In just one week, UK post-rock legends Maybeshewill tour Australia for the first time, with support from Sydney’s Solkyri & fellow locals We Lost The Sea. It’s an exciting, powerful package for fans of post-rock and one that comes just in time for the release of the new Maybeshewill record ‘Fair Youth’ which I personally consider to be their finest and most focused work yet.
We haven’t heard much about the UK act over here in Australia over the years, so I got the chance to speak with the band ahead of their tour, as well as the new album, past tours with LITE & DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN as well as their recent forays into the Ukrain & Russie.
For full tour dates, visit here https://www.facebook.com/events/650246608395449/
Watch the band’s new video for ‘In Amber’ here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lIGGvhGz3I
Hi there, whom am I speaking to and what do you do?
Hello, my name is Jamie and I play bass in and produce Maybeshewill
It’s the first time Maybeshewill have ventured to Australia, what’s taken so long & why the decision to make it down?
Yes, both as a band and individually. Maybeshewill has been an organic steady growth and this is the first time it’s been a realistic option for us. It’s somewhere we’ve always wanted to be able to visit so it’s great to have the opportunity.
You’ve recently released Fair Youth, tell us a bit about what makes this different from your previous efforts
Fair Youth is more of a dreamy textual record than our previous albums. Over the years our tastes have changed and we grew a little less interested in guitar music. On this record we tried to expand our sonic palette a little and recorded quite an electric range of instruments. From Cello to Euphonium. Ironcially in the end we probably ended up recording more guitar parts than the last record. It’s a very layered sound.
You recently signed with Superball Music after a long period being independent, how did that decision come about?
Maybeshewill still retains a lot of independence, we still self manage and produce our selves. Superball is home to several great bands we’ve toured with over the years and when they offered to put out the record we felt that perhaps now was the right time to put our trust in someone who can hopefully make our music reach a little farther
You’ve been playing some controversial and difficult countries such as the Ukraine and Russia – how have they gone?
The shows in both were great, really wild. It was the first time we really ventured east in russia which was very exiting but a little worrying and pretty gruelling. I’m not entirely sure why but the former soviet block is where we play the biggest shows. The Russian tour offer came in quite a while back, seeing the situation deteriorate was pretty nerve wracking. We did consider cancelling.
This tour you’re embarking on must be your biggest to date – so many shows! How do you make it all work, financially, mentally, physically?
It is yes, none of the blocks are actually the longest we’ve done but it’s the largest collection of shows we’ve ever embarked upon. We’ve toured together for quite a while now so we’re a relatively tight unit. Touring has lots of extreme highs and lows.
Having been around the world – what’s next for Maybeshewill to achieve?
I’m not too sure at the moment, I think we’re going to be doing even more touring next year. I’m not quite sure of the head space we’ll be in after completing this behemoth. Travelling can be very inspiring but touring can become a little monotonous. I think we’re just keen to survive this tour and then see what comes.
Do you consider your music to be progressive? Here at OzProg we have a broad definition – where do you see your music sitting globally?
To an extent, with Maybeshewill we often tend to cut out any fat and be quite succinct but I think with instrumental music there’s always an element of progressiveness as you can’t really rely on traditional pop structure. Never really being able to write a verse forces you to think creatively.
Tell us a bit about what it was like touring with Dillinger Escape Plan.
It was a really fun tour. The longest single block we’ve done actually but it ended up being very easy going. DEP are road hardened machine so the tour was planned excellently. Beforehand I was worried we were going to be chasing a tour bus around Europe on no sleep, playing to a hostile audience but that wasn’t the case at all. We usually went down well, I think if your into DEP you’re approaching music with a pretty open mind. I particularly enjoyed getting an insight into how much thought they put into their show, from designing the lighting to creating a playlist to build to the show. Everything is set in place to make things go off.
Any favourite tours you’ve done or would like to do?
My personal favourite was the European co headline tour we did with Japanese band LITE. They’re a really awesome band and excellent human beings. There was a little bit of a language barrier which was a little usual being as we were sharing a van. I think pretty much all the shows we’re awesome and that was when I started to feel like the band might be getting somewhere.
What are you listening to at the moment? Any Australian bands you know and enjoy?
I lost my phone on the first date of this tour so I’m currently in a bit of a musical desert. The only thing I have on my laptop is Sam Harris’s audiobook ‘The moral landscape’ which is getting me though some massive journeys. My favourite Australian band of the last few years is Tame Impala, they have such an awesome sound, very lo fi but also super rich at the same time.
Anything in Australia you’re most looking forward to?
Getting to play shows in a country you’ve never been to is always a massive privilege so I’m pretty excited by that but also just getting to see the country really. Oh and also catching some friends in Melbourne.
Thanks & look forward to seeing you soon!
MAYBESHEWILL tour Australia next week
Sun Sep 28 @ Crow Bar, Brisbane
Mon Sep 29 @ Newtown Social Club, Sydney
Tue Sep 30 @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne