With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, You Am I will be gearing up for the Pyramid Rock Festival on Phillip Island. Formed almost two decades ago, the band is one of Australia’s favourites. Recent times have seen frontman, Tim Rogers, work on solo projects but drummer Rusty Hopkinson assures Fasterlouder that they are contemplating another You Am I album.
“There are no definite plans but we have been talking about recording a lot.” He says. “We’ve been very busy doing our own thing. Tim’s just put out a solo album, so he needs time to do that. When he is ready, the band will get together and play.”
Despite the band’s latest album, Convicts, being released eighteen months ago; You Am I toured in support of the CD, as recently as 2007. A visit to the US saw the band play at music festival, South by Southwest. While breaking into the coveted US market may be important to many bands, Hopkinson says it is not You Am I’s focus.
“Recently, we travelled around and had a lot of fun – playing shows and seeing friends. When we go to America, it’s not about breaking into the mainstream. It’s about having fun. We don’t have a big corporate machine over there. It’s about having an adventure.”
In the band’s downtime, Hopkinson attends to his own record label, Reverberation. Recently, he has also been listening to a lot of music.
“I’m a collector and I run a record label, so I get to hear a lot of new stuff. I’ve been focusing on listening to music that was recorded over forty years ago. My favourite record at the moment is by a guy called P.J. Proby. He’s supposed to be the Texan Elvis of the mid-60s. He’s completely insane but has a fantastic voice.”
When asked about the state of music today, Hopkinson believes that a lack of originality is hurting the industry.
“It’s become less about people having fantastic voices. Now, money can solve any shortcomings in musical talent. It’s all about a face and an image. Unfortunately, music has just about been reduced to ringtones.”
With the band’s origins dating back to 1989, You Am I has etched itself into Australian music’s hall of fame. Eighteen years later, they are reaching new audiences. Hopkinson believes the band’s longevity is a testament to its originality.
“No matter what happens, I can always see us playing together because we enjoy it. We’ve never lost the spark – we’ve always done things our own way. We just played a few shows recently. It was a full house at the Metro. There were a lot of young kids. It still makes sense to people to come out and see us play. There’s a lot of history… we’ve been through a lot of adventures together.”
Not one for New Year’s parties, Hopkinson is pleased about You Am I’s spot on the Pyramid Rock Festival’s line up. The band will play alongside the Hilltop Hoods, Grinspoon, Sneaky Sound System and Josh Pyke, amongst others.
“I’d rather be doing a gig than not.” He says. “I generally find that New Year’s Eve is my least favourite night of the year to go out! So it’s good to have a distraction and not feel as though you have to go out.”
