Laneway Festival at Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle

Heidi Pett and Bobby Townsend headed to Sydney’s Laneway Festival and did their best not to melt in the sun. Here's Heidi's review and Bobby's photos: 

Sydney’s Laneway on Sunday had all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from the now national festival, which continues to expand from its beginnings back in Melbourne several years ago. A noticeable lack of denim underwear clamped tight to orange thighs, an impeccable lineup and a polite crowd of music lovers. You would think this might be par for the course at a music festival, but unfortunately it’s often not. In marked contrast to the heaving trains funnelling hordes of teenagers to last month’s Big Day Out, soundtracked to a chorus of “where’ve ya hidden yer flask?” the bus to Rozelle was populated by excited chatter about favourite acts and planning a day of feverish stage-hopping. It’s very obvious that most Laneway punters go for the music. Well, that and the fah-shon. Picking our way through lush grass and fig trees on the way into the Sydney College of the Arts in Rozelle, we were greeted by friendly volunteers at the gate before heading into the college itself, the sandstone buildings already radiating heat as the strains of Husky’s History’s Door drifted across the site. Beautifully dressed, bright-though-already-wilting young things were clinging to the shade, pressing themselves into the walls.

A quick wander around the site led to the Carpark Stage, where The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart were breezing through an enjoyable set of their trademark sweet-but-not-saccharine, noisy indie pop. As EMA was all rolling drums and red tights on the elaborately-named Eat Your Own Ears & Young Turks Stage, Jonti - a bouncing, flourishing little explosion of energy - was certainly having a good time over on the Windish stage. Portugal. The Man (below) were similarly energetic during a powerful, infectious and very danceable pysch-folk set that would prove to be one of the day’s highlights. They wore good shoes too.




Despite decades’ worth of songs etching his name into zillions of hearts, Neil Finn is not above being his own roadie, pottering about the stage helping out during set up. His current outfit, Pajama Club (above), purveyed a fuller sound than punters may have expected if they were looking for a reincarnated Crowded House, but as bassist Sharon yes-she’s-Neil’s-wife Finn so eloquently put it when I interviewed her recently, “they can get fucked”.

The band were entertaining and very much at ease, with Neil suggesting at one point that, “Sean might provide some small ambient moment while I tune,” at which they keys player issued a growling sort of hum into the mic, drawing laughter from the crowd, before the band resumed a set populated by songs which, although very different to the pop of Finn’s earlier projects, nonetheless showcased his knack for great melodies.

The six members of Austra whirled on stage, complete with pretty indie dancing girls (below), even though for many in the crowd it was getting too hot to stand, let alone dance, at that point. By the time Laura Marling (below) arrived, looking serene and composed in a white shirt and sunnies, the mid-afternoon sun was relentlessly attacking those watching her perform, burning the pale skin of Sydneysiders no longer accustomed to sunlight, and searing through skintight jeans. While Marling’s dark, brooding subject matter and steadily building folk tunes were perhaps not built for delivery in the blistering sunshine, her set was still simply beautiful.

Anna Calvi (below) arrived a vision of red and black elegance and worked her way through some dark indie tunes in which she illustrated her virtuoso guitar skills as boys and girls alike swooned. Elsewhere, Glasser was getting an enthusiastic audience moving and Yuck (pictured, top) belted out a fine collection of songs which combined fuzzy post-grunge with the indie sweetness of Teenage Fanclub.

The Drums were good fun, their set populated by crowd favourites including latest hit Money, as well as breakthrough Let’s Go Surfing. Unfortunately, the sound seemed a little off, rendering their indie surf tunes muddy and indistinct.

Feist put on one of the standout performances of the day over at the Carpark Stage; this tiny, sharp, angular woman was surprisingly high energy, jumping about and thrashing her guitar through a set which featured a nice mix of songs from new album Metals and old favourites, including I Feel It All, which had the crowd singing along. It was a mesmerising performance, as she played down-tempo, dramatic versions of many of her songs, including opener My Moon My Man, accompanied by the girls from Mountain Man on backup vocals, in borderline cultish matching dresses. It all seemed to end too soon, and indeed the short set concluded at 7pm instead of the scheduled ten past, leaving me with Limit To Your Love stuck in my head in anticipation.




After The Horrors put in a fairly solid yet somehow uninspiring display, M83 (below) closed the Carpark Stage with a fantastic stage set-up, brilliant lighting and sound so loud that it threatened to rip the head from the shoulders of anyone who dared venture too near an amp (just ask Bobby, who was in the photo-pit and still can’t hear out of his right ear a week on).

The rush was then on to make it to the central stage for SBTRKT, who conveniently started twenty minutes late due to sound issues which seemed to plague a few acts throughout the day. Eventually, the masked producer had the exhausted crowd dancing on their last legs to end what was a long, hot but enjoyable day, with the opening beats of single Wildfire greeted by roars of approval.

