Interviews : sleepmakeswaves – 17/08/2008

With their first Victorian live shows coming up in the near future, I spoke to Tom (guitars) from Sydney-based post rock band sleepmakeswaves about the band, the local scene and their debut EP.

Metal Obsession: Can you give us a bit of an introduction to the band?
Tom: Sleepmakeswaves began in two parts, on one side Kid (guitars) started up a new project in the post-rock/electronic side of things and was looking to collaborate with other artists. Simultaneously Myself and Alex (bass) had started jamming on the odd occasion after meeting at uni and were soon joined by the drummer from my old band, Will. The three of us began to search for a fourth, and it wasn’t long until Kid and the rest of us were sleepmakeswaves.

MO: First off, seeing as our site caters predominately to metal fans, do you think that bands like yourself and the post-rock genre in general, will appeal to many metal fans? Are there any relatively well-known metal bands that you can hear post-rock influences in?
T: I think the support and relative success we’ve received from the metal community says a lot about the open-mindedness of most metalheads and the potential for post-rock bands to work in the scene. I do believe that there is significant overlap between many of the ideas of metal and those of post-rock, which has helped a lot of metal fans get into the genre. Styles and techniques such as tremolo picking, the use of repeating motifs and a recognizable build up/climax song structure ae familiar and recognizable to a lot of metalheads which might explain why it works. I think more recently some bands have emerged crossing over between the genres, such as Agalloch or Wolves in the Throne Room. Without doubt more acts will tend to dabble in each genre as time goes on.

MO: Australia’s post-rock scene is fairly small, perhaps even smaller than our metal scene, why do you think this is and can you see it growing in the future?
T: Post-rock is a very young genre and so is still in its infancy in terms of developing a definitive scene in my opinion. This is not to say that a scene does not exist, for there are without doubt movements in each of the capitals, particularly Melbourne. With the genre’s popularity on the increase I have no doubt that its scene will similarly expand in the near future.

MO: Some people argue that it has become “trendy” to listen to post-rock these days. Do you agree with that?
T: I think the large crossover appeal of post-rock has led to a lot of music fans finding it easy to get into the genre, get enthusiastic and very vocal about it. Some might interpret this as following some sort of trend, but I think the difference lies in that many post-rock fans like the genre for different reasons, and don’t just follow it because it is popular.

MO: Some also say that the genre has died down when it comes to creativity, and that most newer bands are just sticking to the genre’s “rules” resulting in a lot of clone bands. Do you think this is true? And are there any bands that you think are really expanding the genre and experimenting?
T: Whilst it can’t be denied that a lot of post-rock bands play it safe when it comes to writing music, I think the genre’s continually expanding boundaries will keep the genre from ever truly dying. Even the most popular post-rock bands such as Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky are incredibly different from one another. I think the bands that are coming from different backgrounds and incorporating different influences, such as those I mentioned earlier are the ones that will expand the genre as a whole, although this will come from the inside as well.

MO: You recently released your debut EP “in today already walks tomorrow”, how has the reaction to that been?
T: Terrific! Coming out of the studio we were very worried as to how people would react but both press and fan reaction has been very positive and constructive. We were especially worried about the review from the definitive post-rock website “The Silent Ballet” who are known for extremely critical reviews with very low scoring, but we managed rather well. The reactions have been important in helping us re-evaluate our music and use the constructive criticism to better our efforts for next time.

MO: You rerecorded the track “one day you will teach me to let go of my fears”, which first featured on your 2-track demo. Was there any particular reason you chose this track to rerecord?
T: We had originally recorded the drums and bass for the demo at a cheap local studio and the guitars at Kid’s house, and although they sounded adequate for a demo, we thought in order to do the song justice, it always needed to be re-recorded. We also feel it is one of our strongest songs and thus deserved the production and quality that we had originally envisioned for it.

MO: The rerecording also features the addition of violin, performed by Tim Charles of Ne Obliviscaris, which wasn’t on the original recording. How did this come about?
T: Being in close contact with Tim, we had always tossed about the idea of him performing a violin solo over the top of the song whenever we made our live debut in Melbourne. Tim had sent us a home recording of this, just to see if it was what we had in mind, and we were so impressed with it we showed our producer Dax who suggested that we get him on the record. Tim sent across a few more recordings and it didn’t take long before everything was in place.

