Hammer No More The Fingers
Interview
Tuesday 3rd of November 2009
We recently caught up with Duncan Webster bass player and main vocals of Hammer No More The Fingers to chat about their much awaited UK tour and album release.
For those of us stuck on a tiny island 4,000 miles away, what is North Carolina like?
North Carolina is a beautiful state. We have the Atlantic Ocean to the East and the Appalachian Mountains to the West. Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill make up the "Triangle Region" of NC. The Triangle is smack in the middle of the state. It's one of the fastest growing regions in the country. We have three major universities, which definitely goes hand in hand with a good music scene.
We all grew up in Durham. Durham pretty much rules. A lot of great people, great music, great sports, great art and great beer! I think the UK and NC are about the same size.
How did the band form and where did the name come from?
Joe and Jeff have known each other since elementary school. I met them both in middle school. We instantly clicked and have been playing in bands together ever since.
We split ways for college and all moved back to Durham in late 2006. We decided to start "the last band we we're ever going to be in." Meaning we would work harder than we ever have. We played our first show on 01/01/07 and have been going non stop ever since. I travelled to England for two weeks in September, I think that was the longest break we've ever had!
The name "Hammer No More the Fingers" comes from this tool called "Guide Nails" that my grandpa bought in China. It's pretty much a set of pliers that holds a nail in place so you don't hammer your fingers.
The text on the package is a really bad Chinese to English translation. The moto of Guide Nails is Hammer No More the Fingers! We were tired of coming up with stupid band names, and this one just kind of stuck. I think we've all grown to really like the name. Guide Nails has sort of become a family heirloom!
How would you describe your eccentric sound?
I think our music is reminiscent of old fashioned indie rock but we get a little funky and a little psychedelic sometimes. We have a tiny bit of (country?) twang as well. Something that you can mosh and zone out and bump and grind too. We get the early 90's indie rock comparison a lot. But honestly, I think we're a little more influenced by early 90's R and B.
You've recently released 'Looking For Bruce' in the US - what are your plans for this album and beyond?
Well our good friend Andy Maddison is releasing the record on Inhaler Records in the UK. We're coming over to England in February for a 10 day tour. We couldn't be more excited. We're doing a couple of short US tours leading up to that. Then we start recording the new record in March. We're pretty psyched about that as well.
Hope to see you in the UK. Thanks for the interview!!
Author: Steve
Label: Inhaler Records
Found in: Interviews