Band in the box...Tinlin

Jul 5 2012 by Camilla Goodman, Buckinghamshire Advertiser

Tinlin is:

Alex Tinlin (guitar, piano, vocals), 34, lives in Chesham. He went to St Clement Danes School in Chorleywood.

Rolf Tinlin (guitar, mandolin, vocals), 32, is Alex’s brother. He lives in Chipperfield. He also went to St Clement Danes School.

Jack Carrack (drums, percussion), 24, is from Leytonstone. He also went to St Clement Danes School.

Jack’s father is musician and songwriter Paul Carrack, who has been a member of bands including Ace, Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics.

Why did you decide to form the band?

To rebel against our parents forcing us to learn the violin when we were kids.

When was your first gig?

Our first gig as Tinlin was at the Horn in St Albans.

How did it go?

Pretty good, I think. Though too many brain cells have gone since then!

What would you say sets you apart from other bands/artists in Bucks?

I think our song-writing skills are quite strong, which maybe makes up for our general lack of prowess when it comes to showy, or highly technical instrumental playing. The vocal harmonies have always been a talking point, in a good way!

What do you make of the current

live music scene in this area and

what advice would you give to bands trying to get into it?

They are some great open mic nights at the moment, including KMD jam night at The Bell in Chartridge. The George and Dragon in Chesham has a pretty impressive scene that seems to be going from strength to strength.

The great thing about some of these nights is that if you pluck up enough courage to get up and do a song or two, the chances are you will keep coming back, and gain confidence and experience in playing in public, and finding out what works and what doesn’t work. There’s nothing like audience feedback to decide whether a song is good or not!

Which bands/artists are you most inspired by?

We grew up listening to mainly classical music (our parents are classical musicians), but alongside this the old

record player sometimes had The

Beatles, The Dubliners, Ian Dury and the Blockheads into the mix.

What’s the best venue you have played in Bucks?

Probably The Elgiva theatre, Chesham.

How did your tour with Paul Carrack go?

Amazing! We never could have dreamed we’d be playing in such amazing venues, and be able to step up to the plate with an artist of Paul Carrack’s calibre.

We learned so much from Paul and his fantastic band. It certainly made us up our game from a professional point of view.

Where do you see the band in three years?

Hopefully still touring, but maybe as the headline act! Oh, and with another three albums under our belt.