Pete from Melbourne band Black Devil Yard Boss was happy about the forthcoming new release. ‘It’s 13 tracks of a bluesy rock and roll,’ he tells me.

Black Devil Yard Boss, has an interesting background. Pete’s creation the tale involves university days in Lismore, living on the coast, he was staying with his uncle whose five year of sun had a cat he had named “Black Devil Yard Boss,’ it was a name that stuck in Pete’s mind, there to be called forth when the need arose. The cat is no longer around. The name stuck. ‘I’m ripping off a five year old!’ he laughs.

Recorded by Lindsay Gravina from Birdland studios  ’’We went with Lindsy and Birdland, because we wanted a sound that typified the band. Lindsay is a man who often brings out an aspect of the band in ways the band hadn’t thought of. How had Lindsy done this with “Black Devil Yard Boss?’

‘He definitely really pushed us with structures and stuff, moving things around. In one bit he thought we were banging on a little bit too much. I expected great stuff from him and that proved to be a no brainer. No real surprises!’

The album, went over a few sessions and in fact the boys extended their time on the release.’All up three weeks to mix, record and put together.’ The album was written over a six to twelve month period. ‘Once we got a flow on it didn’t take too long.

Listening to the release it definitely had a southern bluesy sound.

’It may have turned out that way with the players that we had but it wasn’t intended to be southern blues or blues rock.’

I wondered whether the resultant sound was the happy coincidence of Pete’s feeling for blues rock?

‘I guess you had me pushing from the blues angle. Dave and myself played in Mammal which was a heavy rock band, I had always been more of a blues man anyway, so when I came to this project I wanted to do something that was rootsy and bluesy with a rock edge. It was different. When I wrote the songs, I played them back and they were definitely a rootsy type collection, but when I got in there with the band, the songs took a different form and ”rocked” up somehow.

I asked about lyrics? Pete was honest. They had stemmed from things that had happened in a recent period. ’It was how I felt about things at the time’

It was time to talk about Mammal.

‘We had so many things lined up. it was going to be a dream run. We had just got back from the UK, the live reviews were really positive. But when there are internal problems within a group, we were backed into a corner and forced to make a decision about our future. I don’t think we would have made it to tell you the absolute truth. We had to be smart about this and cut our loses. It was a dvestating decision at that time. We had put so much work into the band, to have it pulled out from under us was incredibly hard.

Do the experiences of being in a band like Mammal: of making it, breaking it and losing it all, does that form any basis of the music/lyrics within ‘Black Devil Yard Boss?’

‘Definitely. The album was a good one to get done as a healing experience. It was therapy just writing it. Getting that record out was essential for my own musical growth. It was a real challenge abandoning a style we had worked on for five years for a completely different musical style.

See them December 11th at The Tote.

 

Peter Sutton

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Shaun from Melbourne band Fearless Vampire Killers was keen to point out he had not watched a single episode of ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer,’ nor had he heard of Buffy, Spike or Angel.

He was however a big fan of Roman Polanski and the 60′s film of the same name. High School was good for one thing for young Shaun. His film group studied Roman Polanski and he was struck by the name. One day he would form a band and Fearless Vampire Killers was born in Melbourne! ‘We don’t take ourselves that seriously and we were sick of the short name syndrome, so we went for a long name.’

Music could be described as ‘Sixties inspired rock,’ he explains They have a their debut album about to be released called ‘Batmania.’ Being from Melbourne, the guys were happy to have a link with the old town. John Batman, his concept for the town as ‘Batmania.’ It all linked in. Shaun likes linking words. ‘It’s not that serious, it’s a play on words as well. Fearless Vampire Killers, Batmania, Roman Polanski and Jnohn Batman. All rolled into one. Shaun lives in the best tradition of the  educated indie musician.’

There are ten songs on the release. The album began its journey some two years ago when the first tracks were laid down when the guys were just sixteen years of age. ‘It should have taken only a year to make this record, but it ended up taking two,’ he explains. Line-up changes, a decision to have the Cd mixed overseas, all meant delays. The release was recorded at Melbourne Sound Park Studios. Why there? ‘Because they were cheap to hire! We brought all our own stuff, even our own engineer in the day. He had all his own gear.’ But things took their time. Shaun explains that the album has been ready for about a year. ‘It gets mastered, one single lead to another single and another single. The artwork has to be done. We then had to work out how were were going to release it. Next time we’ll do it as quick as we can! Two years is too long.’ Shaun points to the live show as to how the band sounds now.

