Up Close: AVIUS

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AVIUS is a rock band based in the West of England and London. The band is made up of three members;Sebastian Brice on guitar and vocals, Bertie Whitfield on drums, and Adam DT on bass and vocals. Check out the band on their official website:AVIUS-Home . I recently had the fantastic opportunity to get up close with Adam DT, well as up close as you can get when I live in Kentucky and Adam lives in Bath. Despite the distance and drama involving computer problems of epic proportions, Adam and I were able to connect.

It’s lovely to meet you Adam, I appreciate you talking to me, especially since we are almost complete strangers! First thing I noticed: you play a number of instruments, including the bass. What else?

I play guitars, keyboards,the banjo, the ukulele and the kazoo. I started out by learning the bassoon which I played for about 10 years. It’s because of the bassoon that I got into music really. I started learning it when I was 6 or 7. Then got a music scholarship to my senior school on it. This ment I could learn another instrument for free. I learned the bass. Right now I’m loving the banjo. I only started playing it a couple of months ago, but because of knowing the guitar pretty well im picking it up pretty quickly and im finding that songs are just falling out of the thing! Ultimately my favourite instrument to play is the bass or double bass. It’s where my heart is at! I sing as well, but that is a more recent thing. Seb (Sebastian) is the lead singer but I do sing a fair bit of harmony with AVIUS which I really enjoy. I really like to sing my own songs. That works pretty well because its my own lyrics, so i know in what manner I want them to be delivered. I only started singing properly recently so I’m not as established as Seb but I am really enjoying it.

What is the fan base like for AVIUS?

The AVIUS fan base is really cool. We have some really lovely people who show up to lots of gigs, and some even more lovely people who buy our music! But, really we are just super stoked when people come and listen to us play. Really enjoy our sound. We are all about the live show so for people to “get it” is a big thing for us.

I noticed that AVIUS is not on a label. Is that an intentional choice or temporary?

Yeah, we aren’t signed to anyone right now. We are playing kind of a long game with that one, we don’t want to be anyones one hit wonder or anything. I think we would all rather be involved with a smaller label who gets our sound than a big one who doesn’t really care. We are part of a scene called The Telescope Underground. It’s a very small group of people who share band members and advice with each other regarding music and film projects. Our drummer, Bert, wrote a song that is going to be the soundtrack to a short film by Nick Beasly while I play and produce loads of the other guys stuff. It is a very collaborative, interesting thing.

You mentioned in one of our conversations that you just graduated University. Plans now?

AVIUS is priority No.1 right now we have some really interesting people listening to our stuff, and potentially wanting to do some with it. The next 12 months or so is solid “lets see where we can get with AVIUS” time. I am working 9-5’s and taking all the paid playing work I can to make ends meet. I’m struggling a bit, which is made all the worse since Seb is a big famous Burberry model! AVIUS did a video for Burberry. They are awesome to work with.

How regularly do you guys play? Do you tour? Recording?

I want to mention our mutual friend,Julie Watkins, whojust happens to be an amazing poet. One of her poems inspired you to write a song. Tell me more…

I heard Julie reading her poem,”Cariad”, I fell in love with the concepts, the wording. Especially the subject matter of looking after someone fragile that you love enormously. That is very close to my heart. When I read the poem I felt open to it. I wanted the poem read by her on the end of the track because it is something I haven’t done and it helps put the song in context.

I love the connection between poetry and music in this song.

I totally agree. I would love to do more of this kind of thing. If it wasn’t for Julie’s beautiful poem, I wouldn’t have been able to get hold of all those emotions and lyrics.

Cariad Pts I & II

Check out the lyrics and the original poem here!

Adam, it all boils down to one question… do you want to be a ROCKSTAR! ?

Check out Adam's solo work here!

Already am one baby! Actually I don’t think the rock star thing exists anymore. One of my favorite quotes is by this amazing songwriter named, Frank Turner:

“There’s no such thing as rock stars, just people who play music, and some of them are just like us and some of them are dicks.”

I like that line.

Leave us with another favorite quote?

“I don’t need make up, I got real scars” – Tom Waits

Perfect.