A few weeks ago Ben caught up with a few of the members of Hummucide using the good ol’ telecommunications device, peep at the transcript of the conversation below!
I was first introduced to Hummucide at Tora Bombora ’19 where Toby the Saxophone player did a mihi to welcome everyone to the festival (alongside Louis) and then Hummucide started the tunes. In an era of everyone using words to communicate their musical motives, they fluently let the audience decide how to feel as they perform instrumental tunes. Reminiscent of BADBADNOTGOOD but more goodgoodnotbad (lowercase cause they’re chill)…
Kia ora team so who’ve we got on the phone and how do you all fit in?
T: I'm Toby, I play saxophone and write, and am forced to awkwardly MC in between cause I'm the one with the mic.
B: I’m Ben, and I play keys and synths - I wrote a few of our songs too.
H: Hugo. I play bass.
Images by William Cho
The instrumental nature of Hummucide is a unique angle to enter into the music world these days, who/why/what was that decision to focus on the music over lyrics?
T: It has always just been the way we've done things, encouraged by the fact that none of us can sing (I’m also terrible at deciphering lyrics, please don't invite me out to karaoke). Heaps of our favourite music is instrumental as well, across genres like hip hop and jazz and verging on classical, it's just a different form of expression. I really enjoy the feeling/idea that everyone will have their own reaction to our music, and that we aren't dictating what mood people are supposed to feel. It's also fun for me to hear people trying to talk about our songs when all the tools they have are singing the melodies rather than the words.
B: yeah totally, coming from a jazz background it seems very normal, to me, being in an instrumental band, but I guess it’s quite a different approach to a lot of the bands we play alongside.
H: It’s certainly unique to the degree that we’re an instrumental group who operates in the band scene, where almost all groups have singers. As long as we’ve been playing together we’ve focused on instrumental music, but the band community/scene is where we like it most. You get enthusiastic crowds at those gigs in mild terms, and we work off that well.
Image Taken by Eva Willis
I’ve heard a rumour that one of you watched over 100 films over lockdown, can I get the bands top 5 Film & TV recommendations?
T: I was the one that watched the 100 films, but bear in mind that I had no work,uni or gigs so after my daily walk what else was there for me to do? For me it's ‘Inherent Vice’, you gotta check that out. Owen Wilson on the surf sax, damn. And ‘Twin Peaks’. I mean, you just gotta.
B: I think we’ve all been enjoying the ‘Midnight Gospel’ as well!
H: Check out ‘Smoke Signals!’ watched that in lockdown. And yes, all of twin peaks. It is - excuse me - a damn fine series.
Its Hummucide + one musician, who would be the dream collaboration for each of you and what would they bring to the table?
T: I've always said that if I could choose one band to play our music, it would be Kneebody (US). But working with a group that could easily outplay you would be pretty hard to collaborate with. So, I think I'd pick someone like Laurie Anderson who would just be able to take our music in a whoooooole different direction, and blow everyone's minds especially our own. Yeah, Laurie Anderson or Anna Meredith or Taylor McFerrin.
B: I’d definitely be up for collaborating with vocalists at some stage too when the time is right - there are so many amazing local artists that we look up to!
Listen to their debut single ‘The Reacher’ here!~
Cover Image by William Cho
Hummucide, proving all you need is a sax, a bass, some drums and a few keys by Ben Morgan