‘The record is the sound that we had two or three years ago. They sound a little different now,’ he explains. ‘A bit louder and a bit faster.’ The press release talks about “raw talent and genius.’ I asked Shaun for a small explanation. What’s the raw talent and who has the genius? ‘Justin is the genius, maybe he has the raw talent and Al is the genius? Maybe I’m the infectious one?’ Favourite track was the last one on the release. ‘All Coked Up.’  ‘It was fun and I enjoyed listening to it. Plus it’s the last track on the album. It has no words. We don’t play it live. It is just a 7 minute jam. It’s a piece of music, not a song.’

Favourite track? ‘None, they’re all my children!’ I

got the feeling Shaun was the edgy character rocking back and forth on the chair never able to stand still.

FI was not wrong. Even in rehearsals and before going on stage, it was hard to Shaun to stand still. The launch will happen in November.

Peter Sutton

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Matt K. From ‘Rat vs Possum’ had scampered down the proverbial tree to have a chat about their latest album ‘Let Music and Bodies Unite.’

Rodent vs Rodent was an interesting analogy. Rat VS Possum. How did it come about?

‘It was a spur of the moment decision. We had one of our first gigs booked. We needed a name. It was  a moment of decision from on high you might say. There we were in the living room debating names and listening to the scurrying sounds above us. It stirred the imagination and ‘Rat Vs Possum’ was born. I really like it!’

The publicity photo is an all green affair? Something with leafy foliage as a theme to comfort lost possums?

‘We wanted a colour theme and green was the next colour we decided to do. It’s the first feature of a themed approach to band photos we’re going to be doing over the next year.’

‘Let Music and Bodies Unite’ is fairly electronic based with a live element to it. ‘It’s a lot more keyboard heavy, more inspired by pop music and 90′s house music. A lot poppier than our last album.’

Songs are built around repetitive melodies building up to a theme. Lyrics and vocals are used as sounds, rather than as a story telling device. ‘Vocals are another sound we can use along with drums, base and keyboards.”We’re not a lyrical band, vocals are used to enhance a tonal quality in the songs.’

Songs are a fairly collaborative effort in ‘Rat vs Possum.’ The new album was written in the space of a couple of weeks. We pretty much write the songs as a group. Someone has a lyrical idea or a melody, that will be taken to the group where we put our own parts to it. It’s a very collaborative song writing process in Rat VS Possum.’

With music that can be described as “very experimental,’ Matt likes the use of drums in the new recording. It is something he feels that has moved the new album along from their first release.

‘We’ve just become so much more comfortable as a band and have worked out how we relate to each other. Our music has just improved so much over the time we have worked together!’

 

Peter Sutton

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Beth, can you tell us a little about yourself and also who the members of The Hemingway Collective are, and their roles?

The band features Beth King on vocals, guitar & keyboard, Tin Hemingway on vocals, guitar, sax & keyboard, Matt Moras on guitar, piano accordion & piano, Catherine Dow on flute, sax & clarinet, Frank Pearce on double and electric bass, vocals, guitar & percussion, and Jessie-Lee Mills on drums & percussion.

How long have you been playing together? Can you tell us how you originally formed?

Tin and Cat met playing saxophone together, and started playing together with Beth in 2009 after the three met doing volunteer work with Melbourne-based NGO Friends of Kolkata. Then in 2010 Jessie-Lee, Frank and Matt joined the party after Frank recorded our first album for us. We went on tour together in September last year, and the rest is history.

The band cut their teeth performing at a number of leading Melbourne venues including the Espy, Rainbow Hotel, Hi Fi Bar, Wesley Anne, Empress Hotel, Great Britain, Fox Hotel, Workers Club, Gertrude’s Brown Couch and various community and benefit gigs. We launched our debut album ‘Powerfully, Silently’ to a full house at Bella Union Bar, Trades Hall in May 2010, and in September of that year embarked on an East Coast Album Launch Tour, sharing our music with audiences in regional Victoria, Canberra, Sydney, Nimbin, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Maroochydore and Newcastle. The band is excited to be launching our new album ‘Outside, Looking In’ on Saturday 15 October at the John Curtin Hotel after returning from our current East Coast Tour. It is a collaborative project and our first with this new six-piece line-up – it promises to be something special!

