A Future More Bright Than Blue

Author: Kelly Snyders

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT ONTO THE INDIEROCK SCENE IN 2010, MELBOURNE TRIO CELADORE ARGUABLY SURPASSED EXPECTATIONS WITH THEIR 2011 FOLLOWUP EP THE BRIGHT AND BLUE.

Recorded at Red Door Sounds in Melbourne, The Bright and Blue is an impressive showcase on two levels. For one, it captures Celadore’s authentic live sound, with stripped back musical elements and an unpretentious honesty. On the other side, it marks Aussie music legend Chris Cheney’s first release as a producer. The Living End singer (who co-owns the studio) teamed up with the guys early last year, and judging by the result, it seems safe to say that sparks flew.

Now, having recently released second single ‘Bakery’, the boys are set to play another string of shows around the country – a tour that will surely cement their status as a band to watch in 2012 and beyond. Before hitting the road though, they thankfully spared some time and youth to answer a few questions for Warp.

So your follow-up EP The Bright and Blue was recently released. Are you pleased with the response so far?

We’re really happy with how the EP has been received so far. We’ve been quite blown away by the great reviews and people seem to be connecting with the songs. It’s been another step for us and hopefully we can keep the momentum going through the tour we’ve just started.

This record was not only an accomplishment for you guys, but for Chris Cheney as well, who got to spread his wings as a producer for the first time. How did that opportunity to work with him at Red Door come about? Would you do it again?

We got in touch with Chris’s management when we had heard he was looking to work with an emerging band. A little while later we got a call from him saying he liked our demos and was keen to make it happen. If the stars ever re-align we’d definitely love to work with him again as he was the perfect fit for our vision for the EP. Having said that, we’d be just as keen to work in different environments with different people to keep growing as a band.

Your intent with The Bright and Blue was to capture the essence of a live sound, in much the same way as Cheney does with The Living End. Did you feel that this was an element lacking on Distance is a Gun?

Distance Is A Gun was a really different process because everyone did their parts separately and we recorded in multiple places. It’s also got quite a few extra parts and harmonies which make it quite a dense recording. This time around we focussed on trying to capture a more dynamic and expressive sound by playing in the same room and being able to eyeball and feed off each other. Through touring so much over the past couple of years, we’ve found that live kind of energy to be one of our biggest assets.

Despite being a seemingly young group of guys, you’ve managed to create a sound that is so mature and cohesive, yet at the same time reminiscent of an earlier, simpler time in rock. Is this a result of time spent playing together, or merely shared interests and influences?

I’d say a little bit of both. We’ve been playing together for a few years and that chemistry can only get better and a band become more cohesive with time and experience. We’ve always wanted to be more than a ‘right-here, right-now’ band, and I think our major influences tend to extend back to the records we grew up with. With this EP we didn’t want to over-think the songs and hooks by clouding them over with excess and filling every gap. It’s a pretty simplistic notion, but people have and always will fall in love with great songs. Hopefully in 50 years some people can look back at our band and say that we put out a couple of those!

How did it feel embarking on your first national tour last year? Do you feel more prepared for it this time around?

We have actually been a touring band for a couple of years now. The tour that we undertook to launch The Bright And Blue EP at the end of 2011 was our most extensive run yet with 17 shows around the country. We’re constantly learning both from ourselves and other bands around us, how to become a better and more efficient band on the road. We like to be creative with our touring so that we make it to different pockets of the country each time we head out.

What has been the highlight for you so far?

The most rewarding part of being in this band is being out on the road, connecting with people and winning over new audiences. We’ve spent a lot of time in a station wagon over the past few years but we feel very privileged that the band has opened up opportunities for us to travel and do something that we love.

Celadore play The Brisbane Hotel on March 16.