The main complaint from Laneway punters seems to be the incredulous “Whhyyy would they put Fantastic Band X and Amazing Band Y on at the same time?”, but clashes are difficult to avoid with this kind of lineup, which this year was peppered with a strong showing of female artists who took out the highlights of the day. With impressively daggy new t-shirt tans we trooped back out the gates, reluctantly dragging feet sore from a day of dancing and running from stage to stage.

Review by Heidi Pett. Pictures and a bit of gushing about Laura Marling by Bobby Townsend

Melbourne's Laneway Festival 2012: a photographer's perspective

Bobbysix snapper Vinisha Mulani talks us through her experience in the photography pit at Melbourne's Laneway Festival:

St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Melbourne - also known as The Hipsters' Annual Mass Migration to Footscray. The banks of the Maribyrnong River and the Footscray Community Arts Centre were bouncing with sunshine, tattoos and on-trend attendees. A gem of a venue, the Footscray Community Arts Centre had incredible views of the river, lush grassy knolls and even a few graffitti-clad laneways to boot. I had managed to wangle a photopass - despite my camera being approximately two metres shorter than the other photographers' and naked of accessories. Hanging out at the photo pit felt a little bit like a first day at a new school and your skirt being too long. Or not having a Tamagochi.

After getting over my camera's inferiority complex (the festival had everything short of portable counselling sessions - Melbourne's beloved BeatBox Kitchen & Taco Truck both made an appearance), I became a Photography Warrior. Despite being ill-equipped of extra weapons, before I knew it I was dodging and weaving through various jutting lenses and camera bags in the photo pit, shooting (get it?) subjects I've never seen that close before, and did not even bang into anyone's equipment (cough). 

Together, my camera and I developed girl-crushes on the amazing array of strong female performers inclusive of Anna Calvi and the incredible Maddie Follin of The Cults. My view of the audience also changed. Usually in festivals I'm on a constant tip-toe, drowning in a sea of the lucky tall - but from the photo-pit a new perspective emerged. (See image below of two girls crushing on Jonti with ukelele- giggling, hand over mouth, wide-eyed, head tilt). 

Highlights of the festival: Starting the day with Husky, a blue sky and a view of the river - the musical equivalent of having a massage on the beach. Being close to Active Child's harpistry. No long queues. The aforementioned girl crushes. An ice cream break (it was hot). Surviving the photo pit.

Words and pictures by Vinisha Mulani. Check back later in the week for Heidi Pett's full review of Sydney Laneway 2012.

Geoffrey O'Connor interview

Geoffrey O’Connor - known for his work in Melbourne band Crayon Fields - plays this year’s St Jerome's Laneway Festival as a solo artist. Heidi Pett chatted to him about his various name changes, duelling synthesisers and a dream collaboration with Elton John before he loses his marbles:

You’ve previously released solo work under ‘Sly Hats’ - what sparked the decision to use your real name this time?
Sly Hats was a name I just came up with on the spot when I got my first gig. I gradually grew to regret it more and more. I just never really liked the name and I couldn’t see myself releasing albums as Sly Hats, so I thought I’d curtail that and use the name that my mother gave me.

It’s a very personal album in terms of lyrics, did this have something to do with your decision to use your birth name? I guess I’m asking because it might be expected that people distance themselves from the more personal aspects of their own life in their work whereas you’ve gone in the opposite direction.
For this record I actually wanted to make it quite personal. All the songs are based on both experience and observation, which I guess is still all experience. Just something I’m familiar with, really.

Do you find it difficult offering up these things that you’ve created? Knowing they’ve come from somewhere close to you? 
Not at all. In drawing from personal experience I admit certain things and exaggerate other things to make out that I’m a bit of a better guy. There’s still a strong resemblance between the way the stories are told in the songs and what actually happened. I guess with songcraft and that kind of licence you can make yourself out to be better than you actually were in the situations. Little bit of fantasy and exaggeration.

Do you differ in your approach when writing your solo work as opposed to what you’ve done with Crayon Fields? 
I guess with my solo work I’m able to chop and change things a little more. It’s a lot easier for me to rework a song when I’m doing it all by myself. When I’m working with the band I feel like I’m wasting everybody’s time. There’s different levels of preparation involved, different ways of approaching songs. I don’t have to be wary of other people as much when I’m writing for myself.

The latest album does feature a lot of collaborations, though, so how did that work?
I’d bring the songs fully formed. Usually I’d sing their parts first and ask if they wanted to sing the duets. There were a couple of times where somebody asked me if I wanted extra vocals on my records. It worked out really well cause I get a nice variety of different voices and instruments.

How do you set up your collaborations? 
I’ve never approached someone. Never made the cold call. Usually they’re friends because I really like their music and their voice. Not that that’s the way I choose my friends! But that’s often how I get to know people.

Of course. Now, your latest album has been described as having a synthy, power-ballady vibe. Was that a deliberate nod to the eighties? 
It wasn’t a deliberate reference, but I can definitely see where the comparisons come from. I did consciously set out to make a record that sounds very synthetic, which I guess is always going to evoke the eighties a bit. Although, I feel like in 50 years time when synthetic instruments become more familiar to people it will just be seen as another instrument. You know folk musicians use acoustic guitars and it doesn’t really evoke a certain period anymore whereas it might have 30, 40 years ago. It wasn’t a conscious thing, you know? I’m not going to be making a music video where I’m of surrounded by people doing aerobics or anything like that.

I was going to ask about your videos, actually. You’ve collected a fair bit of praise for your previous videos, are you working on some for your solo work? 
I’m making a trilogy of videos, they’re all sort of thematically linked. They’re just fun to make. A little bit morbid but vaguely humorous as well, I hope.

What can we expect from your set at Laneway? 
I’m bringing my band along, which is two synthesisers and this kind of laser machine which kind of acts like a drummer. And duelling synthesisers, which I really enjoy; they kind of flank me on stage.

It sounds like a military operation! 
It is, yeah. *laughs* You should see the rehearsals.

So you’re quite precise in the way that you approach your music? 
Yeah, I like to be thorough in that way, I don’t like to leave things to chance.

Speaking of leaving things up to chance, Laneway is certainly a large production. How do you feel about playing in that sort of environment? 
To be honest part of what appeals to me about playing festivals is the freedom you have to miss bands as much as see bands you really like. There’s something really comforting and satisfying about drinking backstage while you can hear them playing faintly in the background and knowing you might see them next week. It’s a bit perverse really!

I guess when you’ve got any number of opportunities to see them play, you lose the urgency. Is there anybody you’re particularly looking forward to seeing? Making ‘friends’ with on the basis of their musical talents? 
I doubt I’d hang out with them, I never approach my idols! It’s not that I’m shy or anything it’s just not something I’m comfortable doing. I’d feel like the really corny guy.

If, in a parallel universe that was totally socially acceptable, who would you like to work with? 
I’d love to collaborate with Elton John to be honest. *laughs* That would do it for me. While he’s still got half a brain it’d be great. Him and Stevie Nicks, I think that would be a great balance.

If the idea of duelling synthesisers appeals to you, then get yourself along to the St Jerome's Laneway Festival where you can catch Geoffrey O’Connor alongside the likes of Feist, The Drums, Laura Marling and Yuck. For the full lineup and for news on ticket availability, visit lanewayfestival.com.au

Interview by Heidi Pett. 

Husky interview

After a string of festival gigs over the past few months, Melbourne band Husky are closing out their Summer playing the national St Jerome's Laneway Festival. Heidi Pett spoke to frontman Husky Gawenda about his literary influences and thoughts on triple j Unearthed:

“I’d say we’re about songs.” It’s a deceptively simple explanation from Husky Gawenda when asked to define his band and their music. Variously described as indie folk and harmonic pop, favourably compared to the likes of Fleet Foxes and Boy & Bear, Husky have certain a knack for creating gentle melodies that nonetheless stay with you all day. Single History’s Door received extensive radio play on both triple j and Sydney’s FBi, as well as some recent lovin’ in the Bobbysix End Of Year Reviews, and with good reason: it’s an almost perfectly-crafted modern folk offering, sparking all sorts of comparisons with such a range of artists it leaves Gawenda faintly bemused. “I’m always so surprised by how people describe us and the different bands we’re compared to. I don’t always agree or hear the influence and sometimes it’s somebody whose music I’ve never actually heard, but I don’t think there’s any point being precious about it. People will listen to music and want to categorise it. It’s human nature.”

“I can say whatever I want about the songs I write and the sort of music we play, but in the end it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you think, it matters what the people who come to our shows think.” It’s an almost postmodern attitude - the death of the author/songwriter in favour of the audience’s interpretation. When I mention this, Husky laughs and admits “Well my father’s a writer and my mother’s an English teacher, so literature and writing was a big part of my upbringing and part of my life as far back as I remember. I grew up reading the classics, novel-wise. Most of the 20th century classics, as well as 19th century English and Russian literature, and a bunch of poets - Dylan Thomas, Wordsworth, those sort of guys. There are musicians as well, who are as much poets as they are songwriters; Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, even Paul Simon.” These early literary influences certainly come through in his music, expressed through a strong lyrical component to the songs on debut long-player Forever So.

Recorded in a backyard bungalow in Melbourne’s northern suburbs which the band spent late nights soundproofing themselves with the aid of Youtube tutorials, it was an album Husky says, “we really wanted time and space to record”. Well, that and the fact that before scoring a spot at Pushover Festival thanks to a triple j Unearthed competition, Gawenda admits they were fairly unknown and thus hadn’t the cash to hire a studio and producer. “We wanted the luxury to be able to record songs that we won’t necessarily use. To take the time to write, develop and arrange the album. If we went into a studio and were paying by the hour we wouldn’t be able to do that. It was a mixture of getting the sound we wanted, and just not having the money to record in a proper studio.”

