Thy Art Is Murder are looking forward to recording with a new singer – even though it will be like watching another guy “having sex with our wife.”
The Australian metal outfit were left shellshocked when former frontman CJ McMahon quit suddenly last year, saying he could no longer afford to live on the money he was making from the music business.
Molotov Solution’s Nick Arthur has been filling in on vocals on TAIM’s current European tour, but the band haven’t yet named a permanent replacement.
And while they were disappointed with McMahon’s reasons for leaving, they can’t wait to start studio work with his eventual replacement.
Guitarist Andy Marsh tells TeamRock Radio: “It’ll be great to find someone that does have the enthusiasm and vigour for touring that the rest of us have. In terms of recording, CJ had a fantastic voice, that’s undeniable. But in terms of creative direction and music, he had zero say.
“It’s exciting to think of the future and having another person’s voice over our music. At the end of the day there’s going to be another guy coming in and having sex with our wife – the wife is the music. It’s gonna be pretty fun to watch, we’re pretty sick like that.”
As for Arthur’s contribution, Marsh says things could hardly have gone better on the tour so far.
He adds: “The mood has been good and the tour has been amazing. Nick has been great. We haven’t been heckled once, and I really thought that maybe it would’ve been nice for him to have had to have risen above some ‘CJ’ chants. It definitely would have sucked but it would’ve been funny to mess with him.
“He’s been doing great. The first few days were a bit shaky for him. We started with 4000 and 5500 people at the first two shows. The biggest show he’d played before that would’ve been to about 400 people, so it’s definitely a step up for him.”
When McMahon left, he said he could no longer live with earning between $16,000 and $18,000 a year while planning a wedding and starting a family.
Marsh says those comments hurt because it could have been interpreted by fans that the band as a whole were complaining about a lack of earnings.
He says: “CJ aired a few of his personal grievances and tried to implicate those across the rest of us, and the rest of us have continued doing what we love doing, without complaint. I don’t know if that has to do with personal money management or whatever.
“Sometimes people just have to leave and find their own reasons. They have to justify that to themselves. He hasn’t done any super deep-lasting damage to any of us.
“We were all upset with what he said but we hope he does the best that he can outside of the music world. It’s just a shame that he had to go down with a grasp at attention.”
The band have one date left on their European tour, tonight at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands. They play California’s Self Help Festival in March before a run of Mexican shows and appearances at Rock’n Derby, Hellfest and Vainstream.
THY ART IS MURDER REMAINING TOUR DATES 2016
Feb 17: Tilburg 013, Netherlands
Mar 19: San Bernadino Self Help Festival, CA
Mar 30: Mexicali LOB Bar, Mexico
Mar 31: Monterrey Cafe Iguana, Mexico
Apr 01: Multiforo Alicia, Mexico
Apr 02: Guadalajara Foro Independencia, Mexico
Apr 03: Queretaro Black Dog Live, Mexico
May 21: Schaghticoke Rock’n Derby, NY
Jun 18: Hellfest, France
Jul 02: Munster Vainstream Rockfest, Germany
