INTERVIEW: GOLD FIELDS (Ballarat)

Ballarat’s GOLD FIELDS played at the Wollongong Unibar last week, supporting The Holidays on their ‘Seven Million Mornings’ tour (read Radar’s review of the show). Mark and Vin were kind enough to give RADAR a few minutes of their time before the gig.

RADAR: Can you tell us how the band got started?
Mark Fuller: Four of us went to school together; we all played music through school and in other bands. Then we met Ryan through a band that me and him and Vin played in, and we thought we should start something different. So we started Gold Fields, and we got Luke and Rob to join; they were our mates and hadn’t really played music before, but we got them to play for a bit of fun.
Vin Andanar: They’d never been in a band, but they knew music. Our first rehearsal was January last year, but we didn’t start writing until about this time last year. Then we started recording, and took it from there.

RADAR:  You guys travelled to the United Kingdom very early in your careers, after only a few shows I believe. What was behind that decision?
Mark: The UK record label Young & Lost Club somehow heard our song ‘Treehouse’ and wanted to release it as a single, which we were stoked about. They said there was the option of playing a few shows to support the release; the shows we were offered were decent shows, so we thought that it was worth it to get there. We took out a loan to get there, which we’re still paying off!
Vin: We went over there, got some more shows, and the opportunity to support good bands, and met people in the industry; it’s different over there, but well worth it.

RADAR: You’ve been featured heavily by Triple J, JMag, FBI Radio and a lot of publications are tipping you as ‘artists to watch’ in 2011. Is it weird to get so much hype so early in your careers?
Vin: It’s definitely strange hearing yourself on the radio and reading reviews of people blogging about you. I’m definitely not used to it, and no one else in the band is either. But we’ve kept busy, so you don’t really take notice of it so much. But when friends and family tell us about it, it’s weird.
Mark: Especially when we were writing ‘Treehouse,’ we were thinking “oh imagine if Triple J played this,” we would have been so happy… even if they only played it once!

RADAR: In the current age of sites like Pitchfork, all these blogs and sites that really focus on uncovering the ‘hot new thing.’ A lot of these bands get really built up then fade away; are you conscious of trying to outlive the initial hype?
Vin: For us, it’s about getting on the road, touring, building a solid foundation and getting people to listen to us; not just putting out a release and not having toured. I think that’s a problem with bands that get hyped up, they don’t seem to tour often and don’t put in the hard work. But we’re the opposite; we’d rather hold off on the record and do what every band does, start at the bottom
Mark: As well, we’ve sort of built up a bank of songs that we’re confident with and that we like. Knowing we have those, it’s like positive reinforcement. It gives us confidence.

RADAR: You’ve just got the one single out, ‘Treehouse’. Is there any new records coming up?
Mark: Our next single ‘The Woods’ comes out in a few weeks, it’s getting mixed at the moment.
Vin: We want to get more music out there. We don’t want to just be known for one song
Mark: That’s the annoying thing, it’s shit playing a show and the crowd only knows one song. But we can’t really complain about that, seeing as we’ve only played forty shows or something. We’re still working it out, but probably an EP is coming up. We’re not rushing it, because we want our album to be as good as it can be. There’s still a shitload of people who have never heard of us, so if we do an EP and keep building up, that’s probably the way to go.

RADAR:  You’re from Ballarat, which is producing a bunch of great, diverse bands lately, like Hunting Grounds and Yacht Club DJs. What about the area is making it such a good music scene?
Vin: Well, there’s two main things; you either play sport, or do music. The other is Karova Lounge, which is a pub that really supports local music and bands, and gives them a go. They put local bands on big tours coming through, they’re really supportive
Mark: If you look at schoolkids, there’s no beach, nothing really out there to do, except play footy or play music. So people who don’t play footy, they play music; and people who don’t play music, they play footy. The Karova too, it’s an awesome place; the pub opened 5 years ago, and since then, the Ballarat music scene seems to have blown up
Vin: With Yacht Club and Hunting Grounds, people are starting to take notice of Ballarat as a place for good music. Triple J have really supported that. Another band is Tessa and the Typecast, who Triple J have started playing. We had Epicure back in the day, the Mavis’. Everyone in the scene supports each other.