MO: Something I have been wondering since the EP was first released, is how do you come with up with song and album titles for your music, seeing as it’s entirely instrumental?
T: Our song titles come from a variety of origins, some we simply come up with on our own (e.g. ‘one day you will teach me to let go of my fears’), and others are appropriations of historical and philosophical quotations and events (e.g. ‘I will write peace on your wings and you will fly over the world,’ which is actually derived from a survivor of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing, who launched a peace campaign using origami paper cranes as a means of spreading the message of peace across the world.) Being instrumental creates an additional emphasis on creating interesting song titles that help shape a meaningful response to the music, but ultimately, it is up to the listener to create their own interpretation.

MO: What are the key aspects to writing great instrumental music?
T: The ability to tell a story and be very visual with your music is important, as without lyrics it is often difficult for a listener to pick up on a song’s meaning or intention. Covering a wide range of aural emotions in your music can also be helpful in this regard. Music being subjective however, means that those qualities won’t sit well with everyone, as there is no one all encompassing recipe for instrumental music, or music in general.

MO: Have you guys ever considered bringing vocals into your music?
T: Absolutely, ever since we started the band we never ruled out using vocals or vocalists in the future. Some potential ideas are to have some guest vocalists perform group work on the next record, as well as a side-project/collaboration with a singer/songwriter.

MO: Do you find it difficult to replicate the same overall sound and atmosphere that is evident on your EP, when playing live?
T: Personally, I find playing live challenging, with more pressure to play perfectly than on a record, which I can re-do until it is right. However, playing live is often more rewarding, as the energy that it brings to your music is often greater than can be captured in a studio. Its very satisfying to see up close people enjoying your music and that helps us to give it our all with each performance. I think playing live breathes new life into our songs and shows a different side to the band.

MO: You recently supported post- heavyweights Pelican on their Australian tour. How did that go? Did you get a good response from the crowd?
T: Supporting one of the biggest bands in the genre so early in our touring life was a real honour for us and the fact that it went so well was the real icing on the cake! It was a real dream to play to such a big audience and have Pelican watching from the side of the stage, and the response from both the band and the audience was terrific. Hopefully we are able to do it all again sometime!

MO: What are the bands plans for the future?
T: Over the next few months we are focusing on playing in as many new places as possible, including our debut trips to Melbourne, Woollongong, Canberra, Wagga Wagga and more shows in Brisbane, Newcastle and Sydney. Getting out there on the road has been quite overdue for us so we are thrilled to be able to play with some amazing bands in the process. At the end of the year we’ll start demoing the new tracks we’ve written and then spend a good chunk of next year recording the full length album!

MO: What other Australian bands, metal or post-rock, do you think people should have a listen to and keep an eye on? I’m going to jump the gun and assume that Ne Obliviscaris is one seeing as you featured their violinist on the EP?
T: Absolutely! Australia has a great number of terrific bands, some of which we’ve had the privilege of playing with! I’d love to recommend our good friends Meniscus and the Hazards of Swimming Naked and another band that you recently did a review of, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving. I’m sure your readers are well enough versed on metal so I thought I’d include a few more post-rock influenced recommendations.

MO: Any last words for the readers?
T: We can’t thank the readers and contributors of Metal Obsession enough for all their constant support since your inception. We have been thrilled with your words of encouragement and support and look forward to having more to do with you in the future. Most of all, thanks to those of you who had a read into what makes us tick!

MO: Cheers for taking the time to complete this interview, and best of luck for the future.
T: Thank you!

You can hear some of the bands new EP at sleepmakeswaves.com . You can read a review of the EP HERE. And make sure to check out the brilliant sleepmakeswaves live at one of their up and coming shows:

29th Aug 2008
The Eternal @ The Arthouse, Melbourne
w/ sleepmakeswaves, Arbrynth and Divine Ascension
Tickets available at the door 8pm, $10.

30th Aug 2008
sleepmakeswaves @ Pony, Melbourne
w/ Radient City and Alaska Ratio
Tickets available at the door 8pm.

4th Oct 2008
Ne Obliviscaris @ East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick
w/ Be’lakor and sleepmakeswaves
Tickets available at www.eastbrunswickclub.com or at the door 8pm, $10+bf.

10th Oct 2008
Arcane @ Rosies, Brisbane
w/ Dead Letter Opener, sleepmakeswaves and Willows
Tickets available at the door 8pm, $10