Art Vs Science have stepped up to replace the Ting Tings on the Splendour lineup this year – making it three years in a row on the Splendour lineup for the electro rockers. After Splendour the trio heads out on the ‘The Magic Fountain’ national tour and threatens to complete that debut album due for release in 2011.

The band’s drummer Dan Williams turns his hand to interviewing for FasterLouder. Grilling his bandmates Jim Finn and Dan Mac on the big issues including fighting fellow musicians and having really inappropriate thoughts during interviews.

First to face the questioning is the band’s keyboard and bass player – Jim Finn.

Dan Williams: Hey Jim welcome to your 5 questions. How’s it going man?
Jim Finn:Good thanks

DW: Sweet. That’s not one of the questions.
JF: Oh.

DW: Jim is it true that i totally smashed it when I DJed at the Sunset Sounds after party when I wasn’t supposed to DJ?
JF: Totally man. You tore that party up. I remember chatting to Xavier Rudd when all of a sudden the music at the party got awesome.

Everyone ran inside from the balcony and started tearing up the dance floor. I looked over to see you standing on the DJ booth pumping your hands in the air.

Great song choice too… oh, except that while you were in the toilet and the other DJ played Bohemian Rhapsody and then you came out and played it two songs later…. that wasn’t so cool.

DW: Indeed. Who in the Australian music industry do you think you could beat in a fight?
JF: I think I could probably handle most of the girls… though Sarah Blasko and I got into a mock fight over a bar stool at the One Movement after party in Perth.

She was pretty intimidating… plus she had a whole bunch of people around her to help out. I only had you… and you surely would’ve run away screaming if she actually started something.

DW: Yes I would have. Have you ever had inappropriate thoughts about anyone interviewing us?
JF: Yeah. Danny Clayton from Channel [V]. I got lost in his crystal blue eyes. I couldn’t stop staring. He’s sooo dreamy.

DW: Agreed. If you were allowed to wear anything on stage what would it be?
JF: I think I’d want to wear a one piece silver lycra suit covered in tiny pieces of mirror… oh and cut holes in the back and have giant eagle’s wings with a five metre span. On my head I’d wear a tiger’s mask.

I’d have awesome rocket boots too to propel me above the crowd and fly around the festival.

DW: Why do you go so crazy on stage? What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re being electrocuted.
JF: Every now and then I am…. Certain songs which use certain sounds actually send shocks through the keyboard. It makes me spasm so it looks like I’m dancing crazily.

That’s why I have to lie down after the shows… I need time to recover. I really dread playing shows because they’re so painful. But it’s the only way to get paid.

Next to answer Dan Williams’ questions was the keyboard and guitar player Dan Mac.

DW: Hey Dan Mac, that time in Ballarat when you turned around and gave me that funny look was that because you were mad at me, infatuated by me, or both?
Dan Mac: Well my angry face can sometimes be confusing, and I do display it from time to time during shows, but I am also pretty much infatuated with you, so it was probably infatuation.

DW: What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten on tour?
DM: The best meal I’ve ever eaten on tour was a burger from one of those massive burger chains in LA. Its patty was about two inches thick, and there were onion rings on the burger, and waitresses would come around and top up your giant cup / glass / bucket thing with icey cold Coke. After that meal I found that I had to eat twice as much every day to not feel hungry. I’ve since become a vegetarian.

DW: If you could wear anything you want on stage, what would it be?
DM: I would wear a wizard’s hat and cloak, then at end of the set as everything is really loud and banging and it’s building to a huge climax I would remove the cloak revealing GIANT WINGS! And I’d grab my wireless guitar and do an epic solo as I flew off into the night.

DW: What is the best band you’ve ever seen at a festival?
DM: The Hives at Falls Festival 2008. Pelle was the coolest cat around. His banter is second to none. One day I would like to have a repertoire of delicious banter as witty and exciting as his. And then you can be Chris Dangerous.

DW: What’s the hardest song to play live?
DM: For me Magic Fountain is rather difficult but I manage to do it. For some reason Jim only has to play bass in that song, whereas I ended up playing not only the main riff parts but also EVERY strange harp, sweeping thunderstorm, eerie ghost line, jet engine taking off and screaming synth lead, while convincingly trying to sing about the many facets of a magic fountain. Something’s seriously wrong here.

DW: Hey Dan Mac, just one last question. Don’t you totally love that fill I do at the end of Hollywood?
DM: Totally man.

DW: Alright thanks, you’ve been great. What’s for dinner tonight?
DM: I’ve answered all your questions, get back on the drums percussion monkey.

FasterLouder presents Art Vs Science’s ‘The Magic Fountain’ tou and Coaster Festivalr:

Wednesday 11th August – The Northern, Byron Bay
Thursday 12th August – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
Friday 13th August – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
Saturday 14th August – Timeout Festival, Fogerty Park, Cairns
Wednesday 18th August – Uni of New England, The Stro, Armidale
Thursday 19th August – Uni Of Newcastle, Bar on the Hill
Friday 20th August – Uni Of Wollongong, Uni Bar
Saturday 21st August – Metro Theatre, Sydney
Wednesday 25th August – The Saloon Bar, Launceston
Thursday 26th August – Hobart Uni Bar
Friday 27th August – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne
Friday 3rd September – Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
Saturday 4th September – Capitol, Perth
Saturday 25th September – COASTER FESTIVAL