How long have OTR been together?
DAZ: OTR started out in 2001, more as a studio project between Daz and Tim and then went on to become a proper band later on that year, with Panda on drums.
TIM: We got together at the beginning of 2001 after the now epocrephal "Benson Garage Implosion".
You released your new album "Seen from Space" recently, what has been the reaction so far?
DAZ: The reaction I'm getting about 'Seen From Space' has been really positive. Most people seem to be saying that it's 'upbeat', 'fruity' and "varied', which is kind of the way we wanted it to be. We think it totally sums up where we're coming from.
TIM: It's been received very well. It's especially good to hear from people who have seen us live and then bought the album the next day.
How long did it take to produce the album?
TIM: We wanted to get everything right on this album, to get it exactly the way we wanted it to be. That's not to say we spent a lot of time recording it; actually we spent 5 days in the studio recording the band live in the room and then overdubbing the vocals - so it wasn't a long time at all. We've always tended to work in this way - it's more of an attitude thing with us, loads of valves and turning things up and going for the vibe!
Do you have a favourite song from the album?
DAZ: It's hard to choose one particular favourite tune from the album because i dig all of them and they each have their own story to tell. I suppose 2A stands out a bit for me because of the way it came about. We had the music for this tune but no lyrics or title. We recorded the backing track and then stayed up late into the night with a bottle of Lithuanian vodka and an acoustic guitar, to get the lyrics. It often works to do things totally spontaneously. I'm really proud about the way it sounds, I think it's quite polished. There's a nice piano break, handclaps and guitars through a Leslie speaker that all fit just right. There's even sounds of the people in the local pub thrown in for good measure.
TIM: It's difficult to pick one song because we've tried to choose and arrange the songs so that everything works as a whole. Actually the one I enjoy playing live most changes all the time. If you force me to pick one I'd have to say "V838Mono" at the moment... but that may well change if you ask me tomorrow! I'm starting to lean towards "Here It Is!" now I've thought about it...
Where does OTR get their inspiration for their songs?
DAZ: I think most of our songs are about faces, places and funny situations. As a band, we all get on very well as friends, and hang out together loads so we draw on that element quite a bit. We get very inspired by the good times we've had! TIM: It's fairly random really. In fact V838Mono takes its name from a star. It was mentioned on a late night Radio news report and the description of how it was exploding and the resulting gas cloud was racing through space really caught our imagination. We also thought the name was pretty cool, sort of makes us think of cars and music.... Just hanging out together seems to kick up situations that end up in songs.
Will there be a video with to go with your new single?
TIM: We haven't actually scheduled a single release yet, just the album - we're all or nothing kind of guys.... but seriously, we're not ruling out a single or a video but I guess we'll see how things go. We're only on a small budget here!
Are you going to do a tour to promote the album?
TIM: Yes. We've done a great deal of touring in other bands, both in the UK and Europe, even Russia too. In fact that's how Daz and I met, we were in a surf garage band called the Wigouts. Off The Radar have played mainly around Oxford, Reading, and London so far, but we have also played two mini-tours in New York City. We're planning a load of UK dates as well as some in Italy (well... why not?...) and a return to NYC in September/October....
What are some of the more memorable tour moments you've had?
DAZ: As yet, we haven't done any major tours as such, but we have had two very memorable trips to New York. We all found it very easy to get along over there. The venues we played were fantastic and the social side of things suited us down to the ground. we have made some great friends and hung out in these really cool bars. It's properly geared up for playing a gig in a nice sized venue with a good vibe and then getting to chill out afterwards and party at places that don't really close. It's a colourful place and not at all pretentious. That rocks as far as we're concerned.
TIM: When Daz and I were in the Wigouts we were picked up from Moscow airport by a chauffer driven 50s Black Limo! Champagne, the lot... the rest of the week was kipping on floors and negotiating the Moscow tube to get to gigs though.... the tour manager made a great first impression! I suppose our memorable Off The Radar tour moments have got to be during our first trip to New York City: Daz and I are Kinky Friedman fans and in the middle of a drinking session we decided to find out if Kinky's favourite Chinese restaurant actually existed. A couple of hours later we were sitting in Big Wongs on Mott Street, watching out for the Kinkster and wondering if any of the "Village irregulars" were at the next table! Hailing a NYC taxi while standing with a guitar in your hand is also quite a moment of self-realisation!... there are so many moments... that's what being in a band like ours is all about...
Are you going to be doing any more radio show appearances?
TIM: I hope so - I love talking and singing on the radio! It's quite a romantic gesture to reach out across the airwaves, I think... sort of ethereal....
You have been to New York and played some shows with Aluminium Babe and they"ve been over here, how did that come about?
TIM: Basically we just thought "why not?". It's pretty typical of us to decide to do something and then work out how to make it happen rather than think of all the reasons why it might be a daft idea and then don't bother. In this case I figured that I might as easily get a gig in NYC as in London and so I got on a plane. I spent a weekend talking to people and giving out a demo. I just partied like crazy going to bars, clubs, gigs, and wandering the streets in awe! I met some great people that I stayed in touch with on my return to Reading (isn't email great!). It all grew pretty quickly from there and we we're out playing gigs two months later. It's actually not expensive, basically what you'd spend on a week in Spain or something, and you can borrow gear if you make friends with people...
Where do you see OTR in five years from now?
DAZ: In five years time from now I can see us hanging out in a cool bar somewhere near a beach, that Panda has bought with the proceeds from our third album, talking about our next trip to New York drinking cocktails called offtheradar.
TIM: Well, we love socialising and hanging around in bars so I guess that won'tchange. I think we'll definitely be in a bar somewhere.... probably outside waiting for it to open. Hopefully the bar will be across the road from a really great gig that we're about to play!
And finally, your dream gig. You can play with any artist/group past or present, alive or dead, who would it be?
DAZ: My dream gig would be to go back to 1979 and play a gig with The Undertones, my ultimate pop heroes. TIM: I'd love to have sung with Curtis Mayfield, those melodies just make you melt!