The Preachers - new video and exclusive interview

We've been championing Sydney's The Preachers for a long time now. Their bluesy, country rock n roll sound won us over the first time we heard it and, since then, the five-piece have continued to evolve and to push themselves creatively. Their 66 Project last year was an interesting one and now, joyously, we are seeing the fruits of their labour, with new single, Take a Card, hitting the airwaves. You can check it out above. The song is the lead-track from their second EP, Shaking Hands, which is due for release in April.

Directed and edited by Simon Day (Ratcat) and Rob Saponja, the clip for Take a Card was shot at their studio in Sydney's infamous heritage-listed old building Hibernian House (where Bobbysix.com used to have its headquarters) in a little under two hours in early February. When asked about the vibe of the clip, vocalist/keyboardist Isabella Manfredi said: "We wanted something that captured the band naturally; a classic performance video with no shots of us running through fields."

Keen to find out more about the new single and EP, Bobbysix's Heidi Pett recently sat down for a chat with Isabella and vocalist/guitarist Gideon Benson in the very same room in which they shot their clip. As ever, they proved themselves to be charming, as well as very passionate and driven when it comes to their music. Have a look and a listen for yourself in our little video-clip below:

The Preachers - Pale Rider

We feature Sydney's The Preachers a fair bit here at BobbySix. There is one simple reason for that: they're a really good band. So, for your pleasure, we now bring you an atmospheric little black n white clip for Pale Rider, one of their newest compositions. It was directed by Tara Cook with styling by Saint Augustine Academy, in case you were wondering.

Want more Preachers? Okay. Well, lucky for you, they've got a new track out for The 66 Project called The Thrill. It's free, so download the hell out of it here.

More free awesomeness from The Preachers

As we mentioned a while ago, Sydney's The Preachers are working on The 66 Project, which is basically aimed at recording and releasing as many high-quality demos (at least one a month) over half-a-year. Not only that, but everything the release during this period is absolutely free.

Excitingly, the latest free track, Pale Rider, landed last week, so give it a listen here.

Wanna know more about this up-and-coming band? Read our interview with them here.

2010 End Of Year Review - Top 10 Gigs

Kicking off four days' worth of posts relating to BobbySix.com's End Of Year Review is the Top 10 live gigs of 2010. Still to come over the next few days, top albums, top movies and top songs:

1. REGINA SPEKTOR, Sydney Opera House 
"Heartbreaking tender ballad Samson remains one of the best songs of the last ten years and commanded hushed awe from the audience but, on this occasion, the highlight was Apres Moi. For someone so softly spoken, Spektor has a massive vocal range and when she ended the song by belting out couplets in Russian, it was jaw-dropping.

Though, on record, her edges seem to have smoothed a little, live, she was as weird and leftfield as ever, using her vocal as an instrument and singing ditties about how “Someone next door’s fucking to one of my songs.”  In taking the step to this next level, Regina Spektor proved that it is possible to make intelligent, beautiful music that is accessible while still remaining daring and oddball." (Full review...)

2. JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD, Oxford Art Factory,Sydney 
"There were punky rock outs and gentler - really wordy - acoustic numbers that showcased his writing talents, as themes of self-doubt, lost love and depression were treated with sincerity and humour. He told fantastical stories about various ways he could commit suicide... while suggesting that Pitchfork would only give his death 3.6 out of 10." (full review...)

3. LAURA MARLING, The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney
"The use of cello, keys, drums, mandolin, guitar, bass and banjo offered a round sound, yet the set really dazzled when Marling stood alone with just her voice and acoustic guitar... This was a truly enchanting evening from one of the finest young talents around." (full review...)

4. DANIEL JOHNSTON, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney
"Life doesn't often make sense. Plug A rarely fits nicely into Slot B. People conflict and contrast, friction prevails. Sometimes though, very, very occasionally, everything comes together. And, as I stood on the steps, looking over Johnston's shoulder onto a crowd that were hanging on his every word. It was clear that these were my people, and this was my soundtrack. If only life were always like this." (full review...)

5. THE CRIBS, Manning Bar, Sydney
"Even four albums in, The Cribs' raw energy and vivacity hasn't abated, and to combine that with tunes to die for is to be in the presence of one of the most thrilling live bands around." (full review...)

6. KLAXONS, Enmore Theatre, Sydney

"The hour-long set flew by, and, as they wrapped things up with It’s Not Over Yet, Surfing The Void and Atlantis To Interzone, the band seemed genuinely taken aback by the fervent reception they received. “I’m not joking,” said keyboardist/vocalist, James Righton (above) with a look of bewilderment. “You’re the fucking best audience ever.” True, the crowd were going absolutely mental from start to finish, but that’s largely to do with the fact that the Brits practically ripped the roof off from the get-go." (full review...)