Where did the name The Hemingway Collective come from?

 Well, Hemingway is actually Tin’s last name, but we welcome comparisons between our lyrics and the other Hemmingway of the literary genre!

Re the Collective part, it’s always been about a collective of people building something together that they couldn’t have done on their own, and a celebration of what can happen when people get together like that. We all feel that music is a great way to get across what we feel is important, with messages that are both personal and political. Through sharing our thoughts and experiences, we want to achieve a greater awareness in a non-political forum of some of the things we really feel need to change, for example Australia’s policy on asylum seekers, which comes through in Tin’s song Christmas Island, the hypocrisy of the G8 in Toy Soldiers, and issues surrounding treatment of the homeless and indigenous Australians, among many others!

How would you describe your sound?

Our sound is earthy epic folk.  We’ve been told that we draw comparisons to Joni Mitchell, 70s prog rock, the Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Traffic. Our sound is a melting pot where pure, expressive vocals, captivating harmonies and unassumingly intricate guitar work are melded with funky sax, bass, keys, drums and flute. Boasting 6 talented multi-instrumentalists, we’ve been described as ‘a mighty sounding band’ (Richard Fields, 3CR), combining whimsical folk ballads, challenging roots-flavoured political tunes and funky songs that will have your toes tapping. ‘It’s clear that this is a band rich with talent.’ (Simon Forman, www.perfectpitch.com.au).

Who are your influences?

Tracey Chapman, Ani de Franco, Liz Stringer, Cat Stevens, Beatles, Chris Cornell, Pink Floyd, Jose Gonzales, The Waifs, Sarah McLachlan, Astrud Gilberto, Feist, Iron & Wine, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Medeski, Martin and Wood.

You have your CD launch coming up very soon how are nerves?

We’re currently touring the East Coast to warm up and fine tine for the big gig, which is really exciting.  By the time we get back we should be a well-oiled musical machine!!  We’re looking forward to an awesome night, with great support from Charles Baby and Pleasing Anna.

If you could share a stage with any band in the world who would you choose?

Can we have one band each?!

The Dave Matthews Band, Ani De Franco, Jethro Tull, Bonjah, Liz Stringer, The Waifs, John Butler Trio.

What are Beth King & The Hemingway Collective’s career highlight so far?

Launching our first album last year was a definite highlight. We packed out Bella Union Bar in Trades Hall, and used the opportunity to showcase our amazingly talented friends by displaying their artwork and sharing their circus and contemporary dance talents! Since then, finishing our first studio album with our full band, a choir and a string quartet and touring the East Coast twice have been major highlights for us.

If a crowd comes to see Beth King & The Hemingway Collective perform live what will they go away remembering?

The incredible diversity of musicianship, with people constantly swapping instruments, fantastic harmonies and the infectious energy and excitement of six friends making beautiful music together, playing with passion and just having an awesome time! Their toes will be tapping their way out the door and hopefully they will take some of the lyrical messages with them too.

You’ve just released a new CD (Outside Looking In). What can people expect to hear on it?

The unexpected! This is earthy, epic folk, tinged with elements of funk and rock. No two songs are alike in instrumentation or feel, but they all tie together to form a narrative, filled with passion, questioning the world we live in, calling for action and giving hope.  Captivating harmonies, intricate guitar work, a string quartet and rousing choir, beautiful flute melodies, funky bass, cruising congas, tasty electric guitar, aching cello, an extreme sax solo and the biggest D Chord ever known.

What was the process like putting together the album?

It was a huge project! This time the process was more involved than for our first album because of the complexity of the songs and the collaborative writing process.  We workshopped all the songs before (or during!) recording, and the album features songs written by three members of our band – Tin, Beth and Frank. We were excited to share this experience with friends from our community who participated in the recording adventure as newsreaders, in our choir and string quartet, and the amazing artists and designers who produced our album art. Tin and Frank (from Squid Studios) were amazing, putting in long hours with the mixing, mastering, tracking and production which have really paid off.

Where do you hope Beth King & The Hemingway Collective ends up in 2012? What are you short term goals? What are your long-term goals?

