The Teskey Brothers are an intriguing band who effortlessly blend blues and soul to create their standout sound. Last month they released their eagerly anticipated debut album ‘Half Mile Harvest’ via Decca Records. The LP was recorded straight to 2-inch tape and honours the old school Motown/soul sound.
Here we speak exclusively to The Teskey Brothers about their musical inspirations, debut album, future plans and more:
Growing up who inspired your love of music?
Mostly rock n roll, blues and soul greats like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and Joe Cocker. We all heard and loved popular music form the 60’s and 70’s in our formative years.
What are your earliest musical memories?
One of my earliest musical memories is of my Dad teaching me the hammering piano line form the theme from Peter Gun. I was obsessed with that film as a kid. I watched it so many times that I wore the tape out.
How would you describe your musical style to new listeners?
We sound like Peter Green, Otis Redding and Neil Young on a holiday in Australia together in 1971.
Your debut album is out now, can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind the record?
We didn’t realise it at the time of writing it but it’s mostly about breakups and trying to hold relationships together. Songs like “Pain And Misery” and “Crying Shame” are pretty much what it says on the back of the box. Those themes resonate throughout the album. Bit of a downer but that’s what we were all kinda going through at the time.
What do you hope fans take from the record?
We hope that our listeners will be able to get a sense of our appreciation of classic music recorded in the way it was back in the old days. Analogue recording methods and vintage gear are very important to us and we hope people hear that. We tried not to polish the sound and retain a live feeling.
What was the writing process like for the new LP?
It was quite quick. We each brought songs into the studio that we had written and fleshed them out together as a band. Some of the songs on Half Mile Harvest were recorded after just a few rehearsals. Others needed a lot of time and work shaping but we enjoyed do that too.
What songs are you most excited to share?
I’m really excited to have “I Get Up” out in the world. It’s a fun song to play live and always gets the crowd moving!
Will you be touring the album?
Yes! We’re heading back to the UK and Europe for a tour in February 2019.
Looking ahead what are your long term career plans?
We’ve always wanted to be a slow burning band. We hope to be playing together when were old and washed up with grey hair and bad hips. Our friendships within the band are very important to us. We’ve been friends for over 20 years.
Make sure you follow The Teskey Brothers on Twitter @teskeybrothers to keep up to date with all their latest music and tour news!
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