The Grates [interview]
by We spoke with Patience, lead singer of Australian band The Grates, about the new album the group are in the process of writing. The debut Grates album — Gravity Won’t Get You High — saw you guys catapulted onto stages across the world. Where could this next one possibly take you? ‘To the moon! Hopefully. Actually, we toured constantly on our last album, and really put everything we had into it, but didn’t get many opportunities to tour outside of USA, UK and Australia. Earlier this year I went on a holiday to Tokyo and fell in love with it. I would love to tour there — and buy toys there!’ The production on the last album was quite sparse. Any clues as to whether the new one will be a lush affair as stripped back as we’ve come to expect? ‘I’ve never thought of our production on GWGYH as being sparse. When I think of sparse sounding albums I’m thinking more about White Stripes, The Gossip, and We Are Scientists. The production on our last album was warm and polite with a little room but no real space. The song Trampoline probably reflect writing style the most because that song really was just guitar, drums and vocals but a lot of the other songs have multiple keyboards & guitars filling out the sound. As for the album we’re writing currently, I expect a more robust, deeper, sincere sounding record. Crunchier, durable but whimsical and feminine all the same time. With no strings!’ After all your travels of the past year, is there anywhere that you’ve been to that beats being back home in Australia? ‘Every place has it’s own charm, and everywhere is so different from Brisbane that only being in Brisbane is like being in Brisbane to me, but being in New York City really does help make not being in Brisbane very easy!’
Listen to The Grates track, 19-20-20.
Tagged: Australian bands, pop music
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The last time I caught up with London-based, Australian band, Howling Bells, was in New York in early 2007 when they played a show at one of the many seedy Lower East Side bars. Since then, they’ve recorded a new album, the aptly named Radio Wars [listen to their song, Treasure Hunt, below], a remarkable follow-up to their 2006 self-titled debut. I checked in with guitarist Joel Stein to find out what music the four-piece had been listening to around the time the album was written: ‘The Byrds’ Eight Miles High always sounds so futuristic to me. It has one of the best guitar sounds ever and really moves me with its color and power. Every time I hear the Tortoise track, I Set My Face to the Hillside, I instantly get transported to the ocean. Beautiful! Joy Division’s Isolation is incredible. I love the intro keyboard riff, in particular (the keyboard was self-built). It expresses urgency and truth. And then there’s Neu!’s Hallogallo, a truly inspiring instrumental track that I always want to go on for longer. Its fuzzy guitars are so warm and vibrant. Perfect!’ Read frontwoman Juanita Stein’s Playlist of inspiring songs.
Oh boy, this song reminds me of the misspent years of my early-twenties, living large within the cloistered, sweltering surrounds of Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Marvin The Album was a typical Saturday morning soundtrack, a bouncy kickstart to the weekend ahead, as I dusted off the mental cobwebs from the night before and looked out over my balcony onto this vast beckoning expanse of sun-kissed sand. Yes, beam me back Scotty! To those days of relative innocence, where the subtle swing of a feel-good song was only ever a couple of hotsteps away. Frente! were like the icing on a lush chocolate cupcake: a little sweet, kind of gooey, but always concealing something a little darker just beneath the surface.
Oh man, Brisbane band, The Grates, make me want to jump up and down like a kid at a third grade birthday party. Their music is like jello and ice-cream: sweet, bouncy, and weirdly coloured.
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YOU'RE SAYING (3)
Jack said | 29 December, 2007
Love Patience, boy she must be fit!
jo said | 1 August, 2008
Yep I wouldn’t get through one song,
they are great fun live.
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Giant Fucking Panda said | 21 December, 2007
These guys are very talented, thanks for the interview. Surprised they disagreed with the sparse comment though; IMO though their album tended more to the pop side of punk/rock, it was still a lot more stripped back than most. Like the strings comment – surely they’re the antithesis of that?
Anyway, nice one