“We don’t have some amazing story where we all met at a Black Rebel Motorcycle gig or anything like that,” jokes The Holidays bassist Alex Kortt. “But we were lucky because we got our start when indie-pop was at more of a height than it is now. We’re lucky that we created a fan base around that time.”
It was 2006 when Kortt first strapped on a bass and the group (lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Simon Jones, lead guitarist Will Magnus and drummer Andrew Kerridge ) began the studious process of making large quantities of noise together. Like many trainee musicians, their first days on the job were filled with sporadically played compositions and cover tunes. It was a process of trial and error.
Obviously that process has worked for The Holidays. Since 2006 they’ve caused a ruckus alongside international and local performers Ben Kweller, The Wombats, Jamie T, Lightspeed Champion and Wolf and Cub. Still, with all those notches on their belts and a celebrated first record released last April (their self-titled EP) it’s a little odd that they felt the need to release another five track record ( When the Ship Goes Down ) only six months later. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to release a single full-length album?
“I guess the reason for doing the two EPs was to do with giving people a good snapshot of where we’re at musically,” Kortt explains. “Not only that, but to really make sure that before we do an album we know exactly the direction we want to take. I mean as far as where we were at mentally we probably just weren’t at the stage where we wanted to do an album just yet. We wanted to get ourselves into the best musical mind-frame to release the best album we could possibly do.” This isn’t to say their EPs were practice swings at creating that first album.
Frontman Simon Jones describes When the Ship Goes Down as “a series of observations about the decline of relationships and the thrill when one catches you by surprise”. For some, this blurb may be a little worrying. Aren’t songs about relationships becoming a little overworked? Is this album going to be a downer? Apparently not.
If anything, When the Ship Goes Down will put a bit of pep in your step. This will be helpful when you kick your own arse for doubting the band in the first place. As soon as the play button is pressed, a collection of summery, energetic guitar melodies, sing-song vocals and driving bass and drum work carpool in unison. For some the only minor scratch on the record will be the lyrics that begin the final track The Comeback: “For all the feathers in my cap/ There’s no pretty little girls in my lap/ Just sit and watch the phone/ While you’re probably watching TV alone/ And I’m home/ Nowhere to go.” (The picky-minded may find this a tad self-indulgent.)
While Kortt’s proud of both EPs, the newer – produced by Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Josh Pyke) – has “a punchier, stronger vibe to it probably more indicative of where [the group’s] live shows are at the moment.”
“What we’re trying to focus on right now,” he continues, “is not just being an indie guitar band but just writing really good melodic songs.”
With a plethora of those bands trying to hit the big time, Kortt notes the increasing difficulty infant groups are having trying to stand out in the crowd. Sadly it seems the term – œindie pop’ is becoming a toe-tag on the feet of wannabe musos. With good reason, The Holidays are eager to avoid being pigeon-holed into the genre.
“You have a lot of bands coming out of the UK like Foals and another band I heard recently called Wild Beasts who are just doing music that kind of hasn’t been done before,” Kortt muses. “But that’s good in a way. So much of what new Australian bands do is kind of influenced by what bands are doing in the UK. So that whole mentality comes across from the UK, into the scene in Australia, where you’ve really got to try and do something that hasn’t been done before. I’m all for that, as long as the music actually sounds good.
“We want to release an album that can stand on its own and people can say, – œThat sounds like The Holidays’. I get pretty fucking sick of all The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys comparisons. There are elements of it there, sure, but there are thousands of guitar bands out there. Just because we use guitars doesn’t mean that’s exactly who we sound like.”
The Holidays begin writing their first full-length record this summer. They’re still on the road will Yves Klein Blue and have two big festival dates ahead: Homebake and Falls.
Fri 24 Oct – Annandale Hotel, Sydney*
Sat 25 Oct – Northern Star, Newcastle*
Sun 26 Oct – The Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (U-18s)*
Wed 29 Oct – Karova Lounge, Ballarat*
Thurs 30 Oct – National Hotel, Geelong*
Fri 31 Oct – East Brunswick Club, Melbourne*
Sat 1 Nov – East Brunswick Club, Melbourne (2nd show)*
Saturday 6 Dec – Homebake, Sydney
Wed 31 Dec – Falls Festival, Lorne, Victoria
*With Yves Klein Blue
