Sydney Gothic Soul/rock and roll band The Preatures combine classic songwriting with raw, infectious delivery. Described as The Velvet Underground crashing into Motown, their live shows are cultish: deliriously charged, moody and magnetic. The band released the upbeat single ‘Take a Card’ in March this year and haven’t looked back, signing a massive five-album deal with Mercury Records in August. Their EP ‘Shaking Hands’ is due out October 19.
You’ve recently signed to Mercury records, did you ever expect to be signed to a label in your career?
Sure, why not. We were set on being independent for as long as it served us. Our ambitions are bigger now.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What and where was the first gig you went to?
1997, The Offspring at The Entertainment Centre. I was in year 6. It was epic.
Tell us about your upcoming EP, Shaking Hands. What can we expect?
There’s definitely an American feel to the record, and we’re not embarrassed about that. It’s a little bit soul, a little bit rock and roll, and a little bit country. Like the South Park song.
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What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
I went to a language and music school in Sydney called IGS so we were always performing something. I remember singing Imagine by John Lennon in a choir there when I was a very little girl, maybe 5 or 6. I wanted to be a singer when I was young, but by the time I was a teenager I’d totally forgotten about it. Two years out of school I started hanging around at Oxford Art Factory watching bands like The Scare and The Atrocities and I remember thinking I could probably do what they were doing.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
I never had to steal anything. My parents initiated me into different things as I got older, but growing up I got the classics and also the best of the 90s. My favourite song was the Stone Roses Love Spreads. From my dad I listened to Ron Sexsmith, Frank Zappa, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Beck, Ween. He also introduced me to The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, XTC, Massive Attack, lots of bands. No genre was left unturned, except maybe metal. From mum I got Madonna, Divynls, Pretenders, Blondie, and my fetish for fashion and Rickenbackers.
You guys were considered to be one of the buzz bands to come out of Brisbane’s Big Sound, how does that feel?
Relief, because I had Laryngitis and had to be isolated in our hotel room for the entire 3 days. To be recognised out of all those bands, that’s incredibly cool, but it’s also fleeting. We have to back it up with good songs.
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
The new Cat Power record. I have bad anxiety and have found it very comforting. Chan is one of those artists I’ve had to grow into, but I like her because she does her own thing, makes her own mistakes, even down to self-producing this record (which is brilliant). She owns what she does, and I would like that for what I do. For the band in general, we’re listening to Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Deep Sea Arcade, Soft Pack, Metronomy, The Duritti Column, The new David Byrne/St Vincent Collaboration, and The Beatles are always on repeat.
If there was anything you could request on your rider for your upcoming tour what would it be?
A games room – Ping Pong and Pool.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with?
They’re not artists in the true sense of the word, but I really enjoy working with photographers. In particular Mclean Stephenson and Ali Mitton.
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Dancing and Driving.
What are your plans for 2013? Will their another EP or even an album on they way?
January we start recording again, and they’ll be another EP fairly soon after that. Then we’re hoping to get back to the states to record the album late 2013. It’s going to be a busy year!
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
Our EP tour for ‘Shaking Hands’ starts October 19 at The Workers Club in Melbourne. The EP is released the same day on iTunes.
You find the rest of the tour dates here: The Preatures 2012 Tour
