The Morning Benders

Tue 28th Dec, 2010 in Features

The Morning Benders are one of those bands that are effortlessly cool. It may be in their Californian attitude or their cute bugged eyed looks, but one thing for sure is that main man Christopher Chu has an ear for softly spoken melodies that pack a punch.

Chu happily discusses how this band couldn’t be happier to bring in the New Year on our shores, “We have never been, not even for holiday purposes, so we are excited to be playing and hopefully having time to take it all in as well. I think there is just such energy around on New Year’s Eve and everyone is in such high spirits, so it is a great time for a show.” Chu loves the festival experience of playing outdoors, although regrets their schedule being so demanding, “I would love to be able to have more time at festivals to see bands, but things are just so busy. Growing up I went to festivals a lot, and I think they are great because they are the main time people discover new bands they like, so they bring a lot of opportunities to artists.”

At mention of SXSW festival, Chu begins to laugh, “It just isn’t a festival, there are so many venues and independent parties happening, and you play to a strange crowd because they are mainly industry types. We have a good time for sure, and it is great because it is one of the only times we get to catch up with other friends of ours in bands because we are all so busy.” For the band, SXSW didn’t act so much as a springboard into the industry, but more an expansion of opportunity, “We already had an album out when we played our first SXSW, but it helps people hear your stuff and get shows booked for sure. It is a different experience playing there, but for the most part it is pretty ok.”

Their charming pop sound has been embraced by many for its upbeat enthusiasm and laid back melancholy, and Chu is keen to define their sound in his own terms, “I think California has a vibe for creating laid back natural sounding music, in the way that bands here tend not to over conceptualise. I like that people say our music sounds like summer, because I agree with that in a lot of ways, it is pop music, that is the centre of our sound, but I also think that Big Echo explores some darker themes to, maybe more suited to winter.”

Through all their hard work, Chu is still suitably amazed by how far they have come, “Looking back to when we first started out, it was just me doing solo sets, playing songs I had written about my feelings and situations, and then we got a few extra members overtime and suddenly we had created a band of four. My little brother is now a part of it all too, it is surreal.” With Big Echo being a dream come true for the band, Chu shares the buzz they felt during its recording, “We try not to expect anything, because reaction is a hard thing to predict, so we do what feels right and what we are ultimately happy with. When all the songs were down and complete, it did feel like we had accomplished something special and different. Having the confirmation back that other people think so as well is just such a bonus.”

Their relatively quick rise into the spotlight since the release of their second record makes Chu ponder on their lifestyle, “We are like the ‘anti rock and rollers’, it is pretty funny actually. Most of us read books before we go to bed early. We prefer to drink tea instead of alcohol, and we eat pretty healthy.” Chu does admit that they have encountered their fair share of mischief, “Of course, we get up to a bit actually, and we have to pace ourselves sometimes.” Chu raises the topic of strange fan experiences they have encountered on tour, “It all really started after Big Echo was released, and of course none of us expected people to react so whole heartedly. It is hard to comprehend people being so devoted, wearing t-shirts with our picture and band name, and holding signs for us. There is this one girl in particular who takes pictures with us at every show she comes to, which is something like eleven or twelve shows. She brings the photos to every gig that follows and holds the most recent one up during the show. It is obsessive, but it is also flattering at the same time.” Although the nature in which adoring fans cling to their every whim is hard for Chu and band mates to grasp, he humbly tells how bands shouldn’t begrudge such attention, “It is ultimately what all bands want. Knowing that people care that much is nice, no matter how they go about it.”