So just who are Lepers and Crooks? Now in their early 20s, frontman Sam Baker says the group’s musical bond has been undeniable for years. “When I first jammed with them in year 10, I didn’t want to do anything else. I remember sitting as 18 year-olds, coming back from a big night out and waiting for the sun to come up, and deciding, ‘Yeah man, let’s do this.’ I don’t want to go to uni and study just to work a nine-to-five job. I feel like that would kill me.”
Hoping to dodge the daily grind and focus on your one true passion is not an unusual inclination. But certain things become very difficult if you’re without an income stream. However, Lepers and Crooks are hell-bent on making this work, whatever it takes.
“I’ve been gypsy-ing around and living on friends’ couches and at different girls’ places for a while now,” Baker says. “There’s so much that you need to put in to this. If we don’t put all our energy towards it, maybe we’re going to regret it. So we quit our jobs and we’re touring around making money off gigs.”
In December, Lepers and Crooks released their debut EP Her Kiss.The four-song set paints a diverse picture of the band’s stylistic range, including the Jeff Buckley atmospherics of Her Kiss,riff-rawker This System and folky storytelling number, Jack.
“It’s important as an artist to never be boxed,” Baker says. “People want to label you so they can understand you, but I think it’s important for artists to constantly reinvent themselves, test their limits and test the audience.”
Right now, the band’s launching the EP on a four-month, 50-date Australian tour. Following five Victorian gigs last week, Lepers and Crooks head back this weekend for another three shows, including two in Melbourne.
“We had a fucking great time there,” Baker says. “We absolutely fell in love with Fitzroy and had a cracker of a time. We just want to soak up as much of the different places and people as we can.”
Going on tour is a sure-fire way to test the boundaries of friendship. This is Lepers and Crooks’ first major tour and there’s no signs of disharmony just yet.
“It’s rare for any sort of relationship, especially at our age, to stay together all these years,” Baker says. “As we’ve all matured it’s pretty cool that we’ve all stayed together and the music helps that. Spending time on the road, doing all this sort of stuff, you learn people’s roles, you see what people take on.”
So how is that Lepers and Crooks got Murphy’s attention in the first place? It was a rather curious scenario, as Baker informs us.
“We actually went to the INXS mini-series launch party,” he says. “Then we went back to Frankie’s in Sydney and I bought Chris a vodka, because I really wanted to talk to him. I went up to him and said ‘It’s an honour to meet you. You and Peter Grant – the manager for Led Zeppelin – could sell ice to the Eskimos.’ He was sort of taken aback that I knew who that was, and it evolved from there.
“Since then, we’ve been working harder than we ever have, but we’re doing what we love. Chris is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. He’s got an invaluable amount of knowledge. And he brings you into his home and you drink a lot of red wine. It’s good shit.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
