Toby Vok And His Words

When Toby Vok And The Eggs decided they would be interviewed by email, it became apparent their answers were going to be a little longer than usual. To do them justice, here are their full responses to Senior Hull Musical Express Editor Ted Vaaak’s questions.

To me, Toby Vok and The Eggs is more than just a band, it’s an idea. Is that true for you? What if you don’t all agree with the idea? More metaphorically, who are Toby Vok and The Eggs now: in what ways have the people in the band from the beginning changed in the time of hiatus?

Toby Vok and The Eggs is/are more than a band. They are a band (The Eggs) and a man (Toby Vok). There will be no disagreement among the band for that is not their role. The band’s role is to agree, and to do. My role is to disagree or agree as I see fit, with myself.

Who are Toby Vok and The Eggs now? Who has stayed, who has left, who has joined, and why have they joined?

Toby Vok remains. All Eggs have left, and joined, or rejoined, and releft. The Eggs are beyond names. They have joined for the same reason as they have left. They have been told to do so.

The only change since the hiatus has been a marked increase in deformity, lethargy and hoarsevoiceness among us all

Does political music change anything? Do you want it to? And is that intention for change external, or internal: a changing of hearts, not of social structures? To what extent does Hull and its politics make you the people you are and the band you are? Do you have narratives in your heads for your music? How problematic is it if people listening hear a different narrative?

“The politics of music is the same as the music of politics”. That is a quote. The politics of Hull, now that is a question. A question unanswerable. And uninteresting. And untrue.

I do not believe in narratives. Narrative is the domain of the fiends and ne’erdowells of the written word. The most untrustworthy sort of word.

How did this album come to be?

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Was there a time when you stopped appreciating the opportunity to communicate with people through music? Earlier interviews suggest it’s something you’ve had misgivings around; is that a misreading, and if not, do you still feel that?

Music is not communication. It is music.

As a member of a dance group – 10 men, democratically run – I know full well how hard it is to agree on anything. How do The Eggs operate as a community?

We once tried democracy. Everyone insisted on playing every instrument simultaneously, regardless of the amount of mouths they had. It was a disaster

Do people like me just take you too seriously?

It is impossible.

INTERVIEW ENDS