First exploding onto the Australian music scene in the late 2000s, there aren’t many Aussies who are unfamiliar with The Temper Trap – or at least wouldn’t recognise the thundering, echoing chorus of their unmistakable hit ‘Sweet Disposition’.
The Melbourne four-piece – members Dougy Mandagi, Jonathon Aherne, Toby Dundas and Joseph Greer – are now celebrating ten years since the band dominated airwaves and charts with ‘Conditions’, their debut, and now internationally-acclaimed full-length album.
‘Conditions’ not only brought us a plethora of pop-rock hits including ‘Fader’ and ‘Love Lost’, it also kick-started the contagious hype that surrounded The Temper Trap for many years to come, courtesy of their undeniably talented lead vocalist and guitarist Dougy Mandagi.
Now ten years on, they may have wives, children, and live on opposite sides of the globe, but Mandagi remains as humble as ever by The Temper Trap’s success.
“We all used to live together in London and now we are living so far away from each other. Jonny lives in New York, I live in Berlin, the other two guys are back home in Melbourne, but I think we’re still the same people inside.”
It’s not only geographically that things have changed for The Temper Trap in the decade since ‘Conditions’.
The music industry surrounding them has undergone a metamorphosis, and is almost unrecognisable to the landscape of the decade prior. Their chart-topping debut LP entered the world before the digital age of streaming, and, despite that, lead single ‘Sweet Disposition’ recently passed a whopping 225 million streams on Spotify.
Mandagi couldn’t be more delighted their music still reaches and resonates with fans around the world.
“If streaming wasn’t around and people were still buying records, sure we’d have a lot more money than we do… but, ten years on, people are still streaming the hell out of ‘Sweet Disposition’. It’s great that our music is so accessible nowadays.
“People are definitely purchasing music in a different way, and that has had a massive impact. That landscape has completely changed. But, I think one thing that has remained is the hunger for live music and that’s a great, positive thing. People will still go out to watch someone perform live. It’s an experience that you can’t really substitute with anything else.”
It’s undoubtedly onstage that The Temper Trap have made a name for themselves as icons of the Australian live music scene. Having played in every corner of the globe, it’s hard to believe the group went from one of their first slots at Laneway in 2006 to playing Glastonbury’s John Peel Stage in 2010, followed by supporting and touring with some of the biggest international outfits in Coldplay and U2.
To have the band grace stages in Australia once again with their infectious energy will be a delight for Australian music lovers.
In celebration of the album’s 10th anniversary, they are touring in December, and we can once again bask in the anthemic brilliance of a Temper Trap live show. “We like the studio, but playing live is where we really thrive,” Mandagi says.
“[At the anniversary shows], we’ll be playing the album from front to back and I’m super excited about that. We’ve played the songs a billion times, but it’s never in the same order as the record. Some of the tracks we haven’t played in so long they may as well be new,” Mandagi laughs.
“Songs like ‘Rest’… there is a section that I’m kind of dreading, where I have to just belt out a note and stay on that note for ages!”
As for where Mandagi sees the band in another ten years? “We’ll have put out more material by then, whether it’ll be an album or we’ll take a more modern approach and do singles and EPs, time will tell.
“We have different influences from life experiences, the different places we’ve lived in, and the tricks of the trade we’ve learnt from other producers and musicians. A bunch of us [in the band] are getting into production now, and I’m sure the next time we write together as a band, we’ll all have a lot of production ideas already recorded to bring into the mix. [New music] will be an evolution.”
A limited edition 'Conditions' white vinyl will be released 19 July.
The Temper Trap 2019 Tour Dates
Wed 4 Dec - Forum Theatre (Melbourne)Thu 5 Dec - The Tivoli Theatre (Brisbane)
Sat 7 Dec - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
