Busby Marou‘s latest album, Postcard From the Shell House, debuted at #1 on the ARIA chart – a fantastic feat for the duo who, as Jeremy Marou admitted to us recently, poured absolutely everything into the making of the record. Speaking with Marou just prior to the album’s release the emphasis on the importance of the record for the Queenslanders was not missed.
“With this album for us, it’s kind of make or break; we’ve spent so much time and money [on it], we’ve thrown everything into this one. We needed it to be successful; as much as we love it, it’s also our livelihood.”
This isn’t to say there were any worries that came with the anticipation of Postcards… release. After taking their time and heading to the tranquil surrounds of Great Keppel Island to write and record, Busby Marou came out from the recording process with an album that’s displayed a more mature Tom and Jeremy, as well as a comfortable sink into that classic sense of musicality fans have been wooed by ever since the release of their self-titled in 2014.
“It’s a magical place.” Marou says of the duo’s time out on Great Keppel Island. “I live in Rockhampton, so I’m up there every second weekend anyway. It’s my place to hang out on weekends and it was great for Tom to come down; it’s hard to explain the vibe of that place, but it’s just so special to us. It’s our little secret paradise off Yeppoon beach. It’s an amazing place and it was just perfect for us. We both grew up here.”
“For our last album, we went to Nashville and recorded and we were away from home. This time, we wanted to be with our families and we did exactly that. We recorded a lot of the studio stuff in Melbourne, but we didn’t have to leave the country. We wrote a lot of it here and we went over and recorded a lot of it on Great Keppel Island. It was just the perfect spot, words can’t describe how beautiful that place is and the zen you get in.”
Coming up, fans in their homestate with be treated to an initial Busby Marou tour to introduce them to the band’s latest material. Ahead of the full national tour cycle kicking into gear, Jeremy is looking forward to testing the waters with familiar faces.
“We can’t wait,” he enthuses. “We’ve got a great fanbase especially around here; we’re doing the North Queensland run and it’s very exciting. A lot of my family is up in North Queensland, so the people are going to cheer regardless of whether we sound terrible or not!”
“It’ll be a good confidence boost to start the tour cycle. Touring is something that we’re not new to, we’ve touring pretty hard over the last five years. I think we’re doing it a bit differently now; instead of smashing yourself on the first night, you pace yourself. We’ve learned a lot of tricks and we’ve toured with a lot of really cool people. We love the touring side of it; it’s a little break to get away and have a little fun at the same time.”
Of his relationship with Tom, Jeremy comments on the way their friendship has informed the development of Busby Marou’s music – a development you can hear on their records.
“The fact that we were two good mates before we started our music has really helped as well.” he explains. “We’ve matured together as musos as well. You can see from our first EP through ’til this third studio album, how different it’s been. The different stages we were at in life. There are totally different vibes as well. With this one we’ve found a happy medium; a produced album with still acoustic roots. It’s where we’re at in our lives. We’re not young and crazy anymore; we’ve matured a little bit and both have young families, it’s a great part of our lives.”
BUSBY MAROU QUEENSLAND TOUR DATES
March 2nd | Mt. Pleasant, MACKAY
March 3rd | Magnums, AIRLIE BEACH
March 4th | Dalrymples, TOWNSVILLE
March 9th | The Spotted Cow, TOOWOOMBA
March 10th | Wharf Tavern, MOOLOOLABA
March 11th | Bay Central Hotel, HERVEY BAY
Postcards From the Shell House is out now.
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