From the soothing sounds of last post’s orchestral music, I thought we’d turn the volume up a notch with some blood pumping music from this week’s featured artist.
Melbourne based Children Collide, provides us with just the right amount of noise and energy – and it’s rightly so that they’ve been included on the soundtrack of EA Sports’ action packed FIFA 10 with a remix of their song Skeleton Dance, featured in the game’s trailer. They’ve recently released their album ‘ The Long Now’ in North America via independent record label Dine Alone, and have just wrapped up their first US tour.
Children Collide’s Johnny Mackay, takes some time out from his busy schedule to discuss the band, their new album, Peruvian snow camels and how 360 degree videos aren’t just reserved for selling real estate –
How and when did Children Collide form?
In the dank and smokey front room of a share-house amongst many late, boozy nights we’d come home and try and write stoner post-rock but end up playing stoned PlayStation. Then we did an auspicious debut show on Halloween that dragged us into weekly gigging from then to now. That was 5 years ago.
What’s the story behind your band’s name?
Heath wrote it on the fridge. He was trying to get us to pay our bills. The band hasn’t seemed to help us pay said bills and we’d appreciate it if you kept our real names and contact details out of this interview.
Sure Johnny Mackay, c/o DineAlone Records Toronto ON, that’s pretty easy to do. Now, how do you describe your sound? What can people expect when they listen to your music?
Our sound sounds like soundish soundy sound. People can expect to be followed into the bathroom by Peruvian snow camels when they listen to our music.
I saw your interactive video for Chosen Armies, and it was quite cool. What gave you the idea of shooting that kind of video?
I was working with a guy who developed that particular 360 degree video player and the fellow who contracted him to make it asked me if he could film us rehearsing with his panoramic lens. My reply was, why don’t we just make a proper music video? So we did. The inspiration behind the room was Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
Can you tell us more about the two songs that we’re featuring here on the site?
Social Currency
Social Currency kind of started as a bit of a joke. I guess it was a comment on the cliquey nature of various scenes I’ve been involved with. After we recorded it properly it felt like a very different beast and was one of the better sounding tracks on the album and became a single. It’s loads of fun to play live in Australia now thanks to the crowd usually expressing their familiarity with it rather enthusiastically.
Skeleton Dance
Skeleton Dance was initially written without lyrics. I was mucking around at home trying to rip off a Joy Division bass line which when I go back and listen to it now it sounds nothing like it so I didn’t do a very good job. The vocals were just sounds I liked so it seemed like I was singing in my own made up language. Then I was riding up the top of a double-decker bus in London by myself thinking about my own insignificance in such an enormous city and the whole thing sort of came out the end of my pen in an inky blur.
Last but not the least, I ask this question to all the artists that I feature...How do you define indie music?
I don’t.
***
Dissapointingly, I was not followed by Peruvian snow camels to the bathroom while listening to Children Collide's album - they were more content in the living room, watching iCarly on the 46-inch TV. Suffice to say, the album listening experience varies from person to person. So, go ahead and check out Children Collide - you can sample their music through their website or if you're within the area, they've got a couple of gigs lined up in New South Wales and Victoria.
