“I kind of had this idea that if I gave the album away people would feel good about giving it to their friends and it would just spread you know,” explains Baxter. “I’m more about, like, as a really young band your primary objective is just to get people to listen to you, really.”
And listen they did. Initially unsure of what to expect, the eventual response and interest in Avalanche City was overwhelming. “I mean, I wasn’t expecting anything really. I kind of thought, ‘Hey, if I gave away like, you know, 300 or 400 or something…if I gave away 600 I would have been stoked as,” he laughs.
The album, Our New Life Above The Ground, was recorded and produced entirely by Baxter while being completely isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. It was an invigorating and rewarding experience but not one without its challenges. “Well, I mean I’m alright working by myself… it’s okay but it got really mentally draining,” he admits. “Having to be the performer and the engineer and the producer and everything you know. Because you’re just over-thinking everything you know like you’re trying to make sure you perform well while trying to make sure that the sounds good while trying to make sure that the part that you’re actually playing is the part that should go there. I recorded all the stuff in a week but I spent the next few months just scrutinising over every little detail and recording vocals and stuff like that.”
The result is a debut record which is immediate in its impact. The songs are pretty and lush and bright, yet still manage to retain their indie qualities. Baxter is quite certain that the surrounding environment had a big impact on his musical output. “I think being in different places totally can change the way that you create,” he says. “I’m not sure what it is that changes or what it is that affects you but being in a certain environment will make your brain operate in different ways. And that’s kinda why I wanted to get out of my home studio and go somewhere that was a little more exciting and a little more adventurous for me you know. And also the acoustics in that room were great, like solid wood floors and high ceilings.”
Avalanche City now turns their attention to their first Australian tour and for Baxter he’s just excited to be able to perform and share his music for anyone that cares to listen.
“I expect it to be a lot of fun,” he says excitedly. “And I can’t predict what the shows are going to be like but we’re pretty excited so I think, we’re certainly going to have a good time and I hope the people that attend have a good time too; I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
