Powderfinger

Mon 16th Nov, 2009 in Features

There’s not much that Powderfinger haven’t done in Australian music. ARIA Awards sit proudly alongside JJJ Hottest 100 statues (assuming there is such a thing), APRA awards and platinum record certifications.

But they’re not about to sit back and relax – seventh studio album Golden Rule sees them joining forces with producer Nick Didia for the fourth time, and is in stores this month. FasterLouder spoke to guitarist Ian Haug about the new album, being the Australian headliner for BDO 2010 and using Twitter to announce shows.

The first single of the new album, All Of The Dreamers, has been making its way around the radio for the past month or so, but Haug says that was actually an extra song they added to the album. “We had 14 songs written, that we had whittled down. We went into the studio on 4 January and then every day right up until we started recording. We recorded 12 songs, and the came up with the extra one All Of The Dreamers, which got added to the line-up.

“Basically we were all about experimenting within each song – we had a lot of ideas, and we just ran with them. That’s why the album has that sense of fun and spontaneity – everything we wanted to do, we just went for it. We wanted it to always sound like it was on the brink of falling apart.”

And that’s a far cry from first album, Parables For Wooden Ears, recorded way back in 93/94. “The first album, we didn’t have the guts to think our ideas were valid. If our producer told us we had to do something a certain way, that’s the way we did it.”

Nick Didia has produced the new album, and having worked with him a number of times before has really helped the process, according to Haug. “We really went in with the attitude that we didn’t want to repeat ourselves. Working with someone multiple times means there’s a whole lot of unsaid sort of things that just work. Nick always works as a good mediator for all of us, so we don’t get on each others nerves too much.”

And how does the album compare to their previous albums? “Well, there’s only so much we can say – we’ve never really been ones to talk too much about our music. It’s a cliché, but hopefully the music can speak for itself. We don’t want to go through a blow-by-blow of each song – either people will like it, or they won’t. We like it, and we hope that carries across in the music itself.”

There’s no doubt that the ability to download music for free through the internet has had an impact on the music industry, but Haug reckons it’s not too much of a problem for them. “I think it’s changed for the positive now that people have more of a handle on downloads. It’s great for young bands to be able to get their music out, and even for us to get our music overseas where the record might not be available. Yeah, people are going to download the record for free, no doubt, but there’s enough people who’ve gone full circle, and will pay for the music they like, and for the ability to have higher quality versions of the songs.”

And that’s not the only change Haug has seen over his 15 years in the industry. “I think there’s a lot more festivals and things like that now. We’ve gone back to people really enjoying live music. There was a dark period, where there were too many cover bands, and too many copycat bands, but now people are back to doing original live music, and so venues are putting that on, and that’s great.”

Speaking of festivals, how does Haug feel about being the Australian headliner of next year’s Big Day Out? “It’s always exciting playing Big Day Out – there’s just a shitload of people there. Some people aren’t your fans, but there’s always enough people that are into you to get some kind of reaction. And it’s always great to be at a festival that has this much variety – I think we’re playing right after Lily Allen.

“Last time we played Big Day Out, four or five years ago, it was a pretty heavy bill, with the likes of System of a Down and Mudvayne. This year it’s got good variety – I heard Muse are bringing out a huge show, so that’s going to be pretty awesome.”

Powderfinger recently played three sets in one day – one each in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, only announcing via Twitter the location of the acoustic, non-amped sets an hour or so before the set. And Haug reports this was born from a similar experience in Byron Bay. “We were in Byron recording, and we thought it would be great to just play some songs to people. So we just went out in the street and busked – around 300 people gathered round, and it was just really good fun. So we wanted to take that to the next level.

“Twitter was the next obvious step, in order to announce the exact locations. And it was great to do them in a row too, because it meant we could improve them as we went. For example, after Brisbane, people couldn’t really hear the guitars, so we had to quickly hire a little mini-amp on the way to the Sydney show. The whole thing was quite nerve-wracking, you could hear a pin drop, and every little heckle.”

And what else is in the future for Powderfinger – any chance of a full Australian tour? “Well, a few of the guys are about to have children, so we’ll have to slow down for that. We’ll probably head overseas in the new year, and then come back and do a tour of Australia, doing as many regional shows as possible. That’s what we did with the Great Divide shows last time, and it was fantastic, so that’s the sort of thing we’d like to do again.”

Golden Rule is out now through Universal. Powderfinger will headline both Homebake and Big Day Out.