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The Hiptones
 Local blues and soul band The Hiptones are currently riding high upon a wave, so to speak. Since being instantly signed up to SonyBMG's global release roster late last year with their debut album, 'Right Now', the guys have conducted a number of trips eastward for both playing and promotional purposes and have garnered significant mainstream airplay with their first single, I've Been Loving You Too Long.
Taking a little time off over Christmas to rest up and take stock of their situation, the band have since performed a couple of packed out pub shows in Adelaide in preparation for what's set to be a busy period to come, including two shows as part of the Fringe Festival as well as a spot at Victoria's Point Nepean Blues Festival over the Easter weekend. There, they will be sharing the bill with the likes of Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals, John Mayer, The Waifs, Missy Higgins, Paul Greene and Taj Mahal.
"We are very excited about playing both festivals," understandably enthuses the band's Hammond player, Narmon 'Brother T' Tulsi. "And the great thing about playing here in Adelaide is that they are a really tough audience so we can use this experience to really pull out all the stops and develop our show even more. James [Black, their album's producer] pointed out to us recently that you've got your pub gigs and then you've got your club shows, which probably leans a bit more to what we are doing at the Fringe, and then you've got your outdoor festival shows in front of around seven and half thousand people," he contemplates. "The most that we've played to so far has been around two and half thousand, which was at the Glenelg Jazz And Blues Festival, and then again when we supported Chris Isaac at the Crown Casino in Melbourne.
"We're bringing in a brass section for these shows," Tulsi tells me of the Fringe dates, "which we did last year in the Spiegeltent, which was also the first time that we put together a show with the aim to nail people right through it. And we also did a gospel number with a choir backing and it was a very special night," he fondly recalls.
"Because we've been pitching for shows like these for a while now we are going to work our arses off to make things happen as we've really got something to shoot for," Tulsi proclaims.
"As musicians it really helps you get more focused because no matter how much talent shines through, if your bait's not in the right pond you're not going to get the big fish," he considers.
"It's having that quirky mixture of bravado, hunger and talent, as well as having some business sense because it's a tough industry and it's not just about playing the music. But at the end of the day, if you get through all the hoops and jump all those hurdles and you're a good musician, you might just be able to carry it off," he further arbitrates.
"The beauty about now being full-time with the band," Tulsi reveals, "notwithstanding the vibe being incredible and despite the money still not coming through yet, is that we can now focus all of our attention on all those things and I'm really enjoying that and so is Snooks [La Vie, vocalist]. And stations like Nova FM have been very good to us across the country too," he appreciatively adds. "They've been playing the album version of I've Been Loving You Too Long as well as giving the remix a bit of a go too and now they're working up for a second single which will probably be out in a month or so."
So the tide really is high for The Hiptones, apparently..."Absolutely," beams Tulsi, "but to pick up on your earlier analogy of us riding that wave, if you really want to ride a wave all the way in you've got to hang on and work hard to make the most out of it." Hang ten.
The Hiptones play at the Garden Of Unearthly Delights as part of the Fringe Festival on Fri 23 March and Thurs 29 March
'Right Now' is out now through SonyBMG
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