Artist Q&A: Adam Boyd

Greetings, music lovers!

I apologise for being so quiet these past few weeks... Have no fear; I'm back and I've got some exciting things up my sleeve to help make the last few weeks of 2010 more bearable - like this short Q&A with Wake To Wonder's Adam Boyd!

What did you want to be when you grow up and how did you end up with Wake To Wonder?
I always knew, even from a young age, that I wanted to play music and entertain people. When I was 4-years-old I grabbed a pair of Chinese chopsticks, some ice-cream tubs, pots, pans and some bowls and started playing my heart out to the sounds of Def Leppard. I learnt 4 instruments whilst growing up; the piano, drums, guitar and harmonica. I also sang every day until I decided to start a band to take my musical passion further. After a couple of failures and some valuable experience, I joined Wake To Wonder as the lead guitarist. When Wake To Wonder's singer (Jaime) left, they struggled for months to find a replacement. After no-one was found to suit the band's image and sound, I stepped in and have been singing for the band ever since.

What are you currently working on and when can we expect to see you perform next?
We have a couple of things in the pipeline at the moment. We got sponsored a music video for our track Mr. Potato Man (Is A Ladies' Man), and will be shooting this next month. The track went down extremely well on Highveld and stayed on the Homebrew charts for over 16 weeks. It also peaked on Ryan Seacrest's show at Number 3. We are also planning to shoot another music video entitled Brace The Broken, which will be aired next year if all goes well. We are writing new material for our second album which we are extremely excited about! We are also currently preparing for our European Tour in 2011 which will include some massive festivals in countries like Holland, Germany, Latvia, Finland, and more... Our fans can see us perform at the Vereeniging Ice Rink on November 6 alongside Van Diens Af and Countdown To The Red Carpet, as well as at the Midvaal Makiti in Meyerton alongside Prime Circle and Wonderboom.

What's the hardest part of being in a band?
When you are on the road a lot as a band, you get irritated with each other and sometimes lose your way to why you play the music you love. I think staying motivated when times are tough is the hardest part. That normally falls away once you play an epic gig as that always brings everyone together as a family.

If you had to date a member of the band, who would it be and why?
That is a good one! Mmm... I think you should never mix business and pleasure! (Laughs)

If you were to send someone to prison for crimes against music, who would it be?
There are many crooks in the music industry who always try take advantage of bands and I think those people should all be paraded around the streets naked on a carnival float for everyone else's amusement. This should be followed by a swift kick to the head. I don't like to name drop but I am sure for anyone who is in the industry, all have their own people who have messed them around in the past. Where there is opportunity, there is always someone looking to exploit it negatively. That's why all the bands in SA should stick together as a family instead of working against one another. Let's be united!

Complete the following:
When I was 17, I was... a ninja!
Before I go to bed I... fight other ninjas with my awesome ninja powers (I always win!).
Life is... music, music if life. Ninjas are agile, sleek and daring - except that one from Die Antwoord; I don't think he can pull off a back flip, do a crouching tiger or do a double hi 5! One day I shall teach him the ways of Bodacious... Kapow!

Well, now you know who you can go to for ultimate ninja training!

Til next time!

Izzy
xxx