In the short term, we are hoping that lots and lots of people love our album!!  In 2012 we’d love to play at some more festivals and continue gigging and sharing the stage with other amazing musicians.  It would be awesome to play some support shows for bigger acts we admire, and we’re looking for a booker or manager to help us out with the organisation side of things.  In the longer term – well, wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to travel Australia and the world sharing our music!!!

Aside from your album launch do you have any regular gigs where people can come and see you perform?

Yes! We have a gig coming up at the Great Britain on 15 December, and will have many more over summer so like our page on Facebook if you want to be kept in the loop!

Is there anything else you would like people to know about Beth King & The Hemingway Collective?

We love playing at community events and benefit gigs for a good cause so if anyone is looking for a band, please send us a message or email!

Do you have a website people can check out?

Yes we do! It’s www.bethkingandthehemingwaycollective.com

Dave Griffiths

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Say what you want about 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs, but there has never been someone so intriguing and just plain incredible in the Australian music industry. As a fan of nearly 7 years, I recently had the honour of speaking with Altiyan about the new single ’Ordinary Man’ as well as the album he has been waiting 24 years to release. I also spoke to him about his much loved fans, the East Coast tour in August this year and what the future holds for this bright star. At the end of the day it was all about the music, which is what matters most above all else.

Altiyan’s second single simply entitled ‘Ordinary Man’ was released digitally on September 23rd and will have a physical release on October 21st. Despite its lack of airplay on commercial radio, this doesn’t seem to have affected Altiyan all that much. He says “I’ve never heard of a winner of a singing reality show to wait this long for a second single. It’s a deep sigh of relief that it’s out there”. True to form the song suits Altiyan perfectly and can best be described as a song that has an r’n'b back beat alongside some “really nice sexy rocky guitar riffs” Childs says. Whilst the song lyrics seem to speak of the power of love, the song lyrically is more or less about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. This is something which is of particular significance to Altiyan who seeks to do just that on a daily basis. It is a very effortless song which belongs on the radio. Childs’ hopes for the single is that it can make people feel what he feels from it. It is a song that has the power to touch people and reach out through the thicket of the radio airwaves.

The song is in fact a good indication of the sound of the album that has been 24 years in the making, an album which has as yet not even been recorded. But there is hope, with another single to be released in roughly 8 weeks. But as far as the overall sound of the album to come, Altiyan is quick to point out that he plans on “bending the rules”. As with the current single, everything for Childs comes back to a matter of effortlessness. You can’t force something which has been so long in the making.

For the first time, Childs’ East Coast tour in August gave him the chance to bring more originals into the light. These included songs known as ‘Driving’, ‘New Romance’ and ‘Space Train’ which has the poignant line in the chorus of “Only love can bring you a revolution”. Such songs as these will eventually be recorded and feature on the album to come. They will sit alongside reworked Masonia (Childs’ orginal band) songs, such as ‘Madness’. Anyone who has had the chance to hear these songs will know all too well that they showcase just how amazing Childs is as a songwriter. He comes from a different place than most in that way and it is this that makes him such a unique asset to the Australian music industry. When asked to pick a favourite of all of his originals which he has written over the years, Altiyan chooses two. One being the somewhat Masonia classic which came close to commercial success (reaching #41 on the ARIA Charts) in the absolutely stunning song known as ‘Simple’, “it has always captured me, it’s timeless” Childs says. It is easy to see why with a close look at the lyrics such as “Every morning I open my eyes. My first heartbeat is for you”. They are the kind of the lyrics which take you on a journey if you let them. It is as relevant today as it was upon its release in late 2004. The other being a song called ‘Driving’ for the fact that its a song that’s been affecting him recently.

The East Coast tour, mentioned previously, was something of a serious gamble for Childs and indeed Sony. It was as if Altiyan had been living in the musical wilderness for the better part of 6 months thru no fault of his own, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. Of the tour, Altiyan says “I was touched and really blown away. The passion still seems to be alive in the fans and that helped me heal. I can never give up on them
because they haven’t given up on me”. It was no surprise then that when asked Altiyan was quick to say that Sydney’s Enmore Theatre was his favourite venue of the tour, for the simple fact that it is a place he had dreamed of playing for years. It would have happened sooner, if it had been available and booked as part of the Somewhere In The World tour earlier this year. It seems that the phrase ‘everything happens for a reason’ applies to Altiyan time and time again.

