Dappled Cities

Thu 24th Dec, 2009 in Features

2009 has been a year of action for Sydney indie-pop masters Dappled Cities. After a lengthy and at time fraught recording process, the band delivered its second album Zounds in August.

With accolades rolling in, they packed their bags and set out on a nationwide tour. Those shows consolidated Dappled Cities’ reputation as one of Australia’s finest live bands. FasterLouder briefly caught up with bassist Alex Moore ahead of Falls and Peats Ridge Festival.

You guys took a decent break after Granddance and spent some time overseas. What was the catalyst for the long hiatus?
It was a decision to go and have a crack at America. And we did. And in retrospect, it was great. But at the time it was horrible. Also, we just don’t rush much these days.

Zounds took a long time to come to fruition and from what I can gather you seem to have had a bit of a challenge in working with producer Chris Coady. What was the process of making the album and what have you taken away from that experience?
The process of making the album involved a lot of careful stepping and intricate planning. A – œchallenge’ is the perfect way to explain the Zounds experience. At the end of the day, we somehow managed to take away an amazing record. Somehow it all worked out. I think we have also learned to trust ourselves more and to back each others ideas. I think our next record, very tentatively named Private Penis, will be more in control.

You’ve had a lot of positive critical success – how much stock do you put in that kind of feedback?
It depends I think. I like reading great reviews. And I don’t mean great in a positive way; I mean in a well-written way. I like Pitchfork reviews because they listen to the music and sure, most of the time they slam bands, but at least they listen and respond in an eloquent, often comical, way. I’d rather have a bad well-written review that says we make them vomit than a glowing one that says nothing but “wow, i like cheese and dappled and hanging out and love”.

You’re playing Falls Festival and Peats Ridge Festival over New Year, and the line-up for both is pretty stellar. Do you feel any pressure to turn it up a notch and bring out the big guns?
Not really. I just like playing. I’d only ever feel like that if I was playing with Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, the Pussycat Dolls or Metallica.

Peats Ridge prides itself on sustainability and environmental awareness and an increasing number of other festivals are following suit…is that something you take into consideration as performers?
Very much so. And I think it is something everyone should take stock in. It is a real positive that festivals are starting to be eco-friendly, and also fantastic that they are being publicly commended for it.

You’ve played a fair few festivals in your time, some pretty massive ones, too. How do Aussie festivals compare to the overseas ones you’ve played?
Overseas we have played SXSW three times. It is amazing. Thousands and thousands of bands. It is a real buzz. All sorts of different bands playing all over Austin. It is so inspiring. Now, don’t get me wrong here, I love Aussie festivals, but all the big festivals in Australia always have the same array of bands. I know it is how they continue to sell out and get bigger – but come on, diversify.

Do you guys get into celebrating New Years?
If by “get into New Years” you mean “hanging out with the members of Dappled Cities”, then YES! Last year was great. We went to Dubai. New Years was horrible. But going to a crazy water slide theme park after a piña colada in the pool at 10am on the first day of 2009 was THE BEST THING EVER. Except I sucked at riding the wave in a tube pool on a body-board. Tim was an expert. Except his pants feel down after his final run.

How does playing a festival compare to headlining your own gig?
You don’t have to bring your own backline. And there are very few responsibilities. You just turn up and play. Thank god for sound guys. You rock, Jorden.

What’s next for Dappled Cities? Any particular projects in the pipeline that you’d like to bring to attention?
Well, we are really going to crack into Private Penis. Wow, that statement has totally turned me off that name.

Zounds is out now through Speak N Spell. Dappled Cities play the following shows over the New Years period.

Tues 29 Dec – Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley
Thurs 31 Dec – Falls Festival, Lorne
Wed 6 Jan – Sunset Sounds, Brisbane
Fri 8 Jan – Southbound, Busselton