Looking back on their success over the last year, it seems Husky won’t be running into the same problems again. “I think what Unearthed does for bands like us is incredible. It does exactly what it’s supposed to, which is to bring bands to the attention of the public that otherwise nobody would hear of. That’s the beauty of the platform that triple j has, they can pick bands out of near obscurity, and put them on the radio.” Since the release of Forever So in late October, Husky spent some time touring before the busy summer festival season, where they’ve found the crowds, “really embracing and responsive”. Husky notes that the festival circuit is an equally important way for emerging bands to establish themselves. “You get exposed to people who might not know you that well or might not otherwise have come to your show. They discover you for the first time and you get to meet all these people that you otherwise wouldn’t have met. I think festivals are great for all bands, but especially for newish bands like us.”

Having seen them at Woodford Folk Festival over the New Year, I can attest to the fact that they put on a charming live performance which has certainly added to a fan base that has grown exponentially over the past year. Offering something a little different from the current crop of fingerpicking, harmonising folk acts, they’ve attracted praise from high places - triple j’s Richard Kingsmill, for instance, described them as “pure class.” This is something which Husky attributes in part to the varying musical backgrounds within the band. “I think the jazz training that they’ve done over the years have influenced them and it's certainly added to their ability as musicians,” he says of bandmates Evan Tweedie, Luke Collins and cousin Gideon Preiss.

Despite spending a lot of time together growing up in quite a creative family, Husky says he and Gideon, “didn’t really formally play music together until about three years ago. We spent a lot of time listening to music and going to gigs together, but he was on a different path for those early years. He was playing in a lot  of jazz bands and I was kind of just writing songs. Then, about three years ago, we decided to get together and have a play and see how that went.” It seems things have panned out fairly well so far, and Husky agrees. “Even from the beginning it felt right, and it’s never stopped feeling like that.”

Interview by Heidi Pett. For more information on the St Jerome's Laneway Festival, click here.

Yuck interview

Bobby Townsend has a chat with Daniel Blumberg from Yuck about making music and living up to expectations at St Jerome's Laneway Festival:

"I have no idea what to expect." 

Despite taking a trip there to visit family when he was young, Daniel Blumberg has few memories of Australia and little in the way of preconceptions of his band's upcoming debut performances there. He is looking forward to it though. "We toured with Tame Impala and they said it was really great. I've heard [Laneway is] a really good festival too."

Yuck are a four piece - sometimes a five piece - made up of London-based vocalist/guitarist Daniel and guitarist Max, bassist Mariko from Hiroshima, New Jersey's Jonny on drums and part-time fifth member Ilana, who joins brother Daniel for the harmonies on the album and occasionally live. Their record, self-produced and recorded in the homes of Max and Daniel, has received so much acclaim and attention that it has led to the band being on tour pretty much solidly since its release early last year. In May, they sold out headline shows at New York's Bowery Ballroom and the Scala in London, as well as making their debut TV appearance on Later with Jools Holland. Such a hectic schedule means they haven't had much opportunity to look forward to - or even think about - their turn at Laneway. "I need to check the line-up," Daniel laughs as we discuss who he is looking forward to seeing. "We haven't really had time to prepare. I know that it's coming, but we're on a three-month tour so I haven't been thinking that far ahead. When we come back from a tour, we're back for about a day or two and in that time we record a song or paint tour posters. Straight away from the airport I'd be setting up my paints for the poster for the next tour, or we'd go straight to the studio to record a song."

All of which means that, while they put out their own singles, there hasn't been a lot of time to think about a new album just yet. Considering the DIY ethic involved in the first recording, one wonders whether, now that they have a raised profile, they will do things differently next time round? Will they take themselves to a swanky studio in LA, or will it be back to Max's bedroom for a makeshift set-up? "It depends on the songs. Now, more people know our music so maybe there are more possibilities in terms of producers. I guess when we finish writing we will talk about it. But it won't be the same as the last album, because that was all we had equipment-wise."

The band's first record offers many reference points - all the while without sounding derivative in the slightest. For instance, Get Away bursts from the speakers with Pixies basslines, Sonic Youth guitars and Malkmus vocals, the outstanding Shook Down is Teenage Fanclub at their most romantic and Georgia is My Bloody Valentine mixed with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It was clearly pieced together with a love of these kind of bands but, joyfully, still sounds fresh and exciting. However, Daniel admits that his interest in the music that influenced Yuck's sound came about relatively late-on. "When I was younger I listened to a lot of Blink 182. I'm not from a family that had lots of records lying about except for things like Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat and Elton John. I did find a Neil Young CD once, which was very rare. I discovered Harvest when I was about 17, and that was when I really started listening to music."

