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ON THE COUCH WITH: The Avenues

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ARTIST INTERVIEW

Access All Areas.net.au: So tell us your story thus far, how you got to where you are now?

The Avenues: The band getting together was a real accident. Cain was recording some of his solo songs whilst on an extended break from Cartman(Still on Hiatus), and I was helping him with that and we got on really well. We shared some songs that we both had, and played some acoustic shows together. Then we came a three piece band by default with the drummer I lived with at the time joining. Then about a year later Andy joined and all of a sudden we were touring as the Avenues, pretty strange really as neither Cain or myself had planned to start another band. The Avenues just sort of happened which is the thing I enjoy the most, it just morphed out of nothing and now here we are with a Record deal and touring around Australia, I feel very lucky.

The Avenues: My mum and Dad liked each other very much, and one day my Dad sat on a chair in the lounge for a long time. When he had finished his sit he got up and left. My mum then sat down on the chair where my dad had been sitting and 9 months later I arrived in a small raffia type box.
I think that story explains how I have got to where I am now. Mentally, and professionally.

Access All Areas.net.au: The Avenues are an independent band, do you feel you have more control over your career as an independent band?
The Avenues: You definitely have more control. Absolutely no money what so ever to do anything with, but, Oooohh the freedom to make a film clip in your own sweet arse time. It is nice having someone like Rubber records behind you. They are a wonderful bunch of people who I’m sure would give up a kidney to help The Avenues record our debut album in the Bahamas? Anyone? No? Anyone?

Access All Areas.net.au: Can you tell us a bit about your music?
The Avenues: This has to be the hardest question to answer without sounding like an idiot. Well, we all have very different musical backgrounds so each song has a bit of each of us in it, which creates the Avenues “sound” for the want of a better word. Playing live is what all musicians enjoy the most and the energy that comes across when you play live give the songs a different feel to a studio recording

Access All Areas.net.au: The last cd you released was your debut EP last year. You’re releasing your second EP in June this year, can you tell us a bit about that and how it will differ to your debut?
The Avenues: The Debut Ep was recorded almost two years ago now, and at the time we were just a three piece and they were the first batch of songs we had written. Two and half years on we are now a four piece and Andy is doing 99% of the singing instead of Cain, which gives the band a different sound. We also have a new Drummer Shaun Sibbes of Spencer Tracey fame. Our old drummer (Judas Iscariot) is now drumming for another great Perth band End of Fashion. So a few personnel changes later and some fairly new reworked songs and we finally have a new EP out in June which we are really happy with.

Access All Areas.net.au: How would you choose to describe your music to someone who was unfamiliar with it?
The Avenues: Very very carefully

Access All Areas.net.au: Which artists are you and/or your music influenced by?
The Avenues: I think I’ll just name some favourite bands at random, “Spoon”, “Wilco”, “SparkleHorse”, “Grandaddy”, ”Radiohead”, “Whoops Mrs Miggins, You’re stepping on my artichokes,” The Shags” and my personal favourite, just for the name “Who’s Playing with Beattie Bow”

Access All Areas.net.au: What has been the major highlight or highpoint for you thus far?
The Avenues: For me personally, I’d have to say NOT going to Iraq to play for the troops with the Avenues as I was rather suddenly diagnosed with an acute case of “Notbecomingahostageandbeingrapedrepeatedly-itis”

Access All Areas.net.au: You’re a fairly young band having only formed in 2003, but yet you’ve already been on tour with other killer bands such as Little Birdy, The Sleepy Jackson, Eskimo Joe, Screamfeeder, End Of Fashion… the list goes on. What’s it like playing with such big name bands and how does it differ to your smaller shows?
The Avenues: Yes, having friends in more successful bands than you really does pay of sometimes! We have had some really great shows, with some of our favourite bands, so we have been very lucky. When we toured with Eskimo Joe it was quite strange as we all hang out a fair bit in Perth and at the time Andy, myself and Joel(Eskimo Joe) all lived together. So every time you arrived in a new town or a new venue it was just like being at home again. The bigger venues we played over east were very receptive to our music, and it felt just like playing a show at the Rosemount in Perth, very intimate and a great vibe.

Access All Areas.net.au: When a fan goes to one of your shows, what can they expect?
The Avenues: Cain will sweat more than any other living animal known to man, Andy will be moving around so much you’ll think he’s got tourettes, I’ll be spread- legged in the corner refusing to use any more energy on moving my body than is required and Sibbesy will be thrashing the drums to within an inch of there lives, with rhythm. Oh yeah the songs will be quite enjoyable to.

