By Divine Right Are One BandOn The Run

Tue 8th Mar, 2005 in Features

“We’re in Casino, and it’s beautiful here it’s a gorgeous day!”  Jose Miguel Contreras is enraptured with Australia, and there is good reason. In his native Toronto, Canada the current temperature is in the negative spectrum, and they’re expecting more snowfall.

But today he is in Casino, northern New South Wales, with his band By Divine Right, travailing the road less travelled supporting Spiderbait on their national tour, and marvelling at the idiosyncrasies of small town Australia.

“It’s a little town, I am actually standing in the middle of the street of the main stretch, so that tells you a little something – it’s small enough that you can stand in the middle of the street as traffic drives by… people are looking at me strangely, but I love it here, it’s very cute, and the show was really fun. I don’t think they get a lot of shows through here, and certainly not a lot of bands like us! We’re certainly not leather pants marketing plan – we don’t have matching hair cuts.”

They may not subscribe to the pre-fab rock schtick which permeates many of today’s charting success stories, but then again By Divine Right isn’t your average fly-by-night success story. Formed in Toronto in 1989, when Jose was only 18 years old, he is now the only remaining original member, taking his shuffling line-up through the nineties, having spotty success with his signature smart indie-pop, but keeping himself busy and happy.

“It was never my plan, I was never one of those ‘I’m gonna get a record deal and I am gonna be famous people!’ that’s not my style. I just loved music so much, and I found myself doing it and then I got sucked into it. And a couple of times I have wondered ‘how long is this going to fucking last?’ you know? I got a lot of shit to do, you know? But it keeps going on and on. Just when it looks like I might wrap up I get a new label that wants us to make a new record, and now things are going really well for us in the US right now. We have a new manager, and agents, and more stuff is going on, and it looks like I’ll be busy for the rest of the year. Which means I’ll probably make another record when that is done, and then that’ll mean more touring and before you know it I’ll be back in Australia, running down the street naked!”

Jose is an infectious character, talking so fast he barely pauses for breath, so excitable and happy, seemingly genuinely thankful for how his life has turned out. But he is a man on a mission, acutely aware of the industry and the situation in which he finds himself.

“I love to play anywhere- I fucking love playing music so much! And I feel like my band has a mutant message to spread, different from other bands. We’re a bit awkward – but we’re gracefully awkward you know? And, well, this might sound a bit retarded, or a bit wank, but like I honestly believe what we’re doing is heavy soul work, you know? Like heavy spiritual work. We’re part of spreading a love consciousness- and that’s my job that I’d love to do in this lifetime, you know? I’m not just out here to get laid.”

There is a dual subversion to Jose’s agenda, but don’t fret – he’s not some crazy evangelist – he only wants to see you happy (and chase summer).

“We just wanna set people free – everyone free! Me included. Even if it’s only for an hour, then maybe we can keep that memory of feeling free the next day and we don’t have go kicking each other in the arse!”

It’s quite nice to escape a Toronto winter though:

“You’re fucking right it is!  It’s so miserable. In fact we’re accepting invitations – if any of your readers have like mansions and stuff, we’re accepting invitations for winter 2005/6. Next year, you can host ‘By Divine Right’ for two months and keep us warm.”

And the logistics?

“There’s four of us, and our significant others, and our tour manager and his wife so all of us…so accomm’s for 10!”

So accommodation for 10, possibly with an internal studio, maybe a pool… beachside views?

“Well, we’ll come and write a record at someone’s mansion, and then we’ll dedicate it to them. We actually put a song out on our Spinart [their US label] compilation that’s coming out for SXSW called The First Snow. I wrote that song with my wife Lily, and underneath it we wrote ‘We’re now accepting invitations for winter 2005/6’ because we made a pact that we could not spend another winter in Canada- it’s just to brutal!”

So, any takers?

The delightful Sweet Confusion is out now and you can catch By Divine Right supporting Spiderbait at their final shows:

Tuesday 8 March, ANU Bar, Canberra
Thursday 10th MAR, Parkwood Tavern, Gold Coast
Friday 11 March – Prince Of Wales, Melbourne
Saturday 12 March – Metro, Sydney