The Braves
I meet the Braves before a band called the junkie Twins played at the Retreat. I was informed that they were neither Junkies nor Twins. The Braves are my new favorite band in town. Dark rock n roll with death pop by three of the most passionate kids I’ve ever met. These guys are gonna be great. I spoke to em just before they played at the Retreat.
Munster: How did the Braves form?
Kelly: Out of a mutual distaste for everything else going in. Me and Jesse knew each other since school we met Ethan round the traps being the freaky cat that he is, he was the only one we got on with. We grew up in the Hills in Belgrave and there wasn’t much different going on, just the popular metal and screaming shit going on, swampy motherfuckers we don’t need that.
Jesse: A lot of talk going on just wanting to do it and finally we got together and wrote some tunes…
Kelly: Went to the cross roads sold our soul, did the classic.
Jesse: that was four years ago, still going strong.
Munster: is there any scene in Belgrave?
Jesse: Nah not in the young crowd except for that metal screaming thing.
Kelly: when we got together a bunch of other bands got together and we weren’t playing the same music but it was very abstract and doing a lot of different things. Think it was the same vibe, there was this weird exciting bunch of us that went straight onto different paths.
Munster: there was that story of the Ramones meeting each other at school as they were the only kids who knew the Stooges was it like that with you guys?
Kelly: Very much so, me and Jesse when to Monbulk High…
Jesse: Redneck country. You either play volleyball or you don’t. if you don’t your not cool
Kelly: I aint got the legs for volleyball.
Jesse: people would ask us what music I like and they’d be like oh you like old music and I’m like no good music.
Kelly: Yeah outcasts.
Munster: Tell us the LP you guys made with Loki?
Kelly: we met him at RMIT helping a friend out at RMIT and we didn’t believe he was a teacher (laughs) and he picked us up and said you gotta make an album. He’s a brilliant teacher
Jesse: We has the tracks ready to go and first season did six songs laid em down then me and Kelly had to go overseas for two months then we went back and did the rest.
Kelly: It was a real learning curve we were very amateurish. Long hours it was.
Jesse: we couldn’t sing, we went till six in the morning and Loki would be like you’ve got a better one in ya and we’d be dying but then the magic came out. Was a great experience, played it and out did a few overdubs and it was done.
Kelly: we went into the studio last Sunday too for the next one.
Munster: Loki is also known for his live mixing so was that easier trying to get that live sound to tape?
Jesse: he captured us very well from the stage.
Kelly: when I say amateur that’s a good point it was go in there and brash it out and he can capture that.
Munster: Were you guys based now?
Kelley: still East.
Munster: so you no contacts when you first came down?
Jesse: Knew no one. First gig outta town was at the Tote. Two people.
Kelly: But once you step out of the realm of wanting to make pop you realize there’s a great scene that is purely artist and you wanna merit it somehow and anyone that wanna step out of that realm you find there’s a lot of stuff and acceptance going around. You wanna get away from the pretence and arrogance as you want if you got an ounce of presence you’re a wanker and that doesn’t come off you need to create that community and it’s there. Hence why there’s so many pubs because people are willing to put it on young and old.
Munster: from where we are there’s about three from walking distance.
Kelly: Exactly. How many gigs can you go to? I mean Links (from Sun God Replica) playing later tonight. He was in the fucking Meanies, it’s huge in a senses but he’s in another band and it gives you an opportunity for anything and it’s everywhere to do something for yourself, not the chance to do same old wankerisms, Anglo coolisms I call it, consumerism shit.
Munster so I take it you guys weren’t volleyballers in high school
Kelly: exactly
Jesse: we’re just trying to play music and be who we are we’re not trying to be no one else and hopefully people enjoy it too, and maybe spark and something goes off and someone gets off. We just sit in our room jam and just be our selves.
Kelly: Imitation is suicide, if you’re not original, I don’t know. If you wanna be a Cramps cover band, it’s cool but you can’t sustain that. You can dance and sing along, but I’m always listening to new shit, we’ve been together four years and it’s never felt old because every song has gone to a new point as my favourite bands are all local bands and there creating new original stuff as opposed to listening to God of Thunder a 1000 times
Munster: tell us about the single you made
Jesse: it’s got a pretty ripping chords and thought was a good introduction to us.
Kelly: it got a big woosy organ sound and it’s a guitar it makes a standpoint and we try and get as many original sounds as we can
Ethan: a rock n roll band trying new things
Kelly: you can’t content with new technology and new sounds so why not go for it and it’s a good introduction.
Jesse: I think that song is pretty different to the rest of the LP so they’ll hear that then the rest of the LP and be like what the fuck
Kelly: Who knows what to expect (laughs)
Munster: how much time would you spend working on a riff?
Jesse: ill change it ten times and even if we play for a moth i might change it, always happy to change things
Munster: what was it like living with another band?
Jesse: Last year we lived in a share house with a band called the Fibs they’ve broken up it was a share house that was gonna be destroyed, a lot of bands came over and rehearsed.
Ethan: we tried to destroy it first
Jesse: it was a great community everything was set up, people would come and jam till 3 in the morning.
Kelly: Always something happening someone would have a new guitar or a riff and you hear it through the walls. What was lefty of em.
Jesse: It was a great vibe we’d walk in and someone would be behind the drums and they’d say pick up the guitar I got an idea that’s a sweet thing to have.
Kelly: so much better than paying $60 to go into a closed off room as much as it pisses people off fuck em
Jesse: yeah fuck the neighbours
Kelly: get some culture is what I say
Munster: me mate Stacey and a few other in St Kilda have backyard gigs it annoys neighbours but when they complain about venues and shut em down we need a place to play
Kelly: well what venues are there to play in? the council there just pillage everyone so you gotta play in your front yard
Jesse: it’s horrible but one way or another you’ll find a way to play
Kelly: that the people helping you, dedicated to it, Loki is the only person that’s done it because he has access to it but when it comes to giving a hand that’s when you find your luck such as someone having a gig in the front yard. I mean to those that don’t wanna be there it doesn’t sound like much but that’s beautiful to people like us, it’s how it should be.
Munster: what does the next six months hold?
Ethan: another LP
Kelly: release an LP
Jesse: hopefully two. Touring, anything is possible just need to push yourself. I’m willing to die for it, balls out (laughs)
Kelly: willing to die, or write a song about it.
Munster: what’s the benefit of living outta town?
Kelly: shave us money
Jesse: bit of both it is annoying as id love to be round the corner from the Retreat so I could see more bands, when one of your favs are playing an hour away and you got no petrol it sucks but I like living in the Hills and it’s a great way to write and produce.
Munster: Favourite Fall LP to end this.
Kelly: Hex, nah Witch Trials
Jesse: This nation’s shaving grace
Ethan: tough
Kelly: I’ve got shears pointed straight at my chest I’m better then then and I think I’m the best. Ah brilliant from some dweby looking English motherfucker to spit that out
Editors note think I found my new best friends.