Speaking of the fans, which helped sell out venues such The Enmore Theatre in Sydney on the most recent tour; their love for Altiyan is reciprocated by the man himself. In fact, the relationship he has with his fans is more akin to an extended family in many ways. This is yet another element that sets him apart from almost anyone else. For Altiyan, his fans are his direction and his everything. He goes on to say that “they are my oxygen, I couldn’t breathe without them. I can’t explain how much I love them. They are at the top of the pyramid”. This should come as no surprise for the man who openly admits that he is hopelessly in love with the human race.

As mentioned before, the phrase ‘everything happens for a reason’ applies to Altiyan more so than anyone else. This is especially true when you compare his ability to deal with the fickle fame game now and when he was with Masonia. For when he was with Masonia, Altiyan says “my
heart wasn’t ready”, which is obvious when you listen to the 2005 album ‘World On Fire’, its a very dark album to say the least. Nowadays though, he owes his success to a TV show which is rather ironic when you think about. But then again “there is a good reason for everything”, Childs says.

With the second single ‘Ordinary Man’ finally released, it is now time for the song to take charge. It is up to the song to steer the ship that is Altiyan’s music career. Meanwhile Altiyan is doing what he does best. “I am trying to stay in touch with the divine”, he says. The songs are ready to go, they are just waiting to be recorded. Right now there is just quiet time.

But it won’t be quiet for long. With the undying love and support of his fans from not only Australia but across the world, Altiyan Childs’ music career will continue to go from strength to strength. It will be the music at the end of the day which will speak the words others are afraid to say. Altiyan Childs is above all else an incredible, fascinating and endearing human being and it is these qualities which are the strength of his music prowess.

Maggie Sapet

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Red Rockets of Borneo Jean Phillipe was online to talk about the new release. But first I wanted the info on the name. It had to be interesting and it was.

‘Blame James Seros our guitarist. He was watching a documentary on Proboscus monkeys of Borneo. he noticed that their penises looked like red rockets. Fascinated by this fact, he wanted a band with that name. It’s as simple as it gets!’

So this guy wasn’t interested in their cute faces, or their “cutesy” human-like ways. He focuses down south?

‘It’s all sweet.’

They recently released their debut album described in the music press as  “Adrenalin riddled mirth.”

Mirth? What’s mirthy about the album?

‘I’m stuck on that. I didn’t write it.’

It’s not ’mirth’?

‘I think the whole idea of this band was to have fun. We just wanted to make some music that made us get up and have some fun.”

What are some of the comedic elements of some of the songs?

‘F#@k Shit Up’ was written during a trip to Meredith a couple of years ago, where we saw kids absolutely side-trolleyed by 10am in the morning. It’s looking back at being a teenager and how you couldn’t give a f#@k about anything.’

‘Ghengoid’ is a song about our name for someone that really pisses you off at the end of the day. ’Ghengoid’ is our name for a wanker. We wrote about Ghengoids!

Serious songs deal with how Jean feels about honesty. About how so many people he has met have not been honest with themselves or others around them. It’s a social commentary. A lot of the lyrics are about being “straight up” with your fellow man.’

At thirty-five years of age Jean admits that a lot of the first album was about getting “the angst out.”

Interestingly enough this is Jean’s second band. He only got into bands when he was thirty. He and mate James Ferros (aka Fez) were looking to make music for fun. Energetic music for skaters and surfers!’

So what has been the most fun about being in the band?

‘Working together as a team, we recorded our album in two days, then just used two sessions to mix it. We pretty much wrote the album in two weeks. It was a lot of fun. The whole nature of how it fell into place. Getting our bassist Kat in the band also made a big difference. It was nice to have a girl in the band. It’s been a very quick organic process. We’re already writing for our second album!’

The Red Rockets of Borneo are next playing live at The Espy in Melbourne on November 10.

Peter Sutton

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Pete from the three piece Melbourne band As A Rival describes the band as a “Three piece from Melbourne. where we play music like  Foo Fighters come early Queens of the Stone Age, where melody plays a strong part in the band.’
Some music fans may remember Into The Red, which played around Melbourne several years ago. Pete has also been playing in a Bodyjar side project called “Burn The City,” something he likes to call his apprenticeship.
The guys have a Cd out at the moment.Favorite track would be  ‘Reminder Designer’ and was released as part of an Single in July this year.
‘It’s a telling sign of what we want to achieve musically,’ he explains. All recordings were completed in a family recording studio. It has taken some two years to get to his Uncle’s studio.
There are only three tracks on the disc. Two of them written by Pete in a pre As A Rival days.
‘I was going on on a weekly basis. Writing stuff, going back next week and erasing it. Starting again and again. ‘Bianca’ and ‘Old Machine’ the two tracks that survived this process and are on the new single.  ‘Reminder Designer’ was recorded by all three members of As A Rival in one day.
Being in a  three piece band has been challenging for Pete. Used to much larger bands he admits he has had to work harder to achieve results. ‘It’s made me a better musician,’ he explains proudly.
Title track Reminder Designer was a balance between straight up rock and hardcore. “Less screaming live, but more musicianship. I wanted to make it different to any other bands I have been in. More heavier, riff driven, but with good melody you can sing along with.’
Pete has an intimate link with title track ‘Reminder Designer.’ ‘It’s about controlling your own past and thoughts and memories. It’s about moving forward. About learning from the past. It’s all about ‘Reminder Designer.’
At the worst times we tend to blame other people for where we’re at. At the time I was coming out of a period of being a Graphic Designer. It was too tough. Everyone was after the cheapest price, it was constantly the lowest price possibly not the quality of your work that won deals.’
Pete went back to Uni. Gave up design. And is now completing a Bachelor of It. Course. ‘Reminder Designer’ is not only a song, its advise on how to keep your life on track.
As a Rival are fonted by Pete Cerni (Burn the City) along with old band mate, Jayde Whelan (Into the Red) and Brendan Aked (Summer’s Mistake, Brendan James).
Visit them at www.asarival.com

Peter Sutton

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Australian music’s best kept secret, Sydney rock band Syndicate are fresh from a trip to Berlin and playing shows with 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs on his recent East Coast Tour. The dynamic band, with their own style of pure rock and roll are soon set to tour with none other than Alice Cooper. Despite being signed to Sony, the band still seem relatively unknown. Before the band heads to the USA in the coming week to try and crack the North American market, I spoke with Syndicate frontman Greg Agar about the band’s beginnings and their latest ventures as well as what the future holds for one of Australia’s most exciting bands.

Although it seems, upon listening to the band’s self titled debut album (released on July 1st this year) that they seem like seasoned professionals, Syndicate have only been around for 4 short years. However in that time they have worked incredibly hard to get where they are now. Of how the band initally came together Greg says “everyone was in different bands recording in the same studio and we would often jam together, we found we preferred that than our other bands”.

Perhaps it isn’t a stretch to call them seasoned professionals after all. The previous incarnation was known as The Next. However, due to several line up changes and once it came time to record the debut album after the release of the EP Light Of Day, which in itself garnered them acclaim on the local music scene…it was time for something new and fresh. Of choosing the name Syndicate, Greg says there wasn’t any significance or deep meaning behind it. In fact, it was born out of the fact that through a discussion of possible name, it was the one everyone seemed to agree on at the time. Interesting Syndicate is defined as “a group of indviduals…combined to promote some common interest”. For the band of the same name that obvious common interest is music.

The fact that all the members of the band have been in other bands prior to joining Syndicate, it is therefore no surprise that this has helped them in dealing with the music industry more broadly. Greg has been playing piano for 20 years, meanwhile other members have been playing drums, guitar etc for equally as long if not longer. “All past experiences helped us deal with the music industry more broadly” Greg says.

As already mentioned, the band are signed to Sony – but you wouldn’t know it. It didn’t happen over night, it was a long time coming. Of being signed to such a major label, Greg says “it was nice to be taken seriously and the fact that this could be a reality”.

A vital component of any band is their ability to write songs, this a key strength of Syndicate. The songs are all about real experiences, but these experiences don’t come from just one person. A song such as ‘Falling Apart’ was written about being on the road. With the song writing process Greg says “you have to train yourself to be creative”. The fact that Syndicate are such an explosive band would mean they would align with specific musical influences, however this isn’t the case. This adds to the band’s own brand of rock and roll. There is in fact no one influence. You have the combination of piano melodies from Greg as well as influences as varied as Van Halen and Michael Jackson stemming from other band members. The band have never aimed to emulate the sound of another band. The Syndicate sound is like no other.

