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The Vandas.
 Adelaide should be familiar with the Vandas. They've just come off a hugely successful national tour in support of the Pictures, and they've two ex-Adelaide members in their line up, which should make things nice and cosy for those new to the band. Although they've been around for two years, things have ramped up lately with their signing to Liberation Records. This, combined with the steady build up of a fan base, means that things are set to explode for the rockin' quartet.
I asked lead guitar and vocalist Chris Altmann (an Adelaide boy, mind) how things are bubbling along. "The gigs have been really, really good and a lot of people are seeing us for the first time over the last couple of months, just from the tours we've been doing. We've actually been selling the EP at the gigs; the first gig we sold out was the Melbourne Pictures launch and we sold out of it before the set even finished. It's been really positive."
However, theirs is no overnight success. It has resulted from much blood, sweat and tears: they've had to deal with line up changes and struggle to find their niche in the Melbourne scene. "I moved over here with my old band The Drowners which kind of split up fairly soon after we moved over here and we never fitted in anyway. We were too young to be playing with the Mick Thomas crowd, we didn't have the credibility behind us, we were non-fashionable with the rock crowd," he sighs. "We've been getting our own kind of scene happening now. It's not as fashion-orientated as everyone thinks it is: there are your core people that are more like that but most people are generally pretty happy to hear a good song."
Now that they're creating a buzz, inevitably they face lazy journalists slapping the '70s rock tag on them, with much focus on the haircuts and tight jeans. "We don't really want to be labelled with anything and I don't think we're really like that. Seriously, 80% of rock'n'roll bands in the past have worn tight pants. There might have been a stage in the '80s where people wore happy pants and slacks but there's nothing really cool about that!"
The strength of 'Didn't Come Here To Be Alone' can in part be attributed to some top-notch production by none other than Mr Davey Lane. "Davey's name was suggested when we were talking about who to get to produce because he's obviously got a good set of ears on him. He's never produced before but he's got a lot of experience playing with You Am I," Altmann explains. "We thought being our first EP and his first production it would be a cool scene. Plus, we didn't have much money. We're good friends and he was actually looking for a place so he moved into our house, we've been living together for the last year. We get on really well - he's such a sweetheart. It's funny the way he's got attitude on stage and you speak to him and he's just this meek, lovely person. Recording with him was awesome, it was all very diplomatic, he wasn't a dictator. We recorded it quick, it was done over two days and recorded live, once again cause we couldn't afford to do it much longer than that."
He pauses when I ask which track he was most fond of. "I guess I should say Beautiful Skin, which is the sensitive one for the ladies. I like playing Hours Away live cause it's Mikey's [Madden] song and I get to play the lead. Mikey's been writing some great stuff lately and we've been working more together and we've actually been doing a score for a movie by [Adelaide artist] David Bromley so that's given us the chance to be more creative. We've been doing instrumentals that are sparse and atmospheric which is something you don't get to do when you're playing live. We had a few songs played on 'Last Man Standing' and 'Home And Away' which is even better cause it's played all over the world.
The Vandas are set to launch their EP next month at the Grace Emily, and it's something they're eagerly looking forward to. "Every time we play at the Grace it's a big party and everyone has an absolute blast. It should be a cracker!"
Lauren Boxhall
 | The Vandas launch 'Didn't Come Here To Be Alone' at the Grace Emily on Sat 17 Sept. |
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