Stumbling upon Neil Young led the singer on all manner of musical paths. "First it took me to Will Oldham, Smog and Lambchop. I remember being blown away by those bands. Then it was Silver Jews into Pavement and then someone recommended Dinosaur Jr. Once you get into those bands, you start noticing the record labels that are putting things out." He starts listing other groups. "Neutral Milk Hotel, Sparklehorse, Royal Trux. There's a band called Video Nasties that changed a lot for me."

And so, influenced by these great sounds, Daniel and his chums crafted an album which has caused such a buzz that they arrive in Australia to a certain amount of expectation from attendees of St Jerome's Laneway Festival. However, the band aren't really feeling any particular weight on their shoulders. "I think I'm detached from those feelings of expectation. I just like the idea of putting on a good show," Daniel shrugs. "The music has gone so much further than we thought, but we're just doing what we're doing. If people don't like it, then we're not going to change. That's pointless."

So honest and exciting is Yuck's sound, it seems hard to imagine people not liking it.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. Find out more about St Jerome's Laneway Festival here. 

The Panics interview

As The Panics prepare to play at St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Heidi Pett spoke to frontman Jae Laffer about Republicanism, Peter Garrett and, of course, their latest album:

Your latest album - and a lot of your output - has been described as cinematic and particularly Australian. What do you think it is about your music that creates this perception? 
I don’t know! *laughs*. I can understand the cinematic thing, on a surface level we have a knack for making sparse and grandiose sweeping... well... pop songs. I kind of understand it and sometimes I think we could do a pretty good job of making a film soundtrack sometime.

As for sounding Australian, it’s kind of flattering. I guess it’s the occasional bit of language or the description of an environment. I don’t set out to write songs that are over-the-top Australian, I think it’s to do with that sparse guitar sound that a lot of Aussie bands can get and that the boys in my band do very well, and mixing that with a certain kind of lyrical delivery. I see where that comes from and it's something that I like in a lot of my favourite bands, so that’s cool.

Did you find there was a certain pressure after the success of 2007’s Cruel Guards? Did it alter the way that you wrote? 
There’s always been far greater pressure from within myself and within the band. [The success of Cruel Guards] made the whole prospect of writing more songs quite exciting, because you get a taste for what it's like when you notice you’re being played in the shops or on the television and you get this great feeling that something you’ve been working on has somehow slipped into popular culture, you get to change the atmosphere around the place just in a small way. You start to think of the possibilities of how that must feel if it’s ten times the size - being played in taxi cabs in America. That kind of crazy idea is really exciting.

I’m in it for the long haul, I want to be making records for many years to come. I have great faith and confidence in what we’ll be able to achieve in the future, I don’t really feel the pressure at this point. I just keep striving to make that great record in my head.

 
This album was written in Salford, a very different environment to what you would have been used to. Do you think that in some way coloured the sound of the album?
I can listen to the songs and hear the main things that colour it and a certain feeling overall. I find it quite claustrophobic in a way. It’s very internal. It’s not always the most uplifting atmosphere that we create! The boys certainly counteract more moody lyrics with some really great and sparse and driving music and it creates this blend. The great thing about trying your luck with different places and different producers is that it all has a great effect on how the record finishes up. If we were recording at Woodstock out in the forest it would sound completely different, likewise if we’d produced it ourselves it would sound different again.

The first single, Majesty, has a certain pro-republican vibe. How have people responded to the lyrics in that one? 
I’ve made a conscious effort not to make it too over-the-top. I don’t think I’m ready for a big political rant of any kind but it’s exciting to have lyrics that are not just about love for a change. I’ve done loads of interviews where suddenly people are asking me about my thoughts on the Queen, or religion or something and it makes life far more interesting!

It's nice to get to an age now where I feel comfortable talking about things in society that affect me and matter to me - to put it on the table. I’m not overly passionate about any particular stance, I just think it’s healthy for people to talk about such things.

It must be nice for people to see you as more than just a one-dimensional character?
Yeah well otherwise you’re just the slightly moody, inward-thinking kinda guy who writes songs about breakups and stuff. Sometimes I think my music doesn’t represent me very accurately. It’s funny that I seem to have so many songs that are so retrospective, when I’m naturally really positive and really opinionated.

No plans to be the next Peter Garrett though? 
I’ve got a great respect for Peter Garrett. When it comes to that highly opinionated and highly political music, it's so hard to get right and I look up to them [Midnight Oil] very much. You don’t choose to go on that path though, you have to be called to it. Though I’d like to get to the stage that if I need to have a conversation on political matters on the television or something like that, I could hold my own. You need people on all sides of the spectrum speaking about what they think is right and what our generation wants to stand for - what we’re prepared to tolerate and not tolerate from politicians. We’re the generation that’s gotta look after the place, it’s worth talking about all things that we want to stand for.

