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POWDERFINGER- THE WHAMMO INTERVIEW - JULY 8, 2003
Whammo visitors and Powderfinger fans have often asked me why their favourite act isn't at the top of international charts. Well, put quite simply, they've been very busy: collecting awards, playing to packed concert venues and selling 1.4 million records in a country with a population of 20 million. It doesn't take an abacus to work out why this Brisbane 5-piece is a household name in Australia. But even Aussie fans have been left waiting for an eternity while the country's favourite rockers have hidden away secretively, stirring up a new sound for the faithful and carefully crafting a new formula. The secret is out and with Vulture Street debuting at the coveted #1 position on the Aria charts, it seems everyone knows. While it's refreshing to hear such a successful act aging disgracefully, I was interested to know why the boys decided to make a gritty rock album...so I picked up the Whammo phone and called their guitarist Darren:
Whammo: It’s been a long time between drinks.
Darren: Almost three years, I suppose. It really had to be that way. We did a lot of touring for Odyssey Number 5 and we really needed to take a few months off, which added to the ‘time between drinks’. We were in no great hurry to get this done because we didn’t want to put out 'Odyssey Number 6'; we wanted to muck around and do something a little bit different. That’s why it took so long.
Whammo: Did you actually have a chance to relax after all that touring and have a holiday?
Darren: We took a few months off and I got busy doing an EP with this side-band thing I did, then took another month off. It was good. I like to have a break but keep busy with music as well because, I don’t know….I love doing it. It is a fairly continuous thing but during ‘downtime’ it’s a lot less focused. It’s only if I feel like doing it, which does end up happening quite a bit. There’s no pressure, just writing fun songs.
Whammo: The band sounds quite refreshed on Vulture Street and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a real rock album.
Darren: It definitely is. It required a lot of energy. Again, it’s just another reason why it was such a long time between drinks. We took things at the kind of pace that would allow us to not be tired in any way when we actually went into the studio to record the album.
Whammo: When did you start writing for this album?
Darren: Probably at the start of last year. We started doing it for a few months and I think we found that we were trying to really rock out and I think we pulled up stumps after three months and went: ‘Mm, these songs kind of sound like they’re trying a bit hard’. So we started again and loosened the reigns a little bit; started having a bit more fun and the result was what we ended up recording.
Whammo: How many songs did you have to choose from?
Darren: We must have had about 40 songs but I’d say 15 of those were half finished ideas. There was a lot of stuff on the computer that we recorded and never did anything with.
Whammo: I really love the production on Vulture Street. I think it could slide into the record collection next to some of the great rock albums of the 70s.
Darren: Yeah mate, that was definitely part of the idea. We wanted to get a sound in the songs that was reminiscent of things we grew up loving, which was Bowie, Zeppelin, Kiss…that sort of thing; all based in the 70s. We wanted to sonically have that as well, so it’s a very old-school-sounding record. It’s all the old amps, we used old guitars and recorded to tape, of course. It’s fairly organic in that sense.
Whammo: A lot of acts try to relive the older production sounds but by the time it goes through the studio it ends up losing the feel. I’d imagine your producer had a lot to do with retaining that dated feel.
Darren: Definitely. We could sit in a band room with all these great guitars and amps but the guy behind the desk really has to be on the same wavelength and Nick was. The guy who mixed it, Brendan O’Brien, was on the same page as well. All the links in the chain were together; there was no real weakness. We’re pretty fortunate.
Whammo: You know what really annoys me about you guys?
Darren: What’s that?
Whammo: You just seem to be a very tight unit and get along so well. I’m jealous because every band I’ve ever been in has fragmented or stagnated.
Darren: We’re all still mates, of course, but there’s certainly no fairytale friendship throughout the twelve years. There are obviously bumps and holes in the road along the way. There are things that each of us don’t really like about the other members but part of the reason we’re still around today and still making good music - or what we think is good music – is that we overcome those obstacles or at least we say ‘let’s talk about this and we’ll get through it’.
Whammo: So you say stuff like ‘Bernard, if you wear that dress, I’m leaving the band’.
Darren: ‘Cause I’m wearing the same thing today, so no way!
Whammo: I think I played before you guys a few years ago in Brisbane and I remember thinking that you all had some kind of bond happening on stage that was pretty special and I figured that it didn’t matter what differences you have, there’s a certain magic on stage.
Darren: It’s true. We don’t really hang out together outside of the band or call each other and meet for a bar-b-q on the weekend. When we are together, it’s really quality time together.
Whammo: Obviously you had a lot of success with the slower, more emotive tracks on Odyssey. Were you conscious of breaking away from that?
Darren: We didn’t want to make 'Odyssey Number 6'. We have done that for quite a while; a couple of albums. It would have been safe or easy to write those sort of songs because Bernard and myself write those sort of songs all the time but as a band you’ve got to look forward. It’s as much a change for people listening as it is for us.
Whammo: It’s riff-heavy.
Darren: We’re not concerned about getting chart positions. It’s about making us happy. I think if we’re happy about the songs, it rubs off on people.
Whammo: I assume you haven’t let the current pro-rock trend influence your decision to make a heavier album.
Darren: We don’t really base ourselves around what’s going on. We’ve been fortunate enough to do whatever we want to do and it’s either fit in or helped create something. We certainly don’t consider ourselves to be a garage-rock band. We’re more of a rootsy, bluesy kind of rock band at the moment.
