INTERVIEW: Scenic

The cosmic pop quartet from Perth, SCENIC have been making considerable noise as of late, releasing their stellar debut EP 'SHOCKWAVES' through Aussie heavyweight label FUTURE CLASSIC as well as being selected among some of the all-star artists to be appearing at the upcoming LANEWAY FESTIVAL.Iit's certainly evident that the boys are starting to pick up speed.

We got the chance to sit down with the lads to talk shop about a whole bunch of things including their EP, Laneway Festival, and what's next for the group.

‘Shockwaves' has been getting a lot of attention from various blogs and of course Triple J, does it feel good knowing that people really enjoy the music you're offering?

Yeah definitely, the recording process was especially long for this EP so it’s a great feeling when people reach out. The blog coverage especially has been incredible and it’s always exiting to see how people will react.

You're set to play Laneway Festival next year. As a band do you enjoy playing festivals? Or do you prefer more intimate performances?

Both have their pros and cons. Small spaces like clubs are great for a loud and sweaty experience and we enjoy connecting with the crowd. The Laneway tour is our first string of major festival shows so that will be new for us.

Have you thought about what your live show is going to be like for Laneway?

It’s a lot more dance-orientated than our EP might suggest. We’ve re-invigorated most of our songs for the live setting to keep it interesting. There are heaps of transition jams to maintain the flow, we really like when live acts keep it seamless.

The 'Cosmic-Pop' sound you guys have is very unique, how do you achieve that sound together?

It usually starts with a chord progressions and surrounding bass/melodies. The ‘Cosmic’ vibe comes from a combination between these chords and a lot of experimenting with analog sounds, instruments and effects. For example, the warped sounds of tape-flange, spring reverb and delay from a Roland space echo all feature heavily throughout the EP.

I've read that you're very influenced by French-disco, what other styles of music inspire you when you're writing?

The EP was definitely influenced by French artists such as Sebastien Tellier, Air and Phoenix. Lately we’ve been vibing on an array of genres ranging from British shoegazing to 90’s acid house. Specifically, Spacemen 3, Chapterhouse, Hypnotone and Underworld.

A lot of people have compared your music to many artists that were around in the 1960s, do you have any favourite artists from that era?

If we had to pick from the 60s/70s, Alan parsons, Roy Buchanan, Brian Eno and Pink Floyd.

Your music is stretching out to the masses, are you planning on venturing on your own tour anytime soon?

That would be great and it’s definitely something we are working towards. Currently are main focus is to keep producing new material and when the opportunity to do our own tour arises we will jump on it.

What do the next six months hold for SCENIC?

Currently we’re working on the next release, which will hopefully be ready in January next year. The Laneway Tour is happening in early February along with some shows around it. Following that, another EP or maybe even an album.

Words by Lauren Payne

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