s not a live performance per say but listening to the way he processes and works out what he wants to do, mixed with his incredible skill is just really fun to listen to.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
Tom Waits, no question. That man will build a raft out of a rusty bathtub and sail the high seas while writing one of the weirdest sonnets you’ve ever heard to present to you when he arrives. The only question is, could you answer whatever riddle he gives you when he gets there; he will not let you get in the bathtub unless you answer it correctly. And for some reason he brought a candelabra.
You've been stuck here for a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Well, this gets awkward pretty fast since I’m a solo artist. Luckily I had my dentist with me on this trip so… yeah. Sorry doc.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
I think that’s going to have to go to Laura Marling. Her lyrics are just stunning. Her piece My Manic and I is so good that if she had only written that one song her whole career I would still pick her. Her lyrics are just so expressive, I try to live up to that quality with every song I write and it is a serious challenge.
