Dappled Cities celebrate the culmination of their tenth year with the release of Many Roads– a full-length collection of never-before-released rarities and outtakes.
Cherry-picked from hundreds of treasures and obscurities amassed by the band throughout their decade-long career, the compendium wis out today on HUB The Label.
Formed in 2003 as Finding Nemo topped the Box Office, Outkast’s “Hey Ya” was burning up dancefloors and Iraq was getting invaded/liberated (depending on your point of view), Dappled Cities would evolve into one of Australia’s most popular art-rock bands.
Fresh out of high school, the then-named Dappled Cities Fly (who dropped the latter adjective on the encouragement of their U.S label, concerned American audiences ‘wouldn’t get the FLY’) earned a reputation as both artists and risk-takers. Through a brilliant ten-year career, they have been nominated for multiple ARIA awards, lived in New York and London, toured the world and toured with the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Modest Mouse, Death Cab For Cutie, Silverchair, and on and on.
Following 2012’s acclaimed album, Lake Air – which earned an ARIA Nomination and spawned hits “Born At The Right Time” and “Run With The Wind” – Dappled Cities kicked off their 10th Anniversary year with Sydney Festival’s one-night only ‘The Future Is Baroque’ performance: where the band re-imagining their vast catalogue in a Baroque style, with members of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in Sydney’s Town Hall.
Their Falls Festival performance and the release of Many Roads have bookended their incredible decade, as well as helped them jump into an action-packed 2014, including new solo material from frontmen, Tim Derricourt (as Swimwear) and Dave Rennick.
Read the track by track of the incredible compilation.
Many Roads
Recorded: Sydney, 2013
We recorded this one at Elektra Sounds in Sydney last year and the song has the best film clip. Rennick in an old Citroen. Classic. Check out the official video here.
Cave Country
Recorded: Dangerbird Studios, Silverlake, LA, 2010
We recorded this in LA in 2010 when we did a whole bunch of demos that were all really good. All I remember is playing tunes and drinking Bud. Ironically, with my buds. Amusingly, ear bud.
Easy Money
Recorded: Two Small Dogs, Sydney, 2010
We had this bad boy floating about for ages and it lived a number of different lives. It finally turned out like this – heaps rad but then, like a twig in the wind, it floated away and we forgot about it.
Battlewon
Recorded: Home, 2005
This is such a great song. Originally it was on Granddance. This one has has the Rennick re-work and, like a range of 70’s and 80’s cars also touched by Dave, it came out ok
The Sleeper
Recorded: Troy Horse, Sydney, 2012
Another one that busted around for ages in a number of different outfits. The original one was pretty edgey – this one is a little smoother….
A Walk On A Wire
Recorded: Home, 2010
A nice smooth song that could have gotten on to Zounds of Lake Air but instead didn’t get on either. I like this song.
Waves
Recorded: Big Jesus Burger, Sydney, 2008
An original version of the song that ended up as a piano and vocals on Lake Air. This song had so many runs it wasn’t funny. We just kept doin’ it and doin’ it. Dave always used to make me play it with a bass synth. He loved that bass synth. It’s actually Jack Ladder’s bass synth.
Cramps
Recorded: Soundlevel, Sydney. 2003
Tim wrote this song ages and ages ago. We used to play it regulary in the early 2000’s. We never recorded it for an album though. It’s cool cause the verse is in 5/4 which is weird and hard to dance to. Also, it’s a dance song.
Steven
Recorded: Sunset Sound / Sonora, Hollywood, 2006
This was recorded in the Granddance sessions. And was heading straight on to the album when all of a sudden one day it didn’t. It is pretty classic. “I thought of Steven. And everything that Steven does”. Such a good chorus. Hugh and I spent ages working out the verse. Which is mildly similar in style to Born at the Right Time which took barely any time to crank out. Life, what?
Our Warstore
Recorded: The Spanish Club, Sydney, 2006
Another one that should have walked right on to Granddance. Weird and rad, we recorded it and then it didn’t fit. Which is a massive shame.
Madly Fadly
Recorded: Home, 2005
Noodling. Classic noodling.
Father & Son
Recorded: Big Jesus Burger, Sydney, 2007
Classic Dappled Cities. This bad boy was around for ages. I really liked very single version of it but unfortunately it couldn’t win group love and never made it on to an album…
Something That Matters
Recorded: Rostrevor, Sydney, 2004
This Tim Derricourt song is pretty special. Not a lot of chords or stuff, but a really top top pop song. At the time, we probably thought it was too simple for Dappled. Frowny face.
