Sometimes it seems you just have to wait for the right person to come along before you officially call yourself a band. Sydney swamp/blues/rock and roll group The Preachers have only really been together for two months, but with most members of the band having written and recorded together for a while, it seems like they were waiting for a special someone before they announced themselves to the world.
With a debut self-titled EP out now, they’ve been making fast friends around the local music scene, and are gearing up to play MUM at World Bar next Friday night. Jak Orion took a few moments to speak with Tim Poulton, giving him a quick introduction to the band.
Music Feeds: Can you give us a little back ground on who is in the band and how you guys formed?
Jak Orion: The Preachers are a five piece; Isabella Manfredi on Keys and Vox, Gideon Bensen on Guitar and Vox, myself on Guitars, Thomas Champion on Bass and Luke Davison on Drums and Percussion. As we are now, the group is about two months old – but this has been a long time coming. The four of us minus Luke have been playing and writing together since July ’09.
MF: Can you tell us about some of the musical influences The Preachers have?
JO: We have an ethos about bands with songs in spaces. It’s an age old formula, a great band with a great song in a great space makes a great record: the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Motown records and Goldstar studio’s clientele, those are our influences.
MF: You have just released your first EP, have you been getting a positive reaction?
JO: It’s been mostly positive – if there’s anything negative out there we haven’t come across it… yet. But we don’t go looking for bad press, we haven’t offended anyone enough at this point. The EP was a great launch pad for the group, because we have this huge back catalogue that won’t be heard until we record some more. It’s a good taste of where we came from, and where we will be going.
MF: What other local Sydney bands excite you?
JO: There are more now than there ever have been making some great statements. Danimals were a Sydney band before they split for Ronson, and the offshoots of that group are great, like Domeyko/Gonzales and Arkestra, whose opening show for their residency at OAF was great. Royal Headache, who write some great pop songs, even if they won’t admit they’re pop songs. Psychonanny & the Babyshakers, the Vignettes… there are heaps. The ‘scene’ isn’t as dead as people claim it to be.
The Preachers play MUM at World Bar next Friday, 21st May. Their debut self-titled EP is out now. For more info, head over to their Myspace page.
