In 2013 former Powderfinger member, Ian Haug, joined iconic 1980s Australian rockers The Church. In 2015 the band are set for one of their biggest tours yet.
The Church is a unique band that finds itself cherished as a bona fide legend in the ARIA Hall of Fame while remaining a virtual enigma to the world that knows its name. But maybe that’s no more remarkable than the mystery that continues to unfold within its own ranks.
Their accidental signature tune, 'Under The Milky Way', is like a lighthouse on the brink of a continent forever to be discovered: 25 albums over 35 years and countless diversions that have almost destroyed them a dozen times, yet they always reaffirm a mutual commitment to an uncompromising and unparalleled act of creation.
This year, The Church is set to tour across the world to showcase their newest album, 'Further/ Deeper', as well as their classic record 'The Blurred Crusade'. Ian has been a fan of The Church since he was young, so to have been asked to be a member of the legendary band was a surreal opportunity. “I got a call out of the blue.
"I had been at a funeral for a good friend of mine and was processing it all as I was sitting in traffic. The phone rung and I looked down and it said Steve Kilbey and I thought 'What does he want?'. When I answered the phone, he said 'If I asked you to join The Church what would you say?' and I said 'I'd probably say yes', and he said 'Okay, see ya' and he hung up.
"I was like, 'What was that?' “Then we had a jam and I was in. He just wanted to check with me before he put it to the rest of the band. It just seemed to work straight away – we had a play and started writing tunes and here we are two years later. It was pretty freaky – they were a band that I grew up loving. I was in high school when I was listening to them.”
This particular tour will aim to unite old fans with newer ones, encouraging nostalgia with their array of classic hits. “'The Blurred Crusade' was one of my favourite records of the time. I guess we're gonna get a lot of fans from that period come along for nostalgic reasons, then the newer fans will get to hear the record that they didn't hear back then.
“I think it's pretty widely accepted – it was a pretty groundbreaking record at the time, and a pretty good record. [The tour] will be once in a lifetime because of that portion. Then we'll be playing songs off the new record as well as some general hits. It'll be a pretty long show, which is good for the fans as well.”
When asked about the The Church's 35-year history, Ian says: “They've always done music they want to do. They've had some bad times and they've managed to get through it. They had a fall out, and they get past these massive hurdles.
"They get through it somehow, and I guess they don't do music for the money, because you just can't do music for the money. They're doing it because they love it, and I think that's why they've been going on for so long now.”
How long they keep continuing who knows; but one things for sure, the band will continue to play live. “[I'm looking forward to] playing for full houses, playing for people that are old fans and trying to get them into the new record if they're not there already. I like playing live generally, and with these guys it's pretty musically inspiring and it's pretty trippy to be a part of it, so I'm looking forward to making a racket every night.”
'Further/Deeper' is available now.
The Church Tour Dates
Fri 10 Jul - 170 Russell (Melbourne)Sat 11 Jul - The Gov (Adelaide)
Thu 16 Jul - Settlers Tavern (Margaret River)
Fri 17 Jul - Prince Of Wales (Bunbury)
Sat 18 Jul - The Rosemount (Perth)
