On Saturday, September 27th, I had the chance to see the one and only Rolo Tomassi live at the Rockwell in Somerville, visiting from England for a three-stop tour in the US. With a sound described as mathcore, progressive metal, and post-hardcore, Rolo Tomassi’s music is hard to define and ultimately more than the sum of its parts. Seeing the band live is stunning—Eva Korman seamlessly switches between clean and harsh vocals while her brother, James Spence—when not playing synth—joins her in alternating screams. He, Chris Cayford on guitar, Nathan Fairweather on bass, and Al Pott on drums create a precise sound that varies from aggressive to ambient. I attended the concert with a friend who, having never heard of the band or listened to much progressive metal, still commented on appreciating these aspects of their music. In this sense, Rolo Tomassi’s music is accessible—its span and technicality make it so there is something for everyone. Rolo Tomassi’s set included a sampling from albums throughout the band’s career, including from their latest album, Where Myth Becomes Memory. I had the chance to speak with two concert attendees, long-time fans Ian and Liam, who shared some of their suggestions for new listeners (included at the end of the article).

At the event, I also had the opportunity to speak with James Spence about the band’s musical background, dynamic, and goals. 

Laurel: Thank you so much for doing this little interview about Rolo Tomasi and you guys here at the Rockwell. Really excited to see your show. How long are you guys going to be on the road, and are you planning to do any writing or head back to the studio after that? 

James: So this is quite a short run of dates for us. We're playing Furnace Fest, which is in Alabama next weekend. We're going to do a couple of warm-up shows ahead of that, so we’re playing in Boston tonight. We're in Long Island tomorrow. We have a few days off where we're going to take a little bit of a road trip, and then we're going to spend the full weekend at the festival. There are a ton of bands that we want to see there, so we just wanted to really soak in the experience. It's the first time we've played an outdoor festival in the US, so I think we wanted to really take advantage of that and see what it's like and how it compares to festivals like that in Europe. We actually were in the studio last year, so there's a new EP that's going to drop really soon. And then beyond this tour, I think the idea is to maybe try to get together before the end of the year to write. We're based across three cities, two countries. It's hard logistically to make that work sometimes, but I think the appetite is definitely there to make some new music after the handful of kicks we've done this year. 

L: That's so exciting, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you guys put out. I was also wondering—you are here in Cambridge right now; have you been looking around, exploring? What has it been like? Or have you been really pressed for time? 

J: No, so we arrived on Thursday night. Today's Saturday... So we were staying in the North End in Boston. We went to a baseball game last night at Fenway Park. We just did a little wander around the area that we were in. We've been enjoying the food scene. Enjoying a few beers and unwinding. Although we're on tour and in the States, in a way, for most of us, this is time off work as well. We have full-time jobs and careers outside of the band. So it’s like a holiday, and I think everyone's just enjoying being together. We're not able to get together as often as we would all like. So it's just nice having a few days to relax and just to experience Boston. When we've been here before, it's always been part of a tour, and time is a little bit more scarce when you're travelling like that, so having a few days somewhere is nice. 

L: That's really great. I had a slightly different question: What is it like being in a band with your sister? Because I have a brother, we play music together, and I’ve found that sometimes it's a little bit difficult because you don't have that kind of courtesy that you would have with someone who's not related to you. So what is that like? 

J: I would say my experience is probably similar to yours. But at the same time, we've been doing this band for 20 years. I've never not been in a band with my sister when I've been playing music, so I don't necessarily have too much comparison for how it would be otherwise. But sometimes we'll butt heads in a way that I wouldn't with someone that I wasn't a blood relative of. I think you kind of filter things a little less than you do with other people. 

L: Which I guess can be helpful in some ways, but in other ways…

J: Yeah, I mean, we can be direct with each other sometimes. But just to not make it all completely negative, it's really nice being in a band with my sister as well. Like, we're really close in terms of ages. We grew up really enjoying the same music, having the same group of friends that were all getting into sort of alternative music together. So the fact that we've been able to take something that we were both so passionate about when we were younger and do something which we’ve just enjoyed over the last two decades is really fucking cool. 

L: That's awesome. Thank you. Also, I know you guys have self-produced some of your music. What has that been like, and how has that process typically worked for you all? 

J: So I think earlier on, we maybe thought we were self-producing, and it was something that we maybe talked about. But I think it wasn't really until we worked with a producer that we probably even knew what production was. I think a lot of the time, early on, we were just going in with engineers, and we would write songs, and we would turn up, and we would record them—and there wasn't necessarily much production or input, or the music didn't even necessarily have the space for a third party to give their opinions on how you would improve it. But for the last three records, we've used the same producer, and he engineers, he mixes, and he produces the records, and it completely changed my context and concept of what a producer is and what they do. I think [when] we were maybe saying that we self-produced things, we were probably a bit too big for our boots at the time, and we were just writing and not necessarily leaving even any space for there to be production as such. But now that we know what a producer is, we're lucky that we found one we work really well with. His name is Lewis Johns. He's based in the UK. We've made the last three albums we've done with him. And…now I think we almost write in a way that leaves space for there to be conversations when we're in the studio about how we can build it, how we can make it sound bigger than the sum of its parts, how we can make it feel special and not just five people playing separate parts. 