Whammo: We have a lot of subscribers overseas, so I’m wondering what your plans are for other countries; particularly the US where you’ve already got some exposure through the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack. Is there any real campaign on the drawing board?
Darren: My Happiness was put out over in The States but I think the MI2 soundtrack was out a little before that. We toured there before that soundtrack came out. There were a few people who came along to the gigs anyway. I guess it (MI2) was the first real radio potential we had. We’re always keen to get out there, travel and get out music to people, wherever they are but I don’t know about a campaign to conquer The States. It would be great if it (Vulture Street) was released over there and people dug it but I don’t think it’s our main area of concern. We’d love to get into Europe, Asia and the UK as well. It would be great to get it to the States but it’s hard work over there as well.
Whammo: A lot of bands go over there, relentlessly tour and still don’t make much of an impact.
Darren: There’s a lot of ground to cover over there. We’ll definitely go back there; hopefully this year and next year but it remains to be seen.
Whammo: Do you have any solid plans yet for touring?
Darren: I know we’re going to head around Australia, towards the end of the year. We’ll probably head over to New Zealand towards the end of August and then overseas but I’m not sure where; maybe Europe or the UK first in September or October. There’s nothing in pencil yet.
The Whammo mob can now litsen to the first single On My Mind or watch the video. Take your pick from the streams below...
For Windows Audio click here
For Windows Video - High Bandwidth click here
For Windows Video - Low Bandwidth click here
For Real Audio click here
For Real Video - High Bandwidth click here
For Real Video - Low Bandwidth click here
You can now listen to tracks from Vulture Street. To join the listening party, click here |
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VULTURE STREET (STANDARD EDITION)
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 POWDERFINGER
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Powderfinger could have easily mellowed after Odyssey Number Five and still achieved platinum sales but the five lads representing Australia's favourite rock act over the last decade have taken the hard road...literally. Vulture Street - I'm more than pleased to announce - is a gritty, blues-based rock album of immeasurable quality and worthy of squeezing into your collection next to 'the greats'. There's a real 70s rock flavour on offer through the 11 choice tracks; even the packaging and artwork is reminiscent of the decade when Marshal stacks multiplied and large hair was the order of the day. Rockin' Rocks sets the pace and vibe with teeth-grinding distortion and contagious riffs. The first single, On My Mind, continues the onslaught and provides the best example of Powderfinger's ability to write tunes that continue to impress with each listen. Fans will be wondering if epic and powerful songs of love are still a feature of Powderfinger's music but expectations are easily met with Love Your Way and A Song Called Everything. Bernard Fanning's voice has never sounded so strong and emotive; possibly due to the amazing production on Vulture Street. This is definitely a ‘must have’ for the many enthusiasts returning to the fold after years of disappointing rock bands and what better way to celebrate the revival? It's great to see bands like The Vines becoming global sensations but don't be fooled by hype or marketing: Powderfinger are the most successful rock act in Australia over the last decade and Vulture Street may be remembered as their finest moment. To visit Whammo's Powderfinger page and listen to On My Mind click here
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ON MY MIND (LTD ED) (4 TRX)
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 POWDERFINGER
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'The Finger' respond to the global rock revival with clear proof of their status as the premier rockers 'down under'. Their stats are awe-inspiring: 1.4 million sales within Australia, 9 ARIA Awards and 2 APRA's...a blunt answer to any critic and obvious reminder of why music fans across the world have bombarded us with one question: 'when's the new Powderfinger single coming out?'. On My Mind is the first hint of what promises to be the album release of the year (Vulture Street) and while a few acts have grown a little older and hocked their distortion pedals, Powderfinger are 'keeping it real' for the hordes of fans salivating over the promise of fresh material. It warms the cockles of this old rocker's heart to hear a band getting heavier with age (sigh). If you 'need' to hear the forthcoming album tracks, On My Mind also includes a component that will allow you an exclusive sneak preview to Vulture Street. To visit Whammo's Powderfinger page and listen to On My Mind click here
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 POWDERFINGER
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ARIA Awards 2001 Winner - Album Of the Year, Best Group, Highest-Selling Australian Album, Best Cover Art Debuting at Number One on the Australian chart, Powderfinger's fourth album is the follow-up to the multi-platinum Internationalist, which made the band a household name in Australia and saw them scoop the pool at the 1999 ARIA Awards. Featuring the single My Happiness, along with soundtrack favourites These Days (a reworking of the Two Hands track) and My Kind Of Scene (from MI2), this album saw Powderfinger return to the studio with acclaimed producer Nick DiDia. Australia's best and brightest do it again!
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 POWDERFINGER
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ARIA Awards 2000 Nominee - Record of the Year (Passenger) and Best Group The follow-up to its breakthrough album Double Allergic, PowderfingerÂ’s Internationalist lives up to its title, in spite of touches like the inclusion of singers from all-female group Tiddas and its heavily home-fired lyrical content. But far from insular, album number three from the Brisbane five-piece kicks the band one notch further into mainstream popularity, thanks largely to the singles 'The Day You Come' and 'Passenger'. 1999 Aria winner Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Cover Art, & Best Rock Album.
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 POWDERFINGER
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Double Allergic was album number two from Queensland rock outfit Powderfinger and features such hits as DAF (hint: they're chords!) and the brilliant Pick You Up, along with lesser-known stunners like the opener Skinny Jean - a song that'll be familiar to the band's live fans. A worthy precursor to album three Internationalist, which went on to scoop just about every award going at the 1999 ARIA Awards. Hail the Finger!
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