Time Travel Q & A: Timber Bones
Travelling party-rockers Timber Bones are making a name for themselves through their electric live show and tearing up highways in their DIY customised tour/living bus. We chucked the quintet some hard hitting questions about time travel ahead of their Brisbane single launch show.
If you had a time machine, which time period would you most love to head to to check out?
The mid 1800s, but only if we get to be in America somewhere along the Mississippi River…on a raft. A whisky-fuelled Huckleberry Finn river rafting adventure is the only right choice. We’ve been dreaming of a day hot enough to inspire an adventure out into the creeks around Murwillumbah, just sinking tinnys with Punch Brothers on repeat.
If you went forwards in time 10,000 years, which animal would you hope had evolved to become the sentient rulers of earth after humans?
Bees, for a number of reasons. Bees play a vital role within the overall ecosystem of the entire planet. Their life cycles prove that harmony is not only possible between flora and fauna, but necessary. When you examine what a bug is and how it acts it becomes apparent that they are simple, organic machines with all actions dictated by logic instead of emotion. This is a crucial factor that must be considered when pondering such things.
It is inevitable that creatures ruled by emotion will prioritise their own survival over that of anything (and everything) else when they reach a certain level of sentience, humans for example. It is important to factor in the form of consciousness the sentience would take. Consider a hive of bees, made up of a queen who commands thousands of other individual insects. Single bees communicate through physical and chemical signals to one another, all working to benefit the hive. Similarities can be drawn between the human brain and a bee hive, with the bees operating as individual neurones – Just small parts that contribute to the whole.
With a logic based, hive-mind consciousness and a lifecycle mutualistically involved with Earths fauna Bees are the ideal creature that could attain an equal level of sentience to modern Humans while avoiding all of the unnecessary damage caused to the planet. So yeah, Bees, I choose you.
If you went to the years when your parents were in high school, and accidentally screwed up their meeting, what kind of romantic date would you take your Mum/Dad in a shenanigan-filled scheme to get them together?
I’d get actors or something to fly a plane and pretend that they’re passed out so that there is no pilot. My mum will be on the plane and also my dad and uhh, I’d have the hostess come out and ask if anyone can fly the plane, mainly right next to my dad so that he can then land the plane, sweeping my mother off her feet. When they land there will be a limo waiting and my dad will get a call from the president to go to a fancy party.
On the sly I’ll get one of the hostesses to invite my mum into the same limousine, but not tell either of them. And bingo-bango, parents go to a fancy president party, they still together and I still get born.” Luke Pauley, on maintaining existence.
If you went back to the time when you were 15, what invention/app/idea would you tell yourself so that you could get the credit for it?
“Pluto’s not a planet.”
If you had to go back in time to protect yourself from a killer Mr Olympia robot, what secret or story would you tell your younger self to convince you that you are you?
I’d reference the recurring dreams I had of falling through an endless multicoloured void while a giant Stephen King’s It style clown-head tries to envelope me in its gaping, fanged mouth. After falling for hours I land on a small patch of grass surrounded by a twisting nexus of merging highway lanes.
If you could go back in time and impersonate one major historical figure, who would you most like to replace? Additionally, which historical figure do you think you would objectively be the best at impersonating?
I’d like to replace Abraham Lincoln. Not only was Lincoln an undefeated professional wrestler but he also had a sick hat and an awesome beard. Plus he was a pretty great dude and passed some sweet laws and freed the slaves. Coincidentally, I think I’d be best at impersonating John Wilkes Booth. I’ve played every Hitman game and completed every level with a “silent assassin” rating. I often wonder what it would be like to infiltrate a high-class event like an opera or a Timber Bones concert totally undetected.
I mean it sucks that I shoot Lincoln, I vehemently disagree with this action, but I’d get a real kick out of walking around a nice theatre humming the hitman theme under my breath. Plus if I did it then I wouldn’t be infamous for it, because I’m the Hitman and who would catch me.
If you could go back and change one thing about the band, what would it be?
When we play live there are a bunch of consistently awesome points in the set in terms of crowd participation. During Porcelain there is a great little street-party influenced break where Sam plays a catchy latin groove on a cowbell, people always lose it and get crazy. It’s fantastic. Needs More Cowbell.
For the uninitiated, how would you describe Timber Bones’ sounds and live performance?
A smooth mix of sounds from all areas of life, the high-highs, the low lows and the creamy middles.
The live show has to be seen, clearly at home on the stage Timber Bones will lead you away with an evening of frenzied dancing and psychedelic grooves. For fans of Jeff Buckley, Band of Skulls, Stevie Wonder, Half Moon Run and Ball Park Music.
What’s the story behind the new track, Banger (Baby I Told Ya)?
Baby I Told You is a tongue in cheek song vaguely aimed at a wide mix of people. From the ex girlfriends that coincidentally remembered we exist when we announced an east coast tour to those who laughed at our earliest ambitions when we were still practicing under Sam’s parents house.
It’s a song for people who have had enough of something and are fed up. As we plan our music video we keep coming back to the imagery of a man in flight, running from something but not in a fearful way, in a liberating way. The focus here is on the power of the individual. There’s a definite 80’s influence that comes through in the track and we have a world class dancer lined up for the shoot so expect something Flashdancey.
What are three things that fans should know before they see you live?
1. Dress wilder than usual. At Timber Bones we really encourage people to dress up in whatever they’re feeling, as “Put what’s on the inside on the outside” being a little motto of ours.
2. Don’t end up like Kendall, bring your ID and be nice to the seccies regardless.
3. If you end up at the Alquimia Tequila Bar with the Bones Boys please be aware of the energy you bring to the space, it’s often the final spot of the night for them and serves as the wind down. Keep it chill and classy or take that vibe straight to Rics…
