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Symbiosis
 It's a long time since bands have been constrained to the format of two guitars, bass and drums, but even by today's loosely-defined standards, Symbiosis have been an unusually fluid group. "Frase [Fraser Montgomery, guitarist and vocalist] and I have been mates for ages and wrote songs and stuff," guitarist, percussionist and group spokesman Micka Etheridge tells me about the group's beginnings. "We formed the band about 3 years ago and it sort of morphed from the duo thing we were doing to a 3-piece to a 9-headed party machine and then we've pulled it back to a 5-piece for recording a debut album."
Not that Etheridge plans too many personnel changes from here on in - "we're definitely keen to make this [line-up] the one to go with," he quickly assures me when I ask if there are any more changes in the offing, before explaining the reason it's taken so long for the band to reach a place of stability. "It's just sort of trial and error- you hear different sounds, and you think 'I'd love to hear a flute' - then we've got a flute, you know. 'How about a female vocalist?' Oh yeah, got a female vocalist, percussion, horn section, and then you're like 'hang on, this is a bit problematic about how we can tour and be viable'. We did some really good stuff as a big band but then we just realised that we've got to pull it back in for our own longevity, I think."
Longevity and sustainability seem to be themes that Etheridge keeps returning to, both in terms of the band and in a much broader sense. "Frase and I both studied environmental science and Brooko [Quinn], the bass player, studied a political science degree so there's a fair bit of that in the band extra-musicular wise," he assures me, displaying a penchant for being as creative with his vocabulary as the band are musically. "As a band and as people, we've always felt really strongly about environmental and social justice issues, and been really active within and out of our musical domain."
Of course, a steady touring schedule and the busy process of recording makes it pretty hard to be involved too deeply now. Though the group still found time to play for Al Gore on his recent visit to Australia, they are also big believers in being involved at a more grassroots level in any way they can.
Part of the reason that the band is so busy is their insane touring schedule, which only gives them 10 days off before the debut album is released in February and they set off on an even more ambitious Australian tour that will place them in major cities and plenty of regional centres until April. You can chalk the mass of tour dates down to their adaptability - the day before they arrive Adelaide, they'll support the Hoodoo Gurus in Geelong, and then over the summer they'll go all the way up the East Coast with The Resin Dogs and Muph & Plutonic. But when they do a headlining show, there's an element to their music that none of those acts can offer; "I think it's become apparent that some of our more pirate sea shanty tunes are something a bit different - most people seem to remember them as much as anything else," Etheridge says with apparent nonchalance, as if he's surprised.
"We just love having heaps of fun, and the sea shantys are definitely a shitload of fun. It's different and it's a bit raucous, and people can kind of jump on the call and answers and just let loose. So yeah, from hearing the single and then knowing that we do sea shantys is probably a bit of a surprise for some people," Etheridge continues, which is fair enough- their current single, Rise Up is a melodic surf rock tune with a gentle groove.
But freedom to play what they want is one of the most important things to the band. "I guess in essence, there's a fair depth to what we do and that was certainly part of the reason why we stripped back the band so that we could play very musically but still make sure we retain our fun and off the wallness"
Alexis Buxton-Collins
'Rise Up' is out now independently.
Symbiosis play at Electric Light Hotel on Fri 14 Dec and at The Wheatsheaf on Sun 15 Dec.
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