Writing songs via Skype is not the ideal process when creating an album, but for The Datsuns they make the most of their situation as each band member lives in a different country.
“This time we didn’t have very much time to do the record, because we all live in different parts of the world and there’s logistics and families and money,” guitarist Christian Livingstone says.
“Whenever we get together it’s for very short periods of time. Before we did this record we said ‘look, we don’t have very much time, so we all need to be on the same page’.”
The Datsuns are currently on tour promoting their new album, ‘Deep Sleep’, and are set to perform in Australia in December. “The new album has been received really well. People really like it. The album has the kind of songs that people want to hear from us. We are trying to distill the dancing vibe into 34 minutes of hot, slightly psychedelic rocking.”
With most members scattered across the world, the band decided before recording the album what they wanted to accomplish. “We came up with a manifesto of sounds and a style we wanted to achieve with the record. We talked about that beforehand and we set a goal and we went out and did it. That is something we have never done before with a record; we decided what kind of record we wanted to make before we started.”
Christian has noticed a considerable development of their overall sound from when the band first formed. “In context of rock and roll, I think we’ve done quite a few different things that in our sixth record you can definitely hear an evolution in the band sound ... it kind of explores a few different avenues and tries different things.
“I think the interesting thing about this new record is that it is quite cohesive. Some of our other records are quite varied. We’ve tried lots of different kinds of rock and roll, but this one is quite a coherent statement in terms of the [sound] and style.
“We wanted to do an album that would stylistically and sonically fit between the periods of 1968-1973, we wanted to aim for that vibe. [The band] wanted to be ‘70s rocking but a lot more sonically of that period. I think we pulled it off.”
The group have a busy touring schedule ahead, but are happy they’re back living life on the road. “[Touring] is great, it’s what we like doing. We’ve been on tour for a while now and that’s what we enjoy doing. I think that’s where The Datsuns excel the best. We enjoy playing shows and touring.
“I don’t get sick of playing shows, I get sick of long travelling and not much sleep and being away from your family. Those bits aren’t as much fun, but the actual playing of shows is something you don’t get sick of.”
With the music industry ever changing, Christian notes it is getting harder to become a full-time musician. “The band was our full-time job for nearly ten years, and it has only been in the last few years that we have had to find other things to do to keep going because the money has kind of evaporated.
“There are plenty of great bands making great music out there, it’s just really hard for bands to make a living anymore. Basically now, thanks to the internet, everyone thinks music is free. It’s very hard to make money … you just have to do it because you love it which is what we do.
“We’ve always loved doing it, and we still do. Music is now devalued financially and culturally which is really sad, but there is nothing we can do about it now, we just have to make the best of it.
“Play music that you love but not because you think you are going to make money from it. Who knows, you might get lucky and make loads of money. Do it because you want to do it.”
Written by Laura Kirkwood
The Datsuns Tour Dates
Thu 4 Dec - Republic Bar (Hobart)Fri 5 Dec - Ding Dong (Melbourne)
Sat 6 Dec - Crowbar (Brisbane)
Sun 7 Dec - Factory Floor (Sydney)
Wed 10 Dec - Jive (Adelaide)
Thu 11 Dec - Leisure Inn (Rockingham)
Fri 12 Dec - Prince Of Wales Hotel (Bunbury)
Sat 13 Dec - The Astor Lounge (Perth)
Sun 14 Dec - Railway Hotel (North Fremantle)
