The Keyz

When it comes to raw talent, ability and musical flair, the Keyz are ahead of the game.  Packing catchy, melodic tracks mixed with their own brand of wackiness, the band have quickly become a Slicethepie favourite.  We caught up with Robin from the band to see how the the Keyz are getting on, having recently secured £15,000 from investors on Slicethepie.

Piewatch – Hey Robin, thanks for talking to us! Let’s start off by asking how you decided on “The Keyz” as a band name?

Robin – Well my nickname and usernames have always been the keys, so just went with that before we had a band lineup, changed the “s” to a “z” so we can be found on google with ease.

Piewatch – Well done on raising £15,000 on slicethepie.com! To dispel some STP myths that have been hovering about, was the money really handed over in briefcases by burly blokes wearing dark suits and shades?

Robin - Yes, yes it was!         Piewatch – WE KNEW IT!! haha

Artist Impression of a MonkeyFish

Piewatch - I want my Monkeyfish! Great track, though we were wondering what exactly a MonkeyFish is? Could  you perhaps draw us a picture (perhaps a doodle in Microsoft paint..lol)?

Robin – Microsoft Paint – that’s a bit advanced for my computer (and me for that matter)! I thought I made up a Monkeyfish, but apparently they are real creatures…

Piewatch – Unlike many bands, you’ve decided to record and produce your album yourselves. How have you found the process and do you believe this will add to the individuality of the Keyz sound?

Robin – It is certainly cheaper and more cost effective and also we can spend more time getting the results we want. The hours we have put in does sometimes make me think that we are totally insane, but it definitely adds to The Keyz having an individual sound.

Piewatch – Who is the main songwriter in the group, or is it a collective team effort?

Robin – Bonas, Steve and I write all the tracks

Piewatch – Let’s talk about the visual phenomenon that is Karl’s Mohican! An exceptional asset to the band we are sure, but is there any Health & Safety concerns? (ie.. headbanging too close to the crowd)

Robin – Haha, yeah we usually restrict Karl so that he is never within 50 feet of “normal” people!! It’s part of our public liabilty insurance policy

Piewatch – Describe the Keyz sound in 5 words.

Robin – Steve says it is hard enough to find one word to describe us, let alone 5, but we’ll have a go… quirky… erm, I think we’re done! Steve has gone to fetch a thesaurus, we’ll get back to you on this one…

Piewatch – There has been a lot of interest in your new track ‘overcomplicated’. A lot of people can really relate to it. Was it inspired by real life events?

Robin -Yes it was inspired by a real event… told in a metaphorical way. It was a girl who I was with but people were in the way preventing us from seeing each other, but in the end she turned out to be psycho, and the very last thing she ever said to me was “don’t make me laugh with your tales of how your band will ever get anywhere cos you’re s**t” let’s hope this gets on the A list on Radio 1 just to remind her how awful we are!

Piewatch – What’s the best gig you’ve played and why?

Robin -There were a few great gigs, but I think New Years Eve 2007, we were outside and it was freezing but we all had a cracking night. I drank so many Vodka Red Bulls that when i closed my eyes I could see flashing lights!! That was probably a sign that i should have gone to hospital, but carried on drinking regardless. Steve said it was definitely the best gig he has ever done with any band ever.

Piewatch – Any plans for the cover art for the new album? Have you got a vibe or theme you will be trying to put across?

Robin – Well, with songs like Mystery Girl, Casey Connolly and Heist, we were thinking of having a theme of extremely hot chicks… we have someone working on this at the moment, and apparently he has some stuff for us to look at this weekend!

Piewatch – When can we expect the album to be released?

Robin – The album will be finished this month, but we want to release a few singles leading upto it to promote and build up momentum, so we are thinking it will be early next year

Piewatch – Is there any advice you would give to current showcase artists?

Robin – Be prepared – do as much pre-production as possible to save time in the studio. We started work on loads of stuff before we even won the showcase just in case. If you can, try to work on more songs than you actually need.

Piewatch – Any tours planned or in the works?

Robin – Touring is expensive and often difficult to organise unless you have a good booking agent, so we are working on getting a booking agent and trying different angles to get on a support tour of an established band.

Piewatch – It sounds like there are a multitude of musical influences making up the Keyz sound. Care to share?

Robin – No…………….

*After consultation with some  of the band*

………Okay then, you’ve twisted our legs (or should that be arms)? Right here goes:

Steve - The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Cream, Queen, The Shadows

Karl – Guns ‘n’ Roses, Van Halen, Rancid, Porcupine Tree, Rush

Bonas: – The Doves, Nine Inch Nails, Coldplay, The Beatles, Wonderstuff

Robin – ELO, The Small Faces, Ocean Colour Scene, Pink Floyd, Bon Jovi

Piewatch – Who would you like to share the stage with?

Karl – Lily Allen, but not for musical purposes,

Robin – Johnny Borrell so I can tell him he’s not better than Bob Dylan.

Steve - (being serious) Eric Clapton.

Bonas – ………………………

[We are unsure if Bonas fell asleep or was unavailable for comment]

Piewatch – Cheers! Looking forward to album!

Love the Keyz as much as we do? Check them out on the following sites;