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Faker.
 These days Faker is almost a household name in Australia. In aid of spreading the word, they're soon to embark on their 'Love For Sale' tour with Van She, the Valentinos and in Adelaide, pastel joy merchants My Sister The Cop.
Speaking with drummer Paul Berryman, we begin by ruminating over the phenomenon of digital media. "Love For Sale was released through iTunes. It's one of those songs I can listen to and not go, 'We should have changed that or done this,'" Berryman begins.
Faker have done things the tried and true way. I ask if the hard yards they've put in have given them this healthy attitude. "I think you have to earn your stripes and play dodgy shows but it's all about building awareness. If you can leave an impression on people that will make them wanna come and see the band next time or tell a friend - that's the beauty of how we share music these days. You can download something onto your iPod or give someone a burnt copy of a CD," Berryman says enthusiastically.
There's a natural progression to Faker's career witnessed by the casual observer, of which Berryman is quite aware of. "It's been interesting in the last year or so watching how far the band's come. We're on a roll; when we started touring we were playing shows to the support band and maybe two of their friends: dismal crowds, losing money and struggling away wondering if we'd ever be worth it. As you persevere, have self-belief in the songs and the people around you, things start to happen like at the 2006 Big Day Out. We played the Adelaide Uni O-Ball and there's more people that are aware now," he muses.
This peak of success is the point where criticism begins and Berryman explains the way in which Faker view the fame game. "Traditionally in Australia, there's this 'tall-poppy' syndrome and we're far from the tallest poppies. If people get success and things start to happen for them, people love to dissect the way you got there and how you earned it, 'Did you deserve it?' There's such a small percentage of musicians or bands that can actually make a living out of what they do and to be successful is almost like winning the lottery - so why wouldn't you run with it?," he concludes.
So we move to the inevitable question, whether looking overseas is part of Faker's delicately evil plan to take over the world. "You don't sit on the poverty line, toiling away for years and years to only get to a point where you go, 'Oh you know, I should get a job.' You're there for the long haul so when you start to see it working and the ball starts rolling then you get on and ride it. We went over to the UK in November 2005 and played about eight or nine showcases. At this point when we're third or fourth single in, if we tried to break other territories it would take a year and a half before we'd get around to writing and recording again. Our focus is on getting another album out this year in Australia."
I ask whether there was any conscious effort to create a 'scene' for this tour. "We've all heard their music; it's one of those things where you take similar guys around with you. There's a scene for everything - blues and roots, heavy metal, goth - there's so many different genres and types of music getting around that there's a scene for everyone. Though all of these four bands are quite different in their own respect, people might come along to see us, Van She, the Valentinos or My Sister The Cop and get into it," Berryman enthuses.
I advise Berryman that My Sister the Cop are surely one to look out for. "I hope that people will get into their music. I've seen them play at the Jade Monkey a while ago but I haven't actually heard any of their recorded material yet," he replies.
For those who like gig preparation, I ask Berryman for a sneak preview: "Quarter to Three is a favourite as well as some B-sides, we occasionally do a cover of Talking Heads' Psycho Killer. It's going to be a really good night." So get your Converses on, kids, and spend time in front of the mirror so that you won't miss out on the action.
Lauren Boxhall
 | Faker play the Governor Hindmarsh on Sat 1 April. |
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