A:
Times are definitely tough with regards to selling rock records in Australia.
It’s a matter of balancing the economics of the matter against a heartfelt
desire to continue releasing stuff in this genre…..and a lotta times the
figures just don’t add up but I guess if you’re always thinking about
profits then you’re not necessarily thinking about good music that you
love. It’s a tough call…..the hope is that you can sell enough here
and overseas to pay for a pressing run at least and maybe make a bit to continue
with further releases. I started Crankinhaus out of love, not pure economic
sense.B: What's the mission statement for Crankinhaus Records?
Try and release some discs by some good hard rockin’ bands…not limiting the styles too greatly but predominantly guitar music…you know…detroit, garage, hard rock, power-pop….even considering some stuff that’s a bit more out there…. As long as there’s loud guitars, some melody to speak of and some gut feeling essence that comes from a place deeper than your average top 40 tripe.
B: How useful is the fact that you've worked for Oracle Records for the last two years? Oracle's recently moved to a different level of distribution, so what's your involvement?
Well, I’ve certainly seen a lot of how things work (and don’t work) within the constraints of working in the indie music scene. I originally started with Oracle to work on exporting music. Recently the whole of Oracle’s distribution operation has been discontinued and we are now focusing on the three labels; Oracle, Pacemaker and Crankinhaus.
It’s a sticky topic that I don’t really want to get into here but nonetheless I now find myself owning the whole operation through a certain series of events……
B: Tell us a bit about your German friend Kalli who was instrumental in you launching Crankinhaus?
Kalli Biermann is quite a guy…totally in yer face and loves Aussie music to death and is one of these guys who tries to champion the cause not only through a radio show that he does in a small place in Germany called Freiburg but in his whole life….he is so emphatically dedicated to Australian rock’n’roll….. he is one of those people who inspires you to believe a little more in what you are doing and not get down about the fact that we are often systematically ignored here in Australia.
B: The name Crankinhaus is a corruption of the German word for hospital. What's the story there?
Ummmm….I was in Cologne and had been partying pretty hard with the Cellophane Suckers….I realised the next morning I’d run out of my blood pressure pills prematurely and so I spent a hard Sunday morning with a bad hangover from too much German beer and my BP going through the roof, traipsing the streets in a dazed sweat searching out where I could get some of these pills. I finally found a Krankenhaus (hospital) and in my kind of semi-surreal state the name stuck with me till that evening when I was drinking with Kalli (well by myself cause he doesn’t drink….usually) and it just kind of came up as we were talking about my day and the fact that I wanted to start a label…..we drew some logos and shit and that was that….we also came up with the idea for the catalogue numbers being ward 001, ward 002 etc…..a bit corny but…… you know..
B: For those who haven't heard the bands you've signed, talk a little each of them.
High
Society are three young guys who make one heck of a sweet racket. I first saw
Levi play in a band called the Wreckers with a drummer friend, Craig Jackson….2
guitars and drums (like the Thermals)….they were pretty cool but I think
Levi’s really found his speed with the High Society with brother Aaron
on drums and their (not so new now) bassist Mark they really are banging a cohesive
noise out….they just keep getting better. And get this….they scored
a Levis sponsorship a la Turbonegro….hehehehe.Thermals is Leigh Ivin (Gtr/Vox), John Freckleton (Gtr/Vox) and Nik Reith (Drums/Vox)….when Nik was drumming with the Christs, him John and Leigh got the Thermals together…..although they don’t play a heck of a lot (they should play more live) they are always fantastic…just a great band with good ideas and great rock sensibility…..from Tatts to Stones to Beasts of Bourbon style grinding rock riffs they just have so much style and charisma…..the album sounds fucking raw and majestic in one breath.
300 St. Claire is Mark, Mick and Boogs….what more can I say? I think there is a 3 piece theme going on here…..once again a great band with some interesting journeys going on within a wild rock structure. They always manage to inject some left of centre gear into a traditional rock style that kinda sets them apart from the pack….big dirty bass a la Ross Knight and Mick Poole’s strangely tuned guitar style really works great with Boogs fist punching drumming.
Knucklehead
has been banging away for a few years now with a coupla different people in
the band but it is essentially now Mikey Toad on Drums, Paul Cronk on Guitar,
myself on Guitar, Matt (who was in the group in an earlier incarnation and played
with Paul in a band called Crazy Legs Vermin) on bass and the wild man Shaun
McFayden on the vox.It’s basically power-packed Detroit rock and punk….I love playing with these guys and we hope to get an album release together this year….I really like the shape the band is taking.
Bad Ass Roadshow is just myself and Simon Drew from the Vanilla Chainsaws with a bunch of other dudes sitting in….I chucked a few songs into the hat for this but it’s mostly Simon’s thing. We recorded a bunch of tracks in France and Simon did the rest in Germany with some ex-Chainsaws guys…..it rocks, I reckon.
B: Knucklehead has a line-up change recently. What's the story there ?
Jason the bassist, who also plays in stoner rock outfit Daredevil decided two bands was too much and with Daredevil progressing more than Knucklehead threw his chips in. Jason is an amazing bassist but I think he suits Daredevil more than Knucklehead and Matt who used to play in the band originally is on bass…he has a driving style that suits what we’re doing so I think it’s worked out okay.
B:
Their EP is a pretty intriguing disc, with them making Dolly Parton's "Jolene"
their own, but why so many covers?Hmmmm….yes, I thought so too. I don’t know. There are all these other original songs that didn’t make it on, that are fucking great. I’m not sure if Paul wants to re-record them or what but I think they should be used for the next release….we’ll see what happens….recording budgets are the big issue.
B: 300 St Claire have to be the loudest band in Sydney. How are you going to capture that in the studio?
Well, they’ve already managed to do that themselves, laying down three tracks at Big Jesus Burger studios that sound MASSIVE….they’re going to do some more there I believe….enough for an EP. We did some tracks at a small studio but that session didn’t turn out so good as we were all too wasted, I think.
B: Is the Thermals' album recorded? Who produced and what's it like?
Yes. I received a copy yesterday and I dig it heaps. The recording is fairly raw, being recorded at home by Leigh (Leigh is a pretty darn good engineer doing both live and studio work…..he’s done the Christs live lotsa times)….I’m not sure the other guys think it’s that great a recording but I think it suits the style of music and the performance is way good which I think is the most important thing next to good songs and they got both. We’re looking at a July release for this.
B:
The High Society are one of the best newish bands in Sydney. I heard they recorded
an EP a year or two ago but I've never seen or heard it. Has their sound changed?Yup…more cohesive I reckon. It’s all progression for these guys and I think the next thing they do will show that again. When I’ve finished with the Christs album at the end of April, they will go into the studio to start work on the next one and I will put in some hours with them on this.
B: What are the prospects of some live shows by the Bad Ass Chainsaw Revue when that album comes out? I heard Simon Chainsaw was looking to add some more tracks.
Ummm…Simon contacted me and had partially set up some stuff in Europe with a promoter there and wanted me to come and play in June but my schedule is so thick it would just be impossible, unfortunately. Still waiting for the album to be mastered at this point. We talked about doing some shows here in Australia as well but I can’t see him returning to Oz in a hurry…..would you?
B: The forthcoming New Christs single is a joint effort with Munster. How did that come about and what are the prospects of an overseas tour when the album on Man's Ruin is out?
I first met Inigo Munster in Madrid when we played there about four years ago. Since then, I‘d run in to him a number of times and he always asked if he could do something from the Christs but it was still in the hands of Citadel at that point. I met up with him again in Germany late last year and agreed to do this single. It was good we got this together as I sent a copy off to Jami at Mans Ruin who I’d been speaking to on and off for quite a while about various things and they liked it (and are big RB and NC fans as well) which is cool. They will release the album worldwide on CD and 12" vinyl end of July and Crankinhaus will do the same here in Australia.
I’m looking into an overseas tour at the moment with European and some west coast US dates…..looking fairly promising at this stage for towards the end of the year.
B: We've heard a few of the new New Christs songs live. What's the stuff sound like in the studio, in comparison to the single?
There’s gonna be a whole new set of material live, once we finsh up. The album will consist of some of the tracks done with Nik Reith on drums and the current stuff we’re recording with Stuart Wilson on drums. We’re pretty pleased with the way it’s proceeding so far. I would say that some of the songs are a bit of a departure in some ways, though once it’s all down it still comes out sounding like the New Christs with Rob’s distinctive vocal. We’re trying to push the boudaries a bit while still trying to keep cohesion and impact. I think it’s going to be an interesting and engaging album. I dunno…..you be the judge when it’s all done.
B:
Are you surprised to hear the comparisons people are making between Rob's signing
on "On Top of Me" and Ronnie Peno? A little, though I can see why people might think that. It’s not a bad thing, I might add.
B: On another tack...the Hey! Charger EP you released with Bill Gibson was one of the best Oz powerpop efforts in recent years. Are there any prospects of some more stuff from you guys?
Really? You think so? I always wanted to make a good pop release and Bill is the man when it comes to that stuff. Unfortunately the release ended up with Bill disappearing off with the Lemonheads (as you would….). We always run into each other at a gig or somewhere and go….."yeh, we should do something" "yeh, we’ll call each other" and it never happens…..just so busy with everything. Maybe sometime, somewhere in a galaxy far, far away.
B: Was that EP a departure for you (cos it was a million miles away from the stuff you used to play with Dr Fruitworld)?
Yes it was a departure. But I’ve always dug power pop/punk stuff, even in the punk days I leaned towards bands like that. I have always dug Red Kross and Descendants, Nils, Eastern Dark, the Dickies etc.
I always find myself caught between pop, punk and rock….I guess I like elements of all of these but sometimes it makes you indecisive about what furrow you want to dig.
Dr Fruitworld actually played with Red Kross, Hoodoo Gurus and You Am I once…..that gig was a major highlight for me….Red Kross were fucking amazing.
B: What are the plans for the Panadolls? Are you playing in any other bands?
You’d have to ask Ashley Thompson that one….we’ve had a few jams as three-piece with Ken on bass and vocals which was actually pretty cool. But I think Ash is now caught up with his Roll Cage project and, hell….I’m so freakin’ flat out I haven’t got time to scratch myself….
Any other bands? Maybe if someone designs a robot me……
