Having already released two highly acclaimed albums (2010’s Stones & Sticks and 2012’s Hand Me Downs) Brisbane party/ska rockers Cheap Fakes are working hard on making 2015 their biggest year yet.
The first salvo in their plot for world domination is Modern Vintage, which the band recorded with legendary producer John Merchant (Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand) after he discovered their music while in Australia for a conference.
We recently caught up with band member Hayden Andrews, who took us behind the scenes of Cheap Fakes’ new album, sharing secrets and stories on how one of the best party record of 2015 came together.
1. Is Golden
A full on introduction track to start the album reminiscent of a 70’s James Bond car chase scene. Originally this song had vocals and went for a couple of minutes longer but I wasn’t completely happy with my vocals and liked it heaps better as a short and sweet instrumental. It has some great drum moments in there.
2. On Dem Beez
An upbeat party tune about getting away from the daily grind. Turn your phone off, bury your money, sleep in your car, shave your head but leave a long mullet, swim in the ocean without a care in the world because life is a celebration.
3. Just In Case
A slice of pop goodness with a retro feel half written about Bob Dylan’s lack of co-operation in interviews in the 60’s & half inspired by Game of Thrones which I was in the thick of while writing the lyrics. Its light-hearted, catchy and a bit of fun. This one was produced and recorded by our Guitarist, Scotty French, and myself at Love Street and Fresh Bread studios. It also had the remix treatment given to it by the geniuses Switchkraft. It features me as a centaur, Chuck Norris, ET as a unicorn riding with our bass player & Frenchy as a piece of toast in the videoclip.
4. Citylights
Citylights is a story about me leaving my little farming country town in rural NZ; dreaming of and then moving to the big city. The differences between my old life surrounded by the mountains and my new life surrounded by the bright lights and concrete of the city. It has some great tension and release moments courtesy of Scotty ‘Bigballs’ Bignell, our trumpet/keys player.
5. Wires
Wires is a tune that originated from a drumbeat. I had set up all the mics to record some new music and Azza, our drummer at the time, was playing a really cool beat, I told him to ‘keep doing that!’ I looped it and the music just fell into the track and wrote itself. Then Josh (sax) came up with some really cool horn lines and we are laughing all the way to the bank! The lyrics were inspired by living life on the edge and giving everything a go.
6. Baby, It’s A Good Song
I was living in the bottom level of a small damp house in Aro Valley in Wellington NZ. I had just purchased a new Zoom Sampletrak so my best friend Sean came around to see my new toy. I made a beatbox mouth beat, he played four magical chords, I pressed record and sang the first thing that came into my head – “baby it’s a good song”… Fast forward some 15 years and I was sifting though my old cassette tape collection only to come across that song which I had completely forgotten existed. I put it on and for the next week I couldn’t get it out of my head. It was around the time when our new album ‘Modern Vintage’ was pretty much complete but I talked the boys into heading back into the studio to record this new/old pop gem. We spent a couple of rehearsals writing some new parts, a couple of verses, adding some punchy horns, Scotty French weaved his magic with some great guitar/organ parts and it was done.
7. Your Time
A kind of Spanish/Mexican sounding song with a mix of programmed and real drums. It has a great groove and some insane horns in the middle section, probably one of my favourites on the album. We actually used my original drum samples for the finished track mixed in with some of Azza’s choice beats.
8. Rendezvous
A great little chilled out tune that starts out with a great bridge instrumental tag line that reintroduces itself later on in the song. It’s got some great lush, layered vocal textures and flows along really nicely. It’s one of my dads favourite tracks of ours. It’s a story of a guy longing to be noticed by the woman he loves, feeling depressed as he works the 9 to 5, uninspired, he feels like the invisible man.
9. Sweet Suite
This song was originally called ‘Did I Steal This?’ because the riff is really catchy. I imagine it would be good as an ad for a sweet car, some kind of 4WD. When we were recording it in the studio our producer, John Merchant, had a great idea to reverse some soaring saxophones in the breakdown part. It sounds really trippy and atmospheric and then leads into blistering riffage that ascends into oblivion.
10. Good As Today
Our foray into indie pop. I wrote this fingerpicking riff and recording it for the album was probably the hardest I have ever had to concentrate in the studio. It’s a positive tune about growing up a troublemaker but eventually finding your way. The lyrics in the chorus are ‘nothing’s as good as todaaaayyy’…. our producer reckons we should pitch it to ‘The Today Show’. Great idea John.
11. Ego
A song I wrote after watching a Paul McCartney documentary. He has an ego but he’s allowed to have an ego because he’s awesome. I don’t like the stuff he’s doing with Kanye though and a lot of his solo stuff was hit and miss. Anyway, the middle section is rollicking syncopated riffage, its great. Big chorus, build ups and breakdowns.
12. Masterplan
A circus/gypsy tune I wrote. It’s hectic. It’s about being at a show. I visualise it being in old times, men wearing sweet suits, woman wearing big dresses, drinking but in prohibition times, getting drunk, having fun.
13. Oizo
A syncopated rocky tune that is based on social commentary. I wrote the verses on a flight between Brisbane and Sydney, I was looking out at the tiny houses and highways and thinking how much humans are like ants and how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things.
14. Make Me
Make Me is a nice bluesy track about the love of music. It features some lovely guitar licks after the choruses and builds up to a huge ending that finishes the album perfectly! The end.