7. ANGUS & JULIA STONE, Metro Theatre
"What better way to celebrate your record going gold, than by playing three sold-out shows over two days in your home city? Following Friday night's gig, the siblings played a matinee performance to an under-age audience on Saturday afternoon. Cue a Beatlemania-esque frenzy from the crowd as fourteen-year-old girls took time out from screaming every word of every song to yell requests for impregnation from Angus. If it was all a bit much for the shy, unassuming Mr Stone, then the evening was happily a more chilled-out affair." (full review...)

8. PARADES, Enmore Theatre, Sydney 
"Sydney’s Parades looked like a bunch of high-school misfits who had been rounded up from the loneliest corners of the playground and ushered onto the stage against their will, but, behind their Breakfast Club aesthetic was an awesome, layered soundscape so huge that it’s hard to believe any venue smaller than The Enmore could cope with such epic noise. As is their wont, the quartet bolstered their numbers for their live show and with five boys and one girl offering four vocals and all manner of percussion and effects, their set was diverse and their songs experimental and enormous. This is a band with a really exciting future." (full review...)

9. CABINS AND BRIDEZILLA, Changing Lanes Festival, Sydney

"Cabins' performance drilled its way relentlessly through the audience's bodies. Their bone-shaking set - which included a cheeky cover of Edwin Collins' A Girl Like You - was loud with a capital L.O.U.D. and their catchy indie with alternating vocalists was the highlight of the day...

...Bridezilla (above)  performed a handful of promising new songs in their 30-minute set, the last of which really showed the band's desire to push themselves in new directions. This set-closer, Hey Girl, saw Millie Hall put down the saxophone and take centre stage, playing keys and sharing lead vocals with Holiday Sidewinder. Written by Hall, the poppy number was infectious enough to suggest it will soon be quite the crowd-pleaser, with Hall, Sidewinder and guitarist Pia May delivering some 60s girl-group singalong harmonies." (full review of festival...)

10. FLORENCE & THE MACHINE, Laneway Festival, Sydney
"Florence Welch ripped through the headline slot with gusto. By the time she ended with a winning trio of Dog Days Are Over, You've Got The Love and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - all of which showcased that lung-busting voice - she had the crowd going apeshit (full review of festival...)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Ineligible, to be honest (largely because representatives of BobbySix.com made up part of the performance), but still worthy of a shout is David Ford's Milk and Cookies gig in December. Also due a mention are Kate Nash and Lily Allen's performances in Sydney.

Sydney-based artists that are well worth a look the next time they are playing in your neighbourhood are The Laurels, who - with their shoegazey post-grunge wall of noise - are Australia's most underrated band. Elsewhere, The Preachers put in an outstanding performance at Oxford Art Factory - they are fast becoming one of BobbySix.com's favourite bands. Similarly, Cameras played a stunning show at the same venue. Meanwhile, Melbourne's Howl at the Moon played a winning set at King's Cross' World Bar.

One of the most unique and exciting artists in Sydney remains Kirin J Callinan . His boundary-pushing afternoon show at a warehouse in the iconic Hibernian House (above, photo courtesy of Emma Daniels) was the perfect example of how he brings something genuinely different and interesting to the table. Yeah, so it actually took place at the back end of 2009, but we didn't get a chance to mention in last year's review and, anyway, who's counting?

There are probably loads of other really awesome shows that we have overlooked, or that have been lost in a drunken blur, but these are the ones that have jumped to mind. Have we forgotten anything? let us know...

The Preachers launch The 66 Project

Sydney's The Preachers are fast becoming one of BobbySix.com's favourite up-and-coming bands. After almost a year together, an EP and some tentative interest from labels that weren't quite their cup of tea, they've decided to spend the next six months recording and releasing demos.

It's entitled The 66 Project and, like all good ideas, it's a pretty straightforward one. They plan to record and release as many high-quality demos (at least one a month) over the next six months, make everything free, and document the process.

The 66 Project officially begins in December but, in the meantime, the ever-generous bunch are kicking off by giving away their rather fine debut EP for free. They’re also releasing two offcuts from the EP, Young and Fictional Lover as free downloads.

