They might be a hemisphere removed from the American mainstream, but that hasn't stopped Australian movers such as Nick Cave, Paul Kelly, and Powder-finger from making serious inroads on these shores. Now comes Even, a Melbourne-based threesome fronted by guitarist Ashley Naylor, with bassist Wally Kempton and drummer Matthew Cotter. Even's unabashed devotion to '60s and '70s Anglo pop has shone through ever since the release of their debut LP, Less Is More, in 1996. The band's newest, A Different High (Rubber Records), finds Naylor sharpening the hooks, tightening the grooves, and multiplying the guitar sounds like never before. The result is an album's worth of the most tuneful pop you're likely to find on any continent.
Any band whose set list includes entries such as “Bowie in My Dreams” and “We Are the Purple Nazz” (the latter a clever appropriation of Todd Rundgren's “Open My Eyes” riff) is woefully out of sync with the rest of the modern world. That's of little concern to Naylor, who wasn't even born when most of his favorite records were made yet continues to fix his gaze thirty-odd years backward.
“I've been obsessed with '60s and '70s music for quite some time,” says Naylor, who handcrafted parts of A Different High at home using a Roland VS-1680 digital recorder and an Aussie-made Røde NT2 mic. “I guess I just gravitate to song-based bands. Contemporary rock music seems inundated with riff-making and chants, which generally don't affect me in any way. I suppose I'm just an old fart in training.”
Having worked the trio format for years, Naylor is generally immediately cognizant of how his new tunes will work onstage. “I always have the big picture in mind,” says Naylor, whose live setup features an Epiphone Casino hollowbody archtop plugged into a Hi-Watt amp through a Marshall cab. “That is also why we enlisted Brent McMullen from local band Voxsound to help me out on guitar parts for our tour: frees me up for ball-tearing solos.”
While Even continue to build a respectable following on their own turf — and recently signed on with Roadshow Music, the distribution and promotional brain behind Killing Heidi, Savage Garden, and others — Naylor is keen to follow in the footsteps of his internationally renowned countrymen. But being indie and Aussie poses a significant challenge.
“Money is the only real issue when it comes down to it. Aussie bands need a fairly constant cash flow to support them in foreign territories. If the band is keen enough, walls can be scaled — Nick Cave being a recent example of such perseverance. I think the onus is on us to get overseas and make inroads for ourselves. To that end, we'd love to get back to the States as part of a tour with an international band. We've been over a couple of times doing weeknight pub shows and the like, which was a blast. Time will tell, though. Roadshow is dedicated to the album, which makes us keener to get out there and play.”
Although his music reflects the vibe of another era, Naylor cites more recent mentors like REM and the Smiths, as well as native faves such as the Underground Lovers and Header, as proof that solid guitar pop isn't strictly a thing of the past.
“I feel like we are on a mission, yet I don't feel as defensive about our music as I may have in the past,” says Naylor. “Generally, we are having fun on tour and not too concerned about leading or following a particular movement. I think people will always appreciate song-based bands, and as long as the songs are strong, we'll continue to make records.”
ESSENTIAL FACTS
Even
Home base: Melbourne, Australia
Recordings:
In Stereo EP (Rubber Records, 1994); Ten to Forty-Six EP (Rubber Records, 1995); Less Is More (Rubber Records, 1996); One Side Not EP (Rubber Records, 1997); Come Again (Rubber Records, 1998); A Different High (Rubber Records, 2001)
Web site:
www.rubberrecords.com.au
