BY GEMMA BROSNAN
They have been rocking Australia for over a decade and compared to Coldplay and U2, so when Eskimo Joe hit town next week, it’s bound to evoke excitement.
For those not already familiar with their sound, Eskimo Joe started out as a small town band from Fremantle, Western Australia, doing the rounds on the local scene and releasing two great albums prior to 2005.
But it was their stunning 2006 album, ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine’, that propelled them straight to stardom, urging tour dates across the US and Europe and securing a deal with Warner in Central Europe.
On the verge of releasing album number four and halfway through a European tour, the boys continue to cement their status as a solid, world class act with 2009 shaping up to be their biggest year to date.
Next Wednesday, April 9, they will be showcasing their unique blend of brooding new wave tunes at Koko, Camden, ready to reinforce their reputation as the coolest band around.
Guitarist, Joel Quartermain, took time out from touring for a chat:
Gemma: “You’re currently touring Europe. How’s it all going?”
Joel: “We’ve touring Central Europe at the moment and it’s going really well. We’re over here to test the waters before a bigger tour later this year, but the crowds have been great and diverse - not just Aussie backpackers which is always a good sign - and our German is getting better by the day.”
Gemma: “What has been the highlight of your trip so far?”
Joel: “Vienna which was just amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it, its history and so much beauty, it’s just so different to any city in Australia and completely mind-blowing.”
Gemma: “What are the main differences between the crowds over here compared to back home?”
Joel: “Back home it’s a lot easier as the audience are behind you from the start, they know all the words to the songs and there are at least ten times more people as we’re usually playing concerts.
Over here, we are back to sweaty pub gigs with the audience much closer, but it sharpens you up because you need to win the crowd over which prevents you slipping into cruise control.”
Gemma: “You’ve gone back to enlisting a producer for your new album, ‘Inshalla’ which is due to be released in the UK later this year.
Was there any particular reason you didn’t chose to do it yourselves again, considering the success of self-produced ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine’? And was British producer, Gil Norton, always going to be your number one choice?”
Joel: “Ten years ago when we were starting out and on the road, we were all huge fans of the Pixies and used to dream about the day when we would have the chance to work with Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, Echo and the Bunnymen) so we jumped at the opportunity to work with him. It was a dream come true and an amazing experience.”
Gemma: “You recorded ‘Inshalla’ in Byron Bay. Why Byron and how did it go?”
Joel: “Byron is a paradise and just being in Byron clears your mind and helps you focus.
We were lucky when we were there because the tropical climate meant that, even though it was 30 degrees, it rained every single day, so it kept us inside the studio working instead of being tempted by the beach.”
Gemma: “The title of the album, ‘Inshalla’ translates into ‘god willing’. Is there a story behind the title?”
Joel: “In the very early stage of writing the album, our singer spent five days in Egypt and heard everyone saying this word ‘inshalla’ which literally translates to ‘god willing’ but can be interpreted a number of ways.
For us, it is more about being resigned to fate and accepting what will be will be. It was a turning point for the band when we decided to ease off control and let fate take over, and of course it’s a beautiful word which is another reason why we chose it.”
Gemma: “Eskimo Joe has had a lot of changes between the touring line up and the recording line up. Have you ever considered adding another permanent member to the trio?”
Joel: “We work a bit like the Beastie Boys in that we are a core trio and like to bring other artists into the studio to work with us, but we have such good chemistry between the three of us and a great working relationship so it would be dangerous to try and mess with it.
Gemma: “You have said in the past about previous albums that you are not writing about New York, you’re writing about Fremantle. How important is it for you to stay close to your roots?”
Joel: “It is really important to stay true to your roots as interesting music comes out of the everyday events of everyday lives.
This album brought us back home, but we are at a different stage in our lives now which is why the songs are lighter, but it’s actually much more difficult to create happier songs without sounding cheesy, so we are very pleased with the sound and how the new album has turned out.”
Eskimo Joe play Koko, Camden, Wednesday April 8, 20.00.
Tickets can be purchased from http://www.koko.uk.com/gigs.php?event=707
For more information on future tours and releases, check out http://www.eskimojoe.net
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