The William Street Strikers are on the up with their debut album set to launch soon and an extensive Aussie tour lined up to promote it. I caught up with the band’s lead singer Andrew Matters before the madness begins to talk about the new release, the upcoming tour, and that quirky name.
Your band’s got a really interesting name. How did that come about?
We got our name for a few reasons. Firstly, we just wanted a name that would last the test of time and not date. We also wanted a name that could mean something or nothing, the reason being so we could release a number of albums under its banner and grow artistically without the name impeding that process by meaning something too genre specific. Then we also wanted a name with a bit of grunt and “urban decay cool” to it, which I think the name has. And finally, two of us live on William Street and we thought “OK, we live on William Street, we jam in the shed, so the William Street … ummmnnnn hey strikers!? Yeah , right on! Let’s go with that. I’d like to say we’re left wing socialists with an egalitarian ethos championing the rights of the down trodden but not just yet.
How would you describe your music for the uninitiated?
Our music is essentially designed to work in a live setting, to deal with the Australian pub punter who, in our experience, has a short attention span and demands to be entertained. So we are straight to the point without much excess. We road test our songs in this arena and if we go out and play a song and people jump up and down and clap then it makes the cut.
You’ve just finished recording your debut album. What can you tell me about it?
Our album has been a watershed moment for us. We have been working towards it for three years, and with hindsight it seems like in logical steps but in reality it came about because of someone else’s faith in us and their willingness to fund it. Having not to worry about financing it ourselves allowed us to really focus on the art of making music, as trite as that sounds it is a truism I think, to just worry about the essence of what music is all about.
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You might not know his name, but chances are you’re already familiar with Ben Salter’s work. The Brisbane singer-songwriter was a founding member of numerous Queensland bands including The Gin Club, Giants of Science, and The Wilson Pickers. But he’s also been quietly plugging away as a solo artist for the last ten years, playing shows throughout Australia and Europe.
Whatever you call her, you’re likely to be impressed by this recording. Lia’s previous projects have brought a sense of maturity to this new solo endeavour. It’s also helped her seek out collaborations with Jason Molina, Jack Ladder, and the lads from Dappled Cities. The production team is also top notch, with Tony Dupe (Holly Throsby, Jack Ladder), Chris Townsend (Silverchair, Portishead, Violent Femmes), and Denis Blackham (Brian Eno, Elvis Costello), all having a hand in the disc.
The song should help us shake off the winter chills with its blend of hot cumbia reggae and brass. The music is killer, but make sure you listen to the lyrics to hear the story of Clara Rojas, a Colombian political figure kidnapped by FARC guerillas. “Cuando Sera” translates to “When Will It Stop,” and it’s delivered with real sensitivity and respect to the issue.
This is more than just a few band mates gigging to pass the time until their fearless leader returns. The Genie have recorded a debut album Here Come the Scissors, which has actually been in the works in 2006. I guess it’s hard to find the time when The Cat Empire has been doing so well! The disc has had time to marinate and mature and will finally be unleashed with some launch shows in the major capitals.