Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/219723
38 maltatoday, THIS WEEK SUNDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2013 'Life is not The X-Factor…' Martin Holland of the British musical duo Trees of Maine speaks to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of their upcoming concert at Coach and Horses, Msida on December 6 You describe your music as 'indie dream pop'. How does the 'dream' part of this come into play in your music? Or, at least, what led you to settle on this particular word to describe your sound? You often hear how musicians are reluctant to label their music, but we don't care. In the beginning, people would mostly describe our music as dreamy, so why not use that word? Only later did I find out it was a proper genre. Indie is short for independent, pop used to be great, so indie dream pop does it for us. Lately we have even been using the word acoustic to go with it. Actually, come to think of it, acoustic should come first. Meaning, it would have to be: acoustic dream pop indie. What are some of your key influences? I have always been fond of singer songwriter stuff, but it wasn't until I really got into Bon Iver and The Antlers that I really started thinking of doing something like this. I came to realise that it wasn't so much for the acoustic element as it was for simplicity. I loved the idea of starting something from scratch and having the final product in a few days, which we did with our first single, called Venice On The Inside. It literally took about 10 hours to write it, record it and release it. Do you find it challenging to pursue a musical career in today's world? How do you survive as musicians? Pursuing any career in today's world is challenging. Things move so fast. There is always this pressure, mostly self-imposed, that you need to make it fast and once you don't it means game is over. Some things really do take time. You need to grow, learn, improve. It's not The X-Factor. When it comes to surviving as musicians, yes, that is a good question. In order to survive we do need to keep a proper job. I think a large number of musicians around the globe have to deal with that kind of situation. However, surviving without music… that would be Stage wor(l)ds PLAYWRIGHTS Alfred Buttigieg and Clare Azzopardi will be interviewed by Immanuel Mifsud as part of the next Mid-Dinja tat-Teatru session, which will be held on December 3 at 19:00 at the Manoel Theatre. Offering a glimpse into the world of theatre in Malta, the Mid-Dinja tat-Teatru series is back for another season. Every month, some of the protagonists from the Maltese theatre scene share their ideas, experiences and memories on the Teatru Manoel stage. Audiences not only physically share the same stage, but also the same dreams and memories, gaining a holistic perspective of Maltese theatre from different aspects of stage production. Born in Tarxien in 1956, Alfred Buttigieg graduated as a teacher in 1981 and at present is a headmaster in a state primary school. He was a founder member of the 1980s theatre company Ateatru and also formed part of the Manoel Theatre Management Committee between 2003 and 2008. His publications include Dwar Menopawsi, Minorenni u Muturi High Speed (2012), Ipper- Clare Azzopardi mettili Nitlaq (2008), La Logique u drammi ohra b'att wieħed (2005), IrRewwixta tal-Qassisin (2003), Dik il-Qtajra (1984) and Gezzu (1982). He is also the author of the popular maltimanija series. Production of his plays include La Logique, Lqugħ Għad-Dawl, Bus Stop (1981), Ir-Rewwixta tal-Qassisin (2005), Vinjetti another band called East-ra, which is psychedelic crazy something, not sure how he would describe it, honestly. So, when we started Trees Of Maine, the idea was to just play and see what happens. What happened was that my songs relied heavily on what I would usually do, and Dino's songs were exactly what he would usually do. They were totally different. Currently my side is winning so Trees Of Maine is more pop. Maybe we create another outlet for his side, we'll see. Martin Holland, one half of The Trees of Maine much more difficult. What kind of dynamic do you have, as a duo? What is your songwriting process usually like? We have a totally different background. I am part of a band called Alfred Buttigieg għar-Repubblika (2006), Ippermettili Nitlaq (2008) and Dwar Menopawsi, Minorenni u Muturi High Speed (2012). The latter two were listed in the online catalogue European Theatre Convention 2011 and 2012 editions of the best contemporary European plays for the stage. Clare Azzopardi (1977) is an award- The Orange Strips, we have been fully functioning for 11 years now. It is a guitar band, mostly influenced by British and American indie bands, like The Smiths, Oasis, R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, and so on. Dino, on the other hand, has winning writer who writes for both children and adults. She lectures in Maltese Literature at the University of Malta Junior College and for the past several years has been an active member of Inizjamed, an NGO whose mission is to promote literature in Malta and abroad. With Inizjamed, she has co-organised literary festivals and workshops, often in collaboration with Literature Across Frontiers (LAF). Her work has been translated into several languages and has appeared in a number of collections. Her collection of short stories Il-Linja l-ħadra won the National Book award for fiction. Her play LInterdett Taħt is-Sodda (The Interdict beneath my Bed) was published in French (Éditions Théâtrales, 2008) and in Arabic (I-ACT, 2009). Her latest plays In-Nisa Maltin Jafu Kif and Pretty Lisa were both staged at Teatru Manoel earlier this year. She is currently working on her new set of short stories for adults. As last season, at Mid-Dinja tatTeatru, audiences will be seated on the Manoel Theatre stage, sharing the delight which most theatre Are you looking forward to playing in Malta? Well, sure, who wouldn't be? This time it will only be me playing, because this concert is part of the tour where I play acoustic versions of Trees Of Maine songs, with a few of The Orange Strips' songs added. It is getting very cold on the continent so I am definitely looking forward to visiting Malta. Plus, I really want to see those cool buses you have there. Doors open at 21:00 people experience when looking on the Manoel stage. The interviews will again be held with some of the protagonists of the Maltese theatre scene, coming from a variety of roles: from actors and directors to producers. This season will also introduce a number of changes: apart from the well-known names, the series will also feature upcoming protagonists who are making a mark on the local theatre scene. All interviews will be carried out in Maltese by Immanuel Mifsud. After the interview, the discussion can be carried over into the Manoel Theatre courtyard, where wine and nibbles will be served. The Mid-Dinja tat-Teatru series is a collaboration between Manoel Theatre and the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, complementing the Francis Ebejer Competition. Entrance is free but seat numbers are limited so booking is essential. To book: www.teatrumanoel.com. mt E: bookings@teatrumanoel. com.mt T: 2124 6389