The band seem to evade the air play of commercial radio stations and this is both a good and bad thing. Greg says “it would have been nice to get some support from Australian radio stations; but, at the same time, the fact that we don’t gives us a certain credibility”. This fact hasn’t seemed to have stopped the rise of Syndicate. Greg has learnt to not take anything for granted and he is proud of the success the band has had thus far. A highlight was recording the debut album partly in LA and meeting Tommy Lee. Greg says “it was the moment when I realised this was truly something”.

Despite set backs such as lack of radio air play, this hasn’t stopped the band from being successful. They see playing live shows are vital  for any rock band especially. It not only adds to the attraction, but it something quite different from the recording. The chance to play to new audiences is always good too. The band have toured relentlessly it seems and had the chance to share the stage with 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs and soon Alice Cooper, as mentioned before. They have found that some of the same people turn up to see them live time after time. Of these people Greg says “they are the REAL fans and we are grateful to them”.

Syndicate will next be heading to the USA to hopefully release their brand of pure Aussie rock and roll to a North American audience. With the hope to also play shows over there. Making Syndicate a somewhat worldwide treasure that Australia can take pride in. Then there will hopefully be a full headlining Australian tour. The hopes for their future, for Greg anyway, would be to one day play at Wembley Stadium…for the simple fact that “all my favourite bands have played there”, says Greg. This band are well on their way to being at a world class standard, if they’re not already so it will be a beautiful thing to see in possibly 10 years time. In many ways, Syndicate could be thought of as Australia’s answer to the Foo Fighters, although no direct comparisons can be drawn between the two.

With two extraordinary singles released from the debut album in ‘Shout’ and ‘All My Life’, the forthcoming single ‘My Confession’ doesn’t let up on the rock and roll sound that is Syndicate.

You can catch Syndicate performing live on tour with Alice Cooper on:

September 22nd – Auckland

September 24th – Brisbane

September 26th – Sydney

September 29th/30th – Melbourne

October 2nd – Perth

Self titled debut album ‘Syndicate’ is out now and available thru Sanity, JB HiFi & ITunes.

More information about this amazing band can be found at:

www.syndicateofficial.com.au

http://www.facebook.com/Syndicateoffical#!/syndicateofficial

Maggie Sapet

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Jericco are a five piece, Middle Eastern influenced alternative rock band from Melbourne, whose star is most definitely on the rise at this moment. After releasing two extremely well received EPs, the band recently released a rarity these days, a live album that’s actually worth listening to, and then toured the country in support of it. But rested on their laurels they have not. They have just got off the road from an extensive tour with progressive/alternative titans Dead Letter Circus, and are now set to release the first single (entitled ‘Monsters’) from their debut album, due for release early to mid 2012. So much is happening in the Jericco camp right now, it makes the proverbial head spin, and enigmatic lead vocalist Brent McCormick, speaking from the road, couldn’t be happier with the way things are going for his band at the moment.

“It’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to us,” he enthuses, regarding the Dead Letter Circus tour, “given that we’ve got a new drummer, Matt Bray (formerly of 28 Days and K-Oscillate), it’s giving him a chance to play a show every night, be comfortable with the songs, we’re getting a real groove going, and building our fanbase. It’s just something we need to do. What we’re trying to do is get out to everyone in Australia, and this is giving us the opportunity. I mean, we hit Tassie for the first time, and the response from Tassie has been amazing. Such a good response from Launceston and Hobart…punters are just getting what we’re trying to do, and what we’re putting across. It’s really positive.

“What do you say, man!” he continues, on the overall progress of the band, “because last Monday I had to go back to work! We did Jindabyne, and drove home, and I walked into walk at 7am. And it was like, this has been my reality for the past 12 years of my life. We’d just been on the road for the last week and a half, and I want that to be my reality! And everything that we’re putting into place at the moment, we’re going to make all that stuff happen. And it’s only going up, and it’s all so positive. There’s a really good energy happening at the moment. We’re getting a lot of good feedback from the DLC guys and a lot of their crew. So that’s always really positive.”

