Things have moved at quite a pace for Seekae in 2009. The Sydney three-piece re-released its debut album The Sound of Trees Falling on People earlier this month on Rice Is Nice, earning wide accolades for its intricate atmospherics.

Fittingly, Seekae has since been nominated for best album and best live act in the SMAC Awards. With shows alongside Midnight Juggernauts approaching, the guys check in with FasterLouder.

Your debut album The Sound of Trees Falling on People received high acclaim amongst sharp critics. Was it heartening to see that response?
It was extremely heartening. We never expected anything beyond a few plays on the radio and maybe a few of our mates telling us they dug it. It was a great surprise.

Is it difficult to recreate your obscure musical blend in front of a live audience, due to the vast range of instruments used during recording?
With some songs it’s extremely hard to not rely on a laptop or backing track, as there is so much going on. Other tracks we’ve only ever played live, so as soon as one of them comes along in the set list, it’s a big breath of fresh air for us. Eventually we want to try and have a completely live set with more acoustic instruments like cello and harp, but in terms of replicating tracks off the album, for the moment most things are staying electronic.

You are renowned for your vibrant live shows. Are there any artists that you look to for inspiration in terms of stage presence?
It’s hard not to take notice of bands like Arcade Fire and Radiohead, whose music has such depth and complexity, but seem to replicate everything live and maintain an almost theatrical stage presence. However, we’ve always appreciated artists like Four Tet and Flying Lotus, who play with just a laptop, but keep the crowd interested because they are just so into the music.

When did you realise you were serious about music?
Getting our first instruments, which were intially just to muck around on, helped us take a huge step forward. It wasn’t long before we were staying up till 4am to finish off tracks, and the concept of forming a band seemed far more enticing than anything else. Eventually we started skipping class and calling each other up just to say, “Hey man, have you heard that bangin new HudMo track?” Once we knew we were all as serious as each other about it, we all took time off university and decided to give it a shot.

Do you see festivals as a starting point for future collaborations? Are there any artists that you would one day like to work with?
Definitely. Seeing bands like Megastick Fanfare, Ghoul and Danimals initially raises a feeling of jealousy, but then the idea of jamming out and combining ideas is very exciting. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about before, and in some cases have done with bands like Ghoul. It’s something I’m sure we’ll do a lot more of in the future.

Having recently completed a tour along the coast with Decoder Ring, playing at Parklife in NSW, and signing on as support acts alongside Cut Off Your Hands on The Midnight Juggernauts tour. Are there any signs of Seekae slowing down in the coming year?
We’re planning to have another release around March next year, and with all the ideas we’ve had, it’s going to take a lot of work to get everything done in time. We also plan to take a little break from live shows around the start of next year, just so we can re-organise our set, and hopefully incorporate alot more live elements. As well as this, we’re all starting to work on side projects – so as of 2010, things are only going to get busier!

The re-release of your debut album is paired with a remix EP, covering independent bands Megastick Fanfare, Ghoul and Bearhug. Was this a gesture to good friends and their talents?
All the tunes were pretty much our favourites of the year, so there was an element of good gesture in choosing them. It was really just a chance to work with something completely removed from what we’re used to, and seeing how we could re-organise the elements into a more electronic based format. The fact that we knew all the bands on a personal level aswell made it far more enjoyable, as it practically gave us permission to do whatever we wanted with the track, and attempt to make it something they wouldn’t expect.

FBi Radio, a non-profit independent station, named The Sounds of Trees Falling on People as album of the week. Having launched Australian artists such as Wolfmother and Angus and Julia Stone, do you feel that Seekae are in good hands? Are you believers in the independent industry?
FBi is definitely one of the best things to have happened to the independent music scene in Australia, let alone Sydney. We can safely say without it we wouldn’t have had anywhere near as much exposure, and that goes for so many well known bands in Sydney right now. Hopefully more people start to realise the importance of independent organisations like FBi, because without them, Sydney’s music scene would truly suck.

The Sound Of Trees Falling on People re-release is out now on Rice Is Nice, with a bonus remix disc. Seekae plays Halloween Monster Mash at Annandale Hotel in Sydney this Saturday 31 October.