1.Your Profile
Johan Ydstrand: Our sound is something like a Lou Reed/Beach Boys mash-up as drunkenly (but competently) performed by The Jesus and Mary Chain. We call Petersham home, but we come from various corners of the world. I’m a faraway Swede, and we have a few Thai and Colombian Aussies and an American among us. We dig on cheap Portuguese beer and karaoke, the great outdoors, filmmaking, dancing, Corey Feldman trivia, and some other things.
2.Keeping Busy
JY: We’ve been out to Coogee a lot this summer – but not so much on the beach, rather sweating in the summer studio heat working on our new single, ‘It Could Be Much, Much Worse’. Earlier this year we were joined by Craig on keyboards. He’s from the US and brings his gentlemanly Georgia charm to our group. We are excited to chase this new sound down the rabbit hole. Our calculations have made us anticipate that the rabbit hole will lead us to Coney Island, which is the name of our debut album that we are recording this winter.
3.Best Gig Ever
Tom Dibbayawan: Best gig was probably at an Oktoberfest party we played at in a little town called Dunedoo in regional New South Wales. Two of our members have family there and they were putting this festival thing on in the town. It was a pretty loose show and we just played whatever we wanted to, really, and the country folk busted out their moves on the dancefloor, including Matt and Tom’s granddad; for a man in his 70s he’s got some impressive footwork. There was awesome food and drink and everyone was so lovely and appreciative for us going all the way there to play for them, and it was pretty much the band’s first time going on the road for a show.
4.Current Playlist
Craig Brinker: Lately we’ve been listening to a lot of Sam Cooke, Traveling Wilburys, Tennis and LCD Soundsystem. They may seem like unconnected influences, but we often take elements from strange places and mash them all together. Incidentally, our favourite Traveling Wilbury is Roy Orbison.
5.Your Ultimate Rider
TD: It may sound like a dick move but I’d have to at least once fulfil the cliché of having a ridiculous and insane rider. So the classic giant bowl of just red M&Ms would be a must or any sort of champagne at a ludicrously specific temperature. After I have lived out that fantasy, we can downscale to a good selection of cheese and beers.
The Vacationists, plusWells and Los Espinas, play Brighton Up Bar on Saturday May 21.
