With a recently released single, ‘Colour Outside The Lines’, Melbourne band Jericco are beginning to receive positive reviews.
“It’s getting a lot of love. We’ve had an amazing response, the best we have ever had,” bass guitarist Roy Amar says. “We’ve been together for six years and… this is the first time the band is in a really happy place. We’re always in a happy place though.”
Roy says being a musician is “full-on” and requires hard work, dedication, time and a determination to never give up. “We just refuse to give up and I think we’ve got something incredible, especially the album we just finished writing and recording. It’s the first time the band feels extremely confident in any song. It’s good fun to be in a band.”
With work now completed for their new album, titled ‘Machine Made The Animals', Roy says the band wanted to take more risks in the studio. “[We wanted to] do something outside the norm and to not be afraid to do something different.
“We don’t care if it’s slightly heavier or more progressive, we don’t write for the radio, we don’t write for anyone, we write for our fans, our core fans and for ourselves. The single is one of the softest tracks on the record.
“The album is quite bulgy and intricate. It’s got this gumption in it and anger, but none of us are angry. This is the time we are going to take big risks and see what is going to happen.”
This time ‘round, the recording process for the band was different. “It was extremely different because last [time], we were a little bit lost. It’s the whole thing... do you write for radio, do you write for your fans, do you write for yourself. We did the whole thing in six weeks, which is incredible.
“We were pretty uncomfortable because no one had any cash. We will do some crowdfunding mid-October, before we go on the road.”
With the future looking bright, Jericco have set themselves bigger targets that they want to achieve as a band. “I would love to conquer slightly bigger venues in Australia and expand our fan base and to show people we are a very versatile band.
"It’s quite a show. We would like to tour overseas. I think we have something really big to offer, especially in Europe. It’s all in the making. It’s all part of the plan.”
As the band begin to make noise on the local scene, Roy sees himself and his band mates as career musicians. “I don’t think it’s an option. Musicians cannot take a year off."
"With musicians, they just need to push, and when they get there they just need to push even harder. You always want more. I’m always hungry and always want to do bigger things. I’m always looking out there. You’re always learning. “It’s a really hard job [being a musician]. You need to bust your arse and you’re probably not going to get anything for it, just the satisfaction for yourself. There’s no plan b. If you’ve thought of a plan b, you’ve already failed. I have no idea what’s going to happen, but we will still be involved in music. If it is all going to end tomorrow, at least I died trying.”
‘Machine Made The Animals’ will be released in early 2015.
Written by Laura Kirkwood
Jericco Tour Dates
Sat 25 Oct - New Globe Theatre (Brisbane)Fri 14 Nov - Fowler's Live (Adelaide)
Fri 21 Nov - Musicman Megastore (Bendigo)
Sat 22 Nov - Ding Dong Lounge (Melbourne)
Thu 27 Nov - Cambridge Hotel (Newcastle)
Fri 28 Nov - Transit Bar (Canberra)
Sat 29 Nov - Factory Floor (Sydney)
