Sure we’ve heard about you before, but we think it’s time for Tone Deaf to get to know you a little better. Slip in to something comfortable while we put on some music, pour us a couple of drinks and turn the lights down low.
Who are you and what do you do in your act?
Sasha, Singer.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parents’ record collection and why?
To be real, my folks didn’t have the best taste in music, but they did have some chronic Motown records that they never played, and I was always spinning them. But I did steal my favourite record from a friend’s house; it was RUN DMCs Tougher than Leather. And that was the moment I realised how much I loved hip hop. I still have that record in my house now, along with Michael Jackson’s Bad and the Motown cuts.
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
Raekwons new album ‘Shaolin VS Wutang’ was getting spun like a washing machine. Oh! Raphael Saadiq’s new album ‘Stone Rollin’ is off the fucking hook. It’s a complete rock’n rockabilly, jazzy, 50/60s, dancey, powerpop soul record. I love his honest and cool aesthetic. Also some fresh artists spinning are Tyler the Creator, Radioheads new track, Bach, Dino Merlin & more hip hop artists like Joell Ortiz & Royce Da 5’9.
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‘Home taping is killing the music business’ was the catch-cry of the record industry in the 1970s and 1980s, but it managed to survive until now. What do you think is the difference between mates taping copies of friend’s records back in the 80s and 90s and file sharing now?
I suppose that file sharing is just an evolved version of the tape recording. All it takes is one person to have the original tape and then people go mental and record that and it multiplies. In today’s scenario, you just hit a torrent site and find what you want, and download it, because it’s on an international level, there are so many options. Difference is that it’s very fast to do these days. The record industry are a bunch of juicers anyway.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What was the first gig you went to?Where was it and what was the venue?
Apart from weddings where the main attraction was the band, I saw Michael Jackson on his tour in 95/96, I don’t remember the exact year. But it was at the SCG and the dude was hanging his body of the edge of this massive stage. He is gnarls and had so much soul about his singing and performance.
What’s your favourite site to download music from and do you ever pay for it? Can we find any of your releases there?
I do pay for music and also download freely. It’s a bit of both. There are various sites that I’ve been introduced to by internet dweebs that can find their Grandmas Hens night photos on the internet, that’s how wired they are with the web.
What artist made you want to pick up an instrument and/or sing?
Folk music made me learn an Accordion at a young age. Then I learned to play the piano. But it was the ’91 Chili Peppers & Rage against the Machine guitars that made me beg my folks for an electric guitar. Mum just told me, I fashioned a drum out of 2 buckets and made sticks out of tree branches as a 1.5 year old. Singing was forced, because no one else wanted to, but I loved singing from young anyway, so it worked out well.
Have you ever been arrested?
Yes, well thrown in the back of a paddy wagon, put in a cell at Redfern police station. Luckily got out like 1.5 hours later, because I fucking hated being detained. Shittest feeling. Also in ’09 in Barcelona, I was sick, and tipsy, and tripping from the cough syrup, I made some trouble at a service station with a friend, just as a joke, and then 8 cops came through going insane. Yelling, batons out, circling me, yelling ‘this is NOT AMERICA!’ I was tripping, and negotiated my way out safely. Never again.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
I do have a charm, no one knows it though. Ritual is to stay positive with the boys, don’t place any expectations on each other. Standard shit, have fun, interact.
Supposing you were to be playing sold out stadiums on your next tour, what outrageous rider requests would you submit?
I know the homies like good beer, so Asahi is tight. Get some gangsta dranks too, even though we are white, just for the play. So maybe Rose, some Remy Martin XO. But we’d like some nibblies, nuts and chips and jerky. Actually we have this now, so probably not much to ask for. A masseuse! Female, relax the shit out of us.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
Paul Kingston. He is an artist and doesn’t compromise quality for anything. Deep taste in music, flavour in melody & blackness in beats. We started writing a tune together last year, we went so ham on the chord progressions that it was quite the headache, so we may revisit that cut and tastefully de-clutter it.
Right, let’s get really intimate. Tell us what releases you have that we can listen to with the lights down low, or even better, where we can see you play in person next. Naturally, don’t forget to give us the link to your Facebook fan page too.
We’re launching our debut single ‘Moonpark’ with Slow Down Honey and The Villainaires at Tone on Wentworth Avenue in Sydney this Saturday 23rd of July.
Our new single Moonpark can be downloaded from
http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=8962
Our Fb Page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ONLY-THE-SEA-SLUGS/16117393285
Our debut Music Video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GsKRxu9f-w
After TONE we play a STREET SHOW showcasing our debut mini-abum in full, this will be at a secret location on Saturday 30th July.
Details revealed on our FB band page and on our website
http://www.onlytheseaslugs.com
