The Obelisk Questionnaire: Yusuf Tary of Slabdragger & Poseidon
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Yusuf Tary of Slabdragger & Poseidon
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I think I do what I do out of a necessity to express, vent and release multiple things from inside me whether it’s frustration, mental health stuff or just a pure need to create something out of love. My love of music goes back as far as I can remember and I have always had an affinity for it my entire life. I started playing guitar when I was about 10 or 11 and joined my first band at about 14 or 15. Since then, I have been in bands pretty much non stop my whole life and I’m pushing 40 now. The very first band I played in was just me and my friends jamming in a garage and was pretty short-lived. But it felt like such a huge deal at the time, to be part of something cool that only we were doing at school.
Describe your first musical memory
Three years old, singing/screaming “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra at the TV every day (I think it was re-released into the charts in the early/mid ’80s). Every day it would come on and I would just explode with excitement! My dad was a huge Sinatra fan, so he fanned the flames for sure. I remember it very clearly and the impactful joyous feeling it gave me. It definitely awoke something in me that has stayed with me to this day.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
There are many. If we are talking about bands or records that have inspired me, the first band I fell in love with and saw live was Aerosmith. I was about 12 and I got a copy of Big Ones, their greatest hits one Christmas. I then saw them live at Wembley Stadium a few years later and it was life changing. I’d never been to a concert before, much less one at a huge stadium. Not just the gig itself, but the atmosphere and being there with my friends blew my mind. I knew that I wanted to someday do this myself. If we are talking gigs/experiences I’ve played/had myself, there’s a lot.
My last show with my old band Inner Rage was crazy. It was the perfect send off for a band that I ultimately learnt my chops in and learnt how to gig properly and perform. The place was packed and went crazy. Big mosh pits and stage diving all the way through our set, great stage sound, smiling faces everywhere, our guitarist vomited on the front row at the end of the set! Everything you could want playing a heavy live show.
With Slabdragger, we played Supersonic Festival in 2011 which was the first time we played a big fest in front of a lot of people. In fact that whole time when we released our debut album Regress, was a huge turning point for me as we started getting fans that were not just our friends, being written about in magazines and we were being asked to do bigger shows. It was the first full-length album I had done and was actually being released on physical formats.
That was such a great time in my life as I felt like ‘progress’ was finally being made as a musician. Touring with Saint Vitus was another high point. Just generally being able to play with and hang out with bands that pioneered the genre is such an honour.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
That’s probably more recently as I have gotten older. Playing in a active band starts to change as you get older and you have more responsibilities such as family and more bills to pay. The band isn’t your only priority anymore and there’s a certain amount of anxiety in that you love your family life and growing older but you don’t want to lose sight of what you are doing as a musician. So you have to adapt the band around a new way of life, which can be very challenging.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I feel like it leads to personal progression from within. When you start achieving your musical/artistic goals, one by one, you are evolving not just as an artist but as a human being.
How do you define success?
Success is totally subjective and unique to everyone. To me, it’s being able to conceptualize an idea creatively and being focused enough to see it through to fruition. This is not just in music or art but anything you want to do in life that results in you being happy, whether it’s financial, creative or something that makes your life more full in any way.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Probably my father’s death. I didn’t actually see the moment he passed and it’s not that I wish I didn’t see him when he passed but it shouldn’t have happened the way it happened at the time it happened.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I am really looking forward to making some solo projects and there are things in the works already. I’m also currently working on a lofi hip hop project that’s been really fun to make. I really just want to carry on making music in and out of Slabdragger and Poseidon, my two current bands.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Imagination and focus. Also a willingness to be patient and open minded as some of the best things happen by accident when you least expect it. Also being really good at hiding what you steal haha! No one makes anything without some kind of pre ordained stimulus/stimulae but it’s how you use it that counts.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Watching my son grow up and getting married to my partner.
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