The ‘Monsters’ single is set to be unleashed very shortly. It’s a blistering piece of live wire alternative rock, with a massive, propulsive groove and a ‘monster’ chorus, but lyrically it’s also a very dear to Brent’s heart and mind: “Monsters is actually a very personal story for me,” he states, “because it delves into a lot of mental illness, which I have lived with throughout my whole life. When I got the track off (bassist) Roy, I put some vocals down for it. And the demos to what they are now are very much how they were done in the demo stage. Bang, it just came out of me. And I was like ‘this is really heavy for me to sing about. This is a really personal subject.’ And the guys were like ‘dude, it’s gold!’ It’s a really powerful song. And it just connects with me so well, and it’s really connecting with the crowd as well, it’s got a really good groove and a really good vibe to it.”

The single is unleashed upon the world on September 23rd, and gets its Melbourne launch on the 24th, at new venue The Prague in Thornbury, which is one of the few hometown venues that Jericco have never played, and the band are champing at the bit to get their teeth into the new place.

“It’s a new venue, we haven’t played up there,” he says, “it’s gonna be pretty good! We’re really looking forward to it. We should have the single done. And we’re going through all the new artwork, for the new t-shirt designs, so we’re really happy with where everything’s sitting at the moment.”

The band then heads off on yet another tour, this time a headlining one of their own, to promote the single. Brent described for the uninitiated punters what to expect from a Jericco live show, for anyone thinking of coming down to check out the Melbourne launch, or any of their upcoming national dates.

“Total commitment to our cause,” he describes, “which is spreading our passion and love for music and life, and just being here and existing. Because there’s pretty special times going on in the world, and we want to be part of it, and make a bit of a difference. We want to smash it, actually!”

Beyond the single and its accompanying tour, the band are continuing to work feverishly on their debut album, with production genius Forester Savell, the man responsible for the sound on such monumental Aussie alternative releases as Karnivool’s ‘Themata’ and ‘Sound Awake’ and the aforementioned Dead Letter Circus’ ‘This is the Warning’. The band are looking at a release in the next six to eight months, so there appears to be no rest on the horizon for this very busy band.

“This time next year, we’re looking at touring the full album,” he forecasts, “we’re going to record another four tracks, possibly October/November. They’re the plans, I mean we want to get the album out there, we’ll probably drop another single in February, and maybe another one after that or maybe just drop the album. But it’ll just be constantly recording, touring…there’s just a lot of good things happening.”

And this very hard working and creative of bands deserves everything they get.

Rod Whitfield

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Melbourne band One Kind play a self confessed “combo rock pop style,” explains Nick Papadarkis (bass and Vocals) from the band.

The guys have been around the music scene here for quite a while, having met whilst doing the cover band scene for a few years. Nick met Michael whilst in a punk band, the two collaborated, liked the music they created and added a third wheel.They released their debut album last September and “have been working our way around that since then.”

“Mono Stereo” is the name of their last release. Nick P. was trapped, caught out. I could show my true age with some antique knowledge.

I asked about the title. Did he know for example that back in the 60’s it was cheaper to buy a mono vinyl album than a stereo vinyl album? Was that the reason for ther name? A nostalgic trip back to the time of the stereo player?

“Well no. I didn’t know that. It just seemed like a good title.”

“Mono Stereo” is self funded recorded at Melbourne’s famed Birdland Studios. Not a cheap place. The guys must have put away a considerable amount to get the right sound! They worked hard with producer Rob and closeted themselves away for a couple of weeks, working on the release and a sound they would be happy with.

Any chance of recouping the expense of the release?

“You don’t get it through Cd sales anymore, You may sell a bit of merch. We’ve worked as many gigs as we can with all the money going back into the band to try and get the money back. It isn’t easy. But we didn’t put the release out to make money really. We made the Cd because we wanted to.”

The guys all have day jobs: music industry, office work and construction. A bit of each of their wages gets put away each week for the band.

I asked about songs. “There’s a bit of an issue behind each song,” explains Nick. But I was asking the wrong person about the lyrics.

“Michael does the lyrics. They’re all kind of personal to him. They generally reflect his life journey. You’d have to ask him.”

One Kind are Viv Miter (drums, percussion and vocals), Michael Rowan (guitars/Vocals) and Nick Papadarkis (bass/vocals).

Visit them at onekind.com.au

Peter Sutton

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