2SER: With A 3-Pack of Smudge,Big Heavy Stuff & Sounds LikeSunset

Thu 11th Nov, 2004 in Features

Community radio station 2SER, is hosting a night of great Australian music featuring Smudge, Big Heavy Stuff and Sounds Like Sunset on Sunday 14^th November at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel. I spoke with Adam Yee from Smudge, Nick Kennedy from Big Heavy Stuff and Andrew Khedoori, Music Director at 2SER to find out about the event.

2SER broadcasts out of Broadway in inner Sydney and prides itself on delivering broad, alternative music to its listeners. Andrew describes the evolution of the programming and why the 3 Pack event is important to 2SER: ” 2SER has always played Australian Indie Music. When I started at the station I had a show called ZooTime which was dedicated to the scene. We went through a stage with previous management that took the station through a period where the focus was more heavily centred on Electronica. We have moved through that and we are getting back to the purpose of the station, our roots in delivering diverse, alternative music. That is why we are holding 3 Pack, this is an important event as it is the first time we have held an event that is about pop-rock and it gives our subscribers a chance to get together and see us support bands that support our diversity.”

Both Smudge and Big Heavy Stuff are very vocal supporters of community radio: Nick from Big Heavy Stuff said: “We have always been outspoken about the importance of community radio, it has played a major role in getting the Sydney scene back on its feet. 2SER and FBi have been really pushing the scene, there are new venues popping up and there is a growing hunger for community radio, the forum and the community service announcements they provide. 2SER have always been there so we are really happy to be involved.”

Adam went further to personally thank 2SER: “2SER and community radio in general have been tremendously supportive, they were pretty much our only outlet. From day one Triple J supported us but there is a limit to what they can do. As the national broadcaster the volume of new material they get means it is easy for smaller, independent stuff to slip through the cracks and community radio is always there to pick us up. There are niche programmes and niche programmers so they can cover everything. As a band, the three of us (after numerous line-up changes: Adam Yee – drums, Tom Morgan - Vocals and Pete Kelly- guitar), have really obscure taste in music and we can switch on 2SER and find it any time of the week. When I first started out with Smudge, I worked a graveyard shift and I would listen to 2SER who played six hours of Australian country music. It was a departure from what I was used to and provided me with some light relief and a bit of humour. 2SER has always been there and have always supported the Australian scene and that’s why we wanted to do this show. We had a break between 1998 and 2002 and have played an average of 1.33 shows a year, we play when we want and make it about having fun.” 

Big Heavy Stuff are a much-lauded Sydney based act that has produced some amazing albums, Size of the Ocean, Maximum Sincere, Truck and their current release Dear Friends And Enemies. “Making Dear Friends And Enemies was a unifying experience, we took our sweet time, due to cheaper recording time, with the technology and stuff we could afford to, we wanted to get it just right. Its our baby and the thing we are most proud of. Knowing Greg, having been involved with him for so long I can say that this album contains with best songs, strongest vocals.”

The album is much different from their previous outings: “It is deceptive, bizarre really when we listened to the final cut of the album. There are none of the really hard-pumping rock tracks we had on our other albums but it is still much darker than the other albums. I would describe it as mellow however the extremes are more extreme but more subtle, if that makes sense. Melancholy, that is probably the best word for it. The vibe is heavier but the sound is more mellow.”

Two members of the band, vocalist Greg Atkinson and guitarist Carolyn Polley moved to the Blue Mountains and much of the album was recorded in their home: “When we had Sophie (Glasson) come into record the cello parts, we met at Greg and Carolyn’s house (along with bassist Eliot Fish and pianist Chris Abrahams) in the middle of the woods and there was mist rising up in the mountains and they have these beautiful wooden floors and it was just so atmospheric. It was really enjoyable to record like that.”

Nick adds with a chuckle: “Our previous albums were from our inner-city, black-jean wearing period, and now we are in our ugg boot-wearing period!”

Smudge also have an album coming out in the near future. Their label Half A Cow is rereleasing this classic 1994 album Manilow as a 10-year anniversary special edition. “Manilow was our first album and there was a lot of buzz around us and since none of our albums, Manilow, Real McCoy and Wrong Sinatra are in print, it was a good opportunity to get back out there as we are seen by some as this classic Sydney band from that time. The album also includes a whole bunch of bonus tracks, 20 extra tracks including a radio show we did and some acoustic tracks.” Manilow is scheduled for re-released by the end of the year.

Smudge may have been a classic Indie band in Sydney at the time but the band was also linked heavily with the success of The Lemonheads. ” At the time, I viewed The Lemonheads question as a bit of a ball and chain but now I accept that it is part of our history, it helped us at times and is certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. Tom just happened to work on two of the great Indie releases of that time and they were both from The Lemonheads. We are still friends with Evan and I believe he has an album coming out but I am not sure how closely involved Tom has been with that.”

Smudge hope to get together early next year and write some new material which will no doubt be supported whole-heartedly by 2SER and by their many fans, eager for a return of such a talented outfit.

2SER relies on subscribers and donations like every other community radio station and events of this nature are important for fundraising but also important for building a community. “The events bring subscribers and supporters together and is about a community that is passionate about 2SER, Community Radio and independent media. We are not government funded, so like every other community station we rely on subscribers and donations to stay on the air.” A standard subscription is $55 per year and entitles the subscriber to discounts around town and access to competitions and prizes that are not available to non-subscribers. “We try to give our subscribers added value because we really appreciate the support and their help in keeping us on air.” You can visit 2SER’s website or tune into 107.3FM.  

Show your support and head down to The Annandale Hotel on Sunday 14 November. Doors open at 6pm!