L: Totally. And I feel like when you mentioned that in the past you had done some of the producing and were at least working with that a bit—that helps with having conversations with producers in general, right? 

J: I agree. I think knowing what you want when you go into a studio—I think the first few times when we were recording things, it was so fresh and we were so green going into it that I wasn't even really sure how to articulate myself properly about what I wanted or what the end result should have been and how we would achieve that. Whereas now I think—just from the benefit of experience—I know how to at least get my point across in a way that, if it doesn't sound how it's supposed to sound, if I can't quite get there with keyboard patches or sounds, I at least have the kind of language that I've learned from being around people who know better than I do to at least get as close to what I want as possible.

L: Definitely. And my final question was: You guys do a lot of independent stuff. You all started the band from the ground up, kind of DIY. I was wondering if you have any tips for music groups that are doing similar things—sometimes even university groups. What have been the pros and cons of that process? 

J: I would say do as much as you can for yourself before you involve anyone else in your band. And, I think, learn. I had the benefit of just learning from doing things. So, really early on, as an example, we didn't know any promoters, so we wanted to play gigs, and it was like, “Well, we'll just put one on ourselves, because if I don't know who is going to put a concert on for us, well, I can just do that for myself.” I didn't have the means or the money to get CDs manufactured. So we handmade covers. And then I think you can expand that way of thinking to being your own accountant, and keeping budget sheets, and learning about where the money's going and how you're spending it, and keeping records of things and tour managing... I mean, people hear words like “tour managers,” and they maybe feel that there's like a circle that they're kept out of. But all the tour manager is is someone who creates an itinerary and keeps track of the finances. That's what managing a tour is, at a certain level—I don't want to speak for people that are working on arena shows and say that you can just scale that up immediately like that. But I think [in regard to] learning how to do all of these things yourself: keep hold of as much of that as possible so that when your band is at a level where a booking agent or a manager might want to come on board, you at least have a really good handle on how all of the things outside of just being in a room and playing works because that stuff is important if you're trying to do this with longevity and with a level of professionalism in mind. 

L: Absolutely. And I guess in the same vein as producing, when you know what you're doing from doing it yourself, you can speak with other people who are doing that thing but also look out for yourself, especially on the business side. 

J: Exactly. And I think when you are around people that are doing it at that level above you, or artists that do have tour managers and stuff: See how they're doing it. See what you like about what they do, see what you would do differently, and what will work for your group because there's not a one-size-fits-all approach to any of this. I think you have to find what works for you, and you have to just learn. Just be open to learning, be open to listening. Don't assume that you know how everything works, and always be thinking of the next steps, and strive to improve by… just osmosis, I think. I think so much of it, for me especially, was just “that band—yeah, they're there, and I want to be there. What are they doing differently [than] us?” And just paying attention, not being afraid to ask people questions, because no one starts and knows how all of this works. It's only through the benefit of experiencing it, sticking it out, and probably making some mistakes that you sort of reach a point where you feel comfortable and that you know what you're talking about. 

L: Yes. Thank you so much. 

J: Yeah. It's a pleasure. 

Next, I interviewed long-time fans Ian and Liam at the concert venue.

Laurel: Is there anything you want to hear from Rolo tonight? 

Ian: I love the Time Will Die album, just straight through. I want to hear “Cloaked” (this is a song from Rolo Tomassi’s latest album, Where Myth Becomes Mystery). I’m just looking for a good experience, to broaden horizons. 

L: Did you have a favorite song in Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It?

I: “Aftermath.” That’s the one that put me onto [them]. I really like [“Contretemps”]. That one’s really good.

L: I really love the “Hollow Hour” (another song from Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It), that’s the one that put me onto them. The guitar intro. So pretty. 

Laurel: Are there any songs in particular you're hoping to hear?

Liam: I think “Party Wounds” is my favorite from back in the day (this was the first song played in the set!). For people who don’t know Rolo Tomassi, they were kind of the Myspace era. The whole emo or metalcore scene. And they were definitely a more avant-garde mathy version of those bands.

Laurel: And how did you get into their music to begin with? 

Liam: I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but there’s a pretty viral clip of them playing at a thrift store…”

Laurel: Yes!

Liam: I feel like it was that making the rounds back in the day. But I was like, “Oh, this band’s actually kinda good.”

Laurel: For people who haven’t heard their music before, is there a song you’d recommend that they listen to?

Liam: If you want more frenetic stuff, go for the early music. Then later on, I feel like they chilled out and got more ambient and vibey. So take your pick!

Laurel Aronian ('29) is a staff writer for WHRB.