Delamare has burst onto the Aussie music scene with their irresistible pop-punk tracks. They’re just wrapping up their national tour, but bass player and vocalist Michael Khabbaz took time to tell me about the addictive debut EP Imaginary Things, crazy cake fights, and what the future has in store for this bright new band.
You recorded your debut EP Imaginary Things with Luke Gerard-Webb. He’s worked with so many amazing Aussie acts, like Rose Tattoo, The Angels, and Faker. What did you learn from him?
Luke was a great guy and very easy to work with. He taught us heaps of different studio techniques, particularly sitting silver cutlery on the strings of a grand piano used in the title track of our EP Imaginary Things.
Imaginary Things has such a great energy. How do you manage to keep those songs sounding so fresh after months on the road?
We try to match the energy in the songs on stage during each set to keep the songs sounding and looking fresh and keeping the audience singing and clapping along to each track.
You’re in the middle of a national tour at the moment. What do you love most about playing live?
The vibe you get when you play in front of a crowd. And playing along side your mates.
You’re doing plenty of all-ages shows as you travel around the country. How do those gigs compare to the over-18s ones?
They both have their pros and cons, but all-age shows are generally more crowd interactive.
What do you miss most when you’re on the road?
Good sleeps, good food supply and quality =P! Also everyone we spend so much time with outside the band.
You’re visiting a lot of regional areas on this tour. Did you make a conscious effort to get out there to those places that don’t often see a lot of live music?
Yeah it’s great to get out to new venues we’ve never played before and to see so many new faces that can’t make it to big city shows!
Are there any crazy tour stories you can share?
Well one of our first nights in Melbourne, we were celebrating a friend’s birthday. We had an ice-cream and chocolate cake fight inside the house where we were staying … lets just say it got pretty messy!
You’re one of a long line of bands that have come out of Adelaide in recent years. What makes the music scene there so good?
Great all age and 18+ venues and an awesome local fan base so dedicated to upcoming young and local bands.
What does 2009 hold in store for Delamare?
No doubt there will be more and more touring and hopefully some more studio time to demo some new material.
And finally, do you have a message for your fans?
Come to a show and get your rock on =D! Oh yeah, and don’t forget to wash behind your ears.
Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment