Adelaide indie-rockers Bad//Dreems are set to have a pretty big year.
“We're about to sign with a record label,” says guitarist Alex Cameron. “I can't say who it is, but we'll announce the signing probably in the next couple of weeks, and the next release is a seven-inch called 'Dumb Ideas', which comes out at the start of April.
“That's the first step towards an album that we'll probably record later this year and release towards the end of the year or next year. There might be an EP in between.”
The quartet's debut EP, ‘Badlands’, earned rave reviews in 2013 and helped the band find their sound. This time, they've enlisted help from an experienced source. “The last EP was a collection of songs that spanned from when we started in 2012 through to January 2013. You can probably see an evolution in the songs. The difference [this time] is that we've recorded with [producer] Mark Opitz. He originally worked with Vanda & Young, then the first album he did himself was The Angels' second album, which sold about 300,000 copies.
“We didn't even know if he was still recording, but we got in contact and he really liked our stuff. He was given a lot of credit for the massive albums bands like INXS had, as he was able to pick out songs that had potential and take them to the next level.
“First and foremost our songs are based around playing them live; we don't want to record with overdubs and there aren't extra instruments in there padding out the sound. I think the drum track for the single was the first take. We set up all our stuff in the room, gave it a run through and he was like 'Okay, that's the drums done'.”
Upcoming slots at Bleach* Festival and supporting The Scientists will give Queensland fans a chance to catch the band in their natural setting. “Half the set consists of new songs now,” Cameron says. “We play most of the EP and plenty of new material. We just really enjoy playing live, especially at the moment. It's interesting when we play now because people actually know the words to the songs, which is pretty moving and inspiring.”
Bad Dreems Tour Dates
Thur Mar 13 - Alhambra Lounge (Brisbane)Fri Mar 14 - Bleach* Festival (Gold Coast)
Thur Mar 27 - The Transcontinental Hotel (Brisbane)
Fri Mar 28 - The Factory Theatre (Sydney)
Sun Mar 30 - The Gov (Adelaide)
Sun Apr 19 - Boogie 8 (Geelong)
