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If you’re one of those special, devoted Paper-Deer enthusiasts, you’ll probably know all about [Me]’s newest single Your Favourite Colour, and are probably blasting those neo-classical rock riffs from your iPod dock right now. If you have no idea what we are talking about, no need to run yourself a warm bath just yet – just check out the free goodness here.
Carousels have never looked more fun.
The Melbourne classically-influenced, theatrical band is gearing up for their upcoming EP by launching Your Favourite Colour at the East Brunswick Club on Saturday August 7, so Paper-Deer caught up with guitar-genius Damien Tapley to have a little heart-to-heart about fudging their trademark classical sound, their ever-confusing name and how they plan to impress the pants off you this weekend.
The name [Me] can get confusing in conversation. "Are you going to see [Me] tonight?" Has anything funny happened because of your name before?
Plenty! Once a venue didn't pay us because when the booker wrote ME on the paperwork, the manager thought the booker was talking about her, and paid her instead.
How did you come up with the name?
We wrote out 1000 names over a few months and none of them were quite right, then we started trawling the dictionary until we got delirious.
There seems to be a lot of rock opera/classical influences in your music. Do any of you have classical training?
We have no classical training. I can fudge classical guitar and piano, or at least play in that kind of style and make it up, and Luke can do the same on piano. Spike as a drummer has done a lot of theatre shows so I think that helps with the theatrics.
You guys have had a lot of attention in the past few months (shortlisted for Triple J Hottest 100, Big Sound showcase, rave reviews). Was there any pressure when it came to writing your upcoming EP?
Nope, no pressure yet! There's more pressure in making sure we get it all done on time and in a way that's right for the nature of the songs. Without getting too broke.
Has your sound evolved from your early work like Working Life to your new EP?
Definitely. There’s still a lot of unrecorded stuff because it costs a fortune every time we set foot into a studio. Recording has been a long process for us, we have to play a lot of shows to build the cash, and do a lot of pre-production and organise extra bits and pieces to give our recordings an edge. Also, the production on this upcoming EP is a big step up - Sing Sing is a truly an amazing studio.
Did any notable producers or sound engineers work on the upcoming EP?
Matt Voigt, who recently did Big Scary and Oh Mercy. The guy is a legend and we feel physical pangs of guilt for working him so hard. We really hope it pays off for him! Clint Sigmund who recently did Rat Vs Possum recorded a lot of the orchestral parts at his studio, along with Jonathan Dreyfus.
You’ve got a 14-piece orchestra lined up for your single launch…
Well, it's been whittled down to ten because our string leader got sick! The band arranged the parts in a basic way initially, but our very own orchestral nutcase Jonathan Dreyfus brought the parts to life and added a lot in. At the East Brunswick there will now be two fanfares, which have only been taken care of in the past fortnight.
I hear that you'll have crazy, roving performers on the night. What can we expect?
Fire show, carnival-esque kinds of things and much more that I don't even know about that Mikey has organised. There will be a drum troupe who will also join us for some songs, and have their own act between the second and third support bands.
What kind of reaction have you had to your new single Your Favourite Colour?
Happiness! We haven't even released it properly and it got a Triple J spin and Unearthed feature, and a lot of our mailing list likes the track! Anyone can download it for free at http://www.meband.com/.
What are your plans for your world domination?
We've planned a single launch tour which covers most Australian cities, and we're planning another later in the year for our EP. We have some festivals coming up over summer too. We hope our fans love the EP, and that a lot of new people get to hear it too.
Over the next few years it's not so much of a desire to dominate, but more to kick some ass in the world. We are really keen on being in Europe, particularly the UK, in the hope that people there will go ape shit for our songs and our style. We also are really keen to do an album somehow, do some super super shows and festivals, and to be played lots on radio. Really what I want is for people to be in love the songs as though they were a sentimental gift.
DATES:
- August 6: The Bended Elbow, Geelong [Your Favourite Colour Tour]
- August 7: East Brunswick Club [Your Favourite Colour Tour]
