An Interview with Thyrd Eye

Welsh goth rockers Thyrd Eye are made up of brothers and sister Matt, Hannah and Gareth Modget, giving them a unique bond as a group. February 2010 sees the release of their debut single 'Say Something'.

Matt plays guitar and vocals, and also doubles as the band's technical whizz; always playing on his own custom-made amps. Sister Hannah (bass, keyboard and vocals) has a lifelong background in music and dance, moving from the bassoon to the bass guitar before being invited by Matt to play together. Gareth (drums and vocals) first began to play music on the piano, followed by the oboe, and the drums when he was 17.

The release boasts three very diverse songs; a testament to the maturity and exciting range this band is capable of. 'Say Something' has a pure gothic rock sound; the chorus thrashing out heavy guitar riffs while the softer verses are led by Hannah's haunting and bewitching voice.  The other two songs are 'Year of the Dog'; an upbeat rock anthem layered with a classic punk vibe, and the contrasting 'If I wait Too Long' which is a multi-layered, dreamlike piece that really sets Thyrd Eye apart from other bands.

Who have been your biggest musical influences and how have they inspired you?

In no particular order, Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails and The Cure. We just really admire the way they approach music as an art form rather than a route to pop glory, and musically they're really interesting.

What new angle are you bringing to the world of music?

We're bringing heavy rock to a place where it's not necessarily about being angry, more about the force of the music and putting some interesting and strange sounds over the top.

What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of being siblings in a band?

The main advantage is that we're already pretty good as functioning as a group and working towards a common goal. It means there's no egos in the band and we always do what's best for the song without fear of upsetting anyone else in the band. It can be a bit weird seeing the same people all the time but it means we're always discussing the band so it's always moving forward.

What would you like Thyrd Eye to achieve in the future?

It'd be nice to have built up the sort of following that Nine Inch Nails and Placebo have where people buy your records regardless of whether they've been played on daytime radio or you're dating some celebrity. It's really tough making it in the music business though, so at the moment we're taking whatever comes our way!

Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. If you would like to have your band either reviewed or interviewed in EGL Magazine, just get in touch.