Coming out of the Central Coast punk scene in 2001, Something With Numbers has developed into one of Australia’s most sought-after acts. Meeting the band on a fine spring afternoon at The Dolphin Hotel in Sydney, I can’t help but ask why vocalist Jake Grigg has done away with his Sideshow Bob-style curly hair. He lets out a laugh, mentioning other identities he’s likened to, “Wolfmother and Guy Sebastian.” But it was time for a change. “New album, new haircut!”
We’re here to talk about the band’s third album, Engineering The Soul, which is described by the guys as a pop record. “We’ve made a metal album and then like a rock album, so it was hip hop or pop,” Jake says. “So we thought we’d try pop.”
Jake wrote the songs when he had a personal and professional meltdown, a period that “left him in a near catatonic state”. It was a period of reflection and evaluation, spawning songs like Stay With Me Mr Bright Eyes, the first single from the album. “It’s a love song about a relationship that doesn’t work. The song is open to interpretation, but it depends on how you’re feeling.”
Living on the Central Coast gives the boys a lot of time ‘to create”. Once the touring has stopped, they can come home to a quiet place and work on their music. “We were on tour for ages, all we wanted was to have our mummies. “The constant touring gets heavy,” Jake mentions, hinting at his meltdown.
Songwriting, on the other hand, is “more like a photo of your life. You never know when a song’s going to appear. It’s a weird process. This record has fresh songs, a fresh approach. We’ve been off the road for a while [so] we’ve got it all sorted out!”
Being off the road may have played havoc with Jake’s hormones, though. He now can’t wait to be touring again. “I’m going to rip the stage apart,” he warns. “I feel like I haven’t had sex in five years and I’m going to penetrate! I think we’ll call the tour ‘Premature Rockulation’!” At this point the record label representative, who arranged the meeting, lets out a laugh, trying his hardest not to listen in on our conversation.
Speaking to an audience comes easy for Jake, so it makes sense for him to do some television work as co-presenter of Channel [V]’s Rock Room program. “It’s just talking to the camera and stuff like that,” he says flippantly. “It’s easy; I’m just being an idiot. I tried to get into radio and television and stuff like that, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, a bit of fun.”
Along with the tour, what’s next for SWN? Guitarist Tim Crocker jumps in ahead of Jake. “We’d like to go to Northern Territory, [we’ve] never been up there.” Jake adds, “We’re willing to incorporate Northern Territory but it’s not happening at the moment. I want to go everywhere. All I know is that there’s a big rock and it’s hot!” A bit like the band – rocking and hot.
Engineering The Soul is out now on EMI. Read the FasterLouder album review HERE. Something With Numbers are currently on tour – check the Gig Guide listings below for details.
