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When the most excellent Clint Eastwood starred in a whole bunch of spaghetti westerns back in the days before Paper-Deer was even born, I don't think the famous actor and director would realise that his work with director Sergio Leone would inspire a band to steal inspiration for their name, and write some pretty darn good music too.
Melbourne duo Leone Western don't pen tunes that make you think of tumbleweed and showdowns, but you definitely don't need the town outlaw to shoot at your feet to make you dance. If you like emotive synth-based with grime and grunge embedded in its grooves, check these two fellows out.
Paper-Deer hunted down both Dwayne and James for a chat about the band, their newest EP and spaghetti westerns.
Maybe it’s just me, but the name “Leone Western” makes me think of a place in North America, or something related to spaghetti western films. What’s the meaning behind your band name?
Dwayne: [Laughs] That’s exactly where it came from! A friend suggested “Spaghetti Western” as a band name and I thought there was no way we could be taken seriously with a name like that, but it grew on me and I found my self thinking about it a few days later. So it’s a bit of a play on words as Western Leone was like a mini Hollywood in Spain where all the early Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns were filmed and were directed by Sergio Leone.
I feel smart. Now, there are only two of you. Does it make it harder to make decisions because you can’t have a majority-rules type of system, or easier because there’s less people involved?James: I only recently joined Leone Western but have taken as much of Dwayne’s influences on board as I can and have tried to get into the whole ‘Leone Western’ vibe – it’s getting more and more enjoyable as we go. But overall I think being a two-piece is not only a challenge for us to get a big sound going but to write music that we both enjoy playing, which is the whole point.
What do each of you bring to the band?
James: Leone Western is definitely height impaired, and I suppose you will find out why if you come and see us play! [Laughs] Besides that, Dwayne is the grungy guitar and the raw Interpol-like vocals of the band while I bring the cleaner melodies through the synth and vocals. A big element of Leone Western is that we’re a complete contrast to each other.
Leone Western’s EP Hearts’ Still Beating was released in September. How did the EP launch go?
Awesome! We played with some wicked bands – Cheerleader and 8 Bit Love – who really set up the night well and made us lift our game to play our best gig ever.
Where can people grab a copy, and how much will it set them back?
We sell them at our gigs, just come up and say hi at a show. They’re $10 bucks, or you can checkout our online shop http://www.leonewestern.bigcartel.com/.
Paper-Deer has seen bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead and Sonic Youth listed as your influences. All excellent bands, but all very different. What is it about these bands that inspires you?
Dwayne: If it’s got a click and a beep in it plus some distorted guitars, then I can’t get enough of it. I think what inspires me about those three bands is they’ve all been quite experimental or alternative but they’ve still managed to make their songs really fucking catchy, and that’s why we hear them on the radio. Their songs seem to evoke some kind of emotive reaction and that’s what good music should do.
Any terribly embarrassing secrets or hilarious stories about Leone Western that you can tell Paper-Deer?
James: Well, my guitar has been having some problems, so I have recently been joined on stage with my friend’s pink guitar, which, um… looks great!
DATES:
- Thursday October 21: Yah Yah’s
- Wednesday October 27: The Arthouse
- Thursday October 28: The Victoria Hotel
LINKS:
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