Spokes - Sound08 Winner
We have a winner
After a closely fought battle, we are delighted to reveal Spokes as the winner of Sound 08.
Spokes formed as a five-piece in July 2006 and began writing extended rock songs, interspersed with drones and noise (their words, not ours).
Spokes' post-rock, mini-orchestra sound will appeal to fans of Sigur Ros and Arcade Fire and we believe that once they have graced the stage at Rock Ness this year, 2008 will bring Spokes very big things indeed.
Read our exclusive interview with Spokes below.
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What does winning Sound 08 mean to Spokes?
Winning Sound 08 is one of the best things that has happened to us as a band. It means we can get the kind of exposure we could only have dreamed of. We're also really excited to be given the opportunity to play our music at a professional level at Rock Ness and experience what it's like to play a high profile event. It's also going to give us a fantastic platform to continue progressing as a band.
How long have you been performing as Spokes?
It's a little hard to say....the band formed whilst we were at University about two years ago but we went through a number of drummers before we developed a long term relationship with one. The current Spokes line up has been together for about a year and a half.
And for anyone that's entirely new to you can you briefly tell us what you're about?
We want to have a good time with our music but constantly challenge ourselves at the same time. We think it's important not to settle with the obvious, we'd like to surprise people.
Who are your musical and non-musical heroes?
We all listen to different music...Ruth listens to a lot of classical music whereas Johnny listens to a lot of really heavy metal. We're just five people that really adore music and love making it. That's maybe why we work so well together...we all bring our separate influences together.
What do you hope to achieve as an act, and where do you see yourself in five years time?
We have ideals and goals...all bands should but it's hard to achieve them. Ideally we want to make a living from what we do. This isn't necessarily a money thing...it's more to do with being able to dedicate all of our time to doing what we are passionate about.
Is there any message behind the music you play; anything you want to say to your audience through your performances; or are you just looking to put a few smiles on a few faces?
We play what we play...I guess there are messages in our music but that's a personal thing. We communicate through our music, sometimes words aren't necessary...or even appropriate. Making people smile is always nice too!
Have you done anything in particular, anything special, in order to help get votes in for the Sound08 competition?
We've rallied together pretty much everyone we've ever met to vote for us. We've persistently reminded people that they can vote for us daily on amazingtunes through groups on facebook and myspace. We've also sent out a hell of a load of text messages...needless to say our phone bills next month are going to be extraordinary! Our mailing list has been useful too. We've sent out countless emails to the kind people who've given us their addresses at gigs.
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Runner-up: The Last Republic
The Last Republic is a well-established band from South Wales whose songs combine beautiful melody with a driving rock sound. These guys are certainly moving in the right circles and are working with producer Chris Sheldon, who’s worked with the likes of The Foo Fighters and Radiohead. Their anthemic song, ‘CCTV’ will appeal to all fans of Muse or Keane.