“I feel great,” says Marcus Goodwin, and his smile can almost be heard down the phone. And why shouldn’t he? He and his band, Icecream Hands, have just released their new album. It’s been a long time between drinks for the guys. “I partly feel great just to have a record out. We weren’t sure if that was going to happen,” muses Marcus. “And we’re happy with it at this time.”
The band, made up of Charles Jenkins, Douglas Lee Robertson, Derek G. Smiley and Marcus, have seen a lot of things change over the past few years. Most significantly, they’ve all become fathers. Marcus says this has had a big influence on all of their lives and their music. “Yeah, look, we’ve got ten kids between us, so in one sense, we’re all in the same boat. We all have similar expectations. You can’t just drop everything. Unless you’re hugely successful, it does have a big impact. Charles doesn’t think he wrote a decent song until he had kids. It’s a good thing.”
After one listen to the album, it becomes apparent that lots of the songs are about love and relationships. “We are all getting old,” laughs Marcus. “You’re right. Some of the songs are written directly from experience, and some are stories. It made good subject matter. We’re at that point in life – we’ve got children, we’ve had relationships. We’re not as likely to be singing about a big night out!” he jokes.
As well as romance, some of their lyrics are also based around nature. It may be a subconscious reflection on where they live, says Marcus, which is technically ‘Melbourne’ but “out in the hills,” according to Marcus. “We’re surrounded by hills and trees. I’d rather go for a drive in the country than go out on Brunswick Street.”
Technically, the new album is full of what they do best – sweet lyrics and melodic harmonies. One song, Holding On, sounds remarkably like The Beatles. “Everyone’s been saying that,” Marcus says. “I can’t deny that the Beatles have always been a major factor in our music. It just comes out – when you play certain chords it’s almost inevitable that you will sound like them. It’s a huge compliment.”
Their lifestyles have changed over the years, but how about the dynamic of the group? “It has changed quite a bit,” Marcus reflects. “The songwriting has been spread around the band evenly. It was much more of a group effort and it worked really well. We are all of such similar musical ideas.” So no catfights or tantrums? “It’s fairly democratic,” he says. “But there’s always a few arguments.”
The band has stuck together through highs and lows in the tumultuous Australian music industry. Marcus speaks heatedly about this. “Don’t get me started!” he huffs. “We have been through bitter and disappointed phases. The problem is the small population of Australia. It’s part of the problem of Australia’s demographic. A song gets played on the radio, and people buy it because they hear it. They don’t know where to hear good music.”
Icecream Hands fans, new and old, can see the band across the country over the next couple of months. “Our gigs will be a live airing of the new album. Most of the songs we’ve rehearsed more as a band. There’ll be most of the new stuff and plenty of old stuff. We’re not expecting fireworks or dancing girls, but Smiley has hinted at a visual spectacular, Pink Floyd style.”
What’s next for the boys? “It’s really going to depend on the reception of the album,” muses Marcus. “But we’re really keen to make another album in less than five years.” “We don’t really have much of a grand plan – we’ll play the gigs and then see. The moment of truth will be when the album comes out. The fan base will be there from before. As long as we can maintain those people.”
Marcus reflects on the bands’ hard work: “At the end of the day, we can only make the album as good as we can.” He humbly adds, “We’re not expecting to take over the world.”
