Rockezine.com interview with Magenta on Dec 08, 2004

with Matthew and Rob on Dec 08, 2004


		It’s been over nine months since Seven was released. When was the last time you listened to it? Matthew - I actually listened to Seven today while in the car. As we have gigs lately, the Magenta albums are always in the car as a point of reference and they also make a nice break to all the heavy metal I have blasting in the car as well. It is always nice to have the nice melody stuff in among the heavy stuff I listen to ;-)
		Looking back, are there any things you would have like to see different on the album? Rob – No, not at all. What you hear is what I was writing and feeling at the time, so what you hear is a direct translation of that and marks that period of writing for me. If it felt right then, then it still feels right now. The point of this band is to progress and it is great hearing that from album to album and from gig to gig.
		What is the biggest compliment and the biggest bullocks you read about Seven? Rob - Each to their own. If we get compliments about the music of Magenta then that is wonderful and we all feel very proud of that and appreciate that someone has listened to it and found something they like and can relate to. If on the other hand, there is a negative comment, well, it is still an opinion of one individual and you take it on the chin. As a songwriter, you have to understand that you cannot appeal to everyone all the time, even though you might like to, but that is totally unrealistic. I and Magenta, as a band, just go out and do what we love to do and if people want to share that journey with us, then all the better.
		After seeing the cover of Seven, I was quite amazed since I had expected some kind of metal music. How did you decide on this cover? Rob – I haven’t heard that one before. The artwork was a collaboration between F2 Music and me and simply put, it just seemed to fit with the mood of the album.
		Magenta started out as a studio project. When and why did you make the decision to form a live band? Which gig left the deepest impression? Rob – Yes, it was meant to be a studio project but I had so many e-mails about the band actually gigging and then I had the invitation to do Baja Prog in Mexico, I finally thought that maybe this could work live. In fairness, to get this project up and running was a mammoth task as the tracks off Revolutions are long songs and contain lots of parts. Many people voiced an opinion that it couldn’t be done and if I am honest I thought that too initially. That is not a slight on the musicians in this band at all, and I must stress that, it is just that I thought that maybe the dynamics and the subtleties may be lost in the live arena. The songs work, the dynamics work and the songs take on a whole new life when played live and that is how it should be. Here we are 2 years later and it definitely works in the opinion of our fans, so we are all very happy to be at this point and pleased we are able to take it on the road. Gig wise, Baja has a lasting impression on me (and all of us), because it was our first major gig (our third gig in total) and the crowd reaction was outstanding. It was quite overwhelming to be in Mexico in front of all those people and them giving us the feedback like that. To have standing ovations is the biggest compliment anyone can give you and especially when you consider we had only been a band for 5 months. If you ask the other members of the band, they may have a different answer, I know that Matthew’s was the first time we played the Progeny festival in 2003 at The Astoria in London, as it was where a lot of his favourite bands played. But you would have to ask all of them individually to get a true impression.
		You are currently playing several gigs in the UK. Is there any chance of you travelling the channel in the near future? Matthew - We have already played over in the Netherlands (Day Of Dreams in Zoetermeer December 2003) and Belgium (Spirit of 66, Prog Resiste Festival, October 2003). We are currently talking to promoters as we speak and hopefully we will have quite a few dates sorted out for mainland Europe very soon. Keep watching the official site – www.magenta-web.com for all the dates as they happen.
		Since Magenta turned into a real band I was wondering how the writing process has changed. Rob – The writing process has not changed and will not change. I write all the songs and Steve Reed writes all the lyrics. The only difference as far as writing is concerned is on the singles we record. Christina writes the lyrics for those. We are still very much a band though.
		At the moment the waiting is for the live album and the new single. Could you tell us something about the live album? Matthew - The live album, Another Time, Another Place is a double CD that has been recorded over the past 2 years from various shows. Rob always takes out his Apple laptop and some recording gear and then tapes all the shows. What you hear on the album are songs from various gigs around the world. What you hear is the best of each show. The new single is called “I’m Alive” and is a real rocker of a song. There is some unreleased stuff plus another new song called “King Of The Sky”.
		What is the single going to be like? Matthew – As stated in the last question, it is a rocker of a song. Magenta is a prog band but it is nice to introduce some shorter rock songs with the prog element in there somewhere. They are both in the live set and are going down very well indeed. I think the audience appreciates the fact that we are not afraid to try something different but without losing what Magenta is fundamentally about.
		Why did you decide on releasing both CDs at the same time? Rob – It is just the way it worked out really. There was no big game plan, it just happened that both recordings were ready at the same time and as we had already introduced the single into the set and people had been asking to listen and own the recorded version, we just thought it would be nice for the fans to have the option of getting them both now instead of waiting an extra month or two for the single.
		What is the most embarrassing album you own and how/why did you get it? Matthew – Crikey, I have loads of them  If I were to pick one it would have to be the last “S Club 7” album, but I bought it because I just love Rachel Stevens and if I am truthful, I also love that song “Don’t Stop Moving”. Rob – No comment  Matthew – Go on Rob, you can’t not answer that question, I’ve seen your collection and there are some well dodgy CDs in there. Rob – Is that the time? I have to go now…
		Is there anything else you would like to share? Matthew – I think I can speak for the entire band and say that we want to say a massive thanks to everyone who has bought the CDs, turned up at the gigs and supported and believed in this band. We are having the best time and we couldn’t do it without all of you out there championing what we do and coming out and enjoying the fun with us. We intend to be here for a long time and it is an honour to have you on board, and sharing this amazing journey with us. Keep rocking and see you all soon. Finally, if it weren’t for people like you asking us the questions and keeping us in the public eye, our job would be an awful lot harder. Thanks for taking interest in us and keep up the great work and good luck in all you do.
		The pictures show the band, the live album cover, Christina and Matthew. (Geert Oldenmenger)