The Staffords are proud to unveil their debut EP On The Make with a special show at Melbourne’s Ding Dong Lounge on Sunday the 9th of June with special guests Towers, The Zanes and Gena Rose Bruce. Lead single About Love indicates a darker turn for the trio with this release, while maintaining the pop sensibility and lyrical complexity that has become a feature of The Staffords’ oeuvre.
How did The Staffords come to being in a warehouse?
When we first got together a couple years ago I was living in a warehouse in Abbotsford, and we put on a few gigs in a band room that was built in there. It was a horrible place to live, but cheap and provided a room for the band to rehearse each week. I don’t live there anymore but it’s still there, I think.
If you had to explain your music to your grandparents how would you describe it to them?
My nan thinks it’s really cool. She doesn’t know that half the songs are about masturbating and date rape but she just digs the tunes. I think that’s key, being catchy and poppy but ultimately subversive. I didn’t really answer your question there, I can’t think of anything cool to say.
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
I have been playing in pubs since I was a kid but I think I earned my chops as a busker for a few years back in Ballarat. I was this little dweeb playing Hendrix and Zeppelin while everyone else was doing Christmas carols, and people loved it. I guess my earliest inspiration was Elvis, I had a video of him doing Blue Suede Shoes and I was captivated immediately.
What and where was the first gig you recall going to?
I don’t recall the very first but an early one I remember was Something For Kate and Dead Salesmen at Ballarat Mining Exchange. It was one of those Push-type things and I remember being so jealous of those cool guys on the stage. I was probably twelve, thirteen.
Who did you make your EP ‘On The Make’ with, where and how long did it take to record?
We did it with our friend Luke Postill, who we first met when we recorded at Red Door Studios as he was the in-house engineer at the time. Since then he’s become part of the family and I can’t imagine recording without him. We did ‘On The Make’ in one day at Soundpark in Northcote. We like to work fast, if we don’t nail a song in three takes we abandon it and come back later, otherwise it loses its spontaneity. We have gigged to the point that we can do that without having to over rehearse things.
What do you prefer recording in the studio or hitting the stage live and why?
If I could I would spend every waking hour in the studio experimenting with stuff. That’s the kind of thing that makes you feel like an artist. I guess I like performing after the fact but I get terrible nerves and anxiety before a show, I think we all do. I guess that’s a good thing cos it’s keeps us on our toes but it’s exhausting emotionally. Performing is a necessary evil. Then again, I have very little respect for bands that can’t cut it on stage.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
I can’t speak for Phoebe and Corey but in my case the ritual mostly comprises of me pouring as much alcohol down my neck as time will allow, largely to offset the aforementioned pre-gig anxiety. With that said, I think some of our angriest and most confronting shows have been performed completely sober.
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have (attractions/food/bars etc)?
My own festival would be at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. There would be no bands on the bill, I would be the only person allowed in and it would just be me sitting on a chair drinking beer and listening to Big Star on a giant PA system.
I you could work with any producer in the world on your next recording who would like to work with?
Of the dead ones, I’d say someone like Guy Stevens or Martin Hannett. In terms of modern ones I’m sure there’s lots of great producers but I’m not the sort to identify them and seek them out. I guess Steve Albini always gets great guitar tones and has an admirable work ethic. I know what I like and I’d prefer to achieve it myself, or at least with a little help from Luke.
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
We have our EP launch this coming Sunday the 9th at Ding Dong Lounge Queen’s birthday eve. It’s a great line-up which includes Towers, The Zanes and Gena Rose Bruce. We’re giving away EPs at the show. As of that date it can be downloaded from iTunes among other places.
