How long have you guys been around, and how did you end up playing together? Have things just fallen in place, or is there still a fair bit of figuring out to do?
Paul: Our current lineup has been together for two shows, but Jeremy (bass), Tere (drums) and I have played together since Jan 2009. We started as a four-piece with Daryl Green (The Dukes of Leisure) but he moved to the UK after our first show, so we rocked the 3-piece for a year before adding our new guitar player, Matt. It feels like everything's just fallen into place.
Jeremy: after the Dukes of Leisure split, me and Daryl had plans to keep making music together. Daryl kept telling me about his mate Paul who had a bunch of songs written and wanted to jam. After listening to some of Pauls demos I signed up for bass, Tere joined on drums, and a few months later we had played our first show. From there, things definitely fell into place. after recording our album in October last year, we realised Paul had recorded more guitar parts than could ever be recreated live with just one guitarist, and Matt was the natural choice to fill the songs with crazy sonics.
Critics always like throwing comparisons to other bands out, especially when a band is new - has that happened much with you guys in your time already? Can it be frustrating/limiting for a new band (if it has happened)?
Jeremy: I guess we haven’t had really "critical attention" yet for that to come up - we haven't been compared to anyone else - at least, it hasn't made it back to me if we have. it is difficult to avoiding sounding like x, y, z bands that have gone before - but we are not trying to sound like anyone specific, it is more about figuring out what sound is right for the songs. In terms of how pigeon-holing new bands can affect them, I guess it depends on whether or not the bands themselves take any notice...
Tere: I haven't heard any comparisons. Comparisons can be limiting, especially if you're a Metallica covers band, which we aren't. Or are we?
Paul: yeah fellahs I forgot to mention that Tere and I decided enough originals, all Metallica covers. Though someone at a show a few months back said we sounded like a happy Radiohead. I was pretty stoked to hear that.
You've just released an EP, do you have any specific aims or goals to achieve with it, or is it more just get it out there and see what happens?
Jeremy: money, ladies, fame, etc.
Tere: see what happens, I haven't had any ladies’ undies thrown at me yet. The Tom Jones effect has yet to come into effect.
Jeremy: actually I'd be happy if we could just get some roadies to help us move gear...
Paul: I love recording and putting out music --- For me it's one of life's great pleasures, so I'm just happy that we can do it.
Jeremy: I guess the ultimate goal is to be able to quit our day jobs - although, I'm basically unemployed right now. I guess that makes me a professional musician?
How do you find the process of releasing something out for randoms like me to have a listen to it? Is it nerve-wracking given this is the band's first public statement (outside of a live show obviously)?
Jeremy: personally, I like the fact that you can spend so much time working on a piece (or pieces) of music, fine-tuning, and playing with sounds, working out the concept for the packaging/art, and creating a statement (as you put it) but once it's out in the public domain, you have little control over how its going to be perceived - obviously, you can control how and where its released, but once it is in the hands of the audience, they will make up their own minds about it...
Tere: it's less nerve-wracking in that we have ultimate control over it until released - even over whether it gets released or not. We can record and mix it to sound like Ska, or like Polka. Those are the two choices. Even once released, people don’t have to buy it, and even if they buy it, they may not listen to it. So I don’t find it nerve-wracking. Besides, heaps of people like Polka.
Paul: the dude that recorded my first band in Canada has also recorded a yodel album, so you know, it's good to be open to that third choice.
Can a two-song EP give much of a sense of who you are?
Jeremy: I think the two songs on the 7" cover a lot of ground in terms of defining our sound. Having said that, they are two of our oldest songs, and we've added Matt on guitar since they were recorded, so hopefully we still have a few surprises up our sleeves.
Paul: yeah I think it's a good intro to the band, but we're already playing a different live arrangement of ‘Momentum’, which perhaps we should record and throw on the album as a cheeky bonus track.
I'm assuming there's bigger plans afoot - what do you plan on doing next?
Tere: Starting a cult which worships pies
Paul: and after that, we'll release our full-length (entitled Golden Walls Hotel), tour New Zealand and start writing tracks for the next one. I guess we'll need to take time off work for all that eh?
You guys have managed to win a bit of a buzz around town, easy/important to ignore?
Tere: Really? Cool
Jeremy: it's so easy to ignore that we have not even noticed this "buzz" of which you speak. But on the other hand, we keep getting asked to play shows - so maybe we do have a buzz.
Paul: yeah our last show at Mighty was buzzy for sure.
Or is it helpful in getting yourselves out there a bit more?
Tere: Ah, that would explain it.
Jeremy: well, it's pretty awesome when people come to see us play, so in that sense, having a buzz is awesome. Awesome.
Is ‘Time of the Wolf’ named after the film (or is that just a coincidence)? It's got a bit of a Haneke vibe to the song so thought I'd check)...
Tere: Paul?
Paul: No coincidence! I saw Time of the Wolf at Film Society a couple years back and was pretty blown away. That guy makes some pretty intense films, but they're always so well-crafted that I can't help but enjoy them. I suppose the lyrics to ‘Time of the Wolf’ are influenced by the themes in that film. But they are somewhat opposite to those in a song like ‘Momentum’ - giving in to doom and gloom versus fighting that mindset - I would say that could be the running theme on the album, the fighting back. I think that's important these days. And always a hopeful ending. I'm a hopeful guy.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Jeremy: The Melvins, Rifles, A Dead Forest Index, Creedence. always the Creedence. their cover of "Heard it Through the Grapevine" blows my mind, everytime.
Tere: Gentle Giant, Genghis Tron, Carl Sagan, Tangerine Dream
Paul: (tracks heard today :) Dan Deacon, Dan Auerbach, Charlotte Gainsbourgh, J Dilla, new Flying Lotus, Feist, Dent May, Strong Arm Steady, that new Broken Social Scene track, a couple from the new Beach House (damn that song Silver Soul has a sweet feel!), Secret Knives, Wu-Tang Clan, Midlake, Trinity Roots
Brannavan Gnanalingam
