“Here’s a band with a big future in front of them.” Those are the words all young performers want to hear and few receive authentically. For the youthful five-some from Sydney, Australia this prophesy is ringing true.
Bridezilla, which was formed in 2005 when the cats were still in highschool, has in the last few years earned their highschool diplomas, been signed to Ivy League Records (Youth Group, The Vines, Jet), released their self titled EP, played shows with Indie Rockstar bands like Architecture in Helsinki and Wilco, and now are on their way to the ATP festival in New York City before the US release of their EP (out this September).
Holiday Carmen-Sparks heads the group with lead vocals, Pia May is on guitar, Millie Hall is on saxophone and keyboards, Daisy Tully plays violin, and Josh Bush is on the drums. At such a young age Bridezilla is musically mature and their sophistication evolves through the mixing and meshing styles of jazz, grunge, and torch, together producing beautifully earthy tunes.
ATP New York is around the corner on September 11th through the 13th. Tickets are on sale now. I wouldn’t miss it, especially Bridezilla who plays Saturday.
The Aussie duo An Horse has spent the last two years opening up for bands like Tegan and Sara, Death Cab for Cutie, and currently Appleseed Cast. What began with band practices in the record store both Kate Cooper and Damon Cox were employed and small gigs around town quickly turned into touring full time and their debut album Rearrange Beds, which hit on shelves last March on Mom & Pop records.
The band has put out a pensive indie rock album about relationships lost and yet to come. The album rides on a similar hook from start to finish, but remains catchy in its own right. My favorite tune off the album: “Postcards.”
Fend: “Rearrange Beds was called a “killer breakup album” by Spin Magazine, whats your reaction to that?”
Kate: “I’m glad they think its killer as far as breakup record some of the songs had to do with a relationship that ended, but its not a breakup record. I guess if I could go back and change it now I would.”
Fend: “Whats the writing process for you guys?”
Kate: “I write and record at home on my computer and then Damon listens and we make changes together.”
Fend: “The first time I saw you guys you opened up for Tegan and Sara at Terminal 5, what was that experience like?”
Kate: “That tour taught us everything we know. The fans were amazing and it blew me away the crowds were going wild and it was really incredible. I thought maybe they thought we were Tegan and Sara.”
Fend: “Where are you guys headed now?”
Kate: “Nashville, TN”
Fend: “Favorite place to play?”
Kate: “ Cincinnati, the kids are kind of crazy there.”
Fend: “Pre-show routine?”
Kate: “There’s a lot of high kicking, from the days of being bored at the record store. High fiving- we are going for the kind of high five that makes a high pitched snap if you do it right, and we get waters.”
Fend: “An Horse has been on the road for quite some time, any awkward experiences on the road?”
Kate: ” Nothing really awkward, but I do have a story…everyone holds doors open for people here, and I didn’t hold the door for an old lady, and she kind of got stuck in the door and now my friends wont let me live it down.”
April 7th marked the release of a piece of art. Youth Group, the Aussie band most famous for it’s 2006 single “Forever Young”, has done it again with The Night Is Ours. It is the fourth album for the platinum selling band and is a sure stand out from the rest. Tony Martin’s articulate statement of lyric is what distinguishes this Indie Pop Rock band from the rest. With tracks like “Friedrichstrasse” and “What Is A Life?”, it is undeniable that the album branches out into a deeper, darker side of the group yet maintaining the luminescent quality that has always allowed Youth Group to radiate through our hearts. It’s the magic of opposition that keeps us yearning for more from them. They pain your sole while making you smile.
Youth Group will be playing their last night of residency at Pianos for a very low ticketing price. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity, leave weekday evening TV in your living room and venture out to Manhattan’s SOHO. Last week Fend covered the Tuesday night affair and found the small room in Pianos(despite the rain) packed with eager fans. Youth Group played some oldies like “Shadowland” and tracks from their new album, “Two Sides,” “All This Will Pass,” and “A Sign.” Although its clear we are all aging, for a moment even if its brief, you felt as though you really could live forever.
Interview with Youth Group’s Bassist Patrick Matthews:
Fend: Youth Group has taken up residency at Pianos, what are the benefits to a band doing something like that? How has the experience been so far? Where are you guys headed next?
The best thing about the Pianos residency is that we can play in NYC
four weeks in a row and live on the LES for 5 weeks. We’d be drinking at
Pianos anyway so we thought we might as well play a show or four there.
Another advantage of the residency is that you can build up a bit of an
audience over the month and also overcome some of those flukes of timing
that occur on trips – like when it snows the night you hit town and
everyone stays indoors!
We start a cross-country tour in May heading West!
Fend: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals?
The last couple of shows has seen three of us waiting around near the
stage for the fourth member, Danny (drums), to come meet us. We
experimented with an pre-show a capella version of “The Lion Sleeps
Tonight” but it didn’t take as a bonding ritual. It’s still around in
joke-form.
Fend: It has been said that the name Youth Group is a twist on the band Teenage Fanclub, true or false?
It could be true. Seriously tho’, no one remembers how it started – it’s
too long ago. It seems these days the name is meant to spur certain
types of people to say something along the lines of “You don’t look that
young”.
Fend: What inspired The Night is Ours to sound more somber than your past records? How do you think recording the album on a ship effected the tone?
Truth be told we only recorded some nautical noises, some clanging in
the hull, on the boat (a decrepit metal lighthouse-tender). The actual
recording of songs went on in a building, a 1920′s hall, just up the hill
from the ship. This hall overlooked a quiet backwater of Sydney Harbour
where the profoundly unseaworthy boat was moored. I didn’t think, myself
being quite cynical, that the location would have an influence on the sound
of a record – I thought a studio was a studio – but I’m intrigued to this day by
the fact that the album has this watery, echoey mood. It’s a bit of a mystery
but it’s no accident I suppose.
Fend: Youth Group has been together since the late ’90s, how have changes in the music industry since then effected you guys as a band?
The biggest changes in the music industry for me is the democratisation
of music with home-recording on PCs and myspace profiles etc. It’s like
the full realisation of punk. The other thing is the internet and
ipods killing off the CD and record stores. I guess Youth Group is
managing/coping in the digital age. We’ve got at least one member who can
use Pro-Tools and sampling software etc. so we’re not digitally excluded.
But I guess I have a real affinity for bands like The Walkmen who sound
like they’ve never even touched a mouse.
Fend: Acknowledging that all of your work is something to be proud of, do you have an all time favorite song to play live?
April 7th marked the release of a piece of art. 
