The Preatures have had a massive past couple of years. Going from playing the likes of Sydney’s Iguana Bar to Coachella and stages around the world in a few short years, thanks to their hugely successful second EP and it’s titular single Is This How You Feel, the Sydney based five piece went on to win the $50,000 Vanda & Young songwriting prize as well as being nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Pop Release and being voted ninth in the prestigious Triple J Hottest 100.
Their album Blue Planet Eyes soon followed, with follow up single Somebody’s Talking, the release grabbing the attention of audiences and industry alike with its innovative re-imagining of the band’s blues and soft rock influences into a thoroughly contemporary pop album. Drawing comparisons to the likes of HAIM as well as Fleetwood Mac and Dire Straits, the band were soon whisked away on a huge international tour, realising their stadium rock dreams and finding new fans at every stop.
Just over a year since the album’s release and The Preatures are set to embark on the last tour of the album, playing a series of free acoustic shows across the country presented by Corona SunSets and everyone’s favourite excuse for a media outlet Music Feeds. The last tour before they begin work on album number two, and following on from a crazy year of headline tours and festival dates here and abroad, we caught up with frontperson Isabella Manfredi to discuss unplugging and going back to acoustic, what it’s like playing in a band with your best mates as well as their plans for the new album.
Music Feeds: You guys are about to embark on this Corona Sunsets tour, are you excited to get out and play some intimate shows?
Isabella Manfredi: I love intimate shows, I love being right there in people’s faces and being able to see people right there in front of me. For us this is that last tour of the record and we said yes to it because we like the idea of being able to go out and play acoustically, because that’s nice.
It’s nice for us to really strip everything back and get back to the songs instead of playing really loud and not really knowing what’s going on half the time. Also I want to try some new stuff off the new record and this is a really good environment to do that in.
MF: Yeah, it’s a free show after all so no one can bitch about you playing new material (laughs).
IM: Yeah no one can complain about how shitty the songs are, they’re getting it for fee. It’s a win win. (laughs)
MF: Considering how musically talented everyone in the band is as well, it must be fun to face up to the challenge of doing everything acoustically after coming off the tour and kind of reconfiguring the well oiled machine that is the live show.
IM: Yeah, it’s a good way for us to challenge ourselves and keep it interesting. The whole premise of the show is it’s all guerrilla style, like you go in, no soundcheck, all acoustic, just no bullshit, and we just do the show, so very different from what we’ve gotten used to on tour.
MF: Will it be a challenge for you personally though to reel it back? You’re such an energetic frontperson, are you going to be tapping into your inner Joni Mitchell for these shows?
IM: I don’t know what I am going to do actually, I mean I’m not playing keys, but I always go off the audience, so every show is different for me. I just do what I feel.
I mean sometimes you get an audience that isn’t even interested so you go crazy and then other times everyone is looking at you so you get really nervous and don’t do anything. To me there is no rhyme or reason to shows, they just exist, they just happen and I can’t predict what they’re going to be like. There’s no point.
MF: You mentioned this is the last tour off Blue Planet Eyes, does that mean you guys are working on new material?
IM: Yeah we just started in the last couple of week. We took a big break, we took six weeks off in June and July and that is the longest time any of us have ever had off from the band. I don’t remember ever having that much time off from the boys, and while it was good I really missed them. I think we all did.
So yeah I think we are all ready to start work on something different. I don’t know what it’s going to be like though, I just know it’s going to be good.
MF: You guys really seem like a big family as a band, is that the case? Is it just like hanging with all your best mates while touring recording etc?
IM: I don’t see the point of making music otherwise, it’s about people. Music has to serve some sort of social function you know, it’s not just like getting together like a business, you know, with colleagues. You’re making music with people, that’s why you do it.
MF: So is it just a straight slog in the studio from here on until the album is done?
IM: We’re going to work on the record until it’s right, and I don’t know, it could be out next year, I’m not sure. The plan is to do this tour, and November is pretty busy and we might go overseas again in December, but nothing is confirmed.
I think we’ll start writing again in January, and just go back and write in the studio. That’s historically what’ we’ve done over the last couple of years, we’ve just gotten together in January, in Hibernian when it’s sweltering and a million degrees and we just write. It’s done us well in the past so I think we’ll stick to that.
The Preatures will be touring nationally throughout November for free thanks to Corona SunSets. Full details here below but you can visit the Corona SunSets webpage for more info
The Preatures Corona SunSets Free Australian Tour Dates
Presented by Music Feeds
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Friday, 6th November
Caves House Hotel, Yallingup
Time: 7.30pm
Saturday, 7th November
The Leftbank, East Fremantle
Time: 2.30pm
Saturday, 7th November
The Northshore Tavern, Hillarys
Time: 7.30pm
Sunday, 8th November
The Lucky Shag Waterfront Bar, Barrack Square
Time: 2.30pm
Sunday, 8th November
Ocean Beach Hotel, Cottesloe
Time: 7.30pm
NEW SOUTH WALES
Friday, 13th November
Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi
Time: 8.30pm
Saturday, 14th November
Watson’s Bay Hotel, Watsons Bay
Time: 3.30pm
Saturday, 14th November
Manly Wharf, Manly
Time: 7.30pm
Sunday, 14th November
The Bucket List, Bondi
Time: 2.30pm
Sunday, 14th November
Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale
Time: 7.30pm
Sunday, 22nd November
Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads
Time: 8pm
QUEENSLAND
Friday, 20th November
Beach House Hotel, Scarness
Time: 8pm
Saturday, 21st November
Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point
Time: 3pm
Saturday, 21st November
Noosa Heads S.L.S.C, Noosa Heads
Time: 9pm
Sunday, 22nd November
Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
Time: 3pm
VICTORIA
Friday, 27th November
Lambys, Geelong
Time: 9pm
Saturday, 28th November
The Deck est 2013, Frankston
Time: 3pm
Saturday, 28th November
Westernport Hotel, San Remo
Time: 9.30pm
Sunday, 29th November
The College Lawn, Prahran
Time: 2.30pm
Sunday, 29th November
Portsea Hotel, Portsea
Time: 7pm