Another thing you seem to be quite passionate about: you’ve mentioned previously that you like to help out other Perth bands, having recently toured with Split Seconds... Do you feel a certain responsibility to the next generation of Australian musicians? 
Not so much responsibility, it’s just one of those things where it feels good to help people out. It’s a real tough slog being in a group, especially form Perth. You’ve gotta spend a lot to get over to the Eastern states and really try to get noticed by the rest of the country. We had a lot of troubles on our way so it's nice to even just be the band that helps out and lets people use your gear.

I spoke to the guys from Georgia Fair a while ago. They said they had a great time on the Rain On The Humming Wire tour, that The Panics taught them a lot and that you were very hands-on with your music. Can you tell me more about that? 
*laughs* That’s a nice way of saying we’re absolutely in poverty and have to do everything ourselves. We lift every box and every amp and we set the whole place up. We like to be hands-on and feel part of everything that’s going on, and I think we just like to be busy, to tell you the truth! We’re very proactive with the whole show. We’re not just going to turn up at showtime, we like treating the whole thing as one big project. It’s good to be in a band that wants to be that hands-on.

I don’t have many rules to go by but all I know is we’ve been together... I don’t even know how many years. Our first EP came out ten years ago and whatever we’re doing we’ve generally done it right. We may not be mega-successful but we get to do things kind of on our own terms, we’ve stayed together and people seem to respect it. I’m very proud of the boys and myself for being persistent and keeping not just the dream but the passion at that high level. We don’t wanna let it get casual. We want to make another record very soon. We’ve managed to stick it out and learn a lot along the way, and we’ve set ourselves up to be in a position where... you know... I’d love us to be like R.E.M, making 20 albums, and maybe your 10th is your best. I love that idea.

The Panics play at this year's St Jerome's Laneway Festival.

Interview by Heidi Pett. You can read her own blog here.  

Caitlin Park and Oliver Tank to join Active Child at his Laneway sideshows

We're big fans of Sydney's Caitlin Park (above) and Oliver Tank here at Bobbysix.com. Indeed, Park's stunningly beautiful debut album, Milk Annual, was one of the frontrunners in our Album of the Year poll (beaten to the prize by some bunch of chancers called Radiohead) and Tank also got a mention or two in our End of Year Review. So it is with excitement that we today discovered they will both be supporting LA resident Pat Grossi - aka Active Child - for a couple of sideshows to his St Jerome's Laneway Festival appearances in Australia this summer.

Intimately charting joy and heartbreak, battles with monogamy and love lost and rediscovered, Active Child's stories are tenderly delivered. From his father’s tenure at Priority Records (home to NWA and Dr Dre to name a couple), to his own choral experiences as a youngster, Pat draws from a wide range of inspirations including West Coast beats, soaring R&B and 1980’s New Order. He is unquestionably worth your attention.

As well as playing at St Jerome's Laneway Festival across Australia, you can catch Active Child headline a hugely impressive line-up featuring Caitlin Park and Oliver Tank in Sydney and Melbourne:

Sunday 29 January – Oxford Art Factory – Sydney
Tickets from Moshtix, online www.moshtix.com.au, by phone 1300 Get Tix (438 849), on your mobile via www.moshtix.mobi and Moshtix outlets.

Wednesday 8 February – East Brunswick Club – Melbourne. 
Tickets from the East Brunswick Club, online www.eastbrunswickclub.com, by phone 9388 9794 and 57 Swan St Richmond, 10am-8pm Mon-Sat.

Picture by Bobby Townsend

Breaking M83, Anna Calvi and Twin Shadow tour news.

Some Laneway sideshow news hot off the press is that pioneering solo orchestra M83 has added an extra date to his sideshow run. His mighty fine album Hurry Up I'm Dreaming has made a mark on countless best-of-2011 lists and tickets to his first two dates in Sydney and Melbourne have completely sold out, so you'd do well to make a note of the sales deets below. You snooze, you lose suckers.

Thursday 2nd February 2012 Prince Bandroom, MELBOURNE
Tickets through Moshtix, online or 1300 GET TIX (438 849) and The Prince Bandroom, online or 03 9536 1168 Tickets go on sale 9am, Thursday 22 December (that's tomorrow, by the way).

In other sideshow news, ANNA CALVI and TWIN SHADOW will be joining to forces and playing co-headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne (a coming-together of their previously-scheduled sideshows). Here's the score:

SYDNEY: Monday 6 February, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney. Tix on sale now from moshtix.com.au.

Tickets for Anna Calvi at the Metro Theatre will remain valid for the new Oxford Art Factory date on Monday 6 February, or customers can elect for a full refund. A Century Venues representative will be contacting patrons, or alternatively, customers can call (02) 9550 3666 to make arrangements. 

