Tony Goff & The Broken Colours
Although this made the writing process a bit trickier, today’s technology made this all possible, something they have embraced to the max. Their work is very much a double edged sword with Dustin assisting on Maxwell’s compositions writing parts for Amongst the Dead, recorded over a six month period in 2019, and vice versa with Maxwell assisting Dustin, resulting in both being extremely happy with the results.
Their tour of duty, although in their local area, has also taken them into London, and afield as far as Italy and Denmark.
Formed in June 2013, members come and go, as is always the case, but now with a new line-up and the right recipe for success, the boys have a strong vision for the future, and are proudly re-launching themselves to the masses with this first single together, and that formula now consists of –
Tony Goff – Vocals/Guitar, first found his voice at 16, after forging his passion for music on guitar at 13.
His love for the older style blues with artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, to the more modern leaning from The Kooks, set him firmly on his way, fuelled by an undying admiration of front man Luke Prichard showing him the way forward.
Connor Myers – lead guitar and backing vocals, cut his teeth in the industry at the tender age of 10, crafting his style around Vulfpeck for their experimental Blues and Funk, along with artists such as Cory Wong and Tom Misch.
Tom Paley – first found his instrument of choice at 14, using his brothers bass to practise the well-known Iron Maiden track The Wicker Man over and over. Tom later played in a secondary school band, covering Muse and Vulfpeck,
sharing the same view as Connor with their ingenuity in Blues and Funk, and, with Cory Wong and Tom Misch also on his hit list.
Ashley P Saunders – Drums, first started in music learning guitar at the tender age of ten, until he later found his calling on drums at 15, taking his inspiration from the legendary Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin.
In a recent interview, I asked Tony what the meaning was behind the band name, he told me;
“It’s quite funny really, Max Whiting, one of the earlier members thought of it whilst we were having a laugh, he said, I was like a blank canvas, and they were the splattered colour and talent to fill in the page”.
So I went on to ask what their favourite venues are to play, they replied;
“Our favourite venues are normally smaller dive bars, which are sadly disappearing, but of course we love the big ones too. Brixton Jamm was amazing when we supported Carl Barat to a full house and a mental crowd. Playing in Brixton is always fun. We have to give a shout out to our local venues as some of them end up being the best nights. Supporting
The Ordinary Boys at The Garage was mental too, but we love it all”.
So, now firmly on the subject of gigs, I asked Tony who they have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with, he replied;
“The Ordinary Boys, The Blockheads, The Bluetones, Carl Barat, The Feeling, Feeder, Harry Quinn, Serenade the Stars and Strathcona”.
In any artist or band’s career, sharing the stage with influential talent is always an experience that will either show you the way, or show you the door, and it’s these early experiences that are the precious ones that either make or break you. So I went on to ask Tony, what drives them as a band, he told me;
“Our Love for good music, we all have the same tastes and love working together. I’ve worked with a lot of musician’s over the years and these guys are special, I love working with them”.
“The songwriting process, on my part, was extremely easy. I had so much music ready to flow out of me as soon as
Rage Cave finished and I just wrote and wrote and wrote. Some songs came about quicker than others but all of them felt natural and like a solid progression from my previous work. With Dustin, it went as easy as it could possibly have gone given the circumstances. We just agreed on every decision he made and I couldn’t imagine a better fit for the project than him. His lyrics, vocals and attitude to everything was just awesome and made for a really enjoyable songwriting process overall”.
Both singles are the result of meticulous dedication in production and a very creative mind lyrically.
The hours spent creating both visual story boards within the mind through music alone and tayloring it to the lyrics is a master stroke of genius, as you can literally feel the mood of each song crafted in sound. Every instrument has a clear role and well thought out, in power, attitude and syncopation.
As afforementioned, Maxwell felt the need to use screeming vocals on The Way Of Man, leaving his softer approch on Hexed, something I feel was a great decision made, giving a good mix and creating a very different ambiance per track, yet maybe, if both are mixed together one day, this could lead to an interesting delelopement. Although the boys have never performed both singles live or even been in the same room, let alone the same continent, its an exciting thought to what could be achieved with a live audience and full band. I think this duo has a bright future within this genre, both as performers and producers and should feel not only encouraged, but excited to what can be a very bright future together.
Star Rating – 8/10
To buy either single, click the cover below.
I feel that in time, this partnership will only grow stronger, and as albums are built to the quality on display here, the temptation to hit the road and show the world what they have got with a full band behind them, will fast become reality. I have seen success with similar duos in my time within the industry, who have collabortated across the pond. One such band being The Kills, who’s on going sucess is testiment to this formula.
Another such duo is Who Woke The Dragon from Brighton, here in the UK , and although both in the UK, use a similar process showing us all that less is more.
To close, I asked Maxwell if there was anything else he would like our readers and potential fans to know, he finished up by telling me;
“Our debut two albums are out now on all platforms and we really hope that you enjoy them. Lots of work, over nearly 2 years went into these two short LPs and I’m really proud of how they’ve turned out”.
So why not give Underking a try for this summer and put them on your wish list for 2020
Previous works, play through.
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