Back To Basics
Author: Tony McMahon
WITH THE LIVING END’S CHRIS CHENEY PRODUCING, CELADORE AIMED TO CAPTURE THEIR LIVE APPEAL ON A NEW ALBUM THE BRIGHT AND BLUE, WRITES TONY MCMAHON.
Following on from their sterling 2010 release, Distance Is A Gun, Melbourne indie outfit Celadore are hitting the road and hitting it hard in support of their new EP, The Bright And Blue. Having been compared to acts including Radiohead, Neil Finn and You Am I, it’s obvious that Celadore have a bright future ahead of them, and this new record will only reinforce that notion. The Bright And Blue is also the debut production effort from The Living End’s Chris Cheney and would be worth a listen for this fact alone, even forgetting for a second that it’s a small killer of a record. Guitarist/singer Michael Cooper says that the approach the band took to this recording was completely different to that of their debut.
“The first EP we pretty much did as soon as we became a band, so I think we probably laboured a bit too much over it and tried to get it perfect. We probably really did a bit too much too soon. So, with this EP, we really wanted to try and get back to basics and play the songs well before we went into the studio so we could try and capture something really raw.”
Interesting that Cooper should say that, because The Bright And Blue does present immediately as music that would be very cool to see played live. Apparently that was hat it was all about.
“That was definitely the focus, man. Last time, we had heaps of harmonies and organs happening and guitars over every track. This time, though, 95% of the record is just bass, drums and vocals, so we really hope that translates well live.”
Having said that, of course, the record was produced by Chris Cheney, as mentioned above, and one would imagine he would have wanted to bring certain flourishes to the proceedings. But Cooper reiterates that it was all about capturing that live feel, and tells us that Cheney also doesn’t mind travelling.
“It was unreal, I can’t speak highly enough of Chris as a guy and as a producer. Really generous with his time, you know? Like, he came all the way out to my place in the suburbs for pre-production and just really invested himself in the project. He was just the perfect fit for what we were after. Talking about making a record that will work live, his band are renowned for that.”
As also mentioned above, Celadore are just about to embark on a huge tour; three months on the road together. Inpress can only hope there are no stereo hogs in the group. But there is also a certain buzz about this band that suggests this is the right time for such a massive undertaking. And in talking about the tour, Cooper reveals an attitude to the rock’n’roll lifestyle that will no doubt see his band achieve success in the most meaningful of ways.
“It’s definitely the biggest thing we’ve ever undertaken as a band and we’re really excited about it. But the thing about us, I think, is that we don’t really wall into that category of what’s new or what’s hot. We just sort of want to do it old school in a way: a band that works hard on their songs and works hard for their success by taking those songs out onto the road. We’re also going to quite a few out of the way places like Mildura. We’ve always found that kind of thing just…priceless, you know? The people in those places are just unbelievable. They’re always such great nights because people love music and people in regional towns like Mildura don’t get a chance to see as much music as people in the capital cities. The first time we went to Mildura we didn’t really know what to expect, but we made so many friends that night and we just can’t wait to go back.”