RADAR: Gold Fields supported Crystal Castles on their Australian tour in January; your styles are incredibly different, so what was that combination like?
Mark: Before we went on stage, in our green room backstage, we were sort of shitting ourselves a little bit because we’re thinking ‘what will people in the crowd think, when we go on and play our little rock-pop?’
Vin: We were really looking forward to playing, and couldn’t believe we were playing with Crystal Castles, at the Enmore Theatre. But as soon as we went on stage, it was amazing. We got an awesome response. Exactly the opposite of what we thought was going to happen. It was one of the shows we got the most feedback from, people at the show emailing us or talking to us on Facebook
Mark: It was the biggest crowd we’d played, apart from Falls Festival [Gold Fields won a Triple J Unearthed competition to play at the festival]; it was a massive mosh right at the front. Crystal Castles themselves were amazing, they had this huge energy. It was the most intense show.

RADAR: Gold Fields have also supported Bleeding Knees Club, and you’re hitting the road with Miami Horror soon; do you feel comfortable playing mixed bills, alongside bands that don’t necessarily sound similar to you?
Mark: We don’t wanna be pushed into a  genre or category or anything, any scene. So playing with different sorts of bands has been awesome. I’m fine playing with those bands.
Vin: it makes us better musicians too, being able to hone our live show.
Mark: And changing the set up for what type of show it is. Also changing up  the set depending on the venue, on what the crowd will like.

RADAR: Just one last one; what’s next for Gold Fields?
Vin: More touring, more writing, more demoing. We’re going to hit the road, hopefully jump on good festivals. And we’d love to get back overseas soon
Mark: immediately, our next song ‘The Woods’ is coming out in a few weeks. So hopefully that opens some more doors, and helps us out a little bit more.

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Gold Fields are currently on tour with The Holidays. Check the band out on Facebook and Soundcloud, and listen out for their next single ‘The Woods’ to be released in coming weeks.

LIVE REVIEW: The Holidays, Gold Fields @ Unibar

Why have venues started employing poorly skilled DJs as the opening acts for gigs? Doors for tonight’s gig opened at 7.30pm, but a DJ (or perhaps a few – I wasn’t really paying attention) played for nigh on two hours before Ballarat’s Gold Fields made it onto the stage. The band weren’t late; 9.20pm was their scheduled start time, but it seemed ridiculous that the opening band were starting at a time more usually given to the headliners.

The five-piece wasted no time when they finally emerged from the dressing room, literally kicking into their set within fifteen seconds of taking to the Unibar’s stage. A huge tribal drumbeat and Foals-esque synthesiser-style guitars launched the set, instantly grabbing the audience by the throat and rarely relenting through their short set. In what is fast becoming a staple of modern indie performances, each band member variously took advantage of the bongo drums and floor toms scattered around the stage, adding another layer to the band’s complex sound. Shifting from Friendly Fires-style synthpop, into the foot stomping, high-energy dancerock made famous by Foals, Gold Fields have the musical chops to pull off both styles incredibly well; but at times, the transitions from more ambient synth-based tracks into guitar-heavy dance numbers were somewhat clunky and jarring. With time and experience – it must be noted that the band is less than twelve months old – these kinks will work themselves out; and if nothing else, it shows a band not wanting to be pigeon-holed as just another Aussie synthpop group. The highlight of a short set was their rendition of the complex, heavily-produced single ‘Treehouse’; a track that could have very badly in a live setting was reproduced beautifully, the lush summery jam getting the crowd well and truly moving. All catchy hooks, vocal melodies, fizzing guitars and lush synth-based soundscapes, it’s undeniable that these guys have a major gift for penning memorable pop songs; and while they’re now splashed all over blogs, street presses and magazines, it will be how Gold Fields navigates this initial media attention that will decide if they ascend to the level of – say – Cut Copy or fall off the radar like – say – Operator Please. If they can keep their heads and not fall into the trap of believing their own hype, expect to see them headlining big venues by this time next year. Definitely one of our most promising young acts.

In contrast to the excitement, passion and energy of the young Gold Fields, Sydney’s The Holidays promised so much but delivered comparatively little. After taking out the Red Bull Music Prize for best Australian debut album, and just returning from an American jaunt including an appearance at South By South West music conference, it was with high hopes that many would have attended the band’s first Wollongong gig since mid-2010; however, many would have left slightly disappointed. Kicking off with ‘Heavy Feathers,’ the opening track from their album ‘Post Paradise,’ the band instantly got the crowd moving; deeper and more full-sounding than its recorded version, opening with probably their strongest and most accessible tune was a good move. However, as the gig went on, it was clear that this was a band that were incredibly tight and well-rehearsed, but to the point where it became detrimental to their live performance. Each song was an exact reproduction of their recorded counterpart, almost as though the band were miming their instruments over the top of a backing track. It quickly became a boring, static performance, devoid of any real passion or energy; band members stood almost perfectly still, barely moving at all, and the crowd’s initial excitement soon levelled off. It’s a given that bands need to be able to reproduce their recorded material in a live setting; but when a live gig becomes merely a carbon copy of the album, it hints at a band either unwilling or unable to improvise or experiment. A live gig is based on energy, stage presence, and bringing something new and exciting to recorded work; otherwise, fans may as well stay at home and listen to the album on their stereo.

Tonight, two seemingly similar bands turned in two polar opposite performances. The youthful energy, exuberance and enthusiasm of Gold Fields was harshly polarised against the static, boring and conservative performance of The Holidays. I know which band I’d bet money on to be producing the more exciting music in future…

WEEKLY PREVIEW: 28 March-3 April

GIG OF THE WEEK:
The Holidays, Gold Fields @ Unibar
8pm, $15/$18, 18+

A number of great gigs in Wollongong this week, with The Holidays at the University heading up the list. Fresh off playing South By South West music conference in Texas, the Sydney band will take to the Unibar stage to show off their Red Bull Music Prize-winning debut album, ‘Post Paradise.’ A dreamy, laidback blend of pop and summery synthrock, ‘Post Paradise’ put The Holidays at the forefront of a new wave of Australian electro-pop emergent in 2010. After their SXSW appearances, a slot on the national Laneway Festival, and an upcoming tour with Cut Copy, The Holidays are set to make 2011 their year.
Also on the bill are Ballarat’s Gold Fields; a real air of expectation surrounds this young five-piece, who have already toured the UK, racked up a number of impressive tour slots and scored high praise from Triple J on the back of impressive single ‘Treehouse.’ With more a full-sounding dance-rock sound in the vein of Friendly Fires or The Naked & Famous, Gold Fields are similar enough to the headliners to make a sonically consistent show, but different enough to make it an interesting double-bill. Be sure to catch both these bands in the small setting of the Unibar; the next tours these bands do, are sure to be much bigger.

Also this week are a couple of FREE, ALL AGES events being run by the Wollongong Youth Centre as part of National Youth Week. Friday night is the huge “Youth Fest” being held in McCabe Park featuring Mercury Bluescope band comp finalists The Maze, alongside a stack of other great local acts; and young music fans will be able to spend Saturday afternoon at a gig too, with the Youth Centre hosting Losing With Style, Thomas Covenant and the Flat White Cats.
If you’re a young person in Wollongong, get out and support these events; gigs can only happen if enough people come along to support the bands playing, and to support the Youth Centre organising them. It’s not often that you can see three free, all ages gigs in this town, so get out and get behind them!

ALSO THIS WEEK:

WEDNESDAY: Sparkadia, Operator Please, Alpine @ Unibar
8pm, $22.50, 18+

THURSDAY: The Go Set, Attila The Stockbroker (UK), Sydney Girls Choir, Handsome Young Strangers @ The Harp Hotel
8pm, $12, 18+

FRIDAY:  Wollongong Youth Centre’s “Youth Fest”
Featuring: Endeavours, The Maze, Friends With Benefits, The Bittersweet Empire, Leebold Hill, Stay Down, Saralisse @ McCabe Park, Wollongong
7pm, FREE, all ages

FRIDAY: Grace Woodroofe, WIM @ Otis Bar
8pm, $10, 18+

SATURDAY: Kaleidoscope, We All Want To, The Flat White Cats @ The Patch
8pm, 18+

SATURDAY: Losing With Style, Thomas Covenant (CD launch show), The Flat White Cats, Apollo 93, Grey Tempest @ Wollongong Youth Centre
12pm, FREE, all ages

We’re always happy to help out! If you would like to include an event in Radar’s weekly gig guide, please contact radar.illawarra@gmail.com