After releasing their debut in 2012 they played Groovin the Moo festival in the same year and now three years later will be releasing their sophomore with a performance at the festival to share their new tracks. It may seem like the band have come full circle, but there’s been a lot of growth in those few years and if anything, it’s a good comparison of how much the band have changed.
“I feel like our songs are more mature now and we play a lot tighter too,” guitarist Josh Biondillo says. “I think we’ve really moved forward as musicians and it just feels better playing live. I think with the new songs too it’s made it a lot more fun for us and we’re all a lot more interested now.”
In addition to the hit song ‘Awkward’ this year the band will bring with them 12 more new songs to play with, and the promise that the quality of each track supersedes all past releases.
Lead singer Jordi Davieson remarked in past interviews that they weren’t fully prepared for the recording process of the first album, but Josh assures me that this time around things were very different.
“I think this time we had a lot more time up our sleeves to really sit down and do things the way we wanted to do them. We kind of came off tour and there were no gigs coming up so we could really take the time to set up the studio and work at our own pace,” he says.
While Josh admits to loving the studio a little bit more than the stage, confessing a love for “sitting down and nutting things out”, he can’t deny that in front of the crowd is where the band really feels at home.
“That’s where we shine and where we get the most energy from what we do,” Josh says. “Obviously the reaction we get from people all across the world when we perform is quite refreshing.”
And they’ve certainly travelled around the world, as the past three years has seen them perform to crowds in America, Europe and the UK. Though they are yet to return to America where they can all appreciate the nightlife – legally and together.
With all the overseas exposure and influence the band have had, it’s nice to see things brought a bit closer to home, as their new album cover for Gracetown features a painting of a friends beach house where they spent a lot of time refining their skills.
“It’s a place that we’ve spent a lot of time and had some fun times at,” he says. “The owner of that house has had a lot to do with our career, he’s always leant us instruments and helped us out. So it’s really good to pay it back.”
With acts like Ball Park Music, Charli XCX and The Preatures also on the bill, this years GTM seems to be just as good as 2012’s if not better, all that’s left is for the next ‘Awkward’ to slip from the new album to sing-a-long to at their set.
When&Where: Groovin’ the Moo, Bendigo Showgrounds – May 2
By Amanda Sherring
