While we often try, it’s futile to search for a standard rate of artistic productivity. For example, the notion that an artist ought to release a new record roughly every two years relates to a commercial norm, rather than the nature of creativity itself. Unfortunately, many artists hurry out new material in order to comply with this industry standard. But it’s far from compulsory.
In December last year, Brisbane’s Art Of Sleeping dropped the new single ‘Crazy’ – more than two years on from their previous release, 2012’s Like A Thief EP. Undeniably, this qualifies as a prolonged gap. But according to the band’s frontman and main songwriter Caleb Hodges, the lengthy interval was wholly worthwhile.
“We didn’t want to release music just for the sake of it,” he says. “We’ve kept quiet, but we’ve also grown into our own shoes as a group and discovered what we are and the kind of music we want to make. I think that just takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
Distinguished by a brooding-to-ballsy dynamic polarity, ‘Crazy’ is a big step forward for Art Of Sleeping. While Like A Thief was a competent collection of tunes, the band wasn’t yet in charge of its allotted digits. In comparison, ‘Crazy’ sounds far more sincere. As Hodges remembers it, the song’s composition couldn’t have been easier.
“Some songs I’ll work on for six months or something and then collectively we’ll work on it for another few months, but ‘Crazy’ just fell out of my mouth when I was sitting in the kitchen one day. It just felt right.
“I’m a big perfectionist – I always go back and change things – but I wanted it to be one of those songs that came out and I left it exactly how it was. I showed the guys and it all fell together really quickly. We literally didn’t even change one bar or note or lyric from the day it was first written.”
‘Crazy’ will appear on Art Of Sleeping’s forthcoming debut LP, due out in the first half of this year. During the record’s construction, the band brought in Big Scary/#1 Dads main man Tom Iansek for some in-studio guidance. Even though Hodges admits to being a controlling perfectionist, he welcomed Iansek’s input.
“Obviously we really like a lot of his music and felt he would really fit the dynamic well of what we were trying to do,” Hodges says. “It was a really wonderful experience – seeing how he thinks and looking at songs in a different way. It was good to let go of old habits and explore the music in a different way.
“I think playing music with other people is one of the beauties of playing music,” he adds. “If you wanted to do something all yourself you’d just be a solo artist. But part of the joy is sharing it with other people and also being able to access all their creativity and intelligence as well. It’s exciting to create something and then see it become something that you never expected it would because of working in a group.”
This weekend, Art Of Sleeping launch ‘Crazy’ on a run of dates around the country. It’s the beginning of a busy year and the band can’t wait to hit the road and showcase the progress made over the last couple of years.
“We’ve got all this new music in our pockets and we’re itching to release it all,” Hodges says. “It’s exciting. Writing and recording’s really enjoyable but then obviously the payoff is getting to tour and share that music with everyone. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
Catch them alongside The Lule Raes and Fade In Mona Lisa atNewtown Social Club onSaturday January 24, tickets online.
