The Delta Riggs have launched the next chapter of their musical voyage with their third album, 'Active Galactic'.
Releasing their last record, 'Dipz Zebazios', in 2014, The Delta Riggs adopted a philosophy of 'less is more' for the recording of 'Active Galactic', according to bassist Michael 'Monte' Tramonte. “This time we really focused on the songs and playing less,” Monte explains.
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“A lot of the time you come up with a cool guitar part or bassline and you want to put it in just because it's a really cool part. But we had a rule on this album that if you have to think about whether or not it should be there, just don't play it.
“That was the mentality behind everything: unless you came up with a part that just has to be in the song, it's not going in there. So there's a lot more space and a lot more consciousness on that side of things, but that was the main focus for this record. Plus we had more time to record it: we had nine days instead of six.”
In the past, the band have produced their own records. But for 'Active Galactic', The Delta Riggs worked closely with producer (and personal friend of the band) Jason Hollis. “We've never really worked with a producer before and that's not for a lack of want, but we've always written the songs and controlled the sound. We've always wanted to own that and not have any outside, forced influence.”
Interestingly, it was Hollis who first saw the potential for a new Delta Riggs album when he was working with frontman Elliott Hammond and guitarist Alex 'Rudy' Markwell as ghostwriters in LA recently. “Hollis is a friend first and foremost,” Monte says.
“Elliott and Rudy were in LA for a few months writing some songs with him for other people. When they played them for Hollis he said they were awesome and we shouldn't give them away, he said we had the new Delta Riggs record right there and we'd be crazy to give these songs away.
“Those disco songs weren't meant to be ours, but we've made them our songs. He was pivotal in shaping us into thinking those songs could be ours, instead of someone else's. He was also good to have an objective opinion; when we needed him he was there and otherwise we just flowed as we usually would.”
The first single from 'Active Galactic' is 'Surgery Of Love', a song that embodies the more restrained approach to songwriting the band have taken and incorporates the evolved production style that reflects the tight, clean, funk rock that lands somewhere between The Rolling Stones and a night at Studio 54.
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The Delta Riggs will take the new album out for a three-month spin, staying on the road till November. Monte hopes the new material will be greeted with open arms by their fans. “We're a serious band, but we don't take ourselves too seriously,” he says. “There's a lot of funny shit going on in there, but also some nice moments on the record; moments of humility and earnest songwriting, but there's still the fun and joking personality.
“The album's going to be a slow-burn; I think it's going to be one of those things that keeps ticking over and people will start to familiarise themselves with it and get to know it. It will just perpetuate into one of those album's that's great, I hope anyway. That's how we feel about it.”
'Active Galactic' is available now.
The Delta Riggs Shows
Fri 23 Sep - Prince Of Wales (Bunbury)Sat 24 Sep - Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
Thu 29 Sep - The Whalers Hotel (Warrnambool)
Fri 30 Sep - The Gov (Adelaide)
Sat 1 Oct - Karova Lounge (Ballarat)
Sun 2 Oct - SS&A Club (Albury)
Thu 6 Oct - Saloon Bar (Traralgon)
Fri 7 Oct - The Grand Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat 8 Oct - Westernport Hotel (Melbourne)
Wed 19 Oct - Academy Club (Canberra)
Fri 21 Oct - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat 22 Oct - Torquay Hotel
Sun 23 Oct - Evelyn Hotel (Melbourne)
Thu 27 Oct - Wollongong Uni Bar
Fri 28 Oct - Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 29 Oct - Banana Field Music & Arts Festival (Coffs Harbour)
Fri 4 Nov - Entrance Leagues Club (Gosford)
Sat 5 Nov - Mona Vale Hotel
Thu 10 Nov - The Northern (Byron Bay)
Fri 11 Nov - The Triffid (Brisbane)
Sat 12 Nov - Solbar (Sunshine Coast)
Sun 13 Nov - Love Live Music at the 'G 2016 (Melbourne)