Considering this is a band that are all about the songs rather than sticking to a genre or capturing a specific sound, their upcoming demo releases are sure to be pretty diverse, from acoustic folk and dark country to full-blown dirty-as-hell rock 'n' roll. So keep an eye on their 66 Project blog. After all, you can't ask for more than constant flow of high-quality, free music over the next few months.

The Preachers and Whipped Cream Chargers, Oxford Art Factory

Last week, Whipped Cream Chargers (above) showcased some songs from their upcoming debut album at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory. Theirs is a world of rolling tobacco, very late nights, long-necks, fine literature and op shops and, late on this rainy Thursday night, they bashed out tunes that shimmied and shook with a dirty rock 'n' roll groove. As always, we could probably have done without the disrobing of singer Sebastian, whose stage presence sometimes feels a little heavy on the histrionics, but, semi-naked males aside, it was a winning display from a very likable bunch. Their album is something to really look forward to. Read my interview with them here.

Before them, another up-and-coming Sydney band, The Preachers (above), played a fine set of rock 'n' roll country blues, with the duelling vocals of guitarist Gideon Benson and keyboardist Isabella Manfredi contrasting perfectly: the thunderous shudder of Benson and the calming rain of Manfredi. Their sound is like Fleetwood Mac being slapped repeatedly around the face by Tom Waits in some dirty, smoke-filled blues bar. Which is obviously pretty awesome. Learn more about The Preachers from my interview with them.

The Preachers at The Gaelic Club, Sydney

Having recently chatted to The Preachers, BobbySix.com checked them out at Sydney’s Gaelic Club:

With their songs ranging from melodic country to bone-shaking blues, The Preachers’ guitarist Gideon Benson and keyboardist Isabella Manfredi shared vocal duties throughout this final residency show and offered an excellent dichotomy. Benson’s voice combined the thunderous growl of The Cubical’s Dan Wilson with the strained howl of a pre-pop Caleb Followill, while Manfredi offered a more seductive tone. Throughout, the band’s dynamic was consistently pleasing, as the four boys - all sweat and mops of hair - wielded guitars and bashed drums in a blur of motion, while Manfredi jigged playfully during the dancier numbers and shuddered with emotion as she hung from the mic stand during the more pensive moments.

While there was a decent diversity to their set, the strongest points came when they were belting out the visceral garage blues. Of course, it’s tough to have such a sound in this day and age without coming across as derivative, but The Preachers displayed such honesty in their music and in the way they delivered it that this was never a problem.


The band is set to take a brief break from the live circuit in order to get some recording done. It’s early days yet in The Preachers’ journey but, while one senses they have yet to completely pin down their own inimitable sound, this show suggested they have potential in abundance.

Getting To Know... The Preachers

Sydney's The Preachers are one of the bands to watch in 2012. Vocalist/keyboardist Isabella Manfredi talks to BobbySix.com about the band’s inspirations, the future and their home city:

I would describe The Preachers' sound as blues rocknroll with a dash of country.

We take inspiration from The Band, The Stones, The Patti Smith Group, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, The Clash, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Jack Dejonette. We like the old school ethos of production and musical process. People like Brain Wilson and Phil Spektor, George Martin and T-Bone Burnett. Individually our tastes are eclectic and we're definitely not a 60’s wannabe band.

Sydney is its own worst enemy. There's no shortage of talent and ideas coming out of the music community at the moment, but Sydney folk are a notoriously competitive and cliquey bunch. We're always looking at the guy next to us thinking "who does he think he is?". It's a lot easier to be resentful of other bands, especially if there’s an ideology clash there, but, at the end of the day, they've got a record deal and you've got a reputation for being an arrogant cock. Support and respect for what other people are doing builds community in the true sense of the word. Here are some Sydney names that have our respect: Danimals, Domeyko/Gonzalez, Arkestra, Sooners, Hero Fisher, Royal Headache, Jack Ladder, Kirin J. Callinan, The Holy Soul, Psychonanny & The Babyshakers, Step-Panther. We could go on…

I wish The Preachers had written Me and My Woman by Roy Harper. One of the first experiments with multi-track and a serious Opus for anyone interested. I'm also hooked on Sweet Surrender by Tim Buckley (in fact the whole album Greetings From LA is genius) and Keys To Your Heart by The 101s at the moment.

It might surprise people to learn that [guitarist] Jak and [bassist] Thomas recorded and mixed our entire EP themselves. We spent six months amassing the gear and moved it all into an orchestral practice hall in Stanmore [inner-west Sydney]. The EP was recorded there over two weeks using 8-track and a lot of ingenuity.

In five years time we won't still be living with our parents... fingers crossed.