Before heading off on their new run of Australian tour dates, Society of Beggars took some time out for a quick chat about their brand new EP, vampires, and world domination.
What can you tell me about the idea behind the name, An EP Called Night?
The EP itself is supposed to reflect the rush in the chest you get before being swallowed up by the excitement the night time brings. We wanted the name to reflect the way the music moves and shifts direction – sexy, sinewy, and heavy like 3am. Plus you know, it just kinda sounded cool.
You worked with producer Lindsay Gravina for this project – how was that? How much influence did Lindsay have on the finished product? Did you record at Birdland?
Lindsay keeps vampire hours, so we were working constantly through the the night. He’s constantly involved and hands on with the process, and that worked for us perfectly. We did work with him at Birdland, which was an incredible experience knowing the history of the place and the music that has been created there. It was broken up by nicotine breaks and the occasional Katsu Don. But not once did I see him eat, or drink water, which I guess adds to the air of mystery. Or the vampire thing…
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEKcSqqZfT2EtFZ2bRDau6uGYmgXMxPij
The upcoming nine-date tour is taking you around the place a bit – have you played those venues previously? Is there any particular venue you’re especially looking forward to playing, or that is on your bucket list to play in future?
We’ve played one or two of them before, obviously Cherry Bar in Melbourne, which is a rock and roll institution and always awesome. I’m actually looking forward to playing The Phoenix in Canberra again, last time was such a surprise, they’ve got good crowds there that seem eager for something a bit darker and different, but going back to Adelaide is always going to be the big one, a family affair so to speak.
What can audiences expect at your shows in terms of atmosphere/vibe?
The show itself is highly energetic dark rock and roll, it’ll give you something to dance and get drunk to. We pride ourselves on giving everything we got every single time that we play, and we’ve got some surprises up our sleeves for this run of shows.
Who would you list as inspirations? Do you share similar tastes in music or is it contentious territory when choosing a roadtrip playlist?
A lot of the bands we’re inspired by are ones that didn’t necessarily fit in with what was deemed cool at the time; Joy Division, Nirvana, Nick Cave; game changers who altered the musical landscape. My bro and I are into a lot of hip hop; Kendrick and old school stuff like Nas and Biggie, and the others are into more hard rock stuff. At any time the playlist could run from Demis Roussos to Deftones in the blink of an eye, so we like to keep it eclectic.
Finally, what’s in store in the near future, once the tour is complete?
I’m showing my age here but…
Pinky: Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?
Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky – try to take over the world!
To celebrate the release of An EP Called Night and new single ‘Old Haunts’, the band are undertaking a 9 date tour – check them out:
5th May – Barwon Club, Geelong
11th May – Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney
12th May – Vic on the Park, Sydney
13th May – Phoenix, Canberra
19th May – Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine
20th May – Musicman Megastore, Bendigo
3rd June – The Loft, Warrnambool
9th June – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
17th June – Ed Castle, Adelaide
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