Access All Areas.net.au: What has been a major stepping stone for getting you where you are today?
The Avenues: I think just keeping at it is the key. The main thing is that you have to enjoy what you do, if other people on mass love what you do as well, then that’s just a bonus for me. “If were heading in the right direction, all we have to do is…….. keep on walking.” David Brent.

Access All Areas.net.au: What are your plans from here?
The Avenues: Hopefully do a couple of tours of the eastern states, and sell as many copies of the EP”SLOW MOVING,” so we can eat next week. Then we are hoping to start on our debut album by the end of the year which we are really excited about, mostly because we will actually have some real money to spend on it, and a producer. After that I’m quietly confident that a seat on ASIO’ s board will be offered to me with no real resistance from the public. Then who knows?????????????????????????????

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Forming in early in 2003, The Avenues have since toured the nation supporting the likes of The Music, The Mess Hall, Little Birdy, The Sleepy Jackson, Gyroscope, Bodyjar, Screamfeeder, Even and End of Fashion.

Since their formation The Avenues' music has literally demanded the attention of audiences, critics, and record companies alike. The songs are immediate, fresh and catchy as hell. And with a live performance to match, it’s not hard to see why Rubber Records couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put this record out.

Featuring the songs "COMPANY" and "BURY ME STANDING" as the first two singles from their self-titled debut EP, The Avenues received high rotation on Triple J along with a swag of other radio support from NOVA, RADIO ADELAIDE, FBI, 3PBS, RRR and SYN FM. With video play also in the mix on Channel V, MTV and Rage, The Avenues made their mark with their debut EP and are now back to confirm what all the hype was about, with their follow up EP ‘Slow Moving’.

Delivering a sound that will draw you in and keep you lingering until the last note has played, ‘Slow Moving’ is packed with gold, there are no filler tracks here!

With track 4 ‘Gold and Grey’ having already received air play on Triple J The ‘Slow Moving’ EP release will coincide with the second single and title track ‘Slow Moving’. The single ‘Slow Moving’ is a perfect example of The Avenues addictive and romantic rock sound, with catchy vocals and karaoke inspiring lyrics. It’s a track you’ll be humming hours after you last heard it!

www.theavenues.com.au

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MY FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Mental As Anything
It's a pretty horrible one actually. On the Australian Made Tour in, it was about 87' - 88'. There was us, there was Barnsey (Jimmy Barnes), The Models, The Divinyls. You know it was a really fun tour actually, and we were sharing a brass section with The Models and the guy... One of the brass players he was fairly frail, he was quite young and he had a pacemaker and he actually collapsed and died during our set which was rather disturbing. It would be the most memorable but, only because it was so unpleasant. I would have to say that one sticks out for me.

What's your ideal festival line-up?
Gee, that's a hard one. It's pretty good these day's they have guys like Neil Young coming out, and it's good. It shouldn't be a real generational thing. There are still a lot of good musicians that have inspired a lot of the younger bands and I think that it's nice that they put these guys on the bill. It's an economic thing, obviously a lot of people want to see them but, I think it's also good for the younger people to see where a lot of this kinda stuff came from in the first place. I think the bills are pretty good actually.

Also, with the older bands and artists playing at shows it's a big thing for the younger ones because they have been inspired by that performer and seeing them play and being able to play along aside them is a big kick.
Yeah, I think it's great and as long as they can still cut the mustard, I've heard that on some occasions they have been a bit disappointing but, they really have got there acts together these guys if they are still doing it. It's pretty obvious when they aren't. I sort of jokingly say "I'm getting the hang of it now", because I sort of am really, It's taken awhile but, you kinda have to be a bit more professional as you get older about doing it because, you need to be. It's amusing to see the 20yr old guys staggering around drunk on stage, that's kinda entertaining. But, when you get older it's not such a good look. You need to start thinking about being a bit more professional and getting your act together a bit.

The fall of the aging rock star.
Haha Yeah, that's your job. If you want to keep doing it you need to stay reasonably healthy. I swim, I try and swim some laps everyday. That's how I occupy myself on tour. I've got to find out where the pool is otherwise I get a bit twitchy if I don't get to do my laps every day. You start to realize if you don't have your health you don't have anything. It's true of anybody but, particularly for entertainers if you let yourself go, your in trouble.

What's your most favourite artist you have seen at a festival?
I would have to say Roy Orbison. I saw him only a couple of year's before he died. I couldn't believe it. He had already had the open heart surgery and, he had a shocking life the poor guy. He's always been a hero of mine. I actually got to see him, which was a big thrill.

What are your tips for attending a festival?
I don't know. My kids are going to them kind of regularly and they seem to have a good time. I think the main thing is you need to get in early if you want to get ticket's to these things, because they seem to sell out really fast. They are really popular and just enjoy them.