STACK #164 June 2018

MUSIC NEWS

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CALPURNIA

It’s never the same twice, which I think is awesome. A: Yes! City Boy is a total “live song”, and we wrote it knowing that we could have a lot of fun rocking out at the end. I like the way you aren’t afraid of tempo changes; in Blame especially, you go from jangly to dreamy and back again. Are changes in tempo something you knew you wanted to experiment with right away? J: I think there’s something satisfying about a tempo change. You’ve set up this rhythm that the listener gets used to and all of a sudden, it changes. It’s a nice device when used in the right spot, and I think that part of Blame was the right time to use one. It feels like the two people in the song are dancing, and the dude in the song whispers the lyrics into the girl’s ear, and once she hears them they snap out of the dance. A: Because we all listen to so much music, there are so many different songwriting techniques we hear in our favourite songs that we want to try at some point. I suppose the more music you listen to and analyze, the more tools you have at your disposal. To me, this song definitely feels like the story of someone’s first tumultuous high school romance. Jack, you’re part of the rhythm section, and Ayla you’re part of the main melodic section of a typical (traditional) rock band. Do you think your friendship has something to do with what your instruments say about your personalities? J: For sure. We’ve been playing together for so long that it’s symbiotic. I know what she’s going to do – where, when and how – so I’ve been able learn how to play along with that. Sometimes we’ll play licks in sync and look up at eachother like “Woah!” A: Definitely! I really do think that it’s true that certain people with certain types of personalities are drawn to certain instruments

(L-R) AylaTesler-Mabe, Malcolm Craig, FinnWolfhard, Jack Anderson

Canadian pals FinnWolfhard ( Stranger Things ), AylaTesler-Mabe, Jack Anderson and Malcolm Craig are all aged between 14 and 17 years old – but their debut EP Scout (recorded byTwin Peaks' Cadien Lake James) has a deeply seasoned soul of '60s fuzz and jazz-rock, with a Sgt. Pepper's cherry on top.We put some questions to Anderson andTesler-Mabe; read the full Q&A online at stack.com.au. Words Zoë Radas

Everyone in the band obviously each loves playing their instruments separately, but you all mesh together so well.When you’re writing, do you consciously think about making sure everyone’s instrument gets a chance to shine? Jack: I think songwriting in general is about finding how the instruments work together instead of individually. You can really notice the difference in a song when everyone plays off of each other when they can. However, that’s not to say you have to sacrifice your personal style in order to have a tight sound. I think part of the challenge of being in a band is finding the right way to maintain your personal styles without intruding on anybody else’s. Ayla: As the songs are unfolding naturally, we’ll all look at each other

Jack, Finn and Cadien Lake James in the studio

Photo credit: Josiah Marshall

you stretch that section out so you can all go a bit bloody mad? J: For sure. We draw it out and Ayla whips all over the fretboard, Finn and I turn on the fuzz and Malcolm hits the skins super hard.

(I love using the same word multiple times in a sentence!). Your personal relationship with another musician always comes through in the way you play music together. Sometimes we have full conversations made entirely of dumb inside jokes we have with

and instinctively know what feels right for the music. I’ve always been a firm believer that every single note should be played for a reason, and I’m lucky that everyone in this band feels the same way – always bring your own artistry and musical soul to the song, but be cognisant of what the music calls for. The closing bars of City Boy are totally frenetic! When you play live, do

each other, and we find them so hilarious because we know exactly what the other person

is thinking. It’s like that when we play music together too.

Scout EP by Calpurnia is out June 15 via Pod/Inertia.

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JUNE 2018

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