MELBOURNE: Wednesday 1st February, Corner Hotel, Melbourne. Tix from Polyesters (City and Fitzroy stores) or cornerhotel.com

Tickets for Anna Calvi on Friday 3 February will remain valid for the new date on Wednesday 1 February or customers can elect for a full refund. The Corner Hotel Box Office will be in contact to make arrangements, or alternatively, customers can call (03) 9427 9198. 

Glasser interview

Bobby Townsend chats to Glasser as she prepares to make her Australian debut: 

"I've been expecting you, Bobby," says Glasser in her best Bond villain voice as she picks up the phone to chat about her upcoming visit to Australia. Her impression makes way for a laugh. It's an infectious belly laugh that will feature heavily over the next few minutes of conversation. It turns out, you see, that Glasser - aka Cameron Mesirow - is just about the loveliest person ever.

Glasser heads to the Southern Hemisphere early next year to play at St Jerome's Laneway Festival on the back of critical acclaim for her debut album, Ring. "I'm so excited. I cannot wait," the New York-based singer/songwriter says of her first ever trip to Australia. "My only expectation is that it will be warm."

Warmness is something associated with Laneway, from the general vibe of the crowd to the fact that the weather always seems to be baking hot on the day of the event. Having never played on these shores before, is Glasser looking forward to the opportunity of playing the festival to win over some new fans? She takes a few seconds to answer. "Erm. yeaaaaah," she says, as if in slow motion. Most of her answers start in such a fashion. "That's an interesting thing, I guess. Winning new fans is really great, but at the same time it's great when people are already excited and know all the songs."

That is more likely to be the case at her sideshows, in which she features in a double-bill with Chairlift. However, regardless of whether you head to one of her club shows or you see her at the festival, you're best advised to pay attention to what is happening on the stage. "In both cases, the crowd is quite loud," she says if I ask whether she prepares differently for an indoor show and a festival. "There are some quiet parts to my set sometimes that require attention. I use in-ear monitoring so I don't hear people chattering, but I often see tweets after I've played where people were saying 'I'm at the Glasser show and the people behind me won't shut up.'" She stops herself. "I don't know. I've had enormously good luck so far so I don't want to sound ungrateful. People are usually really respectful. I have a nice time." When I tell her that the worst thing about going to gigs for me is, in fact, the other people in the crowd and that I would be happier if it were just me in attendance, she laughs. "A personal gig?"

So, if the uninitiated pay attention, what can they expect from the show? And how does her one-woman-orchestra dynamic translate to the live arena? Does she bring a bunch of musicians with her to achieve the intimate, luxurious sound she lays down on record? "I have done but now I don't. I have one person who travels with me and he is the wizard behind the live show. But it's really, like, a show of me dancing and singing. What can people expect? They can expect quite a lot of my voice. Yeah," she chuckles, before continuing. "They can expect that I want them to be happy and entertained by my show."

Glasser's lyrics are rather abstract and cryptic, which leads me to wonder whether that is just her natural writing style, or if she consciously goes out of her way to encourage people to join the dots? "I've experimented with a lot of different styles of writing. I cringe when I write anything that is too specific. I like to keep a vagueness in the writing. I think there are things that I can do better and that I have a long way to go as a lyricist and a musician. But I think that I am definitely moving all the time. I'm not just staying in the same place, so that's good."

Her musical style is quite unique in that it draws from a whole spectrum of sounds and gels them together. But did she have the vision to create such a sonic landscape from the very beginning, or did it come about organically? Her answer again, starts off slow and considered, before accelerating rapidly. "Err... I think... a little bit of both. There were definitely some things that I couldn't help but do. I know that's true. There is always going to be something about the way that you write an article or the way you brush your teeth or whatever that is uniquely yours almost by accident, but then there were things that I felt very calculated about. I think the latter is more common for me." By this, she is referring to the way she creates her sound by taking influences from here and there and piecing them together. When something is moving too far in one direction, she'll consciously go the other way. "I intend to exhibit myself as a fan of many different types of music. I'm not sure if I've finished doing that, but it is definitely something I have in mind when I'm writing. Not being too much of this or too much of that, and to throw a little bit of the opposite into the mix. If that makes sense."

Before Laneway, the musician will be spending some time at home, where she will be crafting some new tunes that, who knows, might just make their way into her set at the festival. "I working on new music. I'm in New York and I'm really excited about being here because I've been away touring for a long time. It feels so good to be back. I've just been smiling at everyone on the street." Of course, she ends this sentence with a laugh.

And what is the Glasser masterplan? The Glasserplan, if you will. Does she want to see a zillion records, or make one more album and then move onto projects new? "Ermmm... I don't..." She stops, and starts again. "I've never considered going into business as, like, a farmer, or anything like that," she offers, rather strangely, before chuckling to herself. "I have every intention to stay creative. But I can't say if it will continue to be music forever because I have lot of other creative interests and I have a million ideas all the time." More giggles. "I don't know... books... and... different types of internet start up companies." She can barely finish her sentence through laughter. "It's a funny world I live in."

