The Grates

Wed 15th Jun, 2011 in Features

The Grates’ lead singer Patience Hodgson is “rapped to be back in Brisbane” after recording the new record Secret Rituals in New York. “There are so many reasons,” she tells FL, “I mean the weather is definitely a part of that but also being able to see friends and family. But I still loved every second we spent in New York. The whole journey we just wanted to get out of our comfort zones.”

Returning home after a hell of a lot of travel, Patience tells FasterLouder about losing a drummer, their new album and their upcoming tour.

Tell me about New York, and recording the new album, Secret Rituals?
We had begun writing the album in Brisbane, but there was nothing that was sparking about it for me, and then having the opportunity to go to New York, who can say no?! But my whole purpose of going was to write the album, and get out of my comfort zone, and to be able to live in New York for a year and a half! That’s just a bloody good thing on its own without writing an album!

We wrote a lot of songs within the first six months of being there but we were touring quite heavily during that time as well. And I love touring but felt that every time we went on tour it was another 6 weeks where we couldn’t write music. And the whole purpose of the trip for me was not to break America, but to write a really good album. It was so much hard work…we just could not do those two things hand in hand. We couldn’t tour and write music at the same time.

Also, we arrived at the tail end of summer and then very quickly realised that a northern hemisphere winter was something that was very different to an Australian summer. Even having travelled in winter… we were enduring negative 24! Places in Canada like Winnipeg, Edmonton and Kalgoorlie.

Then we came back to Australia for the 2009/2010 New Years Eve, which was just amazing, I had the best time. We had the beautiful Australian summer… Then we went back to New York in the middle of a blizzard and still riding our pushbikes to the band room.

Actually Brooklyn reminds me of a lot Melbourne. In the type of people and in the bike culture. And the drinking culture too… a lot of good bars. I started to think that maybe I could do something cheaper next time… you know, just head down to Melbourne?! I always have a really great time in Melbourne.

I feel the same about Berlin, very Melbourne-esque…
I keep fanaticising that if we get writers block on the next album, it might be a great way for me to say, ‘Why don’t we go to Berlin?!’ But John doesn’t want to go… I think he’s scared of the ravers, but that’s just a little sneaking suspicion of mine. John just wants to be the rock ‘n’ roll version of Walt Disney… that’s why Berlin would conflict with him!!

You’ve talked previously about America being a muse but mentioned in a recent press release that it was more difficult this time. What is particularly inspirational about the States and what did you struggle with this round in New York?
I think the fact that I thought I was going to be inspired the second I got over to New York. It took that first six months for it to all sink in and it took coming back to Australia to have the inspiration. I think in my head I had a fantasy that it would be instantaneous… it’s such a complex society over there. You’ve got so many conflicting people with so many conflicting attitudes with views about how the country should be run… a whole bunch of different religions, and then there’s that slightly creepy white Christian history out in some of the more remote places in America. I find them so romantic but also kind of scary. Some of these small towns, they’re really cautious of you and really wary…and the whole town is build around this massive church. You get an idea of how that town runs and how it probably hasn’t changed a lot since the 1920s.

And something that you can’t really find in Australia…
Exactly! We’re much more relaxed about religion, and keeping religion and politics separate. And that is something I think is huge in running a society. But stuff like that and the history is really inspiring.