The Treatment
Watch out for Cambridge rockers The Treatment at Soundwave 2015! Having toured with the likes of Kiss, Motley Crue, Slash and Status Quo they have proved that they can match it with the best of them. With new album Running With The Dogs in tow Matt Jones talks to Across The Ocean about playing Soundwave and what lies ahead for the band.
It must make for some exciting times for The Treatment being added to Soundwave 2015?
Oh man, we can’t believe it! It’s a dream to come to Australia, none of us have been to Australia before. It’s a huge thrill!
How did the invitation come about?
I’m not too sure to be honest, our manager has some good connections so we’re very lucky to be playing Soundwave. Already we’ve seen more people taking an interest in our band which we have been able to gauge through social media. It has been great that a lot of Australians have been sending messages saying that they can’t wait to see us. It has been really positive so far and we can’t wait to get over there.
What have you heard about Soundwave and what sorts of things do you want to experience when you come to Australia?
For us, we’re massive AC/DC fans so while we’re in Melbourne we want to do the whole AC/DC thing and go down that street [AC/DC Lane]. Growing up in England you hear so much about Australia and our countries are quite close. So, it will be a lot like home but in much nicer weather! Maybe they can hook us up with some surfing lessons but we definitely want to soak up the culture and see what Australia is all about.
For Australian fans who don’t know much about The Treatment how would you describe the band?
We’re a classic rock band with plenty of energy, we’ve grown up listening to the likes of AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Sex Pistols and stuff like that. I think we’re very much rooted in the classic rock sound but because we’re young guys playing it we put a lot of energy in to it and try and make it a fun show.
Have you been happy with how fans have taken to your new album Running With The Dogs?
It has gone down really well and all we can try and do is get better with each album. It has been really well received, great reviews and seeing people sing the songs back live is great. We’re really happy that everything is going well.
Is there a hidden meaning behind the album title?
No not really, for us it’s about our life experiences and getting out there touring starting to live the life we want to live. Running With The Dogs is about us being like a pack of dogs getting out there playing some rock ‘n roll music. There is no hidden meaning and when it came up we went with it as it highlights what the album is about.
Did you have your fair share of challenges to overcome during the recording process?
There are always challenges with any recording process because it is all about making our band better. It wasn’t hard but it wasn’t easy either and while we were recording we would always be taking the mickey out of each other saying that’s crap and we could do better. We were always pushing each other and I think that works for us and because we live at our manager’s house he is a good person to have around as he pushes us a lot.
What’s the biggest thing you have learnt from recording this album?
Not to stress out too much! I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we need to learn that once it is recorded there is not much else we can do, once it’s done it’s done. When we did the first album we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and that can be put down to inexperience as well. I think if we were able to go back we could do it better. For me, the second album was about trying to relax a lot more as it will always be better than the first one because we’ve had a lot more experience. Outside pressure is a healthy thing as well as it makes us step up and pushes us to be better. I think we’re starting to thrive on pressure like that.
How was it touring with the likes of Alice Cooper?
Yeah man, we’ve had some really great tours and being able to tour with some of our heroes is great as well. We’ve been really lucky so far and appreciative every step of the way.
Where to next for The Treatment? Do you start thinking about goals for 2015?
Totally! We’re constantly working and there isn’t any down time. Once the tour is done we start writing and recording again. There’s still at least another year’s worth of touring on this album so we’re keeping busy and not sitting around waiting.
Do you think this may open the door to tour Australia again later next year?
We’re always hoping to play in as many places as possible and as soon as we’ve been somewhere and have had a good reaction we think that we should definitely go back there. Any opportunity to tour Australia we’ll be there as quick as we can. We’re a touring band and we enjoy playing more than anything, just get us on the road and we’ll go to wherever we can.
Whether it is rummaging through vinyl at record stores such as Clarity and Title finding hidden gems to scouring the internet to find that album by the next big thing or chasing bands to get that elusive autograph and photo his passion is music all the way.
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