Riding a wave of critical acclaim following the success of their 2016 album, ‘Guerrilla Club’, Sydney band Caravãna Sun are embarking on a tour for their single, ‘Whale Song’.
“Last year we put a lot of emphasis on this record,” bassist/ vocalist Ant Beard says. “We recorded it in Fremantle at the start of the year. Then after releasing all the singles we had found that ‘Whale Song' was really resonating, not only on the record but live at the same time.
“So it made sense for us to do another tour on the back of this album and do the song that was most loved by the people. It’s been really nice to have people in the crowd at the shows singing the words back to you; it’s enough to say that it’s working.”
‘Whale Song’ has become an important song for Ant, who was the driving, creative force behind it. Written on his grandmother’s antique piano, the original, acoustic composition is an emotional ballad that has also been released online as a video. “The story is that I wrote this track,” he says.
“It came very fast at about three in the morning on this old piano and basically those words, the whole notion of a migration came into it with the whale and the whole movement; for myself to go into that space, to feel the movement of someone fulfilling what their heart is telling them to do, rather than their head.
“For me, early in the morning writing this song, there was no other voice except for that and that felt pretty amazing. That resonance of telling everyone to clear the bullshit, clear all the other voices that you have in your head telling you to make safe decisions. The song itself is capturing a deeper meaning and I always find myself grateful to be the one singing, it is a nice feeling to be part of that.”
Initially a ska outfit, Caravãna Sun have undergone a sonic shift on ‘Guerrilla Club’, which sees them expanding their instrumentation and songwriting, resulting in an album that exudes a more subtle, electronic vibe.
“The push toward the electronic stuff was not a conscious decision,” Ant says.
“A lot of it came from Ken [Allars], the newest member in the band, having keyboards and synthesizers. We also did the record with Joel Quartermain from Eskimo Joe and he’s very passionate about that stuff.
“We were purely targeting something that didn’t necessarily have to be live; we wanted something that people could put their headphones on and go for a drive, to connect with the music that way. Listening back to it I feel that we did that; there’s always things we’d want to change, but that’s the nature of wanting to better yourself.”
Caravãna Sun’s ‘Whale Song’ tour is also in support of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, with $5 from each merchandise sale at the shows donated to the organisation. Ant says their partnership with Sea Shepherd is in tune with what they want to achieve as a band.
“Over the years we’ve been a band that’s done it grassroots,” he says. “We go to places where our music resonates and we really try not to be influenced by trends or even big cities.
“I feel Sea Shepherd is very much of a similar ethos with the way they run their business and the 'cause of what they do. It’s grassroots and close to the people they’re serving and the whole time we were walking side-by-side. That was something that really resonated.”
Caravãna Sun ‘Whale Song’ Tour Dates
Fri 21 Apr - Imperial Hotel (Sydney)Thu 27 Apr - Mt Pleasant Tavern (Mackay)
Fri 28 Apr - Solbar (Maroochydore)
Sat 29 Apr - Woolly Mammoth (Brisbane)
Fri 5 May - Divers Tavern (Broome)
Sat 6 May - Indi Bar (Perth)
Sun 7 May - Mojos (Fremantle)
Fri 12 May - SS&A Club (Albury)
Sat 13 May - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)
Sun 14 May - Baha Tacos (Rye)
Caravãna Sun support Madness (Bluesfest side shows)
Thu 13 Apr - Festival Hall (Melbourne)
Sat 15 Apr - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)
Caravãna Sun also support Slightly Stoopid at Prince Ballroom (Melbourne) on 14 April.
