Sorting out public liability insurance is not something that City Riots lead vocalist and guitarist Ricky Kradolfer is that excited about, and could you really blame him?
For an independent band embarking on their first headline tour, to support the release of their debut record Sea Of Bright Lights, unfortunately such concerns are just part of the business, especially for an ambitious band like City Riots.
“There’s so many things that have come up that have been like ‘how on Earth did I get into doing this, how does this have anything to do with playing in a band’?”
Whilst admitting these more mundane tasks add to the charm of being an independent band, Kradolfer is quick to realise the perks as well.
“Everything we achieve is because we’ve done it,” he responds. “At least you have control of everything as well – you know exactly what’s going on.”
One example of the sort of control Kradolfer and his drumming brother Dan have displayed in recent weeks is choosing the next single for the record, with little to no thought at all.
While creating the all important promo sticker to adorn the front cover of their debut, the Adelaide brothers were prompted to choose another single. Having not previously discussed this with the band or even thought about it.
“I just looked across at my brother and say ‘what do you reckon, ‘Catch The Sun’ for single?’ Yeah, cool alright.”
It may seem that the decision making force behind City Riots is slightly carefree, however with the release of the band’s debut record Sea Of Bright Lights it’s been anything but. The band’s independence has also meant they’ve been able to do it on their own terms and in their own time.“I just looked across at my brother and say ‘what do you reckon, ‘Catch The Sun’ for single?’ Yeah, cool alright.”
Months of preparation and a concerted effort to create a record that truly encapsulated what City Riots is about have led to a fantastic debut.
“We got to November, we knew we wouldn’t be playing anymore shows and we consciously decided to take time out and really hone our (songwriting) craft,” details Kradolfer.
Spending time in the family shack along the River Murray over summer allowed the band to focus on what they wanted to produce.
“It allowed us to have a place and escape doing things like public liability insurance and just chill and jam and think about exactly the sort of stuff we wanted to write.”
Considering how much preparation and work went into it’s making, it’s not surprising how good it sounds. Listening from start to finish, it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into making a cohesive piece of work.
“It’s a really good representation of where we’re at now and where we’ve come from.” Kradolfer also feels the album still represents the old sounds of the band that initially attracted their existing fan base.
Although the band has made a conscious effort to put out a body of fresh material, that they obviously hope people enjoy, the lead singer is realistic and quite philosophical about expectations.
“It’s a funny thing, recorded music, because you put it out there for people to soak up and at the end of the day people are going to be different about it, people may really connect with and love it and some people may not really get it or not be excited by it, but that’s just the charm of music. I think the main thing is that the band is excited about it.”
But in terms of creating a record to win over new fans, it seems City Riots recognised the need or simply a desire to create a record they are happy with first and foremost.
“I don’t think I really realised that until after recording it,” reveals Kradolfer. “Often it can be a bit dangerous to over-think the songs you write and who you’re writing for.”
Once again enlisting the help of producer Paul ‘Woody’ Annison, who also worked on last year’s Matchsticks EP, any suggestions of working with anyone else were quickly dismissed.
“There was no thought about other producers,” said Kradolfer. “We were very much on the same page with influences and the sound… how we wanted the album to be perceived sonically. He was really excited about the songs and saw a lot of growth from the earlier stuff.”
It certainly sounds as if the relationship between band and producer was a positive one this time round, particularly given an unsuccessful trip to the US before returning to work with Annison again.“There’s so many things that have come up that have been like ‘how on Earth did I get into doing this, how does this have anything to do with playing in a band’?”
Not wanting to dwell on past disappointments in the US, admitting “that’s another long long story for another time,” Kradolfer does touch on it briefly.
“We had so much drama in some initial recordings we did in the US with some American producers, that was an expensive exercise.” He goes onto explain that perhaps the band wasn’t ready for that experience.
“I don’t think we could have written these songs back when we tried to do recording, it had taken us to get to this point to have the experience.” Further elaborating that thanks to what the band has been through and the touring they’ve done, it has led to a debut they can be extremely proud of.
For an ambitious first record, the band has embarked on an equally ambitious tour, with Kradolfer touching back on what prompted the unfortunate experience with public liability insurance.
After launching the album at Adelaide’s Promethean – playing the record in full with some special guests as well – the band hit Adelaide’s Rundle Mall on a Saturday to, in Ricky’s words “shake up this town a little.”
Thankfully, it would seem that public liability insurance wasn’t needed after all – with no damages that would make the impact or leaving a mark as much as the band hopes their debut and live show will.
Sea Of Bright Lights is out now. City Riots are currently on tour with dates around the country through November and December. Full dates and details here.
