Perth's Methyl Ethel formed in 2013, ascending to international acclaim with their 2017 hit 'Ubu'.
Described as a surrealist art-rock group, Methyl Ethel are on the verge of releasing their next studio album, 'Triage'. “In a literary frame of mind, Franz Kafka would be a good reference point,” songwriter and sole composer, Jake Webb says of the inspirations behind his work.
“I listen to a lot of Scott Walker. But it's nothing in particular, just trying to have as wide a scope as possible.”
In the studio, Methyl Ethel is exclusively Jake's production. “That's kind of a good and a bad thing at the same time, because I'm totally untethered. So sometimes the rabbit hole goes pretty deep.
"But for the most part, it's a pretty efficient way to work... I'll always work on my own for a lot of music, but there's a lot to be said for working with other people.”
'Triage' was co-mixed with Marta Salogni at Mute Records in London, though Jake recorded the album at his home studio in Perth.
“[My recording process] comes a lot from electronic music production and minimalist composers. Bands like Stereolab that aren't afraid to really go into a trance and let your mind fill in the gaps.
"Apart from being 'psychedelic', which is such a lame way to call things... I mean, there's 'psychedelic' classical music from before the 20th century.”
When asked about the themes that inspired 'Triage', Jake refers listeners to the meaning of the word itself. In medical use, it can be defined as 'the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds'; or 'the process of determining the most important people or things from among a large number that require attention'.
“With 'Triage', there was nothing in particular that I was angling for, it was just sort of an overarching way of tying things together,” Jake says.
“The idea going into this one was to sort of grow my confidence as a producer, to prove to myself that I could do another record on my own completely. A lot of that is just technical skill, knowing what's too much and what's too little. I've definitely grown from then, just like in life. The space between records... it gives you time to reflect on this sort of thing.
“I'm trying to get more out of the box these days. I want to be able to walk into any studio in the world and engineer it all myself.
"I've got a good set-up at the moment, a really efficient set-up where I can roll my chair around and record some drums instantly... and when the idea can be recorded as quickly as possible, that's the goal. I got off the Ableton at the end of this record, and I'm on the Tools [ProTools]. I'm a toolhead!”
On 'All The Elements' he sings: “There's something in my head, but I can't get it out...” followed by a distinctive chord progression, both nostalgic and grandiose in nature. The song seems to toe the line between revelation and a crushing acceptance of inevitability, an atmosphere which permeates 'Triage'.
Jake weaves existential and philosophical concepts into a palatable framework of synth-pop and genre-bending art rock. “I finally read 'The Age Of Reason',” he says, “which I've been wanting to read for a long time.
“It's such a great book. Pondering of the big questions is something everyone does. It's all through the record – there'll be a bit of that in everything I do.
“But I kind of want to wrap that up with this record, because sometimes I listen back and I think, 'lighten up, Jake!'. But when people actually bother to listen to what I've said, it's not some big mystery. It's all right there.”
Latest single 'Scream Whole' packs an emotional punch of soulful pop, with minimalist hooks and infectious dance rhythms.
As an entity, 'Triage' is a deeply moving ballet of far-reaching parts, strung together by a bouquet of impressive textures, instrumentation and gorgeous poetry, all of which are elevated by Webb's melodically distinctive vocals.
'Triage' is available now.
Methyl Ethel 2019 Tour Dates
Sat 15 Jun - Astor Theatre (Perth)Fri 21 Jun - Forum Melbourne
Sat 22 Jun - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Thu 27 Jun - The Gov (Adelaide)
Fri 28 Jun - The Triffid (Brisbane)