Before she signs off, she says, "I hope you like the show." If her performance is half as engaging and fun as this 15 minute telephone conversation, that seems in little doubt.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. For more details on Laneway, click here. See Glasser's tour dates here.

Portugal. The Man interview

 
Bobby Townsend talks to Portugal. The Man's Zachary Scott Carothers about the band's upcoming appearances at Australia's St Jerome's Laneway Festival:

"I'm just outside of Paris and I'm feeling a little sick. I took a bite of the worst thing I have ever eaten in my life today. We didn't know what we were ordering. It was intestines stuffed with other intestines. I've eaten some really nasty food in my life, just to try things. But this was by far the worst."

Portugal. The Man's Zachary Scott Carothers might be feeling a bit rough in the gut department, but it isn't tempering his high spirits at the fact that he and his three bandmates are soon to embark on their first ever jaunt to Australia. "We're really looking forward to it. I have some family in Perth but none of the band have ever been there. I've heard it's a really nice place. Everybody that I've talked to in other bands says it's really nice. It's known to have a really good rock n roll scene"

And the reason the Portland band are on their way over to Aus is because they are set to play at this summer's Laneway Festival. While they are looking forward to the opportunity to win new fans with their dreamy brand of psych-rock, don't expect to see them down the front checking out all of the other acts on the bill. It turns out that the four dudes who make up Portugal. The Man are pretty much the hardest working fellows around. "The Laneway line-up is rad but I actually don't know if we'll get to see anybody. One of the bummers about this job is that a lot of the times we don't get to see any bands because we are doing press and just really busy all day. It happens at all festivals." Not that Zach is especially concerned about this. He has other priorities on his debut trip to Australia. "When it comes to going to a country for the first time, I'm more excited about seeing the country, eating the food and drinking the drinks more than seeing other acts because I can do that in places that I've been before. To be honest I'm more interested in seeing whatever of Australia I can."

The band will arrive in Aus with six albums under their belts. Having been around for the same number of years, that's a pretty prolific turnaround, which brings us back to the hardest-working-band-in-music thing. "It's something we set out to do," he explains when talk turns to their album-a-year output. "We've got a very strong work ethic. We're not going to rush it. If a record isn't done, we'll wait until it's finished but we never really take days off. A lot of bands take a really long time with records but we love playing music. It's our hobby, it's our job, it's our passion, it's our career. It's really all we do. We're always doing something, whether we're on tour, rehearing or writing new music. We take advantage of the position that we're in but we definitely don't take it for granted. We know that it takes hard work to do this."

So, having logged over 800 shows and written, recorded and released an album every year since they started out, do Portugal. The Man ever have just straight-up time off? "Definitely not," Zach laughs. "Except for Christmas Day. I know that I don't have to do anything band-related on Christmas Day. Besides that, we're always doing something. There's never a week where we can turn off our cell phones and not answer our emails. We're pretty much on call 24 hours a day. Which is fine. There is so much more to playing in a band than just the music. There's artwork, videos, photos, blogs, video updates. There are so many things you can do to make it better. We really want to do this for our whole lives so we try to put ourselves in the mind-state that, no matter what time it is, we're always thinking 'what can I do right now that will take ten minutes that will help our careers?' We like to have fun and we do like to relax and, honestly, I would like a vacation every now and again, but most of the time, our job is fun. It's playing music, It's what we've wanted to do our whole lives so we work hard at it."

Portugal. The Man's new album, In The Mountain In The Cloud, is their first on a major label. Considering their DIY, homegrown ethic, one wonders whether it was a tough decision to sign with Atlantic. "Yeah. It was a hard decision.  Major labels have been contacting us since we first started six years ago but we always said that we wanted to build it our own way. We had an idea of where we wanted the band to go. We wanted to start out doing everything ourselves and our way. We had some great help and great management - I consider our manager as family - but when we released a record and there was only the four band members plus our manager, booking agent and publicist working all day every day... you need more help if you want to get to the next level."

While it was clear that the band were ready for the clout of Atlantic behind them, it was still something that took serious consideration. "We took our time with it. We talked to them almost every day for about nine months before we signed with them. They really made us feel at home from the very beginning. Obviously we were a little sceptical and very scared because there is a lot to live up to on a label like that. They have this legendary roster: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin... and then us! We put a lot of pressure on ourselves but, when it came down to it after hanging out at the offices and talking to everybody, they are just really big music fans and they are smart and cool. I'm glad that we did it. It's not like we're some band that has played 20 shows and a label has picked us up and crafted us into what they want us to be. We ask them for advice but they never make us change anything. All they do is help. They like us for what we've done and what we do."

As anyone who checks Portugal. The Man out at the 2012 St Jerome's Laneway Festival is sure to discover, they are indeed a hugely likable band.

Interview By Bobby Townsend