I just want to say, sorry Kim, I was so bloody hungover that day...but no excuse, it was the WORST bloody interview I've ever done, and I love these guys so much, though thankfully not as much as Cut Copy, and they're also heaps better looking than old Kim and Jules...
WARNING: If ever you interview an electro-pop muso (oh sorry, "artist") don't tarnish their egos by implying that it's all just about laptop pop
PRE-SETTLED
“Are you asking me out on a date?” asks an incredulous, Kim Moyes of The Presets, at one point in the conversation we’re having about the guys’ new album, Apocalypso.
I would certainly be lucky to get a night out with one half of the latest “it” bands, as these hard-working lads seem to be doing a gig practically every night. What, with shows jam packed from here to overseas and more to follow throughout the year, it doesn’t seem a date would be able to fit in the diary.
“We are exclusive Qantas Club members,” he agrees of his extensive schedule. “we kept getting offered festivals, tour supports and gigs and stuff.”
It’s obviously paid off, with the guys becoming somewhat of a hit across the shores.
“It’s going sort of well over there,” Moyes modestly concedes. “the album’s going to be brought out in the States and then the UK and Europe.”
Apocalypso is the highly anticipated follow up to The Presets’ debut, Beams, and is very much characteristic of their previous release of catchy ballads noir.
“We’re a pretty intense couple of dudes, we’re a pretty dark band” says Moyes of their style. But still: “we’ve always made music to party to.”
From their debut into the musical world with such hits as, “Girl and the Sea” and “Are You the One” (“That’s kind of an ironic question, cos there is no one, just lots of potentials…”) the guys look set to follow up their previous successes with their latest release.
From their latest ambient single, “This Boy’s In Love”, to others such as “Kicking and Screaming”, the album encapsulates what is now recognised as The Presets unique sound.
“People would get too much of a shock if they buy the record and discover four golden country greats.”
So after gaining a familiar sound, and a strong following, Moyes and fellow bandmate, Julian Hamilton have worked out the winning formulae to success, and drive this outward confidence forward in Apocalypso.
“We’ve sort of worked on the idea that we had a couple of years ago and sharpened them up.” Moyes says of their new musical insight. “Certainly after touring and playing in front of people for a couple of years, you get a really strong sense of what works and what doesn’t work in front of a crowd and that informs the way you write your music.”
Having been touring with the likes of Duran Duran and Queens of the Stone Age during the V Festival, the stellar lineup sounds like it would be most artists (not to mention fans) wet dream.
Moyes, however, remains one cool customer. “I don’t have any great desires to play with anyone. They’re just a bunch of old bands.”
When pressed for gossip, he is dismissive, admitting that they’re just not the band for after parties anymore. “When I do a festival or a gig, I get there an hour before I have to play and then just leave straight away.” Says Moyes. “We just do it so much and have been for such a long time that now all we want to do is just get home and go to sleep.”
And therein lies some of the reluctance felt by Moyes in this embarkment into mass celebrity.
“We’ve definitely worked very hard for all of this, and then its like: ‘how the fuck did this all happen?’” he admits. “Why did we want this? At the time it seemed like such a great idea and now all I can think about is dinner and sleeping.”
Further dispelling the myth around rock stardom he adds: “I thought it was going to be drugs and girls and parties and champagne and expensive cars, but all it is is perpetual tiredness and constant hunger”
This may ultimately be the price that must be paid when you life mainly revolves around touring but it’s still about the music, and the show must go on, even for the fatigued.
“Now our album’s out we go into rehearsals for a couple of weeks, then we go to the States in June; then we come back and do a big album tour around Australia, then probably back overseas to do a bunch of festivals we’ve been offered…” On and on he lists their up and coming plans for the year, yet there is definite excitement in his voice in the prospect of introducing the world to Apocalypso.
“There’s something on there for all situations in people’s lives. I hope people take it on and have a really good time with it.”
And if Moyes’ anticipation is anything to go by, Apocalypso will be the album that transcends time, even being a catalyst in the creation of history.
“I hope they can look back in a few years when they’ve got kids and they can go through their collection and go ‘wow what’s this great record, who’s this?’ And they can go, ‘well this is The Presets, this is how I met your father.’”
Told you so (and judge yourself by the photo)... guess what? we never got round to that date...
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