A quick word with Andrew Thorne of Splitter

By GRAHAM REID

Andrew Thorne is the singer-songwriter and guitarist for Splitter. The band's Stereo Happiness was one of the most critically acclaimed albums but most cruelly overlooked albums of last year.

He is now on the road with Dave Dobbyn's My Kinda People tour, which allows him to appear on stage twice when it arrives at the St James on Friday — with Splitter and as axe-man with Mr Dobbyn.

You're out with Dave, just who are his kinda people in those concert halls around the country?

It's amazing. It's a complete cross-section. There are people who wouldn't have been born when Be Mine Tonight was released, then there's people in their 50s, and even a few 60-year-olds. It's everyone from drunken yobs to mums'n'dads, and just about every gig has been sold out. We played the Roadhouse in Papakura as the first one and were thinking it might be a bit rough, but everyone was great. Dave always says he has a self-regulating crowd. If anyone acts up they soon get seen to by the other punters. I'm loving it.

Those are Dave's kinda people. Who are Splitter's kinda people?

I don't know, really. The people who bought the album hunted it out, it's not something that was dropped in their laps. So I guess it's people who like their pop and rock with a bit of an edge, but something intrinsically Kiwi.

People did have to search it out, so did you feel it didn't get the recognition it deserved?

Not really, it wasn't about that for Splitter. We were really proud of that album. Though I haven't listened to it for a while, every time I stick it on I think that it's really good and that it's a great memory of what a fantastic musician and drummer Matt Meehan was. It was the most fun album I've made and all the songs stand up. I'm keen to do it again with a bit of budget and someone who wants to distribute it.

The money from the Dave tour goes to another Splitter album?

Yeah, but I'd also like a record company to give a bit of commitment too. Not to throw heaps of money at it, but for distribution and pressing so if people are interested they can find it a bit easier. If someone walks into a shop with $30 and can't find it, they'll buy something else.

So Splitter will be back on the road soon?

Hopefully we'll do something with Goodshirt and maybe another band and do weekend tours out of Auckland. We don't have enough of a profile to pull in enough punters to make it worthwhile travelling up and down the country. But maybe between three bands we could all get 150 each and make it a good night. There are two new guys in the band, Aidan Phillips on bass and Tim Whitehead on drums, who is like Keith Moon, just fantastic.

We've only played twice but it's sounding really good. We're looking forward to playing on Friday. I get to play then get an hour's break when Goodshirt go on, then back on with Dave. Should be good.