STACK #160 Feb 2018

MUSIC

FEATURE

as it was to just write an angry tirade, I wanted to respond with integrity.” Do you try to apply this maxim of measurement to other things in your life? Absolutely. I feel like at the moment, there’s a real “us and them” mentality – and not just in women’s issues. I think it’s really important to stay true to yourself without separating yourself from other people – which is really tricky! At the moment, we really need to come together, more now than ever. The instrumentation across the album is beautifully crafted, with tons of space but so much fire.What were you looking for in instrumentation? To be able to sing the way that I wanted to sing, it was important for me to just focus on

that one instrument [voice]. It could be said that it’s the most important instrument on the record. I [wanted to] find an emotional character in each song, so I could do each song justice. So, I didn’t play guitar on the record. Surround yourself with people who can do things much better than you, and enjoy it! No ego! I chose that band for a reason: for their musical ability, depth, knowledge and approach. I got more enjoyment out of that than I would have, had I been playing.

INTERVIEW

RUBY BOOTS

Don't Talk

If Don't Talk About It was a backpack, it'd be covered with half- shredded patches from all over the world.While pedalsteel, tubular bells, and dirty tremolo guitar sift across Bex Chilcott's new album, she says the most important instrument was the one in her throat.

About It by Ruby Boots is out February 9 via Island/ Universal.

You left Perth at 14 and have been on a personal and musical odyssey ever since (most recently in Nashville, where the album was recorded).You're a force! Do you feel like there’s anything that can stop you in your tracks right now? Well, I am a human being! We all are humans – it doesn’t really matter how successful we are, or how involved we are in giving back to society: at the end of the day, life can get in the way. For me, it’s really important not to let fear rule me, but still have fear in my life, because I think without fear you’re not really

pushing yourself. I think I was given a really early life-path that allowed me to build up a lot of resilience, but at the same time that resilience can turn into brick walls and block out vulnerability, which is where a lot of the courage in life comes from. It’s kind of complicated! I’m always managing that, and always growing within that space. The track I AmWoman came out of your anger at recent events and revelations of discrimination and outright violence against women.You’ve said, “As tempting

Your vocal melodies always have a native feel to them; they seem to unfold as naturally as a fern. How hard do you work at them when writing? I can feel the waves of self-doubt, the reminders, of questioning every note and every melody when I wrote the record! [laughs] Melody is probably the thing that I am the most meticulous about. Don’t get me wrong, the lyrics mean the world to me, but the thing I pick at a lot is the melody. It’s all about the hooks, baby. ZKR

times, but you never properly comprehend it until you experience it. C: It is. Being on tour in a band, and constantly with your head down, just working and working for the next goal, next goal... and it’s never good enough. Then you kinda look back and you’re like ‘Fuck, we’ve done a lot of cool stuff! We’re currently in Europe, and I’m too busy thinking about what we have to do when we get back.’ And we all kind of had that click moment at the same time.

word tales in Trip Report , I think the one about smoking in China is my favourite. Did that truly happen? A: Everywhere you go [in China] people are just charging ciggies, and Jules embraced that attitude. We were leaving, we were at the airport counter, and he just lights a ciggie. C: We’re giving in our passports, handing over our bags, and he’s just smashing a durrie. It was hectic. He was trying to out-China China. ZKR

Anty: It’s hard to say – I think we always try and emulate that live thing. I don’t know whether we’ve got there yet. It’s something we’re always going to work towards, and always try to find ways to make it feel more live. There are a few different approaches on this recording. The message of Destination Unknown is very cool; it’s weird how ‘It’s the journey and not the destination’ is one of those things you get told a hundred

That was one of the first songs when we were writing that we actually talked about the theme

of the song and tried to write it together! A lot of the time it’s just ideas about partying that loosely fit, but this song was a really satisfying team effort across the board. A: It’s my favourite, that one.

Natural Born Chillers by The Bennies is out February 9 via Pool House/Remote Control.

Of the three spoken-

011