Issue 508

You Am I Whilst chatting to bassist/manager Andy Kent, I get the distinct sense that You Am I is something that happens in between everything else these days. "Russell ('Rusty' Hopkinson, drummer) runs a record label and I run a touring company," explains the prolific bassist, "and Davey (Lane, guitarist)'s a gun for hire, so we all do other things." And then there's the lead man, Tim Rogers, who has kept himself in the public eye of late with his myriad of solo endeavours and side projects, which have recently included appearances at the 2010 Adelaide Cabaret Festival and a role in a stage production of 'Woyzeck'. "Every one of us is busy so when we do get together, it's really good to see everyone. We hang out and we do have a lot of fun. Everything else steels itself on that." And, although there are plans to tour You Am I internationally next year, the band doesn't tend to plan things too far ahead, preferring to leave the future unknown. Kent, however, is quick to emphasise the positive dynamic amongst the band, noting that it all begins with Rogers, the key songwriter. "The record is the band's baby but the songs come from him (Rogers) and they go through the You Am I process and then they come out the other side." It is obvious that Kent relishes this process, from Rogers' initial presentation of the song through its transition to the final product. "Some songs come out in a completely different way than they went in and others come out exactly how they are...but better. They come to life. It's a journey for the song itself. Everyone puts in what they think is right and there's lots of little creative battles that go on but I think there's enough trust and respect amongst us that, ultimately, everyone's trying to challenge themselves and each other to push it to where they think it needs to go." There is a clear admiration and respect for Rogers as the songwriter amongst the band and Kent shows no signs of growing tired of this process, noting that every song Rogers presents is different from the last. "It's difficult for him sometimes when he's got very clear ideas of what things are and they get interpreted in different ways when people hear it in a particular way. Sometimes they come together in one moment and sometimes they need to be worked through before they come out the other side. Some songs start as little ideas and others are put forward fully structured with lots of ideas thrown in there. They're all different." The eclectic and unpredictable nature of the songs Rogers might deliver was reflected on this album by the way in which the band decided to record them. "In the past, we've booked studio time and set deadlines and just charged forth. There is nothing finer than being in a great 24-track studio for a few weeks. But, at the same time," admits Kent, "people's inspiration and their creativity then has to set a schedule." Kent reflects (somewhat unfavourably) on past recording experiences where the whole process has been mapped out from the very start, right down to the "two full days of guitar solos". This time around, however, the band has embraced a more spontaneous approach whereby they were free to make contributions whenever inspiration presented itself, rather than having to force it. Parts of the album were recorded in home studios, professional studios, warehouse space - even in the producer's kitchen! - resulting in a sound that feels relaxed and genuinely invigorated by the process. The latest self-titled You Am I record, their ninth studio release, is certainly abundant with fresh ideas, not least of all because of what releasing a self-titled album at this stage in one's career might mean. "We've been saving it up for twenty years to use and we think it's a statement," remarks Kent, agreeing that it represents a culmination of their previous work. "You can't help but draw upon what you've done and what you know." Having said that, there is a sense that this self-titled album marks a new beginning in the illustrious career of You Am I. "Every record's a new beginning. We just plough on forward and try to make records that we're satisfied with. Maybe it is a new beginning. We don't know." You Am I are at The Gov on Fri 3 Dec. Their self-titled album is out now through Other Tongues. By Aaron Nash