After a crazy few years touring America, returning to Brisbane, enduring writer’s block, working horrible part-time jobs and then finally recording their latest album in a shed, Violent Soho have returned in 2013 on their own terms.
“We said to whoever wanted to get involved that this is what we're going to do and if you want to be involved, great, but if you don't then fuck off,” says Luke Boerdam, the group’s frontman. “And so I think it's that mentality with that album and having the space to experiment in the studio that paid off in a big way.”
It certainly has paid off with the group’s 'Hungry Ghost' already featured in a number of Best Albums Of 2013 lists. “We're used to putting records out and people calling it lame grunge revival or some shit – and it's like, ‘Fuck you, that's not what we're trying to do’. Like it or hate it we just made this album for ourselves.
“That's why we have such a widespread range of music. Some of it's awesome, some of it's really clear and defined, and really delivers on what it's trying to do, and some of it's just shit and shallow because it's not written from the artist's point of view, it's written for other people.”
After early success, the band were randomly spotted by Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore and signed to his label, Ecstatic! Peace. But the group spent a long time trying to please fans as well as enduring a chaotic tour schedule across America. There was little chance to experiment and write, especially when the band encountered interference from the record label's distributor, Universal Motown.
“So in the end we were in a deal where Thurston Moore was running the show and touring. Universal Motown was in a state of… not complete collapse, but changing how things work. They tried to step in and control a lot of things and that's kind of not what we signed up for. On top of that we kind of wanted to come home.”
It turns out coming home to Brisbane was exactly what the band needed to get back on their feet. “We went home and got some part-time jobs and got back into reality. And after what we had been through we decided this is how we wanted to do it and we put our feet on the ground, and said, ‘This is how the band's going to run in terms of labels and management’. And we surrounded ourselves with the right people and that really helped. And then the writing just started coming along after two and a half years.”
What also helped Violent Soho find the right balance was signing with independent Australian label, I Oh You. “The way we've always looked at record deals on any label is like, ‘So you guys like our band?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Okay, so you'll give us money to make a record and we don't have to pay it back if the album sucks?’ ‘No, you don't have to pay it back.’ ‘And you'll let us do whatever we want in a studio?’ ‘Yep.’ ‘Ok, cool let's make a deal. I'll take your 20 grand and make a record and if you make money, awesome, and if you don't make money, I guess we won't get to do another record together.’
“And I Oh You just delivered on that promise. They let us work how we wanted to work, we told them the plan, we said we'd go do it in Brisbane, we'd go do it in a shed and that's how we work, and if you don't like it you can go find another band and make a dance album or something.”
Violent Soho Tour Dates
Falls Festival
Dec28- Jan 01 Lorne, VIC (18+ event)Dec29 - Jan01 - Marion Bay, Tas (All ages)
Dec31 - Jan 03 - Byron Bay, NSW (18+ event)
The Big Day Out
Sun Jan 19 — Metricon Stadium (Gold Coast)Fri Jan 24 — Flemington Racecourse (Melbourne)
Sun Jan 26 — Sydney Showgrounds
Fri Jan 31 — Bonython Park (Adelaide)
Sun Feb 02 — Claremont Showgrounds (Perth)
