Grinspoon

Wed 16th Sep, 2009 in Features

Losing your shit and possibly a shoe at a Grinspoon concert is an Australian rite of passage. Since winning Triple J Unearthed as young knockabouts from Lismore, the band has put abundant energy into letting the good times roll.

The sixth – œSpoon album Six To Midnight was released this month, returning some of rough edges that were smoothed on previous outing Alibis & Other Lies. It’s a record that bristles with live potential.

This week the foursome will put the new songs through their paces at three sold-out shows. For vocalist Phil Jamieson, the ultimate reward is to “play the shit out of this record”. FasterLouder got the irrepressible showman on the phone to discuss the delicate democracy of Grinspoon.

You’re in Sydney at the moment?
It’s for a charity gig with Dappled Cities, Tim Rogers and Josh Pyke. I’m playing solo for 20 minutes. I hate playing solo, so I’m trying to work out what I’m going to do. I’m timing myself with a stop watch. When you play solo, time goes really slowly. [laughs] I thought four songs would fit, but it’s not going to work. It has to be five. So…I’m just working out what the fuck I’m going to do basically.

I wanted to ask you about Splendour this year. That gig seemed like a homecoming of sorts for Grinspoon.
In a way. It was just good to be playing, regardless of where it was. We were doing new material and were pretty nervous before that show to be honest. It seemed that people really liked it. I had a really fun time at that festival this year – I saw lots of bands and really enjoyed myself.

It seemed like you guys were enjoying playing some of the older stuff as well.
Yeah, the old stuff is always great to play. We haven’t played Dead Cat in 10 years. That was really fun to play and the reaction was good. We played it again in Cairns on the weekend. It’s always exciting to play new material though – that’s probably my favourite part of being in a band; refreshing the set-list.

Having listened to the album, it’s as raw and rocking as you told us it was going to be at Splendour. Was it liberating to return to that feeling?
Well, the album was fractured in its making to be honest. It was all over the place within the 45 songs we’d written. We’d gone away and done these songs and none of them really fit together. We then started writing with a mind to creating something more cohesive. So, yeah…it’s pretty raw. I really enjoy the record. I don’t know if anyone else will, but I really like it. [Laughs]

It certainly seems like an album that was built to play live.
Yeah…that’s a fair statement, Jack, yes.

Did that feel come from a different approach in the studio?
We recorded everything live as well which we haven’t done since Easy ten years ago. We recorded it in one studio, which we haven’t done since Thrills. Alibis was recorded in four different studios, whereas this one was done in just three weeks. I know Jimmy Barnes has recorded his album in three days, but he didn’t write those songs, so…

Basically, recording live meant we could be quicker in the studio. Our producer this time said: “With a really good band, you should be able to put a mic in front of you and record it.” There were some first takes; I think Run was a first take. There’s stuff that’s on Six To Midnight that never would’ve made it on Thrills. For example, at the start of Right Now, the guitars are taking off and feeding back. We asked Rick if we could take them out and he said: “You want to make it less exciting?”

Did you take that attitude to the songwriting as well?
No, the songwriting was as drawn out as ever – as it always is with four writers in the band. It’s political. We’re a democracy so we have 45 songs and cast votes on the 17 that we record. Then people get offended and la, la, la. People have agendas; they wrote songs that they think are better. It’s a messy thing, democracy. It really is. But that’s what a band is. This record is the sound of a collaboration.

The vocals sound different; less clean than on the last two albums…
Yeah, I’m not exactly sure. I didn’t listen that hard. But it’s a lot edgier as far as vocals go. But I think there’s still some prettiness on there, maybe at the end.

I’m interested that you say this album was written collaboratively. Has that always been the case?
It is different from other times. It’s a lot more Pat and Joe writing music than me. I guess in past incarnations I tried to push songs that whilst they were good didn’t quite fit what Grinspoon do. I don’t know if that was advantageous only for my own ego. So I was just trying to pull back a bit and let go of that control. I didn’t want vanity pop songs. I pared back my evil, maniacal, controlling, – œmad hair like the guy from Back To The Future’ side.

This month you’re playing quite small-scale venues for Grinspoon.
I guess so. I don’t really know. We haven’t played in quite a long time and we wanted to make sure people turn up. We want it to be intimate and sweaty. The songs are suited to that. Keeping it reaaaaaaal.

Was that something you felt was missing from the last tour? That up close and sweaty thing?
Well, it was just different last time. Alibis was a mixed bag of material. There were country songs on it, songs with strings. We had an extra instrumentalist on that tour so it was a five-piece band. It was great, but made things a bit strange for the audience. We didn’t hide him up the back like other bands do. That changed the dynamic a bit. I don’t really know, man. As you say, the record is built to play live…so, we won’t have to get an orchestra this time.

Grinspoon is that quintessential festival band. Has the feeling of playing festivals remained the same since you started out?
It’s funny you say that. I’m not particularly conscious of us being a quintessential festival band, but then when we played Splendour I was like, “Oh right. It’s really fucking great and everyone’s wasted and wooo!” We played the first Homebake in Byron Bay in 1996; we were first on that day.

Look, I don’t know if they’ve changed that much. They’re usually relatively fun depending on whether the people are there to listen to the music or get intoxicated. I just love playing live, Jack. So please: I just want to go out there and play the shit out of this record. As soon as possible.

So, what are Grinspoon’s plans for summer, after this tour is finished?
Well I noticed we’re 15-to-1 odds to play Big Day Out on FasterLouder. I’d be very happy if we got that festival but I’m not sure if we will.

I thought you’d be better odds than that.
Well, there are a lot of bands in the vying at the moment. It’s a busy year: Eskimo Joe, Powderfinger, Wolfmother, Jet, us. If we get Big Day Out, we’ll do that and maybe a tour after. There’s a lot of traffic at the moment. It always seems to be the way when we release a record – we release the same day as Eminem, Green Day and Fergie. This year, we’re releasing the same day as Muse.

Ah, the fateful Muse.
You see the thing is Jack, I don’t know who the fuck Muse are! I know I should and I must sound really old or disconnected. I know there’s a little guy and he’s apparently very talented. And I’ve heard they play with a lot of ProTools. When they got the number 1 in the Hottest 100, I’d never heard that song. I think it must be something progressive. If it’s progressive, I’m really not interested. Where are all these Muse people? Are they hiding somewhere?

Some of them are hiding on FasterLouder. But it’s a love-hate thing.
Oh! Like with me!

Six To Midnight is out now on Universal. Grinspoon plays these three shows this week.

Wednesday September 16 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday September 17 – Factory Theatre, Sydney
Saturday September 19 – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane