Remember San Cisco? The band with the world’s catchiest song, ‘Awkward’?
It’s been a year since the Perth quartet released their debut self-titled album, and the last 12 months for them have been huge. The band toured Europe and Asia, supported The Vaccines on their US tour, and then threw in a couple of their own American tours for good measure.
Back on Australian shores after playing in Singapore, the softly spoken guitarist Josh Biondillo speaks from his house in Fremantle about the young band’s whirlwind year.
“Our relationships with each other are still good actually, after touring all year! We know how to act around each other now, definitely,” he laughs. “We all get our own hotel rooms at the end of the night so that helps with the alone time.”
As well as globetrotting for their own tours, the youngsters have played some of the world’s most prestigious festivals: Reading and Leeds in the UK, America’s SXSW, Lollapalooza, and the Mecca of all festivals, Glastonbury.
“I saw The Vaccines at Lollapalooza, and they’re always great to see. Then we did a tour with them and became friends with them!”
“They really showed us what it’s like to be ‘big boys’. We took a lot away from that tour.”Biondillo talks more about the acts they’ve managed to catch on the festival circuit.
“We saw Haim at a couple of festivals, they’re good to see, and I saw The xx at a festival called Pukkelpop. They don’t do a lot of moving, they just play, and that’s it. I was so impressed with what they’re doing.”
Touring with The Vaccines, he says, was a highlight of the year and an extremely valuable experience.
“They really showed us what it’s like to be ‘big boys’. We took a lot away from that tour.”
After a good few months without a show on home soil, San Cisco will return to Australia to play Victoria’s Queenscliff Music Festival in late November.
“This year we’ve really learnt what songs people like. You can get a good idea of what people connect with. People seem to like ‘Fred Astaire’, and obviously ‘Awkward’ – that’s a good one.”
“Having played to different crowds, I guess American crowds get into it the most. A lot of the shows over there people got REALLY excited about, but we get really good reactions at the Australian shows too!”
We won’t be hearing any new San Cisco tracks at Queenscliff, but the band promises some new material soon.
“We certainly are working on new music between now and March. We’ve got a couple of weekend shows but we’ll have a lot of time to be working on a new record.”
As for what we can expect from the popsters, Biondillo says that for him, inspiration comes from “certain sounds”.
“Whether it’s a drum sound, a loop, a cool keyboard sound – that’s what largely drives me. I really like a guy called Brian Burton [better known as Danger Mouse] who works with Electric Guest, POP ETC and also writes and produces stuff for The Black Keys. He uses very raw and spacious sounds – well it’s spacious, but there’s a lot going on at the same time.”
“This year we’ve really learnt what songs people like. You can get a good idea of what people connect with. People seem to like ‘Fred Astaire’, and obviously ‘Awkward’ – that’s a good one.”Although, he’s not so invested in pop culture. “Is Harry Styles in One Direction? If so, he’s my favourite. I don’t really know many of them!”
Biondillo doesn’t falter for a second before announcing that his favourite record of 2013 is definitely Daft Punk’s effort, Random Access Memories. The band covered the lead single, ‘Get Lucky’, on Triple J’s Like A Version.
“Straight up, easy choice. I also really like Yeezus though! I like what he’s doing, and I find it SO funny that he’s so confident. It’s no ‘Dark Fantasy or Watch The Throne, but he did say in interviews that he ‘can do perfect, but this was his opportunity to f*ck things up’. So, so funny!”
On the choice of the cover for Like A Version, which they played just weeks after Random Access Memories was released, Biondillo says it was simple.
“As soon as we found out we were doing Like A Version we were all madly trying to think of songs, and at that point there was an online snippet and preview for the album. I listened to that preview probably 100 times. I knew it was going to be very good so I thought that was the one to do.”
“I don’t think it was a tactic or anything, releasing it straight after Random Access Memories. It’s just a good song that we all really liked.”
San Cisco have definitely made their mark on the Australian music scene. Having toured with support acts such as The Preatures and The Jungle Giants, the band have done their part to bring light to some of Australia’s most exciting modern bands.
“We definitely developed really good relationships with those guys on the early tours,” he says, referencing what seems to be an extremely tight-knit and supportive music community around the country.
Finally, what about THAT song, ‘Awkward’? After its release, there was speculation that the young band would ride on the success of that first single until it eventually fizzled out – but they seem to have proven the critics wrong.
“I don’t pay any attention to that sort of thing,” Biondillo says wisely.
“I just go about whatever I do, and whatever’s successful, well, that’s great.”
Queenscliff Music Festival 2013 Tickets
Fri 22, Sat 23 & Sun 24 November 2013
Princess Park, Queenscliff, Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria
Tickets from www.qmf.net.au/festival-tickets
