After years rocking out on Aussie pub stages, Skarlet Blue have turned a corner. The Melbourne four-piece are showing off a new, more melodic sound with the release of their debut EP Shades of Grey. I recently caught up with the band’s bassist Ryan Di Cecco to chat about the CD, their upcoming Aussie tour, and that brand new sound.
Many people may not have heard of your music yet. How would you describe your sound?
Our new sound combines elements of rock, electro, dance, ambiance and is quite textured. We have explored how we can really exploit having a keyboard in the band and the different effects and sounds it can produce. The goal is to create something a little bit different that is accessible for all listeners that doesn’t overuse the effects or become monotonous. The lyric content is sincere and definitely based on life experiences shared by each member. We have focused on telling a story and dealing with themes that everyone can take something away from.
You’ve just released your debut EP Simple Shades of Grey, yet you’ve been touring for the last three years. Why did this release take so long?
I think it took this long because we hadn’t quite found our sound yet that gelled with us as musicians and songwriters writing comfortably. We needed those three years of touring and life experiences to help shape our sound and assist us in evolving as a not just a band but as human beings. We had some great opportunities along the way and played for some amazing influential industry people, but were always ‘9’ out 10 but never a 10. In hindsight they were exactly right.
You’re going to tour up and down the East Coast to support the EP. What can fans expect from your live set?
The fans can expect good quality music. The songs are not all one pace or one particular style; they range from melodic ballads to electro dance to quirky pop songs. In saying this, each track still maintains the Skarlet Blue essence and sound, while still being uniquely different from each other.
What do you love about playing live?
Playing live is the time we get to actually get to see the audiences’ reaction first hand during particular moments that we have spent time creating. Because everyone is facing you, their expressions tell one million words. If they buy our CD that’s great, but to see first hand people dancing, singing, laughing or intensely listening, is something we really get a buzz out of.
Your tour ends with a performance at the Jerry Lewis Charity Ball. How did that come about?
We approached the main event organiser after his charity ball last year raised a large amount of money for the CFA after the fires devastated our state. We wanted to be involved with the evening but were on tour at the time. This year we contacted the organiser again and it just so happened that Jerry Lewis was hosting the evening. We sent our EP to his team and they approved Skarlet Blue and welcomed us to be part of such an amazing event.
The ball will help to support Muscular Dystrophy charities. Is this a cause close to your heart?
I have no one in my immediate family or friends who suffer from the various forms of Muscular Dystrophy, but there are some 20,000 Australians who do. There is no known cure for the disease as yet, but with generous donations from events such as this one, scientists and medics are closer to hopefully finding a cure for such a debilitating disease. Everyone involved in the charity event forms a terrific bond with one goal in mind; it’s the least we can do.
You’ve supported some major Australian acts including Noiseworks, Diesel, and The Screaming Jets. What did you learn being a part of those large scale tours?
We have learnt many valuable lessons. For example it’s very important to be flexible, and as hard as it can be sometimes, showing discipline and swallowing your pride in situations that may arise. When you’re supporting, you’re not the main attraction so your band is replaceable and if you don’t cooperate with the sound engineers, venue staff, management etc. you simply won’t get the opportunity again. There are only so many venues and sound engineers going around, so you are bound to cross paths again in the future. We are always sure to be courteous and respect everyone from the headlining band right through to the bar staff.
I believe midway through last year you had the option to stay in LA and forge a rock career or come home and take a different direction. Why did you decide to return to Australia?
LA is such a larger then life place. It’s easy to get caught up in the late nights and having dinner at 4 am and then doing it all again the next night. We all had a ball there, something different happened every night. I think musically we were still developing and growing as people. The crowds we were playing to loved Motley Crue, GnR, Bon Jovi etc. but we are not those bands and it’s not the ’80s anymore. We got back to Australia, we began working with management who sat us down and basically said that we if were going to have some success you need to strip everything back and start again. I think he called us a swimming team who could swim but kept hitting the walls. He worked on our sounds, song arrangements and lyrics, and before we knew it what we had created something that sounded more universal.
How have your fans reacted to your decision to do away with your old material and strike out with some new stuff?
As expected some want the old songs and others love the new sound. We haven’t done a whole lot of live shows yet, so it’s early to say. Judging by the response we are getting from the EP, people are enjoying what we have created. You have to be true to yourself or people will see through you when it comes to song writing and how you present yourself.
After this tour, what’s next for Skarlet Blue?
More touring, hopefully some radio play nationally, more song writing and possibly an album early next year.
Skarlet Blue are supporting the release of their EP Shades of Grey with some shows around the country. You can catch the Melbourne lads at the following gigs.
23 April 2010 – The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne (18+)
24 April 2010 – The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne (All Ages)
6 May 2010 – The Zoo, Brisbane
7 May 2010 – Villa Noosa @ Fusion Bar, Noosa
8 May 2010 – Miami Sharks Bar, Gold Coast
12 May 2010 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
13 May 2010 – Lansdowne, Sydney
18 May 2010 – The Troubadour, Brisbane
19 & 26 May 2010 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
27 May 2010 – Lansdowne, Sydney
22 June 2010 – Jerry Lewis Charity Ball, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Rock Solid PR and Fanbase Relations