Brighton sextet Two Spot Gobi recently released their second studio album entitled ‘The Sun Will Rise’, and it has got to be one of the highlights of our year so far. It was a pleasant surprise to find their new release in the mail a couple of months ago, and we were amazed at how good it was. Then again, they worked with a fantastic producer in Niko Bolas, and recorded their second release at the home of Jason Mraz. Taking all that into account then, and the fact Mraz himself featured on the record, specifically the track ‘Tomorrow’, and it isn’t hard to see why ‘The Sun Will Rise’ has the potential to reach the masses this summer.
We were lucky enough to be able to pitch a few questions to band frontman James Robinson, and this is what he had to say.
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Hey guys! How are you and have you been enjoying the sun?
Absolutely, we all live in Brighton and it really comes to life when the sun shines – very good vibes.
Normally we’d ask a band or artist to introduce themselves to our audience that aren’t familiar with you, but I don’t think we need to here! You’ve recently released your second album, congratulations! How much did you enjoy the recording process of ‘The Sun Will Rise’?
We enjoyed it enormously. We were staying a short drive from the beach in Southern California, but location wise it was secluded and so it couldn’t have been more perfect for what we set out to get done there. We worked with an awesome producer (Niko Bolas) who really tapped into what the band was about and we would work intensely with him for a few days and then he would leave us in the studio to work on our own and then come back to see how it was all coming together.
It was the perfect balance of work and play, we were so focused in the studio and then when we needed to take time out we had perfect weather, a pool and a quiver of surfboards at our disposal. The whole vibe of Oceanside, Encinitas and Carlsbad was everything you expect SoCal to be and we fully immersed ourselves in everything it presented to us. We are so proud of the work we did over there and very grateful for all the people and places that helped shape the record.
Back dating a bit here, but you as a group formed in 2005. How did that initially come about, did you previously know eachother?
I met Rob at Sussex University through an old school friend of mine who was also at Sussex. He had made me aware that Rob was involved in various different musical projects and suggested that we tried to get something going. Eventually after getting to know Rob after a number of nights out in Brighton, he and I compared notes and found that we could work well together. I was living with Dino (guitar) at that point and we all started writing and playing on a few songs together.
More and more people on campus started taking an interest and by the time we had got some recordings down, we were getting very positive responses. We made the decision to form a full band and that’s when we recruited the others. Ben Matthews was teaching drums for Brighton & Hove council and met Rob that way, we auditioned Matt (trumpet) after our first trumpet player left to travel and surf and we met Ben Daniel (bass) last year through the Brighton music scene. We now have the perfect line up and we are like six brothers.
You seem to have bagged yourselves quite a fan in Jason Mraz, and you recorded the new album at his Californian home we understand. Did he have much input on the record aside from on ‘Tomorrow’?
Jason had a few melodic ideas for his part in ‘Tomorrow’ and his vocal is absolute magic on that track, but as for the other tracks, he had no direct input. However, had it not been for Jason it would not be the same record. One of the reasons it sounds the way it does is because we had the idyllic setting of his home, we had the sun beating down on us everyday and we were completely cut off from everyone else whilst we were working. His generosity has been astonishing and we owe an awful lot to him and his team. He said to me that he had dreamt that we would record an album there and so he wanted to make it happen, but what he perhaps doesn’t realize is that was a dream for us to be there and the experience will forever be with us.
The new release has been on a lot over the past month or so since we received it, and we still can’t make up our minds what track is ultimately our favourite. Do any of you have a specific song that stands out on the release?
I think if you were to ask all of us, we would each have a different favourite – for me it changes as time goes on. I think we all really enjoy playing ‘I Remember’, because it’s so upbeat and full of energy but for me personally I think that ‘I Would’ is one of the best songs lyrically, it comes from a very honest place.
Who has inspired and had an influence on your music, both past and present?
Whilst we were in the US, we listened to a lot of The Dave Matthews Band. We all really revere them and admire their musicianship, the honesty of their music, their commitment to their fans and I think above all else, the amount they still seem to enjoy themselves in a live setting. But in terms of inspiration for songs, it’s real life, real people and real situations. Our friends and fans really inspire us too, we always want to deliver the best show and give them the best music we can and we will always try to do so. In that way we hope people will grow with us as we develop as a band and as people.
Do you currently have any favourite artists that you enjoy listening to, maybe a small tip off you’d like to throw at us?
We have been listening to all sorts on our travels, Bjork, Radiohead, Mumford and Sons, Beyonce, The Beach Boys, The Police, Elbow, Bon Iver and many more, all the good stuff basically and it’s always different. At the moment, we are all very much enjoying the new Adele album. She’s the real deal.
With the second album now out, what can we expect from you? Will we perhaps see a tour announced in the coming months?
Yes we will be on the road a bit over the summer and then in September we are releasing another single off them album with an official launch party at the 100 Club. In September we are planning to travel back to the US and we have been working on tracks for a new album for some time now. It’s all pretty exciting!
Thanks for your time!
A pleasure – thanks for yours!
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Two Spot Gobi’s second album ‘The Sun Will Rise’ is out now – you can grab yourself a copy from either the bands official website, HMV and Amazon.