After The Fall

Wed 7th Oct, 2009 in Features

The After the Fall ship was sailing smoothly. With two records under their belt – the self titled debut released in 2004 backed up by Always Forever Now in – œ05 – the Central Coasters were making a name for themselves across the nation.

Rolling Stone magazine named their debut in the top 50 albums of its release year; Triple J featured them in their Hottest 100 and the band was touring alongside others that have gone on to bigger and better things. They were indeed a bright emerging Aussie rock band making their mark on the industry.

Then, as singer Ben Windsor adequately explains, “We pretty much dropped off the face of the planet.” Let go by their then record label, Warner, After the Fall was out on their arse bound for a long road back to success – if good enough to travel it.

“That wasn’t very good,” Windsor now laughs. “It was a troubling time for the band. At first we thought this is a good thing because we didn’t want to be with a label that wasn’t going to work for us, that wasn’t on the same page as us. As time went on, it got more difficult because we were running out of money, we weren’t really playing many shows and reality kicked in.

“We retreated into our little studio and didn’t really keep in touch with the world, especially online and stuff like that. That was a huge mistake because I guess everyone kind of forgot about us.”

Reigniting the passion came from a basic belief. “We knew that we had an album in us. We still wanted to keep going no matter what. We didn’t care if we didn’t have a record label. I guess it made us more determined to put a record out to stick it to the record label. It made us want to write the best record we’ve ever written.”

With no financial security from a record company, the third album was self-funded and became a labour of love. “There was a stage where it seemed like it was never going to happen. Certain people would be like, – œThese songs aren’t good enough’, and it was like, – œFucking hell, can we just get this thing out?’”

It wasn’t until the album was ready to be mixed that Roadrunner Records came into the picture to “save the day” and reward the hard work. At least now they can say the band name has some serious meaning, and the new album is an exciting way to return from exile. Whether that entices new fans or brings back those initially gained is yet to be discovered.

The album in question – In Exile – takes the known After the Fall vibe and energy in a new direction of darker, more atmospheric tracks rather than just straight up rock n roll. “The first patch of demos we did was this Led Zeppelin – œ70s rock, which is not us. You listen to it now and it’s laughable,” the singer recalls.

Through experimenting with new equipment, making do with what they could afford and drinking plenty of wine along the way, the long three year process has at times been frustrating and tiring. But from doing it the hard way, After the Fall return not to pick up where they left off but to embark on a new path. “When you’ve been through those darker times, the best thing to do is pull together and work through it together. I think that’s what we did. We’re definitely emotionally challenged,” he laughs.

Being back on stage and hitting the road once again definitely makes it worth it. Amongst the band there is genuine excitement to be back with a new record. “We haven’t done a proper tour in at least three years. We’ve just been sitting on the central coast waiting to go on tour. There’s only so many mid-day movies I can watch!”

After the Fall is set to – œGo Hunting’ alongside Calling All Cars in what will no doubt be a high octane tour from two energetic and complementing bands. Having watched from the sidelines as bands such as Kisschasy and Gyroscope kick-on, After The Fall now take their place back where they belong. “I’ve always known that we can do it. I guess we’ve just taken a longer road to get there.”

After The Fall and Calling All Cars – œGo Hunting’ at the following venues from October right through to December.

Thursday 8th October – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Friday 9th October – Doyalson RSL, Doyalson
Saturday 10th October – The Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Sunday 11th October – Manly Fisho’s, Manly
Thursday 15th October – Barwon Club, Geelong
Friday 16th October – Revolver, Melbourne
Wednesday 28th October – The Loft, Warnambool
Thursday 29th October – The Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Friday 30th October – Sandbar, Mildura
Saturday 31st October – The Pub, Bendigo
Monday 2nd November – Plastic @ Bang (Royal Melbourne Hotel) Cup Eve
Wednesday 4th November – The Foundry, Cannington
Thursday 5th November – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
Friday 6th November – Hyde Park Hotel, North Perth
Saturday 7th November – Players Bar, Mandurah
Sunday 8th November – Mojos Bar, North Fremantle
Friday 13th November – The Republic Hotel, Hobart
Saturday 14th November – Hotel New York, Launceston
Saturday 21st November – Trackside Festival, Canberra
Thursday 26th November – The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay (FREE SHOW)
Friday 27th November – Club 299, The Valley, Brisbane
Saturday 28th November – The Swell Tavern, Gold Coast
Sunday 29th November – The Sands Tavern, Sunshine Coast
Thursday 3rd December – Fowlers, Adelaide (All Ages)
Friday 4th December – Louisianna Tavern, Elizabeth SA
Saturday 5th December – The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne