Canberra two piece The Barren Spinsters have just put out their debut album, Ten Steps to Cynical Thinking, and are currently touring around Australia. Tomatrax caught up with the duo to talk about their music.
Brendon: It actually started as a bit of a side-project while Matt and I tried to get a different soul/funk project off the ground. It's funny which songs seem to stick and which don't.
Where did the name The Barren Spinsters come from?
Brendon: It's a bit of a call out to the awful way the media treated and scrutinized Julia Gillard during her time as our Prime Minister. It's an archaic phrase, poorly used as an attempted insult. We thought we could hijack the phrase and make it mean something more positive. To us, the phrase 'The Barren Spinsters' is now associated with two dorky guys in cat shirts playing silly rock songs.
You've just released your debut album, how does it feel to have it out?
Brendon: Honestly, relieved. Immensely proud, but very relieved. It's been a few years in the making so we're both looking forward to moving onto writing and recording new music.
Matt: It was a lot of work but I'm super chuffed with the finished product. Happy as Larry! Whoever he is.
Where did the title Ten Steps to Cynical Thinking come from?
Matt: It came as a bit of a nod to the tongue-in-cheek vibe of Brendon's lyrics. There's a snarky, sarcastic quality to them which I love. As there's 10 tracks on the album, I had this idea of the 10 songs being a sort of guide to being a cynic. It linked really nicely with the artwork theme too.
What made you pick 'Hey Ruth' as your latest single?
Brendon: Duck duck goose? I d unno really, it just felt right. As a song it seems to get straight to the point and doesn't faff around too much.
Matt: It's always been first up on the setlist, and it 's the first track on the album too, so it felt like a strong contender to go with. We also came up with the idea for the music video pretty early on, so it all came together ver y naturally.
What was the inspiration behind the album's cover?
Matt: The album name and the cover idea kind of came together at the same time. At first we wanted it to look like an old 50's advertisement for cigarettes or something . B ut when we got Ruth Palmer on board for the artwork, it morphed into more of a childrens book theme. Ruth has done illustrations for Enid Blyton books, and I honestly don't know how we convinced her to do it. But we're so thankful that she agreed , and the end product is super pretty.
You've been touring around Australia in support of your album, how has that been going?
Matt: It's been a lot of fun so far. We've been really lucky to grab some spots on some amazing festivals later in the year, and the shows so far have been a blast.
Brendon: We've spent so long doing band admin in preparation for the album's release it has been wonderful to actually play some music for a change. People have been very receptive to the album so far, which has been awesome .
What is the music scene like in Canberra?
Brendon: Cool, very cool. As I write this , I have ringing ears from just getting back from a local gig that featured two Canberra acts that I've never heard of before. That's what I love about Canberra, there's always a plethora of great acts around the corner that you're yet to see play live.
According to your bio one of the band's parameters was to have "few rehearsals", what prompted you not wanting to have many rehearsals?
Brendon: That was kind of a th row a way line poking fun at the fact we both have very limited time to rehearse as much as we'd like to. Matt & I also play together in a couple of other projects, so the musicianship and chemistry is always getting a work out, even if The Barren Spinsters songs aren't.
Matt: There's a certain spontaneity that comes from being a bit loose on stage, and not overthinking things. We seem to sound better when we're a bit sloppy .
Do you ever listen to your own music?
Brendon: I do actually. I know its daggy to say so, but bloody hell I 'm proud of what Matt & I have accomplished. It's also nice to keep checking in on a track you've recorded to see if you still like it. Sometimes by listening back you get a fresh perspective that helps you to improve or change it for future gigs.
Matt: I'm more into...like...good bands . I'm really more of a '5 Seconds of Summer' kinda guy .
What other music do you listen to?
Matt: I think we're both into a bit of everything and anything. At the moment I can't stop listening to 'All Things Must Pass' by George Harrison. I don't know how it took me this long to listen to that album, but I'm obsessed.
Brendon: I'm probably just like everyone else , in that I'll listen to the same familiar favorites until I happen to come across something new I've never heard before that excites me. The following week is usually the same song on repeat until my partner threatens to leave me.
Matt: Yeah, she does that a lot. And w ho could blame her?
What do you have planned after your tour?
Brendon: Finish writing the follow up album for sure. Second albums are always see n to be the hardest, so I 'd love to get a head start o n sculpting that bad boy.
Matt: I 'm think ing some band therapy, like 'Some Kind of Monster' would be cool. Much like Lars, I'm also a massive prick, so I think it could really work for us.
Check out The Barren Spinsters' website to find out more!
