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| Granny Flat
 As far as band names go, GrannyFlat is among the best of them. Comprising three 16-year-olds - Dusty Stephenson (guitar/vocals), Camilla Charlesworth (bass) and Josh Morphett (guitar) - the quartet is completed by the inclusion of Morphett's little brother Michael (drums), two years junior to the rest of them.
Despite displaying influences that stretch as far back as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix, it's more today's breed of rock bands that this local outfit aspires towards.
"We didn't plan to make it just '70s or anything," states Stephenson of the tag that possibly best describes their immediate sound, "but when we first started that was the main style we were doing. Since then we have branched out more and we haven't stuck to one style. But also, if you listened to the music from the '70s, the range of rock was huge, so saying that we play like that doesn't limit us, really. I mean, Camilla doesn't listen to anything from the '70s," he considers, "which is good because that means what she adds is all funky. And I don't really listen to too much old stuff either, I'm listening to things like Pearl Jam and Audioslave."
"Hip-hop and r'n''b," chips in Charlesworth. "Seriously, that's all I listen to because I'm a hip-hop and r'n'b freak," before avowing, "though I do actually listen to a lot of Motown music."
As for the elder Morphett brother;"If I'm in the mood to listen to things from the '70s, it's nearly always bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, or..."
"Supertramp," prompts Stephenson.
"So we're not completely from the '70s," Morphett reiterates. "I mean, we don't run out onto the stage with leather pants and afros and stuff. We do have songs that are influenced by Pearl Jam and others that are funky like The Red Hot Chili Peppers' stuff and then we have the real raw rock that's influenced by AC/DC."
"I don't think it matters what we play, because we're young we're still going to attract the younger audiences," continues Morphett senior. "Sometimes we get the reaction, 'oh, because they're kids they can't be that good', but then they hear us and think that we're not too bad."
"But that also means that we have to perform harder," picks up Stephenson, "because if someone's there and they don't know your songs you can't just stand there and look boring, you've got to go nuts because that's the other thing that's going to attract them."
Grannyflat formed over two years ago after the three older members met at Brighton High, where, despite being out of their residential zones, all were admitted as part of the school's special music education program. Michael Morphett, who was just 12 when he was inducted into the group, is now also a student at the course.
"Well, he was already a crazy little drummer," his older brother proudly boasts, "but when you're in a band you get so much better a lot quicker than if you're just having lessons at home. He was still pretty good for his age but now he's like John Bonham to the max."
"People do say that I play well," says the younger Morphett after I comment that it must be cool to have started playing in pubs and touring interstate while still in primary school, "they don't treat me like a superstar or anything like that."
"And we're actually real musicians," Charlesworth reminds me, "in that we all learn music at school and have been playing since we were little. While some other bands just start playing seriously after they've started the band."
"We have to learn all the other stuff as well," Stephenson continues, "like jazz chord progressions and all that. We have to get heaps deep into theory so I suppose all that gets into our music somehow, too." Honestly, here's a band with a real history. And don't just take my word for it - head to their website and check out their impressive list of awards, support slots and tour highlights. Or simply download three tracks off the Triple J Unearthed page and hear for yourself.
Steve Jones
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GrannyFlat launch 'With A Twist Of Lemon' at Jive on Sun 17 Sept with The Dairy Brothers and Swayback. |
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