The Median Man spoke with Richard from Toledo Steel about the new release and coronavirus.
The Median Man spoke with Richard from Toledo Steel about the new release and coronavirus.
PRIDE
What made you decide to release the Early Years Anthology?
Our first self titled 3 track EP was independently released by us in 2013 and subsequently followed up by our second slightly longer EP Zero Hour in 2015. Both of these releases are important to the history of the band and we are still proud of them today. They were well received at the time and we’ve since almost run out of copies from the original pressings. Our label Dissonance Productions suggested a re-release of both as one compilation but totally repackaged up with new cover art etc. We were obviously up for this because now with the labels backing and distribution, these recordings can potentially reach more people than they did the first time around.
How has the band progressed since your early days?
The band has gone through a few changes over the years. The full lineup now is slightly different to what it was when we recorded both those first EP’s. Myself alongside Tom on guitar and Matt our drummer have been present throughout but we now have our first ever bassist (Felix) back in the fold. We’re also a 4 piece once again. Apart from the first year of the band we were a 5 piece throughout the couple of years when those first 2 EP’s were recorded. I’d also say that we’re now more sure of our overall collective vision of the band on all levels. That’s not to say we were never clear of what we wanted to do but as the years have rolled by, we’ve definitely become more focused and aware of our strengths and weaknesses as a band.
FOCUSED
FOCUSED
How has the band progressed since your early days?
The band has gone through a few changes over the years. The full lineup now is slightly different to what it was when we recorded both those first EP’s. Myself alongside Tom on guitar and Matt our drummer have been present throughout but we now have our first ever bassist (Felix) back in the fold. We’re also a 4 piece once again. Apart from the first year of the band we were a 5 piece throughout the couple of years when those first 2 EP’s were recorded. I’d also say that we’re now more sure of our overall collective vision of the band on all levels. That’s not to say we were never clear of what we wanted to do but as the years have rolled by, we’ve definitely become more focused and aware of our strengths and weaknesses as a band.
NEW ALBUM
Where do you see the band heading in the future?
If we’re talking about the immediate future, I can answer that right away. We’re currently finishing up the recording of our second album which will be released towards the end of the year. We’re really excited about that of course. Beyond that we plan to carry on playing live as much as possible and to continue to write and record more albums. The interest in this kind of music in 2020 seems pretty strong to me. I hope that this continues and as a result we can do more and more in the way of touring and progress up the ladder overall so to speak!
How has coronavirus impacted your plans as a band?
The whole situation has thrown a spanner in the works for sure… We had a bunch of shows already lined up that were obviously cancelled and we then lost out on money which we used to book flights. Luckily we’ve still managed to push on with the recording of our next album as mentioned already, but that’s only cos we started doing that prior to the lockdown and had a fair chunk done already. We don’t know when we’ll be able to resume playing live again or if all the canceled shows will be rescheduled. Booking shows for next year is even potentially troublesome because there’s so many unknowns right now with how this all pans out. Every single band is in the same boat right now to some degree. The loss of time is frustrating but we’ve got plenty of years left in us yet and we’ll more than make up for it further down the line!
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
How has coronavirus impacted your plans as a band?
The whole situation has thrown a spanner in the works for sure… We had a bunch of shows already lined up that were obviously cancelled and we then lost out on money which we used to book flights. Luckily we’ve still managed to push on with the recording of our next album as mentioned already, but that’s only cos we started doing that prior to the lockdown and had a fair chunk done already. We don’t know when we’ll be able to resume playing live again or if all the canceled shows will be rescheduled. Booking shows for next year is even potentially troublesome because there’s so many unknowns right now with how this all pans out. Every single band is in the same boat right now to some degree. The loss of time is frustrating but we’ve got plenty of years left in us yet and we’ll more than make up for it further down the line!