Hard work is the foundation for any up-and-coming band to begin to reach their full potential, and it is with this theory that Ballarat post-classic rockers The Electric Sunkings have started getting themselves noticed.
“People are beginning to understand who we are musically and what to expect from us as a band,” explains guitarist Chris “Barbz” Barbetti. “We’ve changed our line-up slightly in recent times, which has given us a new dimension to the way we play collectively and the feel we have together as a whole.” It’s as a result of this that Barbetti feels they are appealing to fans on a global scale.
“We’ve found our niche sonically, and it’s reflected in our live shows by how we interpret our own songs. They are never quite the same twice, not to mention that with the speed in which music overseas moves we seem to be caught up in the process of a bigger fan base offshore than in our own country.”
With a resume that boasts international airplay and sharing the stage with acts including ARIA award winners The Whitlams, Jericco and King of the North, the band is currently working on their debut album, with plans of a release around May. “It’ll contain a mass of ideas and planning that we have conjured up over the past two years,” says Barbetti. “We’ve dropped a lot of material from our original live set, so we finally have the opportunity to experiment with it on the record and stretch the boundaries of how we would like to listen to them ourselves.”
So, has the recording process been stress-free?
“We’ve had a few hiccups along the way, but I would be concerned if we didn’t come along any problems at all,” says Barbetti – with one of those hiccups he refers to including a switch up in the original line-up last year. “That all hurt and was really quite a hassle, but looking back it’s been a blessing in disguise because we’re now better than ever.”
Despite having to restart the entire album process, Barbetti ensures that things are right back on track: “With this current line-up, the album has been in the works for about four months solid. Most of the musical work is done. We only have a few pieces to drop in here and there, but it’s the mixing and mastering that will take the longest process as we are doing it all ourselves.”
Along with this news, fans can be excited to know they’ll have the chance to hear some new tunes soon rather than later. “We’ll be releasing three singles in the coming months, but apart from that we just want to keep jamming on stage the same way we always have, without any real plans or ideas of what we’re really doing. It’s more fun that way.”
When&Where: The Karova, Ballarat – March 8 & Rock in the Vines, Bendigo – March 9
Written by Brendan Dando