With ‘Homecoming’ reaching number one on the ARIA album charts, Central Coast lads Short Stack are pretty happy they’re break-up didn’t last.
After announcing their split three years ago, the guys started talking about writing new material after only a year out, explains drummer Bradie Webb. “Shaun [Diviney] already had a few ideas when he approached me... in 2013, which sounds silly, because we only broke up in 2012, but it just took so long to actually get all the ideas down and make the demos.”
‘Homecoming’ reached number 1 on the ARIA chart at the end of August. “It's probably the most satisfying album really, because we really feel like we put our all into this one. We all individually worked at it so hard, because we knew when we got back together, it wouldn't all be paved out for us; we had to build it back up again.”
Short Stack began when the lads were only 15 years old in 2005 at the height of the ‘emo’ teen subculture. Their new image, nowadays, is a little less The Horrors or Vince Noir and a bit more clean, pop rock. “I think it just happened naturally that as we got older, we didn't want to look like transvestites anymore,” Bradie chuckles. “So it was a natural thing to have shorter hair and not wear as much makeup. Sometimes we have to wear a bit of makeup, because we're getting old.”
They may be at the ripe age of 25 now, but the guys are veterans when it comes to promoting their band interactively. “When we started doing our YouTube shows, and on MySpace, not many bands were making a big thing out of it.”
Short Stack Radio, an interview-style podcast the band started, is charting well on iTunes. “I'm really proud of that, I think it was initially my idea. We all thought it was a little stupid, because when we do interviews for radio, we're normally not very professional. We've had a couple of exclusive interviews: we've had Jessie J and Pitbull – you'll have to listen to find out how it goes.”
They’re definitely keeping things fun, personally delivering pizza to fans who bought their album. “Dominos somehow said yes – I think the fact that me and Andy [Clemmensen] used to work there, when we were younger, helped. It was exhausting, but it was really fun. We also got to design our own pizzas and the fans got to pick from them. Andy's was the best pizza and Shaun's was the worst.”
Bradie cites the band's roots, in an alternative-teen fanbase, as why connecting with fans online has always worked for them. But they’ve recently found themselves defending their originality. “We don't fit into the Triple J market, and we also don't fit into the daytime, Top 40 market. So I do think we have to be quite vocal about the fact that we are [writing everything] – we work quite hard.”
‘Homecoming’ was recorded in London and produced by Chris Kimsey, who has worked with The Rolling Stones and INXS. “His approach to producing was different to what we're used to. He would be less vocal on things, and let us sit on a take for a while. And I think that really helped the sound of the album, which is really raw, really rock. This time we did it all live and tried to do it all in one take.”
Written by Leisa Howlett
Short Stack Tour Dates
Fri 11 Dec - Brothers Leagues Club (Cairns)Sat 12 Dec - The Venue (Townsville)
Sun 13 Dec - Mackay Entertainment Centre Foyer
Wed 13 Jan - Prince Bandroom (Melbourne)
Thu 14 Jan - HQ Complex (Adelaide)
Sat 16 Jan - Astor Theatre (Perth)
Sat 30 Jan - The Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 16 Feb - The Tivoli (Brisbane)
