FTO is a 5-piece hip hop unit from the Adelaide Hills. We have been making music for over ten years and are very passionate about what we do. After years of hard work we believe it has started to pay off for us due to the fact that we set very high standards for our music quality and everything we do. FTO is not just a group to us it’s a way of life.
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
We started performing back in 2003-04 when we were performing under the name ‘Train Of Thought.’ We were inspired by local heroes Hilltop Hoods, as we were lucky enough to see them perform at small festivals in the late 90’s. We also attended the same high school in Blackwood and the community was very hip hop orientated.
You released your debut record Place Your Bets last November, you must be happy with how it’s been received…
The feedback has been unbelievable. We were nervous and excited about the release but after some good reviews and solid support from around the country we couldn’t be happier.
Is Full Tote Odds a democracy in the studio or does someone take control?
Eslev makes the beats & he basically creates the ideas. The rest of us all work around the music and brainstorm further concepts. The reason why we work so well together is everyone gets a say in every decision.
‘Adrenaline’ was the last single released from the record, what was the inspiration behind the video?
The sample we used was from the 60s so we figured that we might as well emulate the era. We all liked the concept, as it was far different than anything we had ever done before
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
Really diggin Fawshaun & Action Bronson. Both amazingly talented Mc’s
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have?
It would be in Victor Harbour (south of Adelaide) outdoors by the beach. We would have amazing SA artists such as Hoods, Oars, Purpose, Headstrong & Chris Bass. It would be a free for all & we would serve our own custom made drinks. Bang
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with?
I think it would be amazing to work with Matt Corby. He is such an amazing musician and we have so much respect for him.
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Tough question.. Can’t really think of a movie but it’s a soundtrack for any party for sure!
What is it about the Adelaide Hills that they keep producing top Australian hip-hop?
It’s a culture thing.. Some people grew up around, pop Indy, grunge etc. We grew up around hip hop. It was all we did. We spent hours in ciphers at parties, made mixtapes for days and wrote verse after verse. Very proud to be from the ADL hills.
What can people expect from the Full Tote Odds live show?
We like to bring intense energy to our live shows and interact with the audience. We don’t take anything for granted and appreciate anyone that takes the time to listen to our music. Live shows are an amazing opportunity for us meet the people that have helped us get to where we are today.
When can we see you perform next?
We’ll be performing on Saturday the 25thof January at the Big Day Out in Adelaide.
In Feb/March we tour nationally with Slaughterhouse Crew (USA) and Schoolboy Q performing: Saturday 23rd February – Sydney, Enmore Theatre, Wednesday 27th February – Brisbane, Arena, Friday 1st March – Melbourne, Palace Theatre & Saturday 2nd March – Perth, Metro City
