WORDS:
jezebel
AT SWEET SIXTEEN POWDERFINGER
IS GETTING IT ON! Give it a whirl and you’ll agree that while it’s easy to listen to and love, it’s hard to work out exactly where their rock ‘n roll grabs and grooves you. Maybe it’s all over. The world, I mean. Because after sixteen years making records, this Aussie act has sold two million albums globally. Not bad for a traditional yet trendy ‘alternative rock’ act that belts out fresh, deep hits. one small seed took a sniff at their latest release Dream Days at the Hotel Existence with bassist, John Collins.
It’s not my place to comment on other countries, but I think in terms of Australian culture there’s always been place in our music for a social conscience. We’ve written about these issues, about the Aboriginal people, the inequality, the lack of interest shown by past governments. Those South Africans interested in humanitarian issues will relate. We feel you’ve always got to ask questions. As a band it’s an awesome opportunity to write songs about things we believe in. ‘Black Tears’ is about contravening Aboriginal culture – ‘The Day You Come’ is about Aussie government apathy.
Every Jagger or Jimi wannabe thinks his own music is amazing. What makes your latest offering unique to planet earth 2009?
What do you wish you’d done differently?
I suppose being honest about it, it’s probably not that unique, but from our point of view it’s just what we are – five people in a room trying to make a record together – after being together sixteen years. We slept on people’s couches for a long time. We started school together nineteen years ago and we’re still mates, and I think we need to be friends to make it work. Any specific musical advances from your previous record?
We don’t judge ourselves and look back; we’re not really reflective. It’s truly hard to pinpoint advances, but I think the use of keyboards and a machine string sound that The Beatles used sets this one a bit apart. Have your origins on the world’s largest island added positively to your sound?
You’ve got to be able to be proud of where you come from – we‘re from Brisbane which was considered a country town in its heyday. Brisbane loves us, because we’re not leaving. If we’re going to be big, we’ll do it from here. Australian culture is about if you don’t get on with your mates, you have nothing. We don’t wear costumes, we’re the kind of guys you can have a beer with on a Friday night. Australians respect us, because we’re not a bunch of wankers. We may have one of the most progressive constitutions in the world but South Africa recently refused the Dalai Lama entrance. Do you think we’d be able to appreciate the attention to worthwhile causes in your music?
It’s weird - we’re in L.A, but we’ve never recorded outside Australia. Part of me really wants to stay and do it in Australia, and though I wouldn’t change it, we’ve learnt so much. You describe this album as a “less dense, brighter sound”? Do you mean less garage, more gold; or less noise, more music?
We set out to write a rock record, so we went and listened to the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and when we sat down it was pretty full on. The guitar sounds are full bodied; we looked at Rob Seth to try and find more beautiful sounds. The idea with Rob was to make it more cinematic, I suppose. You’ve spoken before of an emphasis on hope, yet the sound is steeped in whispers of melancholy, which is often an endearing element of contemporary pop rock. How do you feel about the balance?
It’s ‘cause we grew up in the nineties – everyone’s melancholy. We were listening to Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins. It’s more that there’s always an imbalance – you can’t be too hopeful. You can’t be mindlessly hopeful. It’s the extremes – the things that sadden or inspire you. How do you hope this album will break the skin of the masses?
Unfortunately I don’t reckon it will. I’d love it to. I suppose in the end I’d just love people to hear it, then if they like it, great; We don’t have this idealistic idea that our music will save the world. We just want to make good records and share them. www.powderfinger.com
one small seed
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