Music that is dark yet hopeful is the best way to describe Sydney-based band King Curly’s sixth album, ‘Night Parrots’.
Steve Appel, the lead singer and creator of King Curly, gained a grant to express and write stories focused on Australian mysteries and wildlife, which in turn created an album complied of imaginative and beautifully-haunting songs and melodies. Steve explains how the process for creating this album was both the same and different to his previous releases. “The whole process was pretty good, very similar to how I usually record.
“I get recordings done in the studio then I spend time just tinkering with the sounds until they are right,” he says.
"The writing process was a little different this time. I tried to write quickly to see if it would sound different as well. I often think the quicker something is done the better it is because you don't spend time trying make it perfect, which often leads to you ruining it. I got a grant to write the songs for this album as well which was different. All the songs are about Australian mysteries and animals, which are different topic matters for me."
King Curly will be bringing this explorative album to the Semaphore Music Festival. "I'm looking forward to just playing the songs to an audience. I will be playing with two guitarists that are polar opposites in both musical delivery and personality.
“One has a very punk attitude and the other is a real perfectionist and polished; it's very interesting to see them play together. I've been playing with them for a bit and it's been great. I love having tensions within music and they definitely create an intensity that suits the music."
The most appealing part of playing the Semaphore Music Festival for Steve is getting to perform alongside his band mates. “I love playing in a band, there is nothing like it. For me it's like the closest feeling you can get to flying without actually flying. The audience shares in that experience. You can't control that experience though really; the audience adds a lot to a live performance. You can always tell when they are flying with you."
Although Steve has a love and passion for playing live it does not come without its challenges. "I'm not a natural performer, I'm quite introverted. I get nervous before every performance and I've had to learn how to overcome those nerves in order for me to be able to play how I want and find that freedom that comes along with performing the songs how I want," he says.
"You just tell yourself little things that help. You can't heavily drink because you won’t be able to perform and taking drugs wouldn't work either, so it has to be a mental thing that you do in order to be able to perform."
Continuing to perform as much as possible is a key part of the future plans for King Curly as Steve explains. "Continue to play more is what I hope to do in the future. “I'm really enjoying performing these songs at the moment; it's a lot of fun to tour as well. I've had a bit of time out, so getting back out there by touring and meeting new people and seeing new places is great. Who knows what the future will hold for King Curly."
King Curly plays the Semaphore Music Festival 2 October.
