Perch Creek's Gold Shop is an eclectic take on a Dubai heist. One of the more unusual subjects to pay homage to, Perch Creek's own quirks and instrumental strength makes them the an unlikely, but perfect fit for such a track. A frolicking ride with serious vocals, combined with 70s inspired backing, makes this a ride you'll be itching to repeat. The tune rocks along, twisting the intriguing tale of the aforementioned heist, and takes the listener on a journey of seriously epic proportions. Perch Creek is a band easily recognised, and staying true to their individuality is paying off.
You've turned somewhat of a corner with this album compared to some of your previous tracks, did the sound evolve naturally or was it a decision to change things up?
The bluegrass and showy tunes in our live sets had started to feel a bit repetitive, and we wanted to make a bunch of new songs that were different. We set out with the intention of being open-minded and rolling with different ideas that came up while we were jamming. We started writing this album in the middle of a UK tour, in a rented house in Wales. Listening to and playing the songs now I can see how it was a natural evolution too, there is still a similar vibe and spirit there that must be inherent in Perch Creek!
Just to get it out of the way, can you briefly explain where the name Perch Creek comes from?
Perch Creek is the name of a little creek that runs around the property where four of us grew up, in Midginbil, Northern NSW - a place with no shops, and a cow to human ratio of about 5:1. We started out as kids and used to be called The Perch Creek Family Jugband (band name chosen by our Mum: cute!) and a few years ago decided we were officially grown-ups now and it was time to strip it back to a more simple and less limiting version.
The new album is self-titled, why did you decide to release it this way?
We were looking for a title for the album, scouring song names and lyrics, but nothing was meaningful or relevant enough. We then thought about releasing it as a self-titled album and that felt perfect. It's our first release under [our] new name Perch Creek.
Gold Shop is a serious groove, but it's got such an interesting back story, too. Can you explain the concept a little more?
We performed in Dubai a few years ago at the most random of gigs - a shopping festival, in a deserted mall with a pyramid/pharaoh theme; you can only imagine. We learnt there had actually been a robbery there in 2007, complete with stolen Audis smashing through glass doors. This story, combined with the unbelievable bling of the "gold capital", Dubai, got us to writing this song. We let the story expand in a more surreal way when coming up with the video clip. The song is about a gold shop heist, when a moustachioed 1970s dude (singer Eileen's male alter ego) gets unknowingly framed by a sneaky criminal woman (who turns out to be his own alter ego) - it's narrative genius on par with Scooby Doo.
The accompanying clip is very retro, very 70s, and very cool - who came up with the concept and how did it evolve?
We knew we wanted a lot of action, with street chases through the Coburg North industrial area and we knew we needed 70s outfits - [they] were not optional. James [bass] showed us the Beastie Boys Sabotage clip for inspiration and from there we took the concept to Sasha Kane (of Honey Edit), and we worked together developing the script and character ideas. My brother Christi has a [Holden] Kingswood, vintage BMW motorbike, and a Volkswagen Transporter, so we were all set to go with vehicles that looked the part. We asked the owner of a Gold Shop in Preston if we could film there, he said he might be dead by the time filming day came around but if not, then yes. Luckily for us he was still alive and kicking.
The vocals are shared amongst all five members, how do you manage so many voices without the tracks sounding crowded?
The lead vocals are shared between Eileen, Lear, and Christi Hodgkins, however we all sing harmonies in most of the songs. With four of us being siblings, there is a similar sound in our voices that really blends together. I think this helps with it not sounding too angular.
Being a family band, how do the dynamics of being related impact your art?
With our writing process I feel the dynamics of being related have been really positive and helpful. We wrote this album collaboratively, with musical jams and lots of lyric brainstorm exercises, including stream of consciousness writing. We would take turns reading aloud what we had written, which was really confronting at times. It was cool getting more practice at letting go and braving it with a close group of people - even though we pay out on and often criticise each other's ideas: you know it's a family thing. Being related does mean we can lean towards complacency sometimes, it's easy to make excuses not to rehearse, and easy to slip into engrained roles, but overall we are a pretty good unit.
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