How's the serenity? Well, it's multitudinous and mellifluous.
Icons of Brisbane's music scene in the early noughties, george reconvene for a run of four local shows this May to celebrate 20 years since recording 'Polyserena' – the album that etched them into the record books as only the tenth Aussie band whose debut album claimed #1 on the ARIA charts upon release.Even the cover art scored an ARIA nomination for Chris Von Sanden, who designed all of the band's album/ single artwork.
2021 also marks 25 years since the band formed and toured relentlessly – signed by Michael Gudinski soon after he witnessed their standing ovation supporting Macy Gray.
"By the time 'Polyserena' came out we were all doing [music] full time," the group's co-vocalist Tyrone Noonan explains – travelling in some kind of nondescript white Tarago or similar. Thrillingly, there's even talk of a real tour next year.
A lot can change in two decades, but this garland of tunes still feels so 'now', even lyrically. 'Run' feels super-contemporary, while 'Spawn' is a meditative, cosmic question.
"We were trying to create something that was timeless, so maybe we pulled off the concept," Tyrone says.
In cultivating that perpetual crop of songs, Tyrone credits producers David Nicholas and Justin Tresseter as the extra members of the band.
"There's this kind of amazing pulse sound, wave thing [Justin] created: 'orange glitter' we used to call it, and that's [a big part of] the song 'Chemical Dreams'.
"David said 'the only way I can really make sense to record you guys is the same way you do it. . . live'. So we recorded live in the studio, including the lead vocals." Although that's sometimes an unbelievable notion, seeing the band live is its own endorsement.
As for songs that didn't make the 56 minutes of blissful ecology that is the album – Tyrone painstakingly went through the vault prior to these live shows, but we won't be hearing them (yet?).
"These shows we're basically just doing the album [songs] with a couple of others thrown in.
"I'm really looking forward to it, because some of my favourite george songs are not the singles: I think that's the same for Katie too. 'Strange Days' for me – I really love that song."
It might have something to do with deciding "not to create the sound of Supertramp" on that song, then stumbling across a magazine in the studio bathroom branded 'How To Get The Supertramp Sound' the night before recording it. "It was actually real simple – one keyboard and one specific pedal.
"Fortunately the studio we were recording in at the time was owned by Garry Gary Beers, the bass player from INXS, and he very graciously allowed us access to this extra little corner of the studio apparently most people didn't usually get access to, but he liked us for some reason.
"And in there was a treasure trove of vintage and rare effects pedals," including the original Boss Ensemble pedal. "I plugged it in and there it was."
In case you're wondering, if 'Polyserena' was a cereal, what would it be? "Sultana Bran? Good fibre plus the natural fruit – we're all naturally a bit fruity."
Or, if categorising into basic cereals? "I would say george is sorghum." You can take the journalist out of the Darling Downs. . .
george play Brisbane Powerhouse 6-8 May (including two shows on 8 May).
