This year marks the Sydney indie rock four-piece’s 10th anniversary, and they’re still moving in new directions.
What began on a whim – four friends finding each other in the right place and time to form a band – has become such a rewarding musical journey.
“The funny thing is we never had any expectations. We were just taking it as it comes,” the band’s Annabel Blackman says. “It’s been such a brick-by-brick thing.”
Alongside Annabel is Sophie McComish, Georgia Wilkinson-Derums and Cecil Coleman, who comprise Body Type. Together, they’ve put out numerous releases, played many grassroots venues and shared larger stages with Foo Fighters, Sleater-Kinney and Warpaint.
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Coinciding with their 10th anniversary is their third record, Tally, which stands out for several reasons: they recorded it in Los Angeles with Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa; COVID didn’t disrupt the recording process as it did on their last two; and their music has never sounded so expansive and considered.
“Our previous records felt like there was something we were dealing with or talking to directly,” Annabel says. “Being frustrated or having these overarching narratives, but we felt kind of rushed.”
The pandemic certainly curtailed their earlier momentum. With Tally not affected by any insurmountable force, it’s their first record where they were “more relaxed in a lot of ways.”
“I think we have finally gotten to a point where we can be a little bit more liberal with our time and creative expression,” Annabel says.
On the latter, that’s true. Much of their beloved scuzzy, jangly post-punk has been cleaned up for richer textures and luminous melodies. Lead single Mulberry particularly chimes brightly, Annabel providing spoken word as the others sing tenderly with her during its shimmering coda.
“We have Stella to thank for a lot of that refinement,” Annabel mentions. “It’s really hard to act on that intentionally when you’re recording and self-producing as a band. You’re questioning everything.”
Annabel explains they usually worked rapidly out of necessity – limited studio hours and funding and everyone having full-time jobs were contributing factors. Still, despite giving themselves around two weeks, honing the nitty-gritty can require more time: “It’s like, ‘Oh, we could have spent a month in the studio,’ but at the same time, it’s a delicate balancing act with your sanity and creative output.”
I add that some people thrive in the studio, but others can’t stand it for an extended duration. Annabel agrees with the latter, earnestly further touching on the sustainability of recording.
“Maybe you just have to be incredibly rich and stroll in, but something about that seems uncompelling to me. It can be boring doing it like Taylor Swift where it’s your daily life routine.”
The band do work well under pressure – after all, Tally sits at a tight 10 tracks – but even they’re susceptible to too much fun. “After 6 pm, it’s pretty much a lost cause. Soph and Stella would just be laughing as if there’s laughing gas in the room. Something was going on in the air. I was like, ‘You guys, I think you need to leave,’ Annabel recalls with a laugh.
Conceptually, the new record sees the band take the mundane and make it colourful and peculiar, doing so with playful and tongue-in-cheek lyricism. The best example is the title track, Tally, cruising along a chipper Pavement-esque groove, while humorously tackling money and the oppressive cost-of-living crisis. “Everyone’s got their take on it,” Annabel summarises.
“I think a lot of the best songs are rooted in reality, where you don’t have to reach too far,” she adds. “Once you start getting vague, it turns into something more generic. Anyone could have written a song like, ‘You probably have an American accent’ – it just becomes so nebulous.”
That appeal makes Body Type a fantastic fit as the opener for Courtney Barnett, a similarly grounded wordsmith, for her Europe tour this October.
“Courtney’s in her own stratosphere; she’s doing her own thing,” Annabel says in awe. “It’s a huge privilege to be asked to play her tour.”
With Tally, it seems like one dream after another has come true, even if it’s difficult to be a band in the streaming age. Sometimes the best thing, as Annabel says, is to “just go and play somewhere so people can see you and get an idea if they like you or not.”
Yet Body Type have persisted, and that feat is admirable: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Body Type are playing at The Tote on 24 September. Get tickets here.
