So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band?
The Checks, I’m Sven and I play guitar.
What do you reckon people will say you sound like?
With Deadly Summer Sway, our new album, people say that we sound like The Stone Roses, music from a David Lynch Film, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Doors, The Beach Boys. I hope that people will say they can sing, dance and trip out to it.
What do you love about making music?
I love all things to do with making music. I’m a total believe in the transcendental nature of music. I think it can take to places you could never reach talking or watching a film or looking at photographs because it allows for your own imagination to enter.
What do you hate about the music industry?
Well right now there is this really sad thing where we are being force fed this really juvenile tripe in popular music. So as a result, music listeners have a really short attention span and have no space left to dream inside of it. These days you pay your money, get splashed in the ear, then get back on your phone. I love old pop music like Elvis, Roy Orbison and the Beatles. I just feel like the most popular music isn’t the best.
If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?
Jim Morrison, because I think he’d totally get it. Roy Orbison, so I could ask him to sing some harmonies. John Lee Hooker to ask him if the groove was hard enough. Biggie to ask him if he’d want to rap on a remix.
What can a punter expect from your live show?
Five dudes just really busting some seriously funky tripped fucked up shit loud. We all love playing live and treat songs totally differently to how we have recorded them so every night they have a life of their own.
What’ve you got to sell CD-wise?
We have three albums Hunting Whales, Alice By The Moon and our new one Deadly Summer Sway.
When’s the gig and with who?
This Friday March 9 at Cherry Bar with Guests Of Ghosts and Wildcat General Strike. Doors are at 8pm and tickets are $10+bf presale from gobookem.com or $13 on the door.
Anything else to add?
We’re very much looking forward coming over to Australia and smashing our new material. We have some real funky new tunes to play for you and our jams recently have been chainless so I can’t wait.
