Dappled Cities - Interview

Maybe it's more dynamic in that way? Perhaps having s lot of those synth beds translates as a bit more of a comedown record.

Yeah. I think certainly live as well it's not as dark. But yeah, interesting. There was a large consensus that we were going to try and strip back guitars a lot. Cause I know both Dave (Rennick, guitars/vocals) and Tim (Derricourt, guitars/vocals) are very into their keyboards so, I think when you've got three people that are trying to put keyboards into songs that you're going to have a lot of keyboards.

Would there be tracks live that will have three keyboards going?

No, we sort've took that out. But (keyboardist) Ned (Cooke) has a ridiculous set up with computers and keyboards and midi-keyboards and stuff. It's all a bit ridiculous the kind've stuff you can do these days.

Granddance was quite joyous in its lyrical content as well it seemed, whereas Zounds...

Yeah. I don't know much about lyrics. I don't ask questions (laughs). I just kind've let it ride.

So they could be talking about 'sending all the refugees back'...

And I'd have to agree with them, because I play the bass guitar. The worst instrument (Laughs).

Was the band changing drummers before recording a hard thing to absorb?

It wasn't very hard at all. It was one of easiest things the bands ever done. Accepting (new drummer) Alan (Kumpulainen). I think Alan probably made a difference in terms of the songs. Hugh was a very - I was trying to explain it to someone before, Hugh's drumming style - the only way I can explain it was very "Hugh-like". It was very unique. With Hugh it would be like "Oh you should come up with a drumbeat". And he'd come back two weeks later and he'll have the drumbeat. And that's sort've "the drumbeat". And they were always incredible, but he wasn't always into trying a whole bunch of different stuff. Whereas you could sit down with Alan for four months and make him try every different drumbeat under the song. And he'll have absolutely no issue with it. And I think it gives you a bigger range to try different stuff.

He was more malleable?

Yeah very much so. (Laughs)


Dappled Cities - 'The Price'

I've read your recording diary and wondered if the dark times hinted at there, were coming down the other side of the excitement of doing those things for the first time - touring overseas, having an album released and support internationally.

I don't think there's ever been a more positive period in Dappled's history than now. Apart from obviously the fact that every indie band has in that we don't have any money. We've gotta try and play in the band and work jobs and deal with everything. I think we find that hard, especially as it gets more and more busy. We were all very positive about going into this record. And we were all very steadfast in what we were going to do and how we were going to do the record. As soon as we got in the studio we did pretty much nothing of what we expected.

Why's that?

Cause sometimes you have a producer that's a tiny bit difficult to work with (laughs).

That's alright, some of the best records have come out of those kind of situations.

Well yeah, working with Chris (Coady) was a really really hard thing to do. (With a producer) you always expect someone to sort've, be a genius. And you just hold on to that through everything bad that happens, that something really special is going to happen. (Sigh) And then it doesn't. But in terms of that though, the record we came out with we're SO happy with. So in the end it kinda worked out.

Was it a necessary evil maybe?

Um...wasn't at the time. It was horrible.

Is Chris happy with the record?

We haven't spoken to him since the 31st of December when we got our last mix through. So we don't really know.

Hard feelings?

I don't think there are any more. At the time there were a few hard issues, going backwards. Cause in the end we did a fair few remixes on the songs as well. Wayne Connolly ended up doing four of them. Scott Horscroft did a couple as well. And so once we started doing that and the songs started to sound really quite good, I think we started to forget about it as well.

So Chris mixed the initial batch as well?

Yeah he did. And some were really really good, and some of them...weren't as good.

Will you go back overseas with this album?

Very much so. We still see ourselves as having a place over there. We're definitely going to give England a much bigger crack this time. And also just learn what we did last time about trying to do America. We were having this discussion yesterday, about sort've our idea of going over to America. And how we're not that fussed about the fact that Granddance wasn't a massive success there. But we sold a fair few records and made a lot friends and played some great shows. It's kind of the same process we've done in Australia. So the process of going back over there and doing it again isn't really that troublesome to us. Looking quite forward to it.

Building on what you've already done?

Exactly. And it's still playing to 50 people in weird backwaters. Cause every other Australian band that makes it in America they go over there and y'know, they're massive (here) when they go there. It's a different vibe that we're going for.

And will Dangerbird (records) put out the record over there as well?

Yeah they are, it comes out on the 15th of September. Exciting.

Will they do the UK as well?

It will probably come through something involved with them. Because they put out most of their bands in the UK also. They're all worldwide deals. So we'll probably follow in one of those footsteps.

One thing I wanted to ask you about, on a completely different tack, is how you feel about the first few rows at your shows?

(Traditionally at Dappled shows there are a glut of prop-toting, confetti-throwing female admirers pushed up against the front of the stage acting like loons.)

Oh in Melbourne?

Is it just in Melbourne that it happens?

The group that we affectionately refer to as "the freaks"? Um...it really comes and goes. I don't really know quite what to do in those situations. Cause they're all completely harmless, but I don't know what it is.

Does it detract from the serious artistic statements that you're trying to make?

Nah. I don't think anything that happens at shows does that. I'd much prefer that than being called a "faggot" by some guy in the shadows at the Great Northern in Byron Bay (laughs). But yeah it's weird, it only happens in Melbourne. And then they come to Ballarat.

In a van, presumably.

No in a car. Then they usually get drunk and sleep in the car, drive back at 5am. They're mad.

Well it's better to have mad fans than no fans.

That's true. I find it a bit frustrating at times though. Cause I think does detract from people watching. Do you find it distracting?

I do sometimes. To be honest. It's not so much them, as seeing how they pull focus from you guys on stage.

Yeah. Especially when there's thirty of them. And they're all screaming lyrics at you in a small venue. We're doing The Corner this time and I think the stage is a bit raised. So we're sort've hoping that might get us over the line. Or maybe we'l get them to set up the crowd barrier (laughs). 

There's a side stage at the Corner, maybe pen them in there.

Or we'll tell them we're playing over there. So that when they arrive at ten to eight they'll just stand there.

Tell them you're playing at the East Brunswick Club.

(Laughs) Even better idea.

I'm looking forward to letting Zounds sink in. Some records don't at first, but in the same process you somehow know they will.

It's definitely - as with most Dappled records - one that grows on you. And I think this one grows more than the other ones.

Longer.

It seems to keep growing. I'm not sick of it yet and I keep listening to it - I think that's a pretty good sign.

Zounds is out August 15th. But if you're one of them smart kids the band are streaming the entire thing on their MySpace for a week starting next Friday.

DAPPLED CITIES - 'ZOUNDS' TOUR

Aug 13 - Pelly Bar, Frankston, VIC
Aug 14 - Karova Lounge, Ballarat, VIC
Aug 15 - Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Aug 16 - Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
Aug 20 - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
Aug 21 - ANU Bar, Canberra, ACT
Aug 22 - The Metro, Sydney (All Ages), NSW
Aug 27 - The Great Northern, Byron Bay, QLD
Aug 28 - Bon Amici, Toowoomba, QLD
Aug 29 - The Zoo, Brisbane, QLD
Sep 3 - Jive, Adelaide, SA
Sep 4 - Amplifier, Perth, WA
Sep 5 - Norfolk Basement, Fremantle, WA