Interview Shapeshifted at roxyfest 2024.
One of the best opportunities for music fans and enthusiasts is to get in touch with your favorite artists.
At Roxy fest 2024 we had that opportunity with a couple of bands and had the chance to ask them a couple of questions about their experiences as band, as musicians, what they do aside of the band,…
One of those bands we talked to was the opener of the festival; Shapeshifted. Here’s what their opinions are about living in the music industry and combining it with their day to day lives.
Interview with: Shapeshifted.
1) Introduce yourself shortly:
We are Shapeshifted, a Gent based rock band, formed in 2011.
2) Which genre do you play?
Rock (seventies rock)
3) Have you done many gigs already?
We’ve been around for thirteen years so we did quite a lot of gigs 😉
4) Do you make your own music, or do you play covers?
we play our own songs and from time to time a cover.
5) When playing covers, do you give them a little twist of your own and how do you do that part of the job?
If you want to do a cover you have to put in something of yourown. We don’t like to “re-produce” an original song. If we do a cover I adjust the chords if necessary so I can sing them in a key that fits me best. I don’t let the other members listen tot he original song. So we always end up with something of ourown.
6) What has influenced you to start playing the instrument your playing? (Each person can answer this question personally.)
We all just started playing for fun. All members started quiteearly at a very young age. I must admit I only started playingguitar when I was 23 or something and I started singing whenI was about 30. I guess you can say I was a late bloomer.
7) Who are the artists that you admire most and did theyhave any influence on your choices, in both your personal life and the musicians world?
Personally I was influenced by the Stones, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Chuck Berry. My friends are more into Led Zeppelin and the heavier stuff like Iron Maiden and such.
That gives Shapeshifted a very nice mix and sound.
8) How have you met each other? (Band question)
We go back a long time. We all went to the same bars in Gent. The “musicians” bars like Caruso and Charlatan. I don’t remember exactly how we decided to play together. In the 90’s I already started a band called Loonie withPeter on drums and Jeem on bass and a guitar player. That band lastest only for 2 years. We lost sight of eachother. Years and years later I was invited to a private party that Peter organizes every year after the Gentse Feesten. There we jammed a bit with Pieter on guitar whohad also played with Peter and Jeem in bands like Southern Voodoo. I think that’s when we started thinking about forming a band together.
I am very proud to play with one of Belgian’s best rhythmsections and a great guitar player like Pieter. After all they played in bands like Derek and the Dirt, Southern Voodoo, Guy Swinnen, Ann Pierlé, Red Zebra, Give Buzze…
9) Where do you get the inspiration for writing your songs?
People, movies, books, news, relations … everything givesme inspiration to write about.
I like to tell little stories, sometimes true sometimes not.
10) Are you going to festivals or concerts by yourselfmuch?
Not really. Peter, Pieter and Jeem play in several bands. Sothey are on the road a great deal of time. I sometimesattend smaller concerts. I don’t really enjoy big festivals.
11) What if someone invites you to play a gig in anothercountry? Would you play that gig or consider playingit?
Of course. As a matter of fact we already played a festival in Ostuni, southern Italy. “If you got a problem (Spit itout)” was the first track of our second album and it didreally well in Italy. It was for about 6 months in the Virgin Radio charts. It was even at number 9 in Rolling StonesMagazine Italy Best songs of 2014. We have lots of Italianfans.
We also did some gigs in France. And we were asked totour in Sweden for several weeks but that would have costus lots of money. Touring doesn’t always mean earningmoney 😉
Most of our gigs we did in the french part of the country. Our first two albums got lots of airplay on RTBF Radio Classic 21.
12) What is your opinion about today’s music?
To be honest … I don’t listen to radio stations any more. They are too one-sided.
And too controlled by … Fill it in yourself. The radio stations are TOLD what to play. There are no more real playlists like there used to be. So as a new band without connections you don’t get airplay at all, even if you are a good band.
13) What do you think of the older music, bands, musicians, that our parents or even our grandparentsgrew up with?
Everyone in the band loves all kind of music. We are not restricted to one or two genres. We really listen to lots of stuff.
14) What’s your opinion about other music genres, other then the ones you are playing or listening to?
I don’t really have an opninion on this. Like I said we listen to every kind of music. My son for instance is more into rap andhiphop and he makes me listen to that stuff too.
15) What useful information would you give other starting bands about the life of a musician?
WORK HARD !!! that’s the best advice I can give. Youreally have to work hard. And besides your music youhave to work hard on promotion. Nobody is waiting foryou, nobody knows you. So you have to get heard. Andthat takes lots of time and lots of hard work.
16) To wrap it all up: What are your goals and what would you really wanna achieve as a musician?
Keep on making songs, recording them and playing concerts.
But we have to face it … the music business is NOT a nicebusiness.
It’s all about “product placement” “the right connections” etc.
I know quite some great musicians that make great songs that will never be heard.
Making great music is not the first condition to besuccesfull.
Being young, having the right looks, knowing the right people … that’s what counts.
And from time to time if you are very lucky you will get heard because of your music.
But that doesn’t mean you have to stop trying. Making and playing music can not be compared to anything else in life. You have to keep going out of love for music. And beglad with what it gives you back. Even if it’s just a concert in a small club every now and then. You never give up because you never know what CAN happen.
To find out more about Shapeshifted, check out the following links: