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Band page - Tinyfish
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Band Profile
What is your name and your current position in the band?
I'm Robert Ramsay and I'm the Chief Audience Frightener - I come out and do spoken word pieces that complement the songs. I also write most of the lyrics for the band.
How would you categorize the style of the band? And did you ever consider or try playing other styles of music than the one(s) you are playing now?
We play progressive rock. We don't really apply labels to it. If people think there's an applicable label for us, then they are welcome to use that label. Maybe we'll get called neo-post-melodic-art-crossover-prog by someone and will win an award for it.
Long before we were Tinyfish, we were sort of indie for a while, but we found a) we were too old for that audience and thus b) ended up playing mostly to other musicians.
What is your latest album and why should people buy it?
Latest album is our live CD/DVD recorded in Katowice, Poland. It's called "One Night On Fire" and people should buy it because we had an absolutely fabulous time making it and it really shows in the performance. We're all really happy that our songs had a real chance to shine in their proper place; in front of a live audience.
Tell us about the history of the band. More specifically, when was the band formed, how did you meet, and have there been any particular highlights or low points in your career, any crucial events that have taken you where you are today?
Tinyfish was formed in 2004, but we'd all known each other for much, much, longer. Jim and Simon and Paul met at school, and I met them all when I was 17.
Most of the band's history has actually been spent in other bands - first Freefall, then Charlotte's Web, Men Are Dead, Simon Walsh. And if you recognise any of those names, then you're terribly old and we shall have to go terribly slowly.
After we made the first album, getting Leon Camfield in to do the live drums was a really crucial point for us - he adds another dimension to the songs, and his enthusiasm keeps us going if ever we're tempted to get a bit jaded and cynical about anything.
Highlights for me included playing at Summer's End, doing the DVD concert, and being cheered by the whole audience when I came on stage a few weeks ago.
Low points? Not many, frankly. I guess it might be the moment during the making of the first album when we realised that none of the work we'd spent a year doing was in consistent time, and it would all have to be done again. That was not a good moment.
Was there ever a time when you wondered if your band would remain just a local outfit and never make it in the industry?
Our approach has always been not to think about how "big" we would make it, and just make the music. We've got to where we are by grabbing every opportunity that presented itself. I think it's possible for bands to spend too much time worrying about whether this thing or that thing will make them famous when they ought to be concentrating on the music, and, dare I say it, enjoying themselves.
Can you share with us one or two of your favourite moments with the band?
It's always the little things I remember most - almost kicking a Polish cameraman in the private parts by mistake as I walked off stage - Leon asking a very rude question about a recent review in front of a room full of people - Jim freaking out when I came on stage dressed as a flower (it was a Peter Gabriel joke).
How is the writing process in the band?
Simon writes the skeleton of the song and selects a working title for it. He then makes voice-like noises to show me where the lyrics go, records it and I take it away and write the words. Then the other guys fill in their parts and we decide what needs swapping around or rewriting as the song evolves.
What brought you on the path to becoming a musician? Did you ever consider or take any other paths through life besides music?
I don't actually consider myself a musician as such - the only instrument I can play is the harmonica, and whenever I start to sing, my wife tells me to stop.
I have a day job, like most people - I've always loved music, but my background is in computers.
Do you have any idols? If yes, who?
Tom Waits, Peter Blegvad (of Henry Cow), The Jazz Butcher, Robyn Hitchcock - they do whatever they like for their own reasons, and it all comes out sounding great. Even when it doesn't.
Do you have any regrets looking back at your career? For example any songs or even full albums that you regret recording? If so, what made you regret it?
I suppose the only regret is that we didn't go back to prog sooner - but then I guess the time wouldn't have been right.
Are there particular songs in your catalogue that the fans love but you're not particular fond of yourself?
No, not really. I like some songs better than others, obviously, but there aren't any of our songs I don't like.
How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?
Well, I'm biased, since I write most of the words! But certainly I'd hate to write about moons in June. Or dead girls living inside my mind.
Jim, our guitarist, is a melody nut; lyrics aren't so important to him, whereas Simon thinks words and music should ideally be fifty/fifty.
What do you think about the state of the music industry today?
It's going to have to change. The record companies, after ten years of the internet, still think they can keep trying to sell Cliff Richard to us over and over again.
What do you think is the best way to fight music piracy?
You have to live with it. No-one made this much fuss about people taping stuff off the radio, nobody suggested you should take people's radios away or ridiculous things like that. For ourselves, we'd much rather people heard our stuff - then we can see them as a future fan/customer.
Do you have a life philosophy? If yes, what is it?
Like Zappa said: "The mind is like a parachute - it works best when it's open."
Can you describe a typical day in your life?
Wake up, get out of bed, drag a comb across my head.
What do you like to spend your time with besides music?
My wife and I are both keen players of World of Warcraft. I also do amateur research into the nature of reality.
What's the craziest thing that has ever happened on a tour?
At one gig, Jim smacked his guitar into the ground when the strap broke, Leon lost his temper and Simon forgot all the words to the song. And then the curtain went up.
You're heading off to live on a deserted island for a couple of years with your portable entertainment system... Which albums, movies or books would you bring? (Max. 3 of each)
Films: Blade Runner, The Incredibles, The Big Blue
Albums: Rain Dogs by Tom Waits, Seconds Out by Genesis, Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Books: Player of Games by Iain M. Banks, Hyperspace by Michio Kaku, From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
What is your favourite joke?
I went to the doctors for a check up. He said: "You'll have to stop masturbating." I said "Why?" He said: "I'm trying to examine you."
Can you tell us about any future plans for you and your band?
We're working hard on the new album "The Big Red Spark", the majority of which is "The Big Red Spark Suite", a concept piece, which is the universe's suicide note to itself.
Thanks for answering these questions. Now you are free to write a few lines to our readers.
Thank you for asking the questions. I leave you with this thought: Beware of strong drink; it can make you shoot at tax collectors. And miss.
Added by Steen - 10/11/2009
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