We chat to Sydney folk duo The Falls about their new EP Hollywood, the video for "Home", forming the band, their upcoming tour and much more... read on!
You’ve recently released the video for “Home”. Where did the inspiration for the clip come from?
The real inspiration for the clip came from director Johnny Welch. We really wanted to do something different with our video clip and so let Johnny’s imagination run wild. He had some great insights into the lyrics that he explored in a much darker way than I think most people expected.
What were your intentions for the video? What message did you want it to get convey?
We don’t like to talk much about the themes in the clip as we would really like people to draw their own conclusions. I guess we wanted the video to challenge peoples’ perceptions of the song and we think Johnny did that beautifully. The video raises the idea of escapism, and that we often dream of a life different to the one we have. That sometimes you need to accept what life presents you with and recognise that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere. Maybe, where you are is exactly where you’re supposed to be. Home.
You’ve also got your debut EP Hollywood is set to be released on August 3. What can we expect to hear on the record?
We really wanted to capture a little bit of the magic of the Hotel Hollywood on the EP, so we recorded the reverbs down in the bowels of the Hotel in the men’s toilets. Now there is a little bit of porcelain reverb, or pee-verb as we’ve been calling it, on every track!
How did you go about the recording process? Where did you do it / who did you work with...
We recorded the EP live to tape with producer Tony Buchan at BJB Studio’s in Sydney, which sadly now no longer exists. We did one of the very last sessions there, which made it quite an emotional experience. Everyone involved in the recording had worked on other projects at BJB and it was the last time any of us would record there again. The last track we recorded was HOLLYWOOD. It’s a song that already has a melancholia about it, but recording the vocals in the darkened studio during our last few hours there had such a finality about it that really struck all of us.
The Falls has formed in an interesting way – a break up led to a great musical partnership! How did you guys decide to work together musically?
Since we first met, we have been writing music together. When things were good we wrote songs, when things were bad we wrote songs. So, I guess in the end, we didn’t want to lose the one thing about us that really worked, and that was the music. We both bring different things to our music and we can’t imagine doing this without each other. Now that we are not together, writing feels even easier as we seem to approach each other with a new confidence… we don’t hold back any ideas now and challenge each other more. I think it’s giving our songs a new strength.
Was it odd writing songs about each other with each other or did it just come naturally?
When we are working on songs we don’t really talk about the deeper content of the lyrics. I guess that’s why we say that ‘we subconsciously documented our whole relationship in our songs’…. It is always almost unsaid between us. Sometimes, it is not until we are in the recording studio that the meaning behind a lyric becomes clear, as we listen to the other record the vocal.
What are your musical backgrounds?
Simon and I met when we were both studying at The Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. I studied classical saxophone and he studied guitar. Worlds away from the music we make now!
Besides your personal experiences, what are the major influences for your music?
The music we listen to has been a huge influence on the way we write. When we were writing these songs we were listening to a lot of music from the mid to late 60’s and early 70’s like Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds and Neil Young and I think this is reflected in the way we harmonise together.
How would you describe your style?
raw-honest-indie-folk
You’ve got a national tour approaching as well, which places are you looking forward to playing at?
We will be joining Passenger on his Australian Winter Tour, which will be taking us to almost every Australian capital city. I guess we are most looking forward to playing in Perth, Hobart and Adelaide as it will be our first time playing in those cities.
What has been your most memorable moment as a band to date?
I think when we realized that us breaking up as a couple, was not the end of the band and we decided to make this record.
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The EP Hollywood is released tomorrow. Tickets to their national tour are on sale now and the full list of dates is below. Don't miss their extra special Sydney show.
The duo will be recreating their debut EP Hollywood live in Sydney on August 11. Melinda and Simon will be accompanied by a full band + string quartet and they will also be joined by Andy Fiddes on flugelhorn. Tickets are very limited.
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Sat 4th Aug
Official EP Launch with special guests Dan and Hannah Acfield
The Empress Hotel
714 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North Tickets $10 + bf from http://www.musicglue.com/thefalls/ or $12 on the door
18+ Doors at 7.30pm
Sun 5th Aug
Pure Pop Records
221 Barkly St, St Kilda Free
All ages, Doors at 4.00pm
Sat 11th Aug
Official EP Launch with special guest Stu Larsen
Hellen Rose Schauersberger Laboratorium Sydney
17 Waterloo St, Surry Hills Tickets $15 + BF from www.musicglue.com/thefalls/ or $18 on the door
18+ Doors open at 8pm
Thu 16th Aug
The Hi- FI
Supporting Passenger
123 Boundary Street, West End Tickets available from http://www.thehifi.com.au or Moshtix
18+ Doors 7.30pm
Fri 17th Aug
The Hi- FI
Supporting Passenger
Entertainment Quarter Building 220, 122 Lang Road, Moore Park Tickets available from http://
www.thehifi.com.au or Moshtix
All ages, Doors 7.30pm
Wed 22nd Aug
The Rosemount
Supporting Passenger
459 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth Tickets available from http://www.heatseeker.com.au
18 + Doors 8pm
Thur 23rd Aug
Fowlers
Supporting Passenger
68 North Terrace (opposite City Skate Park) Tickets available from http://www.moshtix.com.au
All Ages, Doors 8pm
Fri 24th Aug
The Hi-Fi
Supporting Passenger
125 Swanston Street, Melbourne Tickets available from http://www.thehifi.com.au or Moshtix
18+ Doors 7.30pm
Sat 25th Aug
The Waratah Hotel
Supporting Passenger
272 Murray Street, Hobart
Tickets available from http://www.oztix.com.au
18+ Doors 9pm
http://www.musicfromthefalls.com