It’s always nice to talk to a musician who not just has the passion, but also believes in what his band produce; pushing themselves to new boundaries mixing together different musical genres rather then playing the same old same old.

David Toone from the band Beautiful Balloon fits this category as he and two mates (Hayden, James) produce a sound described as ranging from ‘scattered underground beats to NY-style dance-Punk, via electronic-orchestra indulgences and house to hip-hop; generally bypassing kitsch’. So basically it’s a bit of everything good in music put together to create this original sound that works a peach.

There are no thrills and spills to the background of the band formed in 2005, who are described by David as a group who like to let the music do the talking.

What is your specific role in the band?
    “We don’t have strict roles or set-ups in the band, as we like the freedom of being able to take on different tasks to suit the song; but I mainly play bass guitar and synths, as well as controlling the electronic drum playback.
    "In terms of song writing there is no hierarchy, we do of course have our own strengths and weaknesses, but we are all as capable and the magic comes out when we work together.”

How are things going for the band in terms of interest from fans and record companies?
    “Well we’ve been friends for a long time, and we’ve been in this current guise/brand for only six months. In terms of playing, the shows have always gone down well, with good atmospheres.
    "Whilst we understand it’s only another tool, the MySpace page does well considering our infancy; it’s a good platform for creating interest and receiving offers.
    “We have been told rumours of record company interest, but haven’t heard anything yet! It isn’t a direct goal to get signed, etc. as we want to focus on getting things right at our end, but it would be nice in the near future to find someone on our level who would be ideal to work with.”

What do you think of the current music scene? Is it too generic; should bands try and be original rather then copy in many aspects a winning formula to make a popular song?
    “There is a balance to strike. Formulas are never really a positive thing in our book, because they lead to overuse and diluting. But on the opposite end of the scale, being experimental and un-conformist for the sake of it can lead to pomposity and alienation.
    “Music style is so subjective that it’s hard to judge a scene or era. But there are some constants that should always be present, such as creativity and uniqueness, and to an extent intelligence and excitement.
    "There are plenty of good things happening at the moment; however controversial or disregarded, “nu rave” has opened things up somewhat, putting more emphasis on exciting sounds, content, and fun - but as with everything a lot of shit has come out of it too.”

On your MySpace page you mention that you get as much inspiration from mistakes and faults from other bands. What have you learnt?
    “When you see some local band who just sound like a mess of sound; two noisy indistinguishable guitars, redundant bass, indistinguishable vocals, and nothing to set them apart, it’s a bit…pitiful.
    "We want to be more than that; we want to offer something refreshing. That’s why we try to use interesting sounds – be it guitar, beats, bass, or synthesiser – and favour dynamic interplay, a cleaner, crisp sound.
    “The electronic drums are quite a significant part of our sound and of the writing process. We choose them because of the limitless sounds and possibilities on offer; a drummer wouldn’t really be capable of reproducing what we envision.
    “As a band, we hope to offer general variety and eclecticism; our styles are all over the place, but united generally by danciness. From glitch-electro disco, to post-punk and house and more – there are positive things to be taken from a multitude of different areas. If we can soundtrack someone’s night, and strike a nice balance between band and DJs we’re happy.”

When questioned on the bands background, you mentioned how you prefer to let the music, style and philosophies explain everything. Do you not agree in bands publicising their history when trying to create publicity?
    “It’s not so much the way a band starts, it’s just the fact that they’re telling us about it! No ones needs to know you met in a bar, and decided to form a band – everyone does that!
    “Obviously I’m not dismissing all band stories and history, if there’s a relevant tale to tell which helps paint a picture about the characters and the band entity then sure, but the actual music the band produce is sometimes given a back seat.
    "If the band doesn’t really care about it, why should we? We'd prefer to let the current elements (the music, the style, our philosophies) explain everything.”

How has the style of the band changed from the days when you first started out, and how would you like to see it develop?
    “Our first set-up was more basic in terms of instrumentation, and then we started to add elements such as synthesisers and eventually electronic drums to achieve our desired sound. So we’re in a comfortable position right now musically, we have a solid grounding of songs that have fulfilled our vision.
    "We try to better ourselves, and ever-improve; the plan now to hone our sound with future songs.”

You are currently studying media production at university. Have you found studying at university a problem to the band?
    “The first year of university kind of took over from band understandably, as it was such a change in lifestyle and we were all separated. There is always a lot of work and commitment for uni, but we’ve managed to get to a great stage as a band considering this, and are now ready to really push it when we graduate. 
    “In terms of our life focus and commitment, the band will be full-time after university, it will be and is now almost always on our minds. However jobs of some sort will be needed to maintain living, etc. which reminds me, I need to dig out that Lidl application form.”