This is The 23โs debut single, which was released on February 10th, 2023. As an unsigned band from Sheffield, UK, they have received a great response and have received a lot of interest from music blogs, newspapers, magazines, and radio so far. They have also received some really great feedback on this project, on the production and songwriting, music, and vocals, among other things. They think that hopefully the music speaks for itself, and this is the first of a one a month, release schedule. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
Tom Taylor : it was started in 2019 when I approached Rob Cohen and Rob Gurruchaga about forming a band. We got derailed from around 2020-2022 for various reasons but kept working in collaborations online and then finally in 2023 got back together to finish and release stuff.
Rob Cohen : I think we all have a different takes on this, probably due to my bad memory! but in this instance, I recon we should go with Toms answer, as he started it all rolling I guess he was the catalyst!
Rob Gurruchaga : What Tom said!
2, Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
Tom Taylor : Largely self taught.
Rob Cohen : The short answer is I found a guitar in a skip, taught myself how to fix it, and then taught myself how to play by listening to jimi hendrix records and trying to play along, also alot of friends I have know over the years played guitar in bands, and have shown me stuff! and then I moved onto other instrments, keyboard, drums etc, and just picked it up!
Rob Gurruchaga : I grew up with guitars around the house and music playing all the time so itโs was unavoidable I guess!
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โTHE 23Sโ?
Tom Taylor : The thing that made me excited about music as a kid were Kraftwerk, early Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Nilsson, The Eagles, REM & early Midnight Oil. Why the name the 23s? It marginally won out over โUncle Vim & His Barn Dance Spewโ.
Rob Cohen: My first musical influence was probably Jimi Hendrix or The Beatles, and then I went through loads of phases of being obsessed with different artists, I went through a 4 year period of buying everything Led Zepplin had done, then ran out of records to buy, then moved onto David Bowie, Peter Green & Fleetwood Mac, Dylan / Donovan, Syd Barret / Pink Floyd and Radiohead but I love all music styles from dance to rock, not a massive jazz or country fan but some is ok! the music we do is nothing like I mainly listen to I donโt think?1?! oh and I also love Peter Gabriel, Tame Impala, Gary Numan, The Cure, Talk Talk and Echo & the Bunnymen. I would like to say I came up with the idea of The 23s band name, but then again my memory is abit vague! and if I do remember correctly it was just because it is my favourite number, and a friend told me it was a power number? and I thought it was a great name and shortโฆ and it went in the pot of names!
Rob Gurruchaga : The Beatles were the first band that made me want to discover the people behind the music. Oasis and the whole Britpop movement hooked me into music. All I wanted to do was be a musician and write songs. It changed the whole direction of my life. When people say they like whatever is in the charts, that to me is missing the point. Chart music is crafted to stick in your head, little substance and repeated choruses. Itโs actually really hard to write in that style, definitely a skill thatโs not to be mocked. Plus those writers are living in their mansions and Iโm writing songs in my bedroom!
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
Tom Taylor : I like 440Hz to resonate with out listeners. I would describe our sound as Arthur Negus Belly Button Lint Hop.
Rob Cohen : I would like to think the lyrics I chuck into the mix have some sort of meaning to people, hopefully they will get out what they feel, maybe not as I ment them to be, but, that doesnt matter as long as they get something from it, I think my lyrics are simple but direct, and I like to put extra bits of content in there hidden messages like I do in my art and painting or maybe just something that is deeply from in my mind at the time that I have read or seen in a documentary, I think the main thing is I donโt like to repeat myself, musically, Lyrical or in the artisc sense! I donโt like to do the same thing twice if I can help it!
Rob Gurruchaga : The songs are whatever the listener takes from them. Once they are out into the world they stop being yours and become a chameleon. Moulding into whatever they need to be for the listener. Thatโs how I take songs so thatโs what I aim for when I write. Most of my lyrics arenโt literal.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?
Tom Taylor :
At this point in pop music pretty much every chord combination and possible melody has been comprehensively covered, so originality in pop is very difficult. Iโve never really knowingly emulated anyone else because Iโm a terrible musician who just fumbles and makes stuff up.
Rob Cohen :
I have been on a musical journey since I found that guitar in the skip, that is why I love music, there is only a few chords, but there are millions of things you can do with them, and other sounds and fx and production, and words etc! Which keeps me interested because I have been trying to become good at this since I found my beat up guitar, but no matter how much time you spend on it, you canโt just become Lennon & Mcartney and write day in a life or strawberry fields! you are who and what you are, and I generally find the best things I have done has all been accidental in a way, but also they have felt like the were ment to be, I canโt figure it out at all, but that is why I love it! its like a rubiks cube you will never complete!
Rob Gurruchaga :
I tend to write in the style of what Iโm listening to. What ever is turning me on music wise is what I want to put out there into the world. Being in such a genre bending band is perfect for me! Itโs just taken 3 ex-bands to find the one haha!
6. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
Tom Taylor :
For me personally music is just something I do purely for recreational enjoyment. Sometimes when I hit record โ itโs a snapshot of where I am at that point in space and time. I think music can be many things to many people it can bring people together, it can spread a message (for good or bad) and can provide an almost spiritual experience. Itโs all in the eye of the beholder.
Rob Cohen :
Like I said earlier I donโt like to repeat myself, I am a spiritual person and have covered that in some songs but, I try and mix it up, I have also touched on things that would be seen as political, or hard subjects to approach, I like to try and do this and find unusual subjects to write about, I like to cover everything from dreams I have had to how I feel about something that moved me or about how angry I am about life, loss, Love and Death or how happy I was in a moment about something, it depends what mood I am in, and what has happened that day but I do tend to be retrospective, the debut single that has Just come out, โNever be the Sameโ came from my youth, as I was made to watch threads and when the wind blows at school, and to me as a 14 old kid, the realisation was mind altering, to realise how terrible war is and everthing connected to it, and what people have had to live through, like the song says it will never be the same! it wasnโt for meโฆ after seeing it!
Rob Gurruchaga :
We are 3 songwriters with totally different influences. Itโs led to some fascinating demos. There are songs I love and songs I donโt, and that in itself is what I love about this band. If we recorded every song we have demoed, I guarantee Iโll find at least 1 song youโll love and 1 that youโll hate. Music is passion, spirituality and all the rest, but in the centre of that itโs an escape. A happy memory. A life jacket in tough times. You might not realise itโs there until after, but it walks by your side. Thatโs what I think anyway, but what do I know!
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
Tom Taylor : As described in my previous answer I make music purely for my own entertainment. Itโs now getting released out there into the wild but I expect nothing from it. Itโs not a motivating factor.
Rob Cohen : for me, the amazing thing, is when you grab an idea from nowhere, put it on a blank page, and it starts to take form, and you see from early on that it has legs and could be ok, it might be a rough idea, but when you send it into the magical pot of the 23s, and the other two pull it apart, and bounce things onto it and tom works his ears over it and seems to pull out frequencies and ideas I never thought weโre possible that is exciting for me, to see it grow, so that transformation, from the initial concept right through to a final releasable thing bursting with other content and ideas brought in by the other people in the band, itโs great, yeah it is always better than I could ever expect not everytime but we donโt do bad at all! and hopefully I expect the futures so bright Iโve got to wear shades!
Rob Gurruchaga : Well weโre 1 single in as I write this so itโs hard to say. Weโre putting a lot of work in and doing it all DIY. Itโs tough but very rewarding. I have a good feeling about the way itโs going.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
Tom Taylor : I donโt have a process really. I just pick up whatever is to hand and play. Sometimes I hit record and build upon something if I can hear it might have legs. Iโm lazy. Yes, we collaborate as a band on ideas and all play our part in shaping things. I would call us all Musician / Songwriter / Producers / Artists rather than just any one of us having any one skill.
Rob Cohen : I think this is the first thing I have been involved in, where it feels really organic, everyone brings something totally different to the table, and that is with every song, I donโt think we have ever approached any one song the same way, we just start something, or Tom starts something or the other Rob does or I do, and then it just sort of goes back and forth, there is no method, we donโt have way we work, we just work, and it works well! I am hoping that as each single comes out people will maybe figure out that we hopefully are different, or maybe just I think we are diffent, tell me in a year! itโs going to take a while for people to hear everything! I am hoping people get something from each track! do let us know your thoughts, if you are reading this now!
Rob Gurruchaga : Iโve always been the sole songwriter in all the bands Iโve been in until this one. I was in an indie band, then a punk band and then an indie/rock band. Working with 2 other writers is something Iโm still getting used to haha! But I love it, mostly!
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
Tom Taylor : Living 99.9% of my life so far with undiagnosed high functioning autism. Would have made life make more sense had I known a lot sooner.
Rob Cohen : I think the hardest thing for anyone in a band these days is the same across the board, we have all this technology, and you can do all these amazing things in the modern world at the click of a button, and there is a massive freedom in that, but also now bands have to do it all, be photographers, video editors, promoters, producers, send to blogs, websites and promotion on social media, design posters and artwork, unless you can afford to pay someone else to do it or have a mate to help out on these things, you have to literally do the whole shabang, and hold down a job at the same time usually, and somehow through this find the money to cover all your bills and rent, you have to do it from the bottom up, until you get it succesful, then, maybe if you can get a big enough following a record label will step in and help, but only when you have thousands of followers, so I guess back in the day, maybe it was harder and easier at the same time, there were less bands to compete against, but musical stuff was more expensive, but you could just concentrate on doing music, not all the other stuff! so yeah, basically everything is difficult, but at the same time also rewarding I guess!
Rob Gurruchaga : Iโd say playing to a sold out Sheffield O2 academy and then playing to 5 people in Leeds the week after. What a reality check that is!
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
Tom Taylor : Having the opportunity to play in a band with my late father who was also a musician and being able to hear recordings of his musical achievement.
Rob Cohen : I was proud when I fixed that guitar up, and I feel proud everytime I get a song finished I think sounds good, I think tom giving me his old soundcard and speakers was significant! thanks Tom, that really improved what I was doing, I could hear everything clearer, also, doing an album with Jody Wildgoose, doing WildCohen in 2015 was great a learning curve pretty much every band I have been in has been significant and has felt succesful, Marmalade Sun, right up to now with The 23s constantly learning! anything you do and get out there onto a stage on a record is a great feeling! and that is success just doing it from an idea to out there and on it!
Rob Gurruchaga : Iโm proud of some of the venues Iโve had the fortune to play in, including London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bournemouth, Leeds, Nottingham in venues such as the O2, Cavern Club, Sheffield City Hall and Doncaster Rovers own Keepmoat Stadium.
11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
Tom Taylor : Iโm basically not on social media nor do I frequent it. I think itโs one of the most horrific inventions which, assuming human beings are still around, will be seen in the future as one of THE most disruptive and downright pernicious things to befall humanity in history. The brain numbing control and enslavement of the masses for profit. As for criticism or haters youโre never going to please everyone. Plus in many ways itโs a good job Iโm not on social media because I have a big gob and can out nasty anyone if I want to!
Rob Cohen : I have a love hate relationship with social media, It has many sides, you can learn, you can laugh at things, and you can get abused by people, and sometimes I think oh my god, how many pings and emails and messages can I get at the same time, it can get rediculous and it is always advisable to take a break from it, as for haters, let them hate, I donโt take them seriously, they have their opinion, and they are entitled to it I guess, as long as it isnโt dark or abusive in a Jimi Savile kinda way! I am happy to be slated or praised, your never going to please everyone all of the time, I think bob dylan said that!
Rob Gurruchaga : If someone has an opinion, then that means theyโre listening. I could write the greatest indie song of all time. If you donโt like indie music then you arenโt going to like my song. Almost all criticism can be positive, it depends on how you take it. You definitely need thick skin in this industry!
12. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
Tom Taylor : Itโs studio for me. Been there and done the live thing and too old/canโt be bothered with it anymore. When youโre younger and just starting out it doesnโt seem so bad lugging equipment to gigs and having to pay to play in some little venue, but I have no desire to do that anymore. Even iff Glastonbury phoned up and offered a few million quid I still wouldnโt be minded to do it. Mind you Glastonbury is just for old folks these days trying to relive their youth.
Rob Cohen : I like jamming, that is good, I used to frequent alot of place round where I am from, and just get up on the stage with anyone and just make something up, either something on the spot or a cover or a song someone I knew had wrote that was up there they were doing, I love the studio, but it can be drawn out, depends on what you are doing, creating something new, yeah love that, getting everything right and going over and over and over it again, I am not so keen on, but it needs doing, I donโt mind live gigs, but they have to be to a reasonable crowd, I have done a few dodgy ones, like in York, I did a gig to three drunks, that was interesting! plenty of abuse and booing from them one minute and the next minute they were cheering and shouting play some rolling stones!
Rob Gurruchaga : I love playing live and have been lucky enough to play in some Iconic venues, but when those shows pass, all thatโs left is the music. As a huge Beatles fan, all thatโs left are the records. So on paper I guess itโs the studio that cements your legacy! Although the live show is like painting a picture that you only show to a limited amount of people each night and then it disappears foreverโฆ
13. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
Tom Taylor : Music is a personal thing. Itโs up to the listener to get what ever they want from it.
Rob Cohen : I hope people take from what I have worked on in whatever way they want, I always hope people will like what I do, and it is great when they do enjoy it, one thing for me is I feel music is like a photograph, I have a really bad memory as I have mentioned, but I can hear a song, either someone elses or one I have worked on and it just takes me right to that moment, either when I first heard it, or a memory associated with it, I love music for that, and I would love it, if the music I do, did the same for other people, even if it isnt the way I intended it, as long as they get something from it, that is fine! music is also one thing you can leave behind when you leave earth for people to have for years and years for their life experiences, and generally its not that expensive, and everyone can share it!
Rob Gurruchaga : I feel that music is so personal that itโs meaning to each listener is almost more important than what it means to the writer. Music to me is about the memories attached to it. A sad song at a happy time will always be a positive song to me. I heard a lot of Leonard Cohen growing up which had a lot of great memories attached. I donโt think anyone could accuse LC of writing uplifting music!
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Photo credits: Single Cover Artwork : Rob Cohen