The Fumes, a two-piece blues-rock band, have a new album in the works, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“Recording the last album; it's been a bit of a struggle because of the breakdown of the band,” singer/ guitarist Steve Merry admits. “[We had] some personal issues while trying to record an album. But we've come out the other end alive.”
Three years after changing drummers (Joel Battersby was replaced by Jacob Mann), The Fumes will release new material later this year. Steve confirms a release date for the album will be announced by the end of the month. “It's been a big change. We are very much capable of doing more, focusing on a broader scope of music. We are not just an Australian blues and roots band.
“Without giving too much away it's very different while still being similar. It's a different colour, it has a couple of different people on it, we want to have some surprises for the fans.”
Another change to the group’s sound has been the addition of a bass player to their studio recordings. “We've been a two-piece for twelve years, so having a bass player really lets us open things up a bit and we can do a lot more, but we still go back to the two-piece throughout the [live] set. We're not a blues band, but there is a strong blues aspect that will never go away.”
The next step for the band is to back-up their latest recordings with even more studio work. “We'll be releasing more music without such a big gap in between. It's been a long three years, but we are in a good place to make more music. We'd love to hit the international scene again soon as well.”
Though Steve may have to keep his hotel room locked to avoid another embarrassing situation. “I was locked out of my hotel naked when I slept-walked. I found myself in a back alley, and had to convince the concierge to let me back to my room.”
The Fumes will headline the Mojo Burning Festival at The New Globe Theatre Saturday March 15.
