A Quick Chat with Inovo
Questions answered by Jackson, the band’s drummer
Can you tell me a bit about your inspiration for your single ‘Swim Alone’?
The earliest inspiration came from inovo’s early days back when we had our rhythm guitarist Jamie, who initially wrote the main riff for “ It Swims Above” from an old EP. Due to his departure we were unable to continue playing the song to its full extent so we rewrote it to better fit our new ensemble, basing the concept around a dream our vocalist Declan had.
What are your influences and how do they affect your songwriting?
We all have somewhat similar tastes in music but we generally try our best not to sound too much like anyone else. As a drummer though, I tend to focus more heavily on groove and aim to make the drums feel equal parts natural and not so natural.
What’s the creative process like for you?
The process itself can vary but a lot of the time our guitarist Rhys will bring forward either the “skeleton” of the song which we flesh out and help create our own, or a rough idea that we end up adding to, taking away and altering until it turns into a song. Kind of like clay sculpting but less wet and dirty.
If you could change something about the Australian music industry what would it be?
More funding would be a good start! Basically, just for Australian music to be taken more seriously especially for those who work in the industry.
What do you think life would be like for you if you didn’t have music as an outlet?
For me as a drummer, music has been a constant thing ever since primary school and is less of an outlet but more of a career. There have been a number of times where music has had to briefly go on hold and those were some very dark times that I don't ever want to relive. So at the moment, life without music isn't an option.
Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with? Why?
Honestly, I’m just super keen to work with as many other great like minded bands as possible and meet plenty more new faces.
What’s your advice to young people who want to make a career for themselves in the industry?
Put your fingers in all the pies! Making money in the music industry is about gaining income from more than one job. It’s quite hard to make enough money from just one thing but if you can have multiple (ie. teaching music for a few days, playing in cover bands at night etc.) then you are on your way to being able to make a liveable income!
Who’s the most interesting person you’ve worked with/met?
Not so sure on the most interesting, but we were pretty stoked to be invited to support Chon at The Brightside when they came over from America for their Australian Tour back in early 2020!
Any plans for a tour on the cards?
A tour is something we can all agree would be a goal of ours but nothing is planned at this point… but who knows!