The Cairos

The Cairos are Alistar Richardson, Alfio Allivuzza, Reuben Schafer and Jacob Trotter. Four young lads from Brisbane, Australia. They’ve just released ‘Obsession’, the first single from their soon to be released debut LP and will be touring the country in support of the song over October and November.

Having been together for over five years now, what are your emotions now that you’ve completed work on your debut LP?

It’s interesting, because a lot has changed over the last 5 years. We’ve all grown up a lot, and seen the band go through various different stages as we’ve learnt new things and gotten to experience more of the world.

I think the LP is something that we’re all very proud of, as it’s the culmination of a range of different life experiences and musical lessons that we’ve all learnt over the past 5 years. A lot of our friends who have heard it are saying that it’s really different to stuff that we’ve released in the past, but I don’t know if we see it like that. The songs all feel super natural to us, and I feel like it’s the album that we’ve always wanted to make.

Were there any major hiccups or pleasant surprises during the writing and recording process?

Thankfully, the whole process was really smooth. The whole team that worked on the album were so great to work with… They really understood the songs, and it made the entire process really enjoyable. There were a few great moments that we’ll always remember though: Knocking over expensive mics trying to set up a ping pong table; going to the driving range with Nick and watching him grimace when we used his expensive driving irons;  listening to Pearl Jam B-sides that Nick (reluctantly) admitted to writing, getting Ian Haug (Powderfinger) in for a day to play a solo on one of the tracks; and I guess the entire process of watching these songs that you’ve been working on, in varying capacities, for a year turn into a cohesive full length was really wonderful.

The new record was mixed and produced by Nick DiDia, whose engineering credits include Rage Against the Machine, Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam. What were some of the benefits and disadvantages of working with such a seasoned professional?

The only disadvantage I can really think of, was being ridiculously nervous to meet him, but that all faded pretty quickly once we got started working. Turns out, that aside from all those big credits, Nick is just genuinely a great guy. He made being in the studio such an enjoyable experience, and we were all stoked to get to hang out and work with such an accomplished guy.

A definite advantage was getting to use the insane gear that he has accumulated over the years. I think by the end we were all de-sensitized to the stuff that he had because every instrument he would throw at us had some ridiculous story about how he received it or what album it had been used on… notable highlights were having a 60’s Gibson 335 that had been given to Nick as a Christmas present from Bruce Springsteen; and using a 100 year old snare that had been played by Max Weinberg.

Was he very hands-on as a producer or were you guys given free reign?

There was a fairly healthy balance. He has this amazing ability to get you to play what he wants to hear, but in a way that makes you feel like it’s still you playing… if that makes sense. It’s definitely the sign of a top notch producer.

How would you describe the progression of your sound from previous material, such as the 2012 EP Colours Like Features, to this new album?

I guess as a generalisation, it’s a lot darker and more dreamy/atmospheric. A lot has changed since we put the EP out. We’ve toured a bunch; Written a heap more music;  Jacob’s come on board, and I think we’ve become a lot more comfortable with where we fit musically.

Do you guys surf/enjoy the beach? If so, was it difficult to stay locked up in Studios 301 with the glorious Byron Bay just the other side of the door?

We don’t really surf, but we did manage to find ourselves a few healthy distractions. Reuben did a lot of fishing, Alistar went swimming at the beach and did chin ups; Alf spent a heap of time obsessing over Nick’s guitar collection; and Jacob rode his bike around everywhere. That being said, we loved the whole process of working on the album, so we couldn’t stay away for too long… Even when there wasn’t much for us to do we found ourselves demoing new material on our lap tops or writing new parts for the songs.

Were you able to enjoy some downtime after recording? It must have been important to relax ahead of the hectic tour schedule you’ve just embarked upon… How do you like to spend your time away from music?

It seems like there’s almost always more to do, but we did have a bit of time to relax. Ali headed overseas for a while. We took a few trips out to a farm in Boonah, where Alistar is building a home studio; and spent some time up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland where Jacob lives, swimming in waterholes and riding horses… it’s hard being a Cairo.

The tour kicked off in Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday night – how was the gig? 

It was insane. We played Hanoi Rock City, which is this amazing venue right in the city. It has a really cool outdoor bar, with a halfpipe and dj’s, and a really cool band room. We played with a heap of great bands from around the world – the place was buzzing all night, and we just had the greatest time.

Was it your first international performance?

It was actually technically our second as we played an industry showcase at ‘Home Club’ in Singapore the night before.

The gig was a showcase of a number of bands that were booked to play Hanoi’s ill-fated CAMA festival. Do you know why the festival was cancelled?

Yeah, General Giap, who was a major player in the Vietnam People’s Army, died about a week before the festival was scheduled and was given a National Funeral, which is basically the highest honour anyone can be given in Vietnam. It meant that the country had 3 official days of mourning, and a by-product of that was that no entertainment was allowed over the weekend. The CAMA guys got a call from the Cultural Centre and were told that they couldn’t run the festival anymore. It was such a shame, but at the end of the day there was nothing that could be done. It was actually a really interesting time to be in town, 80% of the TV channels were shut down, and there was a really strange vibe in the city.

On your return to Aus you kick the national tour off in Brisbane – do you enjoy hometown gigs, or is it difficult when you know so many people in the audience?

We love Brisbane. It’s always great to play at home. A lot of our friends come out, and it’s only a short cab-ride home.

Darwin isn’t a regular stopover for touring artists, can you tell us a bit about the free gig you’re playing there?

I think Reuben just really wanted to see a crocodile in the wild…

Are there any dates on the tour that you’re particularly looking forward to? Why?

It’s probably politically correct to say ‘all of them’, but we’re particularly looking forward to The W.A. shows, we don’t get to head over there as much, so it’ll be great to get back there.

Finally, do you have a release date for the album yet, tentative or concrete?

It’s all tentative at the moment, but I would say very early next year.

The Cairos Tour Dates:

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