KBPS Interview: Eugene Twist

With a lyrical arena that boasts whistleblowers, extraterrestrials and self-consuming psychonauts, Scotland’s Eugene Twist is not your everyday songwriter. After two years in the musical wilderness, his second album ‘The Stuntman’ has arrived on the back of one mission: to let the storyteller run riot inside the song. Taking time to build a makeshift studio and learning how to record and mix allowed Eugene time to breathe with his arrangements. We spoke to Eugene all about his new single ‘Stuntman’.

How would you describe your new single ‘Stuntman’?

It’s an upbeat song with a very kind of narrative lyric. Hopefully, if you tune in and listen long enough, there’s a story there you’ve not heard before!

And is the stuntman based on anyone?

I think it’s based us all and also a character from my imagination.

Is that how your songs usually come about?

It depends. Sometimes you want to go into some kind of fantasy or metaphor for something you’re feeling and then other times you might need to be more topical, referring to something that’s a bit more direct. It really depends on me; I write in lots of different ways.

There’s a great retro-style video to go with the song; what was that like to do?

I did it with a bunch of friends on not a very big budget and not on a very long timescale. The day itself was quite intense. We had these big bright lights that were very hot, and just trying to get the right attitude under the time constraints was fun but quite sweaty!

‘Stuntman’ is taken from your second album; is the single reflective of the album as a whole?

I think ‘Stuntman’ stands as a good mid-way point for the album. It’s maybe not a climax for the album but it’s followed by some similar songs, and there are some similar songs that come before it. It’s a very varied album; there’s a wide range of music on [there]. There are ballads and stuff that’s more visceral like ‘Stuntman’. I’d say to anyone, just to listen through to get the best measure of the album. I plan to release a few more singles for people to get the full extent of the writing and the band.

Will you be working on videos for those?

Yeah. There will be one or two more videos to come from the album.

What have you been up to over the last two years?

I’ve never stopped doing music, ever. I kind of got caught up in the recording process, mostly the technical side of things. The writing happens very quickly but I decided this time to go out and get some gear together and record it myself, so that was kind of my downfall in terms of how long it took, as I had to learn the ropes. It started to get easier. The technology started to inform the writing and visa-versa. It’s a useful skill to have now, this technology at [my] fingertips.

Did this help the album become closer to your vision?

It does. It affords [me] some control. I’m not having to watch the clock as much when it comes to experimenting.

Have you got any live dates coming up in support of the album?

I’m just about to announce some, probably next week. I’m hoping to get down to London and maybe Manchester, and definitely Glasgow.

How would you describe your live sound?

You’ll want to dance and you’ll also want to tune in and listen!

Finally what are your big ambitions for 2017?

As an emerging artist you’re always trying to get set up so you can just keep on doing it, so really it’s just to get out and play as many good shows as we can, and then maybe think about another release for the year!

Find out more about Eugene Twist on Facebook and listen to this interview and his new single on our radio show on Saturday 18th February at 6pm on bcbradio.co.uk.