Old
House Playground
What happens when a band
starts as an alternative rock act and as they mature as musicians they
become a retro rock band with jazz elements inside their music? Read the
very interesting conversation that we had with Tryfon from Old House Playground.
1. Hi Tryfon, first of all congratulations
on your first album. Tell us the latest news from the camp of Old House
Playground.
Thank you Antonis! Well as you said we just
finished our first album entitled “The Whore And The Dog” so now we will
try to find a label to publish it. Not any kind of label. We want to find
people that share the same vision with us. People that will believe to
this album and this band. I believe this record does have a point to make
both artistically and commercially. So we will try to find the best for
it. We shall see… We are not in a hurry…
2. I must admit that I adore this name! How
did you choose it? Is there a story behind it?
Thanks again! Well there is a story on how
we found the name. About 7 months ago, or more, we decided that we had
to change our previous name. You see there already existed 2 or 3 bands
with the name “Plaything” and also it was impossible to buy the domain
name Plaything.com or Plaything.net etc. Well after several weeks of searching,
Evangelos and I couldn’t come up with anything that would serve us both.
There was a dead-end so we decided to wait until something good eventually
came up… Then a day the guys from the studio (where we were recording)
decided to clean the place up (studio). So after some hours of cleaning,
I found by accident an old piece of paper under the sofa with Evangelos’
writings on suggested names. Names that I had previously rejected. So the
line of the names written on was like this :Old House, Playground, Singapore
Sling… So it just sounded correctly “Old House Playground” and the whole
atmosphere behind it, was very into our music. There it was! Old House
Playground.
As for the second part of your question just
imagine the picture. An old house with an empty playground. You can still
hear the laughs of the children but none is there. A place full of life,
joy and maybe hopes once, now sits there living by its memories… I think
it fits exactly to our music and lyrics! I think it fits to life itself…
3. You are enough years in the music scene
and you have changed your music direction too. Do you believe that as the
years pass the musicians become more mature and “see” more directions than
the usual?
Yes, I think it is obvious. When we recorded
our first demo I was 20 years old and now I am 24…It was my second year
here in Athens and now it’s my sixth…I mean there are enough years for
someone to take his degree. ;-) Imagine if we were still thinking and listening
exactly as 4 years ago. It would be like we haven’t lived at all the last
four years… So the directions became more, the music now sounds different
I mean I am a different person. How my music couldn’t be? I just hope I
become more open minded and not less…
4. Your previous band was called Plaything.
What differences will we hear between Plaything and Old House Playground?
Oh well I think they are two completely different
bands. I am sure you will agree with me. You know us since the beginning…
The only common thing is that Evangelos and I created them both… Of course
without Plaything there wouldn’t be Old House Playground. Plaything was
the beginning for us. Our chance to experiment, to match stiles, to play
with other people. Although from the beginning there was a big difficulty
on finding the right band members…Never mind. So here we are now blending
Blues, Jazz, Rock, Alternative, Flamenco etc. Putting Tom Waits to play
with Red Hot Chilly Peppers and a drunk Miles Davis to read Bukowski’s
poetry…
5. Will you try to find a suitable label in
order to release this album?
Yes this is our main purpose now. As I said
before we will try to find what we think it’s the best for the album and
for the band in general.
6. What are your future plans with Old House
Playground?
Well that goes very far… We want to manage
to make a living through our music. So Old House Playground is something
that is probably here to stay. We are ready to work as hard as we can take
to make O.H.P. a way of living for us. I mean it’s already a way of living
but I am sure we can get it far more… So for now except for the whole label
thing, we are willing to play anywhere possible to bring our music to the
audience. And I mean anywhere…
7. Have you already play any live shows?
Yes we did play a couple of shows and the
reviews were very good. I mean much better that we had expected. We opened
Calla last summer, then we played at Small Music Theatre about two weeks
ago. There are many shows coming…
8. For those who know you from the "Plaything"
era, do you believe that they can love Old House Playground as well?
Well what can I say? Plaything was a grunge
– stoner band. Old House Playground is something completely different…
I don’t know, I just hope they will ;-)
9. If we come to a live show of Old House Playground,
what will we see?
A lot of energy, a lot of passion and some
really good music. But that’s what I am saying you have to come and see…
10. If I push the play button on your CD player
what will I hear?
Well right now I am hearing a really great
band from around here. It is called “Night on Earth” and they are really
good! Trip Jazz… I mean you have to check them out. Tom Waits of course!
His last album “Real Gone” was absolutely amazing! A lot of flamenco thing.
Astor Piazzolla, The Mars Volta, Rempetika and the list goes on….
11. Thank you Tryfon for your time and I wish
you all the best with your new band Old House Playground.
Thank you my friend! Wish you the best too!
Have a great time!
Antonis Maglaras
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