Three albums in, British India will be releasing their new record with Mushroom, and it may very mean the start of a new chapter for the garage-pop foursome. “We’re chin-deep in the recording of our new album,” says Wilson, “and we’re looking at a release early next year.”
“There’s a lot more people to deal with now,” says Melia. “There’s a lot more people that have to put a stamp on it, for better or worse.”
“So far, so good though,” adds Wilson.
“We’ve never been anti-label for the sake of being anti-label,” says Melia. “It just took us awhile to find the right fit.”
“We did that for years, release albums without labels and that sort of thing,” says Melia.
“We then got to the point when you know what kind of result you’re going to have when you release an album yourself. And this time around, we thought, ‘Well, let’s see what happens when we release an album with someone else,’” concludes Wilson.
When British India do indeed release their new record, fans can expect some of the more eclectic material that the band’s ever released, as evidenced by the recent single, I Can Make You Love Me, one of the more brooding songs they’ve ever released.
It would be easy to connect the dots and assume that British India’s relatively new sound can be attributed to their new label, however both Melia and Wilson insist that’s not the case. “We felt like we could probably get away with something a little darker, a little different this time around,” says Wilson. “More so, it was probably necessary for us to try something new. I don’t want to say more advanced, but something new,” he continues.
While they insist they’re proud of Avalanche, their 2010 full-length, there’s hints dropped throughout our 20-minute conversation that their newest record will indeed bring a different sound.
However, it’s never been the intention of the band to change direction whenever they feel like it. Now slightly slumped in their chairs, the two insist rather casually that they never set out to map new sonic landscapes. “There was never a credo,” says Melia. “You never really choose what to write, it sort of chooses you, doesn’t it?” says Wilson. “We never sit down and say, ‘(mocks enthusiasm) Alright, it’s hit time boys!’”
Instead, British India take a different approach. The band sees themselves as workaholics when it comes to the writing process. They’re constantly penning new tracks; case in point, when asked how big the pool of songs they had to work with on this new record was, both Melia and Wilson roll their eyes and laugh. “Too many to count,” they both say, nearly in succession. “The writing process is different for us, as we’re always just writing songs. Even when we stop, collect a few songs to go on the record, we’re still continuing writing for whatever happens next,” continues Wilson.
“There will be songs on this record that we’ve written before Avalance came out,” notes Malia. You have to wonder then, that if they weren’t told when to stop, British India may never finish writing. It’s a notion that isn’t lost on the band. “We basically get told by the powers that be, the beings above to stop writing and recording,” says Wilson. “We’d never get anything done otherwise,” says Melia with a smile. The constant gigging that the band does, throughout cities and towns big and small in Australia hasn’t hurt the band’s songs either.
In fact, for British India, it keeps things fresh. “There’s still a lot of leverage,” says Melia. “This record, the one we’re working on right now, it feels like our first record, in that we’re really road-testing the songs. If you would’ve asked us what this record was going to sound like a year ago, we would’ve had a very different answer to how it’s sounding now.”
The continued evolution in the band’s sound means the best of British India may be yet to come. With a new label in tow and a new album on the horizon, it won’t be long before the band is on the road again, where they find themselves most comfortable.
Because it’s there that the band are truly able to call their own shots. “British India can be pretty stubborn,” says Wilson. “We’ll listen to what other people have to say, but we’re not unaccustomed to just putting our foot down.”
“We’re not too proud to be self-critical,” says Wilson.
BY JOSHUA KLOKE
