Local indie pop outfit Little Scout recently added to their impressive list of supports by opening for English rockers Placebo in February. Singer Mel Tickle tells us about the shows.
Playing support for Placebo... dream come true?
We were incredible humbled to be offered the support slot for Placebo — we listened to and enjoyed them while at school. Learning that the band personally chose us was a particularly lovely moment. You always learn so much supporting bands of that calibre — their live show is so impressive and lighting is very important.
How did Placebo fans react to Little Scout... did you score a few more Facebook Likes?
We really didn't have any expectations, but the crowd was very kind to us. We met a lot of cool people at the shows and sold some records.
The band has had somewhat of a slow burning career; do you feel the band has enough momentum that 2014 will be the group’s biggest year to date?
Our focus has and will always be on creating music together that we enjoy playing. We don't really write Top 40 hits, so the slow burner element is probably very natural. A lot of our favourite bands have been around for 10 to 20 years and still make great music — there's a lot to be said for working hard and taking the required time to try to perfect what you do. And let's face it, it's an incredibly unpredictable creative field so you do it for the love of it. I feel that our 2014 will be a year of evolution in that we're writing and preparing for our third album, this time involving our new band mates Michael and Charles. We hope to release some new singles this year as well.
With the ever-expanding global community thanks to technology... has the decision to remain based in Brisbane been relatively easy?
Being connected online and socially definitely helps. Having a Sydney-based manager is great — he deals with the business so we can have fun. Living in Brisbane doesn't make it harder in my opinion. There's a great community here, we all have family, partners, friends and jobs here, and we can travel easily. But who knows, we might move one day; never say never!
You’re headlining the Walk In Our Shoes, the mini youth cultural festival that’s part of Youth Week 2014 — will you be a part of the Pat march that kickstarts the day’s activities?
Unfortunately I think we’ll be busy setting up and preparing for our show, but we encourage any young people who want to walk to do so.
Partaking in community events like Walk In Our Shoes... is it important for the band?
Promoting diversity and acceptance is incredibly important to us as people. We think that differences should be embraced and cherished. The event is also a great way for young people to engage with youth services and positive communities that they can be a part of.
Tell us a bit about the Scout Cooking books... who’s the chef in the band?
We all like to cook but Miro is our chef and wine guy. He can cook anything and he loves to follow recipes.
What’s the collective's favourite dish?
We all love food so much, it's impossible to choose just one.
Food and life on the road... is it a mad dash for fast food outlets? Or do you like to bring a packed lunch?
If you're driving to Sydney and then back to Brisbane again you've got minimal options. Sometimes a packed lunch will make it into the van, but usually we're way too tired and busy to make it, so we resort to fast food for a couple of days. As soon as you hit the city it's all about vegetables.
Little Scout headline Walk In Our Shoes at the West End Twilights Markets venue this Sunday April 13, 1-5pm. Little Scout also perform in duo mode (Pat & Mel) as support for The Trouble With Templeton’s show at The